Join the Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical Site bird walk for a chance to see the Mangrove Cuckoo.
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Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical Site: Birds, Butterflies & Native Plants
Saturday, May 5, 6:30am-2pm
TAS President Joe Barros (bilingual) and Linda Evans of the Miami Blue chapter of the North American Butterfly Association will lead this trip to the largest remaining tract of coastal tropical hardwood hammock in the Florida Keys. Meet at 6:30am at the Cracker Barrel restaurant at US-1 and Palm Drive in Florida City. Bring water and insect repellant. There is an entrance fee to the site, plus Lunch at a Key Largo restaurant. No pre-registration required.
Bird & Wildlife Weekend at Fairchild
Saturday, May 12, 8am & Sunday, May 13, 8am
Explore Fairchild and the wildlife that calls the garden home! Take a bird walk, sit in on informative lectures about birds, bees, butterflies, aquatic life and even the lizards in the Garden! TAS Guide Brian Rapoza will lead a bird walk through the gardens 8am each day. Meet at the Visitor Center.
Click here
for details.
Mother & Child Bird Walk @A.D. Barnes Park
Saturday, May 12, 9:30-11am
The Phoebe's (an all female birding group) Ana Lima will lead young birders and their mothers through A.D. Barnes Park on Mother’s Day weekend. Meet at 9:30am in front of the Sense of Wonder Nature Center
.
Enter on SW 72nd Avenue just north of Bird Road. (SW 40th Street), turn left at the T intersection and drive to the loop road where the nature center is located. Park in spaces on either side of the road. No fee. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and insect repellent. Recommended for children ages 5-12. Adult must accompany child.
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Colombia: Birding the Central Andes
(spaces available)
Save the Date
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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On Friday, April 27, Tropical Audubon Society and the Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition filed an appeal to Miami-Dade County’s Environmental Quality Control Board contesting the recently released Natural Forest Community (NFC) tree-clearing permit issued by County’s Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM). This tree-clearing permit will allow for the additional destruction of globally imperiled pine rocklands and hardwood hammock in the Richmond Pine Rocklands for the construction of a road.
The road’s sole purpose, as stated by developers Ram Realty and the University of Miami, is to provide access to a parcel set aside for a public school and library, a concurrency required due to the scale of the Coral Reef Commons retail and residential development. The road that the developers seek to build will bisect two important Natural Forest Community (NFC) preserves and undermine their viability and value to the federally listed endangered and threatened species that call this property home. The County’s statutory framework provides strong protections for Natural Forest Communities. County ordinances and its Comprehensive Master Development Plan place strict limitations on the properties that contain critical habitat for endangered species. Allowing this land to be used for a public school runs counter to the County’s unambiguous environmental protections and limitations.
This tree-clearing permit appeal is the latest effort by environmental groups to preserve the Richmond Pine Rocklands, the largest tract of imperiled pine rocklands outside of Everglades National Park. Less than 2% of pine rockland habitat remains. The Coral Reef Commons development will destroy more than 83 acres of this precious resource, home to more than 20 federally listed endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. This area has been designated critical habitat for two butterfly species: the Bartram’s Scrub-hairstreak and Florida Leafwing. It also harbors the Miami Tiger beetle, believed to be extinct until it was recently re-discovered.
In December 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an incidental take permit allowing the project to proceed with the destruction of an unquantified number of endangered species. This decision is being fought in federal court. Both Tropical Audubon Society and Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition, along with the Center for Biological Diversity and South Florida Wildlands, are plaintiffs in the federal suit.
The federal permit does not, however, supersede environmental protections in local code and the need to comply with local regulations.
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Year of the Bird
May Action: Global Big Day May 5, 2018
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On May 5, join more than 20,000 others and become part of The Cornell Lab Global Big Day, a 24-hour global bird count. Submit bird observations and support conservation worldwide. You don’t need to commit to the full 24 hours. Just an hour or even ten minutes will do. While traditional birding “big days” focus on teams of birders, anyone can participate. Visit your favorite spot or search for a new location. Go solo or bring friends or family. The current record for a single Big Day team is 431 species, set in Ecuador.
How to participate: Get an eBird account. The program eBird is a worldwide bird checklist used by hundreds of thousands of birders. Enter birds that you see and hear on May 5. Even 10 minutes in your backyard will help. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone.
Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, keep an eye on how the lists are growing in different parts of the world. Stats will be updated in real-time on the
Global Big Day page
.
What is Year of the Bird? Audubon, National Geographic, Cornell, BirdLife International and, most important, bird lovers everywhere are teaming up for 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 backyard. 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.
Sign the pledge
to build a better world for birds and 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
Contact your Commissioner, Attend a 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 (see his memo below).
Don't permit 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 water supply and agricultural lands at risk to development
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
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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Doc Tho
mas House Docent-guided Tours @ TAS
Y'all Come — Bring your Mom!
Saturday, May 5, 1 & 3pm
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Photo: Arden Hayes "Doc" Thomas and his mother, Margaret, perched on the house's then-unscreened front porch.
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Visit the historic Doc Thomas House for a captivating, 45-minute guided tour led by a TAS docent. Learn about the Birds' benefactor Arden Hayes Thomas, the renowned architect he commissioned and the home's distinctive architectural features. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, named a Florida Heritage Site and designated a Dade County landmark, the charming 1932 cottage has much to say for itself! Gain insights into local and national Audubon history, too. Tours include a stroll through our Steinberg Nature Center grounds weather-permitting.
