May 2019
Spot a Mangrove Cuckoo at Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical Site with TAS President Jose Barros.
May in the Field
Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical Site: Birds, Butterflies & Native Plants
Saturday, May 4, 6:30am-2pm

TAS President Jose Barros (bilingual) 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.
 
Evergreen Cemetery Birding
Saturday, May 4, 8-11:30am

Join South Florida Audubon Society's Paddy Cunningham for a walk at Evergreen Cemetery. Meet at 8am. The cemetery is located at 1300 SE 10 Avenue in Ft. Lauderdale. From US-1, drive east 0.2 miles on SE 13 Street to the entrance. No fee. No pre-registration required.

Mother & Child Bird Walk @Gardens of Crandon Park
Bring your child! Bring your mom!
Saturday, May 11, 9 - 11am

The Phoebes (an all-female birding group) will lead young birders and their mothers through the Gardens of Crandon Park on Mother’s Day weekend. Enter Crandon Park via the South entry gate. Meet at 9am at the pond at the entrance to the Gardens near the parking lot ( 6747 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, FL ).  No fee. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and insect repellent. Recommended for children ages 5-12. Adult must accompany child. Or, ladies, treat your own mom to this delightful outing!
Click HERE to RSVP and share with your peeps!
Facts on the Fly
Everglades Action Day a Success
Tropical Audubon Society, along with Audubon Florida and other Everglades Coalition members took Tallahassee by storm in April for the 7th Annual Everglades Action Day. More than 60 advocates, including TAS Education Director Alison Enchelmaier, from all corners of the Sunshine State visited decision-makers to talk about the importance of funding Everglades restoration, Florida Forever and water-quality efforts to address our water crises. 

Florida State’s lawmaking session in Tallahassee is scheduled to end on May 3, 2019. To read more about how you can support conservation policies, especially Florida Forever, and get the latest updates on Florida’s  top conservation issues, click HERE to read Audubon Florida’s Audubon Advocate .
Take Action
Global Big Day May 4, 2019
Become part of The Cornell Lab Global Big Day, a 24-hour worldwide count taking place on May 4. Submit bird observations and support global conservation. You don’t need to commit to the full 24 hours. An hour or even 10 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. 
 
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 4. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone.
Sign up  HERE .
 
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 .
Featured Events
Doc Thomas House Guided Tours @TAS
Y'all Come — Bring your Mom!
Saturday, May 4, 1 & 3pm
Visit the historic Doc Thomas House for a captivating, 45-minute guided tour led by a Tropical Audubon Society docent. Learn about the Birds' benefactor Arden Hayes “Doc” Thomas and Robert Fitch Smith, the architect Thomas commissioned to design the house. Tour the distinctive, wood-and-limestone structure with its many ornamental and built-in features. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, named a Florida Heritage Site and designated a Dade County landmark, the charming 1932 cottage is an architectural gem. Gain insights into local South Miami and Audubon history, too. Tours include a stroll through our Steinberg Nature Center pollinator gardens and nature trails, weather-permitting.
 
Save the dates: First Saturdays of the month through June 2019.
Times: 1pm & 3pm Tours / House and Grounds Open 12:30-4pm.
 
Admission FREE: Donations Welcomed
 
Tropical Audubon Society: 5530 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL, 33143
Conservation Salon @TAS
Preserving World Springs — from Florida's Spring Heartland & Beyond
Thursday, May 9, 7pm
Landscape Designer and Olmsted Scholar Bryce Donner will host "Preserving World Springs — from Florida's Spring Heartland & Beyond," a Conservation Salon that will showcase the beauty and wonder of fresh water springs, and explore why proactive preservation is urgently needed. 
 
After graduating from University of Florida with a Landscape Architecture degree in 2018, Bryce embarked on a traveling fellowship through Europe to understand how the design of spring landscapes can generate support for springs preservation. He will share photos and stories from his post-grad sojourn ,  along with images and tales from Florida’s Spring Heartland. Importantly, the author of “A Journey through the Karst Springs of Europe” will illuminate the threats facing springs and aquifers and present a novel concept for engaging with spring landscapes.
 
