For a chance to see an American Flamingo, join the Coot Bay/Everglades Christmas Bird Count. Experienced birders needed for this count. Scroll down for details. Photo: Leah Soderblom.
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Coot Bay/Everglades Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, January 4
Experienced Birders needed for this count.
Everglades National Park Birding
Saturday, January 11, 7:30am-5pm
John Boyd will lead this all-day carpool trip. Meet in the Coe Visitor Center parking lot at Everglades National Park at 7:30am. There is an entrance fee to the park. Bring lunch. No pre-registration required.
North Florida Birding
(Cancelled)
Friday, January 17 - Monday, January 20
North Broward Birding
Saturday, January 18, 8am-3pm
John Hutchison will lead this all-day carpool trip to birding locations in northern Broward County. Meet at 8am at Tall Cypress Natural Area. From Florida’s Turnpike, exit at Sample Road (Exit 69). Drive west 3 miles to Turtle Run Boulevard. Turn right and drive north 0.2 miles to the park entrance. Bring lunch. No preregistration required.
Southern Palm Beach Birding
Saturday, January 25, 7am-4pm
Nancy Freedman will lead this carpool trip. Meet at 7am at Wakodahatchee Wetlands (13026 Jog Road, about 1.5 miles north of Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.) No fee. Bring lunch. No preregistration required.
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Reserve Your Spot Now!
Spain: Birding Extremadura, Doñana and Sierra de Gredos
April 27-May 11, 2020
Spaces Available
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European Roller. Photo: Stefan Schlick
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TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza and Stefan Schlick will co-lead this two-week trip to Spain, considered by many to be Europe's "birdiest" country. Timed for spring migration, the tour will include visits to Monfrague and Doñana National parks, the Cáceres Plains, Salinas de Bonanza and the Sierra de Gredos. Some of the many species we'll target include White-headed Duck, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great and Little Bustard, Slender-billed Gull, Spanish Imperial Eagle, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Black Wheatear, Spectacled and Subalpine Warbler, Iberian Magpie and Citril Finch.
Fabulous birding, excellent food, spectacular scenery and the ease of logistics adds up to an amazing, not-to-be-missed trip! Fee: $2,950 per/person double occupancy, $630 single supplement. Fee includes lodging, local transportation, guides and park fees. Not included is round-trip airfare to Madrid, Spain, any meals, tips, laundry costs or other incidental expenses.
For a detailed itinerary, click
here.
Email TAS Field Trip Coordinator
Brian Rapoza
for an application or additional information. $500 deposit due at time of booking, balance due by January 27, 2020.
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Wake in the Woods
Celebrating the Life of Lewis "Brother" Milledge
Saturday, January 4, 3:30-5:30pm
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Lewis De Blois Milledge Jr.
January 6, 1940 – October 25, 2019
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Members, friends, neighbors, volunteers and the conservation community are invited to gather for a memorial "Wake in the Woods" to celebrate the extraordinarily well-lived life of beloved TAS board member Lewis "Brother" Milledge, who died October 25, 2019. The birds and all wild inhabitants of Miami-Dade County were blessed to have this kind, gracious, giving Southern gentleman in their midst and perched for the past dozen-plus years in the proverbial TAS nest.
Join Brother's family for stories of remembrance, a bird walk, music and refreshments. A 2 p.m. church service at First United Methodist of Coral Gables (to which all are also invited) will precede "Wake in the Woods."
Parking options:
Limited on-site parking via the 55th Avenue auto entry gate; metered, garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metrorail service to South Miami Station.
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Conservation Concert featuring Take Sixx @TAS
Saturday, January 25, 7pm
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Yes, it's finally that time of year! Our Conservation Concerts launch this month with Take Sixx inaugurating the 11
th
Anniversary ConCon season, which also marks their eleventh consecutive annual appearance on the Doc Thomas House Keystone Stage. Enjoy the band’s fabulous repertoire of classic and contemporary hits under the stars and Audubon oaks.
Also on the playbill:
Taco Fresh Food Truck, and the donation Bird Bar featuring wines and beers courtesy of Republic National Distributing Co.
Picnic tables available on a first-come basis.
Gates open at 7pm; music begins at 7:30pm
CASH door: $10 donation p/p, children 12 and under FREE
Parking: Limited free parking via our 55th Avenue auto gate and along 56th Avenue; metered parking on Sunset Drive; various garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.
