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The Limpkin Times
Apalachee Audubon Society Mission Statement:
Protection of the environment through education,
appreciation and conservation.
September 2020
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President's Message
Dear Friends,
We were disappointed having to cancel Doug Tallamy’s live program back in March due to the pandemic. However, we are joining with other Audubon chapters from around the state for a live webinar with Dr. Tallamy on Tuesday, September 22 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Please note this is not on our usual 3rd Thursday of the month. See Program Chair Ben Rangel’s description of the program below along with registration information courtesy of Audubon Florida. Spread the word – share the announcement of this webinar with friends.
In early October we plan to offer a follow up virtual garden tour at the home of Rob Williams and Lynn Peterson. You will want to watch this to see how one family has put the concepts that Tallamy discusses into practice, transforming a traditional Tallahassee landscape into a valuable corridor for birds, insects, and other wildlife.
If you are reading this and are not a member, please consider joining National Audubon. You will automatically become a member with Audubon Florida and Apalachee Audubon. I like to support our state and federal organizations for the power they bring to lobbying for conservation. Ask to receive their timely emails that enable you to send brief or detailed messages to your elected officials on issues that protect birds and to the places they need.
Our program theme this year is Access to Conservation Lands and Forests. We live in an area that is rich in trees and forests. There are forests and parks in Leon County that many of us do not even know about, yet they are open to the public. We will look at these and more. Hopefully, we will have some great field trips, if not this year – then next.
Let us use this year to commit to sharing our joy of birds and nature with others. Black Lives Matter. Black Birders Matter. Let us commit to ensuring our public spaces are safe and accessible to all. Please see our statement of inclusivity and short video below featuring board member, Dara Wilson, who shares honestly her feelings about what it is like to be Black as she explores nature.
Birds connect us. They unite people of diverse backgrounds and interests. Join me in committing to inclusiveness in birding and in conservation.
P.S. If you sometimes feel a little blue during these trying times, watch this brief video provided by AAS member Nick Baldwin. It is a powerful message of hope and will uplift your spirits.
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Sincerely,
Donna Legare
President, Apalachee Audubon
In this issue:
Chapter Programs
Stork Video
Eagle Watch Training Dates
Blog/Video About Dara Wilson:Black Birder and AA Board Member
Book Review: I Have Been Assigned the Single Bird
Request for Binocular Donation
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Webinar with Douglas Tallamy |
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 pm
This is a webinar with Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. Dr. Tallamy was scheduled to be our featured speaker last March until the corona virus caused his cancellation. Normally we meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Please note the change in schedule to a Tuesday evening because we are joining with other Audubon chapters from around the state. Registration (it will be free) will be announced in early September.
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Stork Video
We need to watch something like this in these troubled times.
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Eagle Watch Training Dates
Audubon Florida’s EagleWatch Program is a statewide network of community science volunteers who monitor Bald eagle nests from October to May. EagleWatch provides valuable information on nesting activity and the current trends of the Bald Eagle population in Florida that is used by both the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enhance their conservation and law enforcement efforts.
Audubon EagleWatch is seeking volunteers to monitor Bald Eagle nests for the 2020-2021 breeding season. Training is required for new volunteers. If interested, plan to attend one of the following new volunteer trainings:
Volunteer Training Dates 2020-2021
Saturday September 5th 10am-12pm. Register here:
Sunday Sept 13th 2-4pm. Register here:
Saturday Sept 19th 10am-12pm. Register here:
Saturday Sept 26th 10am-12pm. Register here:
Sunday Oct 4th, 2-4pm. Register here:
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Blog of Dara Wilson: Black Birder
"One of the central tenets of Apalachee Audubon Society policy is to build appreciation for birds and other denizens of our natural world. Our organization recognizes that this appreciation can not and should not just come from one segment of the population. As such, we have sought to include as many voices as possible in our organization, from our board to our membership to our partners. We believe diversity in people creates a diversity in mind which, in turn, makes our community stronger for both birds and people.
In the last several years, Apalachee Audubon has developed an after-school program at Pineview Elementary, where predominantly African-American students learn about birds, conservation, and the outdoors. We have helped to restore habitat, educational opportunities, and cleanliness to an urban park on the South Side of Tallahassee. These are just a couple of examples of what the future of Apalachee Audubon looks like. Our goal is to build bridges between communities, making lifelong connections, and facilitating growth through the same shared love of conservation and birds.
Apalachee Audubon fully acknowledges that African-Americans, in particular, still may not feel safe and welcome in many of our outdoor spaces due to a long legacy of direct and indirect discrimination. We can't fix this deeply-rooted issue overnight, but we will constantly strive to work internally and externally to make things better. The actions that you take individually can help us as an Audubon chapter and as a community. We look forward to working with you, our members, to make our region a prime example of what equality, community, and effective conservation can look like."
WFSU Public Media
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AAS Member Ann Morrow Reviews Susan Cerulean’s Latest Book:
I Have Been Assigned the Single Bird
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Susan Cerulean is a master weaver, deftly intertwining seemingly disparate themes into finely wrought, complex tapestries. In her latest book, I have Been Assigned the Single Bird, her lifelong evolution as an advocate for wild birds and their conservation, loops in and around her father’s long devolution after he receives a diagnosis of dementia. Her poetic prose and keen observations transport us - we travel by kayak to a spoil island and marvel at the beauty and fragility of a shorebird nest; we sit at her father’s bedside and feel fear and apprehension about the inevitable unraveling of memory. These intimate, unflinching portraits are inspired and haunting, infused with equal parts passion and compassion, loss and lament. I have Been Assigned the Single Bird is a paean to family and the natural world. With Cerulean’s compelling call to action, readers will want to advocate for both. The book is available locally at Midtown Reader and Native Nurseries or at Amazon.
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Request for Donation of Gently Used Binoculars
Birding is undeniably beneficial for both our physical and mental health. As many people are working remotely, seeking new ways to spend their time, and searching for solace from the spinning news cycles, it’s an opportune time to become a birder. However, financial uncertainty in the era of COVID may be a barrier for new birders in need of optics. At Apalachee Audubon, we firmly believe that birding should be accessible to everyone, especially during these stressful times. We are seeking donations of gently used binoculars to be distributed to those in need. If you have an extra pair of binoculars that are collecting dust, consider gifting them to a birder in need. Please email [email protected] for donations.
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