Bryce, a High Pines resident and TAS neighbor, presently works at the esteemed Raymond Jungles landscape architecture firm. He is also the author of “ABC Birds of the World,” created while interning for TAS in 2012 as a junior at Miami's Design & Architecture Senior High School. Signed copies of both of his books will be available for purchase.
 
Beverages and libations will flow at our donation Bird Bar.
 
Dive in now on Instagram  @worldsprings .
 
Click HERE to RSVP or email  [email protected]

Click HERE to share on Facebook.
 

Ride: Bike to TAS or take the Metrorail. TAS is just a 10-minute walk east from the South Miami Metrorail Station.
 
Park: Limited on-site parking via our 55th Avenue auto gate. Nearby metered, valet and garage options.

Register Now
Eco-Art Summer Camp @TAS
Hosted by Create Miami
June 10 – July 5
Calling all curious, creative kids, ages 5-12! Experience an engaging summer filled with art and nature! Campers will learn about our South Florida environment and create nature-inspired art in a beautiful setting. Campers will be treated to morning discovery walks in the Steinberg Nature Center, as well as afternoon arts & crafts and games.

Program Fees:
$175/week (8:30am – 2:30pm)
$50/week for Aftercare (2:30pm – 5:30pm)

Discounts:
Multi-week Discount – Register for a minimum of 4 weeks and receive a discount of $25 off each week. Weeks must be purchased all together at the same time in order to apply discount.
Siblings Discount – Second child receives $20 off each week.

Registration:
Space is limited. To register now, please complete the  registration form  or call  786.504.5698 .
Register today to Earn Your Wings
Attend the Audubon Ambassador Program @TAS
Become a more powerful advocate for the environment!
Pine Rocklands: Native Plants & Habitat Restoration 
Plus: History of the Doc Thomas House
Saturday, May 25, 9:30am-4pm
The Atala Hairstreak is one of Florida's state-listed imperiled butterflies.
Earn your Wings — the Audubon Ambassador Program is open to anyone 18 years and older who is curious to learn more about the environment. 

Our May session spotlights South Florida’s imperiled Pine Rocklands. Learn more about conservation efforts to protect this unique habitat and the rare butterflies that live there from Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Natural Resources Manager Joy Klein and North American Butterfly Association Miami Blue Chapter Vice President Dennis Olle — both of whom are TAS Advisory Board members. Explore a Pine Rockland habitat and tour the Doc Thomas House with resident TAS Historian Dan Jones. 

Click HERE to RSVP or pay at the door, cash or check
Click HERE for a flyer for the May Pine Rocklands session.
Click HERE for a flyer for the 2019 Audubon Ambassador Series
Click HERE to apply for a student scholarship for the program

FEES:  $10 per session (modest handling fees will be added by Eventbrite). Pinning Ceremony Picnic free for program attendees.
 
Ride: Bike to TAS or take the Metrorail. TAS is just a 10-minute walk east from the South Miami Metrorail Station.
 
Park: Limited on-site parking via our 55th Avenue auto gate. Nearby metered, valet and garage options.
The Audubon Ambassador Program  is a series of workshops and field trips designed to make you a more engaged, educated and effective advocate conservationist. Learn from leaders in their fields and become a strong advocate for the water we drink, the air we breathe and the habitat that nurtures, shelters and sustains our region’s birds and other wildlife. You’ll come away knowing more about South Florida ecosystems, environmental challenges, sea level rise and hurricane resilience issues — and, most important, practice making a difference. Talks on issues will be followed by advocacy exercises. Field trips bring each month’s classroom discussions to life.
 
RSVP for these additional Session Dates:
 
June 22, 2019, 9:30 AM - 4 PM; Session 4 - Biscayne Bay
Coral Reef Restoration | Water Quality | Seagrasses | Boat Tour on Biscayne Bay
 
August 24, 2019, 9:30 AM - 12 PM; Session 5 - Smart Growth
Urban Planning | Economic and Community Development | Bird-Friendly Buildings
 
September 28, 2019, 9:30 AM - 4 PM; Session 6 - Birding 101
Audubon Network | History of Birding | Basic Bird Identification | Bird Walk
 
October 26, 2019, 9:30 AM - 4 PM; Session 7 - Native Plants for Birds
Greening for Birds | Invasive Species | Eco-Restoration
 
