April 2017
April in the Field

Cormorant by Ben Knoot

Kendall Indian Hammock Park
Saturday, April 8
Stephen Paez will lead birders through Kendall Indian Hammock Park. Meet at 7:30am at the parking area at the east end of the ballfields. Return is at approximately 11am. No fee.
Richardson Park
Sunday, April 9
John Hutchison leads this walk at Richardson Park in Wilton Manors, north of Ft. Lauderdale. To reach the park from I-95, exit at Oakland Park Boulevard (Exit 31). Drive east 0.9 miles to North Andrews Avenue. Turn right and drive south 0.8 miles to NE 21 Court. Turn left and drive east 0.3 miles to Wilton Drive. Turn right and drive south 1 block to NE 20 Street. Turn right to the park entrance. Meet at 7:30am, returning at approximately 11am. No fee.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Saturday, April 15
Joe Barros (bilingual) will lead birders through Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens. Meet at 7:30am in the Matheson Hammock parking area adjacent to Fairchild’s north entrance. Entrance fee to Fairchild will be waived for TAS members. Return is at approximately 11am.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Sunday, April 16
Robin Diaz will lead birders through Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. The park opens at 8am. Participants should meet at No Name Harbor (from the entrance station, take your first right and drive west to the parking area). The walk will begin by 8:15am. returning at approximately 11am. Costs include an entrance fee to the park and the Rickenbacker Causeway toll.
AD Barnes Park Bird Walk
Saturday, April 22
Bill Boeringer will lead birders through A.D. Barnes Park. Enter on SW 72nd Ave. just north of Bird Rd. (SW 40th St.), turn left at the T intersection and park in spaces on either side of the road. Meet at 7:30am, returning at approximately 11am. No fee.
Florida Keys / Dry Tortugas (Trip Full)
Paul Bithorn and Brian Rapoza lead this three-day, two night van trip through the Florida Keys, including a one day boat trip to Dry Tortugas National Park. Costs ($895 per person double occupancy: $250 single supplement) includes two nights hotel in the Key West area, van/gas, park fees and ferry to the Dry Tortugas. Email Brian for further information.
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park / Evergreen Cemetery Birding
Saturday, Arpil 29
South Florida Audubon Society’s Paddy Cunningham invites TAS to join her for a tour of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, followed by a visit to Evergreen Cemetery in Ft. Lauderdale. The state park’s entrance is on Sunrise Blvd., just west of A1A. Meet at 8am at the Hammock Trail parking area. Costs include an entrance fee to the park.
Mattheson Hammock
Sunday, April 30 
John Boyd will lead birders through Matheson Hammock County Park on Old Cutler Road. The group meets at 7:30am in the parking area at the south end of the park, adjacent to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Return is at approximately 11am. No fee.
Featured Event
Join Marine Biologist Christian Avila of Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management in the Doc Thomas House parlor as he delves into "Seagrass Losses and Algal Blooms in Biscayne Bay." Seagrass dieoff and algal blooms are known to occur in Florida Bay, but did you know they are increasingly common in Biscayne Bay? Attend this  salon to understand the scope of the problem in our fragile bay ecosystem, possible causes and the repercussions. Introductions will be made by TAS Board Member and resident Marine Biologist Gary Milano. A question-and-answer session will follow Mr. Avila's presentation.

Refreshments will be served at the Donation Bird Bar.

The quarterly  Conservation  Salon Series is free and open to the public. Limited seating; your RSVP is appreciated  Click Here to RSVP


Tropical Audubon Society: 5530 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL, 33143
                                                                                       onsite free parking via SW 55th Avenue entry gate
                                                                                                 Volunteer with/ @ TAS   |   @tropicalaudubon

Take Action Now
Conservation Salon @ TAS
"Seagrass Losses & Algal Blooms in Biscayne Bay"
Presented by Marine Biologist Christian Avila 

Friday, April 7, 7pm

Thank Our Republican Representatives for Leadership on Climate Change
Last week's Executive Orders on Climate Change were met with courageous opposition from South Florida Republican Reps.  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen  and  Carlos Curbelo  who highlighted the effects of Sea 
Level Rise already being felt among the coastal communities they represent.

Thank Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Curbelo by contacting them at the following:

Ros-Lehtinen
@RosLehtinen
tel: (202) 225-3931

Curbelo
@RepCurbelo
tel:(202) 225-2778
Phone Bank @ TAS
April 17, 3-6pm

Join Tropical Audubon Society & Friends of the Everglades to spur action in the Miami-Dade County Delegation in support of Everglades restoration Bills.