Proceeds benefit capital improvements to the grounds and historic buildings.
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Ask Miami-Dade to Vote AGAINST Urban Sprawl!
NEW HEARING DATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 23
Contact Your County Commissioner
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Reddish Egret. Photo: Andrew Long
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The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote on critical planning amendments. Ask them to increase our resiliency, protect the Everglades and our drinking water supply!
Our elected Commissioners have the chance to amend the county’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) every seven years. The CDMP is the county’s blueprint to grow in a smart way that is sensitive to Miami’s natural treasures that fuel its economic prosperity. This year, Miami-Dade County staff prepared a series of good policy changes (
Applications 5, 6, and 7 of the May 2019 CDMP Cycle
). If adopted, these amendments will safeguard the taxpayer investment and progress to date in Everglades Restoration, and increase the county’s sea level rise resiliency.
The Commission will vote on these very important amendments at the January 23 Board of County Commissioners meeting.
If passed, these applications will ensure that Everglades restoration benefits not be hampered by future development encroaching into this sensitive ecosystem, and will remove low-lying areas most vulnerable to storm surge from consideration for future urban expansion/development. Reigning in sprawl is key to focusing limited county resources on repairing existing and deteriorated infrastructure that has been contributing to myriad water quality issues along Biscayne Bay.
Please Take Action NOW!
Attend
the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, January 23, 9:30am, Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. First Street, 2
nd
Floor Commission Chambers, Miami, FL 33128
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Pre-Event Training @TAS for the 8th Annual Everglades Action Day(s)
Saturday, January 25, 9am-noon
Register for the 8th Annual Everglades Action Day(s) in Tallahassee
Monday, February 10 & Tuesday, February 11
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Join the Everglades Coalition in February for the 8th Annual Everglades Action Day. To make ready, TAS will host a pre-Everglades Action Day training workshop this month on Saturday, January 25, 9am-noon at our Doc Thomas House headquarters. Learn how to be an effective advocate for the Everglades. Lobby training and all materials will be provided.
To RSVP or receive more details email [email protected].
What’s in store? Event registrants will “board the bus for Everglades Restoration” at TAS (5530 Sunset Drive, 33143) on February 10th! Attendees will then spend two unforgettable days in Tallahassee's halls of power, visit Florida’s Capitol, meet elected officials and advocate for the Everglades and its estuaries. Group transportation to Tallahassee and scholarships available.
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Relax with Yoga Nidra under our Chickee
Tuesdays, 9:15-10:15am
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Join Hridayam Yoga instructor Carol Jamault for outdoor Yoga Nidra, a guided practice that leads to a state of deep relaxation and increased awareness. Yoga Nidra is considered a great tool to manage stress, improve sleep quality and regenerate the nervous system. Classes include gentle asanas, pranayama and exercises for the joints. Prices: $20 per class. Packages available.
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35th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference
America’s Everglades: All Hands on Deck
Captiva, FL
Thursday, January 9 - Saturday, January 11
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Join kindred conservationists, decision-makers from federal, state, local and tribal governments, agency representatives, stakeholders, scientists, educators, contractors, students and the general public at the 35
th
Annual Everglades Coalition Conference. Engage in meaningful discussions and presentations focusing on the restoration of America's Everglades.
The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of more than 60 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes into Lake Okeechobee and to the estuaries, through the River of Grass, out to Florida Bay and the Keys.
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Florida Trail Association Meeting @TAS
Tuesday, January 14, 6:30-9pm
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Join the FTA for an evening with University of Miami artist Xavier Cortada, whose science art practice is oriented toward social engagement and environmental concerns.
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Rise Up Florida Environmental Committee Meeting @TAS
Thursday, January 16, 6:30pm
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Rise Up Florida! is a grassroots group of engaged citizens whose goals are to mobilize people, activate them to protect our community from unfair and unjust policies, and work toward electing representatives who reflect the core values of equal rights and opportunity for all.
Potluck — bring something delicious! Please be mindful and refrain from using disposable items to make, carry or serve your dish. No plastic bags, single-use plastic or styrofoam, please.
