St. Petersburg Audubon Society

Update: the state park has postponed public meetings until the week of September 2nd! This doesn’t mean the fight is over - keep up your support for keeping Florida State Parks wild!!

BREAKING: State park meetings postponed!

https://x.com/FLDEPNews/status/1827073902368968723?t=kNwtcHwL4SOwPGKGVQLLtw&s=19

Please make your voices heard! The state made a last minute announcement about changes to state parks throughout Florida, including our beloved Hillsborough River SP and Honeymoon Island SP. These parks would have to clear native plants to make room for a disc golf course and add unnecessary concrete courts for pickleball. St. Pete Audubon does not support these changes!

If you cannot attend in person, send a letter here:
https://act.audubon.org/a/floridastateparks

Urgent!! Please read below for an announcement from Audubon Florida. Help us prevent the state from developing state park lands!

URGENT: Protect Florida State Parks Protect nine Florida state parks from unnecessary and harmful development.

Florida Birding & Nature Festival Annual October festival during Florida’s peak migration, with expert field trip leaders, professional seminars and workshops, and vendors for all nature-lovers.

Applications open for St. Pete's micro-grant program to plant more shade trees in city The City of St. Pete has opened applications for its micro-grant program to bring more shade trees to neighborhoods.

Have you heard!? 🙉 Dr. Jane Goodall is coming to town, as part of her 90th birthday tour!! 🌎

Kids in grades 4+ are invited to take part in the Youth Environment Summit on Saturday, individually or in groups, "to share, envision, and inspire a bright future for Tampa Bay and its surrounding cities." 🌟

Check out the website below for more information!
🔗 https://rootsandshoots.org/take-action/events/yes-2024/

Soaking in those first rays of sunshine after a storm ☀️

🦉 Maple the barred owl will often spread her wings to sunbathe!

Conservation Leadership Initiative (CLI) Audubon Florida's unique co-mentoring program connects college students with chapter leaders for impactful conservation efforts.

Join us for a visually stunning journey through Audubon’s 125-year history in Florida and the legacy of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in a free Zoom webinar on August 7.

Starting with the plume trade and the senseless slaughter of birds for fashion, Paul Gray, PhD, Everglades science coordinator, will trace the origins of Audubon and the modern conservation movement that led to the designation of Corkscrew Swamp as a National Audubon Sanctuary.

Then, hear from Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen who will tell the story of how the 13,000-acre Sanctuary was first protected by the local community in 1954 and ultimately became an irreplaceable national treasure.

The webinar is free but registration is required. https://act.audubon.org/a/plumes-protection-webinar

Looking for a rewarding way to spend your 4th of July holiday? Join us on the beach!

Sign up information:
https://fl.audubon.org/news/become-bird-steward

Clyde Butcher’s “Living Waters” exhibit is at the museum every Wednesday - Saturday 10-2. A $5 donation is requested to help the Friends of the Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserve and the Museum. The exhibit is only up until July 27.

Thank you to the City of St. Petersburg, Florida City Council for a unanimous vote to officially rename our aviary to the Dr. Gabe Vargo Birds of Prey Aviary! We appreciated the additional support from St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation staff and Mayor Ken Welch.

Special thanks to Sandy Vargo (in center) who joined the Friends for last week's City Council meeting. We look forward to working with the City to unveil the new signage later this year!

DIY: Treat Your Cat to the Perks of the Outdoors--Minus the Pitfalls--With a Catio Build an enclosed oases that allows your feline to enjoy time outside without posing a danger to wildlife or encountering hazards himself.

St. Pete Audubon and Outdoor Afro - St. Pete/Tampa teamed up to celebrate Black Birders’ Week with a field trip to Boyd Hill. We found bird species like a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Parulas, and Tufted Titmice, but the highlights included a Great Horned Owl being chased by two Fish Crows (appropriate for this year’s Corvid theme!); a gopher tortoise along the trail; an unknown caterpillar; and plenty of native plants! 🐦‍⬛

We also discussed Black birders that have made a difference in the birding world throughout history - Christian Cooper, Harriet Tubman, Corina Newsome, Moses Williams, and Jerome Ford to name just a few. 🌿

Black Birders Week has been organized by , a collective that “seeks to support, uplift, and amplify Black Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics professionals in natural resources and the environment through professional development, career connection, and community engagement.” 🪺

📸Photos by Chris Manning (President of Outdoor Afro), Holley Short (President of St. Pete Audubon)

Join us in celebrating Black Birders Week 2024!

Black Birders Week Wings of Justice: Soaring for Change: May 26, 2024 to June 1, 2024

Share the Shore! Make sure you give birds on the beach at least 100 feet of space so they can successfully raise their families. Florida has four imperiled beach-nesting bird species that all nest in Pinellas County. Do your part to share the shore!

Young Nature Photographer Workshop Series Two exciting workshops that aim to develop landscape and wildlife photography technique and composition. Open to photographers ages 12-17.

📣 SAVE THE DATE! 📣
Adventure Begins at Your Library: Summer Reading Kickoff for All Ages
📅 Saturday, June 1
⏰ 10:30 a.m. to noon
📍 James Weldon Johnson Community Library - 1059 18th Ave. S.

Pick up your summer reading packet and enjoy balloon art 🎈from Tony the Balloon Guy, explore an electric bus with PSTA’s touch-a-bus program, and grab a free Sno-cone! A beloved Rays mascot will make a special appearance during this event, where you can learn more about the library's summer programming for all ages, including take-home activities, reading challenges, prizes, and more!

Thank you to these organizations for joining us to celebrate an adventure-filled summer at the library.
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
St. Pete Bike Co-op
St. Petersburg Audubon Society
Healthy St. Pete
Preserve Vision Florida
Car Free St Pete
Friends of Boyd Hill
Help Me Grow Pinellas
Competitive Readers Coalition
Reading With the Rays

Volunteer Bird Stewards help educate beach goers When Megan Page and Reginaldo Barosa walk on Redington Beach, they keep their eyes peeled. You might find them patrolling the local shores when they volunteer as Bird Stewards with Audubon Florida. FOX 13's Chris Cato reports.

Our Teacher Ecology Camp is back for another summer with Sensing Nature®, LLC! Please visit our website for the link to register. Space is limited, so share with your favorite teachers!
https://www.stpeteaudubon.org/teacher-ecology-camp

We are so excited for our first annual Let’s Go Birding event at Boyd Hill this weekend!

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is a birder's paradise in St. Pete Let's Go Birding event hosted at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Saturday April 20, 9 am - 12 pm, in St. Petersburg, FL.

How to Choose a Photography Workshop that Respects and Protects Birds These tips can help you get great pictures and keep the birds you love safe with a guide or group.