3pm Training on how to effectively persuade your Senator and House Representative to support Bills and an update on Everglades Restoration Bills.

BRING: 
Your cellphone
laptop
a friendly and positive attitude
refillable water bottle/cup
Green Things to Do

Leica Lounge with Wildlife Photographer & 

ZooMiami Goodwill Ambassador Ron Magill

Thursday, April 6, 2017, 7-8:30pm

Attend “Walk on the Wildside – The Joys of Wildlife Photography” presented by Ron Magill.  From the exhibits in your local zoo to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, Magill will show you how to get the best out of wildlife photography while having the time of your life. Whether photographing polar bears in the sub-freezing temperatures of the arctic, lions on the scorching plains of the Serengeti, or butterflies in his backyard, Magill captures wildlife in a way that has inspired people around the world. This presentation will show you how to get the most from your equipment while learning that wildlife photography can be enjoyed by anyone with a yearning for adventure!

The Leica Lounge is a lecture series hosted by Leica Store Miami which features presentations by local photographers, editors, gallerists and educators. Held monthly, these free events are designed to create and inspire the local photography community through sharing images and exchanging ideas.

RSVP: [email protected]

Eco-Restoration Day @ Porter Russell Pine Rockland

Saturday, April 08, 9am-noon

pine rockland
Help TAS steward our  Porter   Russell  Pine  Rockland , an 8-acre property in South Miami-Dade County, one of the few remaining tracts of globally imperiled  Pine  Rockland  habitat remaining outside of Everglades National Park. 

Please bring sunscreen, your water bottle, and wear closed toed shoes. We will provide water.

RSVP or sign-up your organization: [email protected]

Eco-Restoration Day @ TAS' Steinberg Nature Center

Saturday, April 15, 9am-noon

Learn about indigenous plants and help us maintain our near-native landscape at the  Steinberg  Nature Center on the TAS campus. We need you!  Restoration Days are held on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We're flexible -- between  8:30 am and 11am -- you will find a host of conservationists, birders, plant lovers and gardeners just like you lending a hand.

Volunteer to Get Your Hands Dirty! (We provide gloves!). Groups welcome. 
Earth Weekend
Perch @ TAS on Earth Day
Saturday, April 22, Dawn-Dusk

Stroll our Pine Rockland and Hardwood Hammock habitats — roost under the Audubon oaks and picnic in the shade as the birds flutter by. Bring a book, breakfast, lunch, yoga mat, journal, camera or just breathe deep in our 2.2-acre urban oasis. 

Wherever you alight, do something meaningful for Mother Earth, and ask your friends to do the same! It's as easy as joining Tropical Audubon Society or renewing your membership on Earth Day.


                                                                     Tropical Audubon Society: 5530 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL, 33143

                                                                                                  Volunteer with/ @ TAS   |   @tropicalaudubon

Baynanza
Saturday, April 22, 9am-noon

Baynanza is a celebration of Biscayne Bay and its significance as one of our most important ecological systems in South Florida. While Baynanza includes more than 25 great events throughout March and April, the event that has become nearly synonymous with this celebration is the Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day.

Registration for the Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day is now open.



RECYCLE Electronics, Paint Cans & Peepers
Saturday, April 22, 9am-noon
Coral Gables City Hall


recycling_girl.jpg

This Earth Day event hosted by the City Beautiful will help keep the Planet beautiful, too. Small appliances, computers and electronics (anything with a power cord) are fair game as long as the item can be hand-carried. Eyeglasses are moved along to the needy, so the more the merrier. Paint cans should be opened and allowed to dry in advance. In addition to doing your part, please help spread the word among your peeps! 

405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, 33134


March for Science
Saturday, April 22, Rally 11am; March noon-4pm


SCIENCE, NOT SILENCE

The March for Science demonstrates passion for science and sounds a call to support and safeguard the scientific community.

People who support scientific research and evidence-based policies can take a public stand and be counted. 

JOIN US ON APRIL 22, 2017, FOR A HISTORIC MARCH FOR SCIENCE AROUND THE WORLD

Science is often an arduous process, but it is also thrilling. A universal human curiosity and dogged persistence is the greatest hope for the future. This movement is more than a march. The relationship between science and democracy must not continue to erode. The application of science to society is not divorced from politics. 

https://www.marchforscience.com/ | https://www.sciencemarchmiami.org/

#BIRDSTOCK @TAS (Earth Day!)
Saturday, April 22, 
gates open at 7pm

Six topflight South Florida bands will compel the 7th annual  Birdstock to new heights on  Saturday, April 22nd. Axe and the Oak, Edan Archer, ERICoustic, Gold Dust Lounge, Lucid Room, The Neverly Brothers and Snow Moon comprise the all-original music playbill. Be sure to catch this 2017 ConCon finale as these premier singer/songwriters showcase their uniquely personal sounds. 