November 23, 2019, 11:30 AM - 4 PM; Pinning Ceremony Picnic
Networking Lunch for Current & Past Audubon Ambassadors | Highlights of the Year
Green Things to Do
Relax with Yoga Nidra under the Chickee @TAS
Thursdays, 7:30-8:30pm
Unwind under the Audubon Oaks. Join Hridayam Yoga instructor Carol Jamault for outdoor Yoga Nidra. These deeply relaxing and restorative classes take place under the TAS chickee hut for the joy of those who love to put their bare feet on the ground, listen to the sounds of Nature and enjoy the perfume of verdant woods in a tranquil urban oasis! Yoga Nidra is a great tool to manage stress, improve sleep quality and regenerate the nervous system. Classes include gentle asanas, pranayama and exercises for the joints.

Click Here  to register.

Opening Night RECEPTION
An Environmental Odyssey — solo show by Patricia Cummins
Pinecrest Gardens Hibiscus Gallery
Thursday, May 2, 7-9pm
Attend the opening of “An Environmental Odyssey” at Pinecrest Gardens and meet artist Patricia Cummins, also a TAS member! Her solo show will include “Everglades Dream,” a stunning, 96x84” painted folding screen that depicts the signature birds of the Everglades National Park (pictured above). The oil on canvas/maple panels/mahogany framed piece is on loan to the show from TAS; it was donated to TAS by patron Martha Singelton in memory of her mother Celeste Singleton. This exhibit will hang through May 27. 

Click HERE for more info about the show.
Click HERE for more info about the artist. 
RECYCLE Electronics, Paint & Household Chemicals!
Saturday, May 4, 9am-noon 
Coral Gables City Hall Parking Lot
It's spring, time to press the refresh button. The City Beautiful’s Earth Month Recyling Day helps keep our Planet beautiful. Bring anything with a power cord or battery — appliances large and small, computers, flat screen TVs and other electronics — to be recycled for the greater good. Household hazardous chemicals, including paint, solvents, insecticides, etc., will also be accepted. Please tell your peeps! 

Eco-Restoration Day @TAS's Porter Russell Pine Rockland Preserve
Club, College, Corporate & Private Parties Only 
Second Saturday of each month, 8:30am-12pm
Eco-Restoration Days at this site are now reserved exclusively for service clubs, ecology classes, corporations and private work parties of 10 volunteers or more. Advanced reservations are required. RSVP to Events Director & Volunteer Coordinator Amy Creekmur at  [email protected].

Helping TAS steward our 8-acre Porter Russell Pine Rockland Preserve in South Miami-Dade County is ideal for community service credit and corporate team-building. This precious parcel is one of the few remaining tracts of globally imperiled Pine Rockland habitat remaining outside of Everglades National Park. Work-party details and requirements will be provided upon registration.

                     Volunteer | @tropicalaudubon
Florida Trail Association Meeting & Potluck @TAS
Tuesday, May 14, 7pm
Join FTA for a meeting to discuss new chapter direction, next year’s calendar and FTA State Board requirements. The association seeks suggestions and volunteers for the coming year and plans to establish next year’s calendar.

Kindly present your Pot Luck offering in re-usable platters or bowls; no disposable ware please. TAS will provide reusable eating utensils and plates. 

Florida Native Plant Society
39 th  Annual “Transitions” Conference
Thursday, May 16 - Sunday, May 19
Plantation on Crystal River
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. Attend lectures by plant and conservation experts and go on field trips. Participate in networking and social opportunities. Learn about the Nature Coast region of Florida — sea level rise, migrations of ecosystems due to climate change and the transition zone between north and south Florida. 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.
Rise Up Florida Environmental Committee Meeting @TAS
Thursday, May 16, 6:30pm
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.

                                             
  Volunteer | @tropicalaudubon
Eco-Restoration Day @TAS's Steinberg Nature Center
Saturday, May 18, 8:30-11:30am
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!


Volunteer   @tropicalaudubon    
Opening Night RECEPTION
Wildlife Impressions: A Photographic Journey with Kirsten Hines
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center @Crandon Park
Saturday, May 18, 5-7pm
Join Tropical Audubon Society Board Member and acclaimed author and nature photographer Kirsten Hines at the opening reception of her new exhibition “Wildlife Impressions.” Be transported on a virtual global journey through the Animal Kingdom as Kirsten shares her favorite images captured around the world. The evening will also feature live music by singer-songwriter DeBlois Milledge, daughter of long-time TAS Board Member Lewis Milledge. This exhibit will hang through August 30.
May Movie & Music Nite @TAS
“The Swamp” — Nature Never Surrenders
Presented by the City of South Miami
Friday, May 24
Gates Open at 7
Enjoy a dramatic evening of song and film under the Audubon oaks presented by The City of South Miami.  
 
