Share the Shore (and the Bay)
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Don't take the Brown Pelican for granted. As recently as the early 1970s, the Brown Pelican was seriously endangered. The current abundance of this species in the United States represents a success story for conservationists, who succeeded in halting the use of DDT and other persistent pesticides here. Now, however, this species is climate-threatened due to rising sea levels and is listed as a priority bird.
To see one glide by or watch them helicopter-dive for food as you remain earth-bound, is to understand their inherent magnificence.
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Attention, beach-goers:
As we welcome summer, make sure you’re beach-ready! No, we’re not talking sit-ups and sunscreen. We’re talking about the steps you can take to keep shorebirds — the original beach-goers — safe while you’re having fun in the sun.
It’s simple to help conserve our coasts for the shorebirds that inhabit them. Brush up on how to share the sand with plovers, oystercatchers, skimmers and more. You'll enjoy the shore more than ever before, knowing that you've helped these beach birds survive and thrive
.
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Colombia: Birding the Central Andes
(spaces available)
Space Limited. Reserve Today!
February 8-16, 2019
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TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza (together with a local guide) will lead this 9-day tour to Colombia, a birder’s paradise with 1,900
+
avian species — more than any other country in the world. The tour is being arranged through Holbrook Travel, and will focus on the Central Andes region — famed for its high level of species diversity — and will include the Rio Claro Natural Reserve, Nevado del Ruiz, Rio Blanco Reserve and Otún Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. High-elevation mountains, humid tropical forest, páramo, wetlands and highland savanna habitats will be explored in search of an array of tropical avifauna, including flycatchers, hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans and more. Participants will meet members of the local community along the way, and learn about conservation efforts tied to birding as a sustainable development resource.
Fee: $3,295 per person double occupancy; $450 single supplement. Fee includes all ground transportation, lodging, meals, entrance fees, excursions and the services of your skilled leaders. Not included are international airfare from your city of departure to Medellin, return international airfare from Bogota, tips, laundry costs and other incidental expenses.
Reservations are required; application and fee are due by November 4, 2018.
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Year of the Bird June Action: Skip the Plastic
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The environment is being immersed in plastic. It takes lot of petroleum to produce, forever to degrade, spreads on wind and waves, and harms wildlife globally. So please skip the plastic, especially single-use plastic.
Take
America's favorite condiment: Ketchup
and its fast, portable, and squeeze-a-licious vessel, the
condiment packet
(pictured in the beak of our Kendall Fish Crow captured by wildlife photographer, Alejandro Cupi). In 2016, the Heinz company reported
sales of about 11 billion ketchup
packets per year. That's two packets of ketchup for every person on the planet from the Heinz company alone. That also translates to 11 billion packets in landfills, littering water sources and disrupting habitat. This doesn't include packaging for other condiments such as soy sauce, mustard, relish and so on. These packets are nearly impossible to recycle because they are made of both aluminum and plastic. There is presently no known recycler of condiment packets. The Heinz Company attempted a recyclable package. The idea hasn't taken off.
Reduce the demand
for plastic by saying no to plastic bags, straws and bottles, which will help save shorebirds, marine mammals and other wildlife from ingesting it.
Support local businesses that implement plastic-reducing initiatives, including TAS neighbor
Whisk Gourmet. The restaurant
launched a straw-free policy last year. Encourage more municipalities to follow the lead of Coral Gables’ first-in-Florida ban on single-use plastic bags that went into full effect last month. Because of concerned residents and action taken by city officials,
Coral Gables retailers and restaurateurs no longer offer single-use plastic bags or Styrofoam take-out containers.
Alarming:
At least 700 species of marine animals, including shorebirds, have been entangled by plastic or have mistaken it for food. That said, the Fish Crow above was feasting at a local hospital's open dumpster.
About Year of the Bird:
Audubon, National Geographic, Cornell, BirdLife International and, most important, bird lovers everywhere have teamed up to take a year of action for birds! Twenty-eighteen marks the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Centennial. To honor our country's most important bird protection law it's important to remain vigilant about protecting birds in our own yards. Year of the Bird is about celebrating the wonder of our feathered friends, examining how our changing environment is driving dramatic losses among bird species and learning what we can all do to reverse this trend.
Build a better world for birds and people. Each month Audubon will send you one simple action you can take to make a difference for birds and for the planet.