The  muy delicioso  Sabor 305 food truck  will make its TAS debut; donation  Bird Bar beverages will flow courtesy of Republic National Distributing Co. and local craft beer maker  Miami Brewing Company.

While grooving to the tunes, you can also preview the Members Migration Silent Auction and get a 24-hour jump  on Sunday's bidding. 

Lights out at 11.

Picnic tables available on a first-come basis

$10 donation, children under 12 free

Proceeds benefit capital improvements to the grounds and historic buildings.

Parking options: Limited on-site parking via the 55th Avenue entry gate; nearby metered, garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.

                                                                     Tropical Audubon Society: 5530 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL, 33143

                                                                                                  Volunteer with/ @ TAS   |   @tropicalaudubon

Members Migration & Silent Auction @ TAS
Sunday, April 24
4-7pm

                                                               photo: Robert Brian Rivera


Our annual Members Migration (a shindig formerly known as WingDing) celebrates our Birding Community and Conservation Heroes on Sunday, April 23rd. TAS members and High Pines neighbors will gather on Earth Day Weekend under the Audubon oaks to enjoy music, picnic fare, Bird Bar libations and Silent Auction bidding.

Guest speakers will address Everglades Restoration progress, impediments and how we can all be part of the solution to send water south and help compel restoration of the Everglades historic flow. Citizens, volunteers and public officials will be recognized for their notable conservation efforts over the past year.

The festivities are free to TAS members and High Pines neighbors, and to anyone who joins on the 23rd (annual membership begins at $25; Students & Seniors $10). Nonmember Admission, $10

Parking options: 
Limited on-site parking via the 55th Avenue entry gate; nearby metered, garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.

Community Partners: 
Community Newspapers, I'm Not Your Boring Newspaper, Miami Brewing Co., Republic National Distributing Co.

#NationalAudubonDay
John James Audubon's Birthday
Tuesday, April 26

Join us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as we celebrate the life and work of John James Audubon and his legacy.  @tropicalaudubon

Miami People's Climate March
Saturday, April 29, 1pm


Join the Miami Climate Alliance, the Women's March,  350.org , NewFM, SEIU, Union of Concerned Scientists and other frontline community groups as hundreds of thousands of people around the country march together. 

This date will mark the 100th day of Donald Trump's presidency. Join the People's Climate Movement and make a difference. 


Early Bird Registration
Flock to the Audubon Convention
Park City UT, July 14-17

Register Now

Early-bird registration runs from March 15 to April 15.

The Audubon Convention will feature jam-packed days of networking events, distinguished keynote speakers at the forefront of conservation science and policy, hands-on workshop sessions and discussion groups, as well as enthralling birding field trips and adventures. See full program for session descriptions and field trip choices. You won’t want to miss this opportunity for learning, networking, collaborating – and birding with fellow Audubon chapter, state, national, and international leaders.  

Early-bird registration runs from March 15 to April 15. Register early to enjoy the following benefits:

  • A $50 discount on registration costs.
  • Opportunity to sign up for a private group Q&A session with Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold and Audubon Board Chairwoman Maggie Walker on Saturday, July 15.
  • Entry into a raffle for a chance to win a free registration to the 2019 Audubon Convention. Winners will be announced at the Saturday Night Banquet.
The Birds Thank 
Community Newspapers
... for so generously supporting "South Florida's Voice of Conservation." The publishers of  Community Newspapers assure Tropical Audubon's environmental and event messaging is regularly broadcast across its family of publications, both print and electronic.

From Aventura to Cutler Bay, Miami's Community Newspapers endeavor to connect the birds with the bees. "Once our readers understand how interconnected all systems in a community are, they are more willing to contribute," says Amy Livergood Donner, the publication's director of advertising.  "That's our role — connect and then contribute. For that reason, we are delighted to support Tropical Audubon Society with editorial and donated advertising space."

Pick up a free copy of your neighborhood's  Community Newspaper  at your bank, coffee shop or post office. Or advertise your goods or services on its pages. More than any other local medium  Miami's Community Newspapers  help TAS cultivate conservation through community!

Supporting those vendors who support TAS is an easy way to contribute to our Mission. The birds will thank you!