On the Marquee:
Feature film:  “The Swamp” Nature Never Surrenders (2019, 120 minutes) tells the sweeping story of humanity’s attempts to conquer the Florida Everglades, one of nature’s most mysterious ecosystems. Home to a profusion of unique flora and fauna found together nowhere else on the continent, the immense watershed once covered nearly all of Florida's southern peninsula. In the late 19 th  century, however, wetlands were largely perceived as impediments to progress, impenetrable swamps inhabited by dangerous reptiles. Draining much of the Everglades was a feat accomplished by the Army Corp of Engineers. Radically altering the landscape in favor of development unleashed a torrent of unintended consequences — including floods, droughts, habitat loss, collapsing rookeries and fisheries, and species teetering on the brink of extinction.

Thecritically acclaimed film retells this epic real-life drama through the lives of a handful of colorful characters, hucksters, politicians and unlikely activists. Both captivating and compelling,  The Swamp  brings viewers full circle to the present as state and federal agencies work closely with Everglades advocates to save America’s greatest wetland by restring the flow of water south.
 
 
Co-Starring: Songbird Raffa Jo

plus  Taco Fresh Food Truck

plus  Trader Joe's Movie Theater Popcorn & the Donation Bird Bar by RNDC
 
May Movie & Music Nite is a Community Event presented by 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; Metrorail service to South Miami Station.   
 
MMMN Community Partners:  Audubon Florida, City of South Miami, Community Newspapers, INYBN.com, Republic National Distributing Co., Trader Joe's  
Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition Meeting @TAS
Thursday, May 30, 7-9pm
Federally Endangered Pine Rockland Resident: Bartram's Hairstreak Butterfly
Photo: Al Sunshine
Get the latest information surrounding the Walmart/Coral Reef Commons Development plans now set in motion at the former University of Miami South Campus.

Learn about how to better protect the region’s remaining Pine Rocklands and how you can participate.

Go Solar!
Join a Solar Co-op Information Session Near You
solar_panel_family.jpg
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.

Save the Dates
NATIVE PLANT SALE @TAS
Nurture & Shelter Birds, Bees & Butterflies! 
Saturday, June 1, 9am-5pm
Purchase Native Plants that will transform your yard or balcony into a thriving, low-maintenance South Florida habitat. Learn cultivation tips from our resident experts. Invest in a rain barrel. Curate your garden with André Art Glass hand-blown objects. Purchase pollinator-inspired hand-crafted gifts from Reeny's Butterflies, Blooms & Bees. Shop for sustainably farmed produce and enjoy farm-fresh Rainbow Smoothies from LNB Grovestand. Quench your thirst with Muni Farms Coconut Water.

Bonus activities:

Attend a Rain Barrel Workshop, 10 a.m. 

Take a guided tour of our Historic Doc Thomas House, 1 & 3 p.m.

Pack a picnic to enjoy on our shaded Steinberg Nature Center grounds

Explore our Pine Rockland and Hardwood Hammock habitats

Limited onsite parking via our 55th Avenue Gate


                                   Tropical Audubon Society: 5530 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL, 33143
Volunteer |  @tropicalaudubon
Young Birders Club Organizational Meeting @TAS
Saturday, June 8, 11am-1pm
Cover of "Kids No Longer Have to Bird - or Feel - Alone, Thanks to This Club " published in Audubon Magazine. Photos: Camilla Cerea/Audubon
Young birders ages 12-18 and their parents are invited to attend an organizational meeting of a new Young Birders Club for the Miami area. Up for discussion: ideas for club activities, recruitment and bird trip destinations. The meeting will be led by retired educator and TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza together with bird enthusiast and Gulliver Preparatory School student Lauren Bartel. 

The Birds Thank
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 dear friends and Community Partners.
 
Supporting vendors who 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 
E-Mail:   [email protected]