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Say
NO
to expanding 836 beyond the UDB
Attend Wednesday, June 20, County Meeting
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Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez delayed last month’s scheduled Commission vote on the ill-conceived proposed expansion of the 836/Dolphin Expressway beyond the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) until June 20. The mayor hopes to allay concerns and potentially court skeptics during this protracted postponement.
Don't allow the mayor to play politics with the UDB!
The ill-conceived proposal on which the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners are being asked to vote is highly controversial. It seeks to amend the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) to allow for a southwestern extension of State Road 836, aka the Dolphin Expressway, beyond the UDB with no clear proposed alternative, mapping or timeline.
Building roads beyond the UDB is a bad idea. Here's why:
It promotes sprawl.
It does not alleviate interior traffic problems.
It puts our sensitive wetlands, our drinking water supply, an Everglades Restoration Project and agricultural lands at greater risk.
ACT NOW:
CONTACT your Commissioner to let them know you are vehemently opposed to breaching the UDB and that you urge them to vote NO on June 20. Hammer this message home daily and weekly until they publicly commit to a NO vote. If you live within Commissioner Rebeca Sosa’s or Xavier L. Suarez's districts (Districts 6 & 7), please thank them for their strong support of the UDB. Find your County Commissioner
here
.
SPREAD THE WORD &
ATTEND
the Board of County Commission Meeting on Wednesday, June 20, 9:30am, Stephen P. Clark Commission Chambers, 111 NW 1 St., Miami, FL 33128. This will be an important public hearing!
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The Army Corps of Engineers submitted the report last Thursday to the Office of Budget and Management and Review (OMB). Florida Representatives quickly issued a letter in support of The Central Everglades Planning Project Post-Authorization Change Report recommended by The South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD).
Read the letter here.
Once constructed, this reservoir will alleviate the need to dump — in years of high rains — phosphate-laden water into mid-state coastal estuaries, and will allow for the renewed flow of more fresh water south to the now unnaturally parched Southern Everglades and salt-saturated Florida Bay. Restoring the historic natural flow southward is a crucial step toward Everglades Restoration.
Because of the intensity of May rains, as of last Friday morning, the Army Corps began releasing flows from Lake Okeechobbee into the Estuaries West and East of the lake.
D
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Dine Out @ Whisk
Tuesday, June 12, 6-10pm
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Make a dinner date at
Whisk Gourmet
(eat-in or take-out) and, in turn,
Whisk
will feather the proverbial TAS nest with 10 percent of its dinner revenues.
Enjoy signature dishes such as Chef Brendan's famous Fried Chicken or his
sensational
Shrimp & Grits.
www.whiskgourmet.com
Whisk
helps TAS protect all the places South Floridians cherish:
Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay
and
The Everglades.
Thanks to founders Kristin Connor and Chef Brendan Connor
for so generously hosting the annual Dine Out Summer Series for the Birds! Kudos to the siblings for also implementing a straw-free policy at their restaurant.
Save the Dates:
July 10 and August 14 for more opportunities to Dine Out for the Birds!
onsite free parking & valet service available
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Royal Poinciana Fiesta 2018
Thursday, June 7 – Monday, June 11
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Calling all plant, tree and landscape lovers! Join the Tropical Flowering Tree Society and the City of Coral Gables for the 2018 Royal Poinciana Fiesta. New events include the opening workshop at the Scout Hut featuring speaker Stephen Pearson, Director of the Gifford Arboretum; a Poinciana Flower Arranging and Workshop; a Waterway Canoe Tour; and Painting Royal Poinciana Trees at Bottle & Bottega. Don’t miss the Trolley Tours of Coral Gables, and Tram Tours of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden capped by the Coronation of the Poinciana Queen.
Click
HERE
for event details.
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Eco Restoration Day @ TAS's Porter Russell Pine Rockland
Saturday, June 9, 8:30-11:30am
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Help TAS steward our Porter Russell Pine Rockland, an 8-acre property in South Miami-Dade County, and one of the few remaining tracts of globally imperiled Pine Rockland habitat remaining outside of Everglades National Park.
We will provide water. Please bring sunscreen and your refillable water bottle; wear closed-toe shoes.
Eco-restoration days take place on the second Saturday of every month. Groups welcome!