Admission FREE: Donations Welcomed
CLICK HERE
to invite Friends on Facebook & spread the word
REMEMBER: follow us on
Twitter
, to tag us on Historic Facts and on
Instagram
, to share your photos in a post or story!
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Eco-Art Summer Camp @TAS
Hosted by Create Miami
June 11-29
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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 love our morning nature walks and painting activities in the nature preserve, as well as our afternoons filled with arts & crafts, games and special presentations in the historic (and air-conditioned) Doc Thomas House.
Kids who attend will create a nature journal and complete TAS's 6-hour Bird Education program!
The half-day program runs from 8:30am to 2:30pm. Aftercare is available through 5:30pm. All campers will enjoy nature walks, art activities, educational presentations and weekly water play!
Tuition:
8:30am – 2:30pm 150/child/week
8:30am – 5:30pm 200/child/week
Space is limited.
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Leica Lounge with Alfred & Fabiola Forns
@ Leica Store Miami
Thursday, May 3, 7pm
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Nature photographers Alfred and Fabiola Forns will talk about their experience photographing wildlife and show images from their portfolios, travels and workshops. Learn more about Alfred and Fabiola by visiting their
website
.
Leica Store Miami
372 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134
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Florida Trail Association Meeting @ TAS
Tuesday, May 8, 7pm
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Join FTA for an evening with Photographer
Connie Mier, whose photographic journey and career were inspired by the FTA and hikes into Big Cypress. She will share her captivating images and speak on the delicate balancing act that is her process as she photographs the Big Cypress from her tippy canoe.
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Eco Restoration Day @ TAS's Porter Russell Pine Rockland
Saturday, May 12, 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!
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Bird & Wildlife Weekend at Fairchild
Saturday, May 12 & Sunday, May 13
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Explore Fairchild and the wildlife that calls the garden home! Take a bird walk, sit in on informative lectures about birds, bees, butterflies, aquatic life and even the lizards who inhabit the Garden! TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza will lead a bird walk through the gardens at 8am each day. Meet at the Visitor Center.
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Florida Native Plant Society
38
th
Annual “Renewal” Conference
Thursday, May 17- Sunday, May 20
Miccosukee Resort, Miami
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Purchase native plants that will turn your garden into a haven for birds, bees and butterflies. Attend workshops on landscaping, edibles, rare plants, conservation issues and more.
Visit the TAS table at our Plants for Birds display on Friday and Saturday between 10am-3pm
. Attend lectures by plant and conservation experts and go on field trips. Participate in networking and social opportunities. Learn about climate change, citizen science and advocacy opportunities. Make sure to visit the
Florida Native Plant Society’s website
for a full listing of workshops, vendors and activities.
Click
here
for more information.
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Rise Up Florida Environmental Committee Meeting @ TAS
Thursday, May 17, 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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Eco-Restoration Day @ TAS's Steinberg Nature Center
Saturday, May 19, 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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Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition Meeting @ TAS
Thursday
, May 24, 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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May Movie & Music Nite @TAS
"Wind Across the Everglades" & Three Lady (Song)Birds
Friday, May 2
Gates Open at 7
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On the Marquee:
Feature film:
“Wind Across the Everglades” 1958 (93 minutes) — Set in the early 20
th
century, game warden (Christopher Plummer) sets out to enforce conservation laws that protect wading birds in the Everglades. He soon runs up against Cottonmouth (Burl Ives), a plume hunter who leads a band of bird poachers. The film is loosely based upon the real-life story of Guy Bradley, one of the country’s first game wardens who was hired upon the request of Audubon Society members to protect wading birds in the Everglades region, and who was shot and killed by a plume hunter.
Co-Starring:
3 fabulous Lady (Song)Birds:
Raffa Jo, Edan Archer & Deblois Milledge
plus
Screening of
“Ain’t that kind of Woman”
Edan Archer Music Video filmed at the Doc Thomas House (how cool is that!?)
plus
Three Sisters Organic Food Truck
plus
Popcorn & Donation Bird Bar
May Movie & Music Nite is a Community Event presented by Tropical Audubon Society together with the City of South Miami
Admission by Donation--
Limited on-site parking via the 55th Avenue entry gate; metered parking on Sunset Drive; various garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.
MMMN Community Partners:
Audubon Florida, City of South Miami, Community Newspapers, INYBN.com, Miami Brewing Co., Republic National Distributing Co.
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The kindhearted folks at Gobie Plumbing keep the finicky old pipes in the historic Doc Thomas House running like new, year after year. They fly to our rescue at a moment's notice and make sure the water continues to flow indoors and out.
Fully licensed and insured, the family business has been providing platinum-grade services to Miamians since 1981. From residential to remodeling and new construction, owners Laura and Phil Gobie are actively involved in every facet of your project. It is our good fortune to count them as our Community Partners.
Supporting vendors that support TAS, such as Gobie Plumbing, is an easy way to contribute to our Conservation Mission. The Birds will thank you!
Phone:
305.235.3523
onsite free parking via SW 55th Avenue entry gate
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