The Limpkin Times

Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:

Protecting the rich biodiversity of the Florida Panhandle through education, appreciation, and conservation.

January 2024

Trouble Seeing This Email? View Online

An example of ecological landscaping, the topic for our January program. This wildlife border planted along Centerville Road includes canopy trees (magnolia and pine), understory trees (native hawthorns), shrubs (wild azaleas and blueberries), a pine snag, some native grasses and leaf litter.

 In this Issue:

Chapter Programs at FSU's King Life Sciences Building Auditorium

• Thurs. Jan. 18, Design with Nature: Ecological Landscaping,

with Jody Walthall

• Upcoming Programs

Chapter Outings

• Jan. 14, Guided Walk at Debbie Lightsey Nature Park,

with Juli deGrummond (Fully booked, but a waitlist is available)

• Feb. 17, Tall Timbers tour with Jim Cox

Jan. 21: Adopt-a-Street Sharer Road Cleanup

Feb. 17: Wildlife-friendly Yard Tour

Lake Elberta Park

• January Bird of the Month
• Sat. Feb. 3, Trash Cleanup

President's Message

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and is resolving to spend more time watching birds, be it in your yard or out in our community. One 2024 resolution I'd like to ask of you is to support the birds by spending some time volunteering with Apalachee Audubon! We have two upcoming trash pickup events in need of more helping hands and we need volunteers for the February 17 Wildlife-friendly Yard Tour. (Click this link for the online tour volunteer sign-up form.) All these events take place on weekend days, last only a couple of hours, and take place outside.

Now accepting applications for the Ben Fusaro Conservation Grant! Have an idea for a project that can help birds or educate people about birds? Or do you know a school, church, or club that might? It might involve planting trees, putting up nest boxes, establishing a pollinator garden, creating materials to educate people about birds, or doing a bird-related study. Apply for a Ben Fusaro Conservation grant and you could get $500 to fund your project! Visit our grant webpage for application information and to see what previous grant awardees have done. Application deadline is March 15, 2024. 

Couch's Kingbird at Lake Elberta Park: As of December 28, the Couch's Kingbird--first documented sighting in Florida!--was still being seen at the north end of the park, in the trees east of the city vehicle storage area. On December 30, it was seen on the other side of Lake Bradford Rd behind the Wash Around the Clock. BTW, if you haven't already, read Juli deGrummond's account of this first-time sighting and how it was documented. 

Hope to see you at this month's program!

Kathleen Carr

Chapter Programs

Jody Walthall

Design with Nature:

Ecological Landscaping

with Jody Walthall

Social with coffee and snacks at 6:30 p.m.

Announcements at 7:00 p.m.

Program begins at 7:15 p.m.

Learn how to convert a traditional landscape to one that has ecological function, using primarily native plants. Maintenance considerations will also be discussed.

This program will meet in person and via Zoom.

Click for more information about this program and Zoom registration.

Register early and you will receive a meeting reminder before the meeting.

FSU's King Life Science Building

319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee 32304

NOTE: Please park in the Spirit Way parking garage on the second floor and above.

Upcoming 2024 Programs-Save the Date!

For details, visit www.apalachee.org.

February 15 - Jean Huffman, Helen Roth, Susan Carr, Annie Schmidt,

A Labor of Love and Collaboration

March 21 - Julie Wraithmell, Influencing Conservation Policy 

April 18 - Dr. Christopher Werner,

The Underwater Caves of the Woodville Karst Plain

Sunday, May 19 - Annual Meeting & Potluck Picnic

Chapter Outings

Jim Cox leading a wagon tour.

Debbie Lightsey Nature Park with Juli deGrummond

Sunday, January 14, 8 - 10:30 AM, (Fully booked, but a waitlist is available.)

Visit the webpage to register.

Tall Timbers with Jim Cox

Saturday, February 17, limited to 20 participants.

Visit the webpage to register.

Adopt-a-Street: Sharer Road Clean Up

Inaugural trash pickup crew, November 2023

We've adopted Sharer Road and invite you to join us Sunday, January 21 at 9:00 a.m. to spend an hour or two making this roadside more presentable and keeping trash out of stormwater runoff and out of the mouths and beaks of our wildlife. No sign-up necessary, just show up. Visit the webpage for meet up details.

2024 Wildlife-friendly Yard Tour

2022 Wildlife-friendly Yard Tour, Dana Bryan's House

Save the date and join us on Saturday, February 17 for our 16th annual fundraiser! Tickets--still only $10--will go on sale at Native Nurseries and Wild Birds Unlimited in late January. Visit the event webpage after January 15 for the on sale announcement and more information. Also, we are looking for 24 volunteers to help greet visitors to the yards. This requires a commitment of ONLY two hours AND you get a free ticket to see the rest of the yards. Click here to sign up online. 

This year's tour will feature four yards, each of which has unique features to attract a variety of birds and other wildlife such as wintering hummingbirds, orioles, tanagers, goldfinches, and kinglets as well as our year-round residents. This year, we have a wide variety of sizes and features from our yard hosts, plus some new ideas for inspiration for your own wildlife-friendly yard.

Lake Elberta Park

January Bird of the Month

Click to learn about this winter visitor often seen floating on the lake in January!

February Trash Clean-Up:

Sat. February 3, starting at 9:00 a.m.

Join us in keeping this beautiful ecosystem healthy!

November 2023 Cleanup Crew

• Additional parking is available on FAMU Way, close to Stearns St. There's also a 20-spot parking lot off of the roundabout at FAMU Way and Robert and Trudie Perkins Way (just west of Stearns St.). It’s about a 3-minute walk from the parking lot to the Stearns St. entrance of the park.
• Kayakers and canoeists are welcome and needed!
• Gloves, trash bags, and other supplies provided
• Water is provided, but please bring your reusable water bottle

Land Acknowledgement Statement

Apalachee Audubon acknowledges that the region it serves is located on the ancestral and traditional homelands of the Apalachee Indians of the Talimali Band, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. We pay respect to the resiliency of their tribal members, past and present, and to all Indigenous peoples. We encourage all to learn about the significance of Indigenous peoples in this region and throughout this continent.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: 2023-2024

Officers

President: Kathleen Carr

Vice President: VACANT

Treasurer: Harvey Goldman

Secretary: James Carr

Directors

Cindy Baisden

Charlie Baisden

Kristin Cohea

Juli deGrummond

Kristan Godbeer

Ben Rangel

Rebecca Wall

Student Directors

Traysea Auger

Christian Watson-Kerr

STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS

OTHER COMMITTEES & CHAPTER ACTIVITIES