Volunteer | @tropicalaudubon Porter Russell Pine Rockland Preserve 22100 SW 124th Ave, Miami, FL 33170
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Eco-Art Summer Camp @TAS Hosted by Create Miami June 11-29
Featured Event
Register NOW
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Calling all curious, creative children, ages 4-10 for an engaging summer camp filled with art and nature! Both boys (Blue Jays) and girls (Flamingoes) will learn about our South Florida environment and create nature-inspired eco-art in a beautiful setting. Children will be enchanted by morning nature walks and painting activities in the nature preserve, as well as delighted by afternoons filled with arts & crafts, games and special presentations in the historic (and air-conditioned) Doc Thomas House. Campers will also create a nature journal and complete TAS's 6-hour Bird Education program tailored for this age group!
The half-day program runs from 8:30am to 2:30pm. Aftercare is available through 5:30pm.
Tuition:
8:30am – 2:30pm $150/child/week
8:30am – 5:30pm $200/child/week
Space is limited.
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Florida Trail Association Meeting @ TAS
Tuesday, June 12, 6:30pm
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Join the FTA for an evening with Houston Cypress, who will speak about medicinal plants.
Pot-luck 6:30-7pm — bring something delicious to share! Please utilize utensils and a container that can be reused or recycled.
This will be the FTA’s last meeting before summer break, resuming in September.
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"American Animals" opens in South Florida theaters +
Giveaway!
Wednesday, June 13, 8pm
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Enter to win:
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and stay-tuned
View the trailer:
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Wondering what to do as it gets hotter, more humid and rainy? Support independent cinema, entrepreneurship and a thriller that would surprise John James Audubon (and enjoy a/c, too).
The extraordinary and thrilling true story follows four friends living an ordinary existence who brazenly attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists — the theft of “Birds of America” from a library — in U.S. history. At Sundance Film Festival, Bart Layton’s “American Animals” has taken the indie box office by storm. The Orchard Films and Movie-pass distribution “American Animals,” starring Evan Peters, received an 84 on Rotten Tomatoes and opens in SoFla theaters on June 13, including at Sunset Place, just a 5-minute walk from Tropical Audubon Society.
Tropical Audubon will give away two pairs of tickets to the film.
Ride the Metro Rail or park your bike or car at TAS at 7:30pm, then walk to Sunset Place! Gates will be open until 10:30pm.
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Eco-Restoration Day @ TAS's Steinberg Nature Center
Saturday, June 16 8:30-11:30am
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Photo Credit Tom E. Smith
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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 -- show up between 8:30 and 11:30am — you will meet conservationists, birders, plant lovers and gardeners just like you lending a hand.
We will provide water. Please bring sunscreen and your refillable water bottle; wear closed-toe shoes.
Eco-restoration days take place on the third Saturday of every month. Groups welcome!
Click Here to Send Us an Email!
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Rise Up Florida Environmental Committee Meeting @ TAS
Thursday, June 21, 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.
Pot-luck — 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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Film Screening “Laws of the Lizard” @ Frost Science Museum
Wednesday, June 27 6:30-8:30pm
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View a special complimentary screening of the new Smithsonian Channel documentary, “Laws of the Lizard.” Few creatures have revealed as many biological secrets about the workings of life on Earth as the backyard lizard, also known as the anole. Join biologists Neil Losin and Nate Dappen on their year-long examination of this humble yet fascinating creature and its remarkable powers of adaptation.
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Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition Meeting @ TAS
Thursday, June 28
, 7-9pm
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Get the latest developments surrounding Walmart/Coral Reef Commons Development plans to bulldoze and pave over imperiled habitat at the former University of Miami South Campus.
Learn about plans to Save the Pine Rocklands, and how you can participate by helping ramp-up "Save it, Don't Pave it" efforts all the way to Washington D.C.
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… for underwriting “May Movie & Music Nite.” The city’s role as Title Sponsor enabled the Birds to earmark all funds raised at the door and donation bar for the much-needed restoration, education and preservation projects taking place year-round on our Steinberg Nature Center campus. We are most especially grateful to Vice-Mayor Walter Harris for championing Tropical Audubon Society to his commission, and for attending our screening of “Wind Across the Everglades” on May 25.
The green-minded city Harris represents is home to approximately 12,000 residents and traces its formal roots to 1926 when the then-town of Larkins sought incorporation and renamed itself in the process. South Miami’s charming downtown district unfolds just west of TAS along Sunset Drive and Red Road, and is home to dozens of unique retail shops and restaurants. By extension of the City of South Miami’s support, its vendors have helped feather our nest. Supporting those who support TAS is an easy way to contribute to our Mission.
The Birds will thank you!
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