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Eco-Restoration Day @TAS's Steinberg Nature Center
Saturday, January 18, 8:30-11:30am
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Learn about indigenous plants and help TAS maintain the near-native landscape at our Steinberg Nature Center campus. We need you! Restoration Days are held on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We're flexible — show up between 8:30 and 11:30am — you will meet conservationists, birders, plant lovers and gardeners just like you lending a hand.
Please bring sunscreen and your refillable water bottle; wear closed-toe shoes. We will provide water.
Eco-restoration days take place on the third Saturday of every month. Groups welcome!
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South Florida Young Birders Club
Monday, January 27, 5:30-6:30pm
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The monthly meeting of the South Florida Young Birders Club will feature a 2020 Great Backyard Bird Count primer. Birders from 12-18 and their parents are invited to attend. Learn how you can participate in the February 14-17 event in which birdwatchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are located.
For more information, email TAS Education Director Alison Enchelmaier at
[email protected]
.
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Create & Restore Crucial Habitat in your Yard!
Join Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's Connect to Protect Network
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Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's
Connect to Protect Network
enlists South Florida residents (Miami & The Keys) interested in restoring native plants to their yards, thereby helping connect our region's few remaining isolated fragments of Pine Rockland
—
a globally critically imperiled plant community. Installing native Pine Rockland plants increases the probability that bees, butterflies and birds can find and transport seeds and pollen across developed areas that separate Pine Rockland fragments, improving gene flow and genetic health of native plant species.
Joining the Connect to Protect Network of citizen scientists is easy! You need only live in Miami-Dade or Monroe County, have an e-mail address and be willing to maintain Pine Rockland plants on your property for at least two years.
Click
HERE
to share with your peeps on Facebook.
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Go Solar!
Join a Solar Co-op Information Session Near You
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Miami-Dade residents have come together to form a neighborhood-centric Miami-Dade Solar Co-op with the help of Solar United Neighbors of Florida. The co-op makes it easier to save money on the purchase of solar panels, while building a community of local solar supporters. Attend an information session in your neighborhood to learn more about how the Southern Miami-Dade Solar Co-op is streamlining the going solar process and is earning a discount through bulk purchase power.
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8
th
Annual Bird Day @TAS presented by Leica Store Miami
Saturday, February 15, 12-4pm
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Nurture budding birders and junior naturalists at our free annual Bird Day festival featuring an engaging afternoon of games, prizes, exploration and educational activities on our near-native Steinberg Nature Center grounds. Bird Day is the perfect venue for school ecology clubs, scout troops and young children seeking an outdoor adventure. “Meet” rehabilitated wild birds rescued by the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. Join our bird experts and learn how to identify birds by their silhouettes. Take part in Owl Pellet dissection, craft Piping Plover “chicks” and experience a microscopic view of the colorful world of feathers. Bring the entire family!
The mid-winter event also celebrates the annual migration of nearly 350 species of birds stopping to refuel and recharge in South Florida on their return from non-breeding grounds in the Caribbean, South America and Mexico to their nesting habitats in North America.
Participants can also join TAS Board member and Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza for a presentation on the 2020 Great Backyard Bird Count, wherein birdwatchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are located. Learn how your family can participate in the February 14-17 event!
Additionally:
Nature lovers can explore the trails that thread the restored Tropical Hardwood Hammock and Pine Rockland habitats. History buffs can tour the 1932 Doc Thomas House, which serves as TAS headquarters and is a designated Florida Heritage Site.
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The Birds thank Leica Store Miami for its countless kindnesses throughout the past calendar year. Though too numerous to cite, our highly valued Community Partner's 2019 gestures included organizing and/or sponsoring Birding adventures for TAS members; underwriting Bird Day @TAS last February (and again next month); sponsoring the recent Miami Christmas Bird Count (CBC) with the loan of binoculars, scopes and cameras; hosting the CBC Primer at its Coral Gables store; and underwriting the CBC Compilation Dinner staged on December 14 at Doc Thomas House for participating counters. We are humbled by Leica Store Miami's generosity.
Located on Miracle Mile, the independently owned shop and gallery specializes in the world's finest photographic and sports optics gear. It hosts local and destination boot camps and workshops, as well as in-store events designed to enhance your Birding experiences.
Visit Leica Store Miami on-site or on-line soon and Bird with the best. Supporting those vendors who support TAS is an easy way to contribute to our Mission. The birds will thank you!
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