October busy month for Audubon Society in Florida

A preserve bird walk is planned in Plantation, Florida on Saturday, October 23 begining at 4pm. Enjoy a leisurely walk through unique everglades on the linear trail, close to sunset, when bird activity is lively. Guided by birding expert Barbara Dewitt, she will lead the three-mile walk and help identify species. This activity is a partnership between the City of Plantation, the South Florida Audubon Society and the Plantation Shade Brigade.

For more information contact Sue Reed (or go to www.browardaudubon.org.

The 2010 Audubon Assemby starts next Friday and Saturday, October 22-23 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Promising to be a dynamic program, there will be a special presentation from newly-appointed National Audubon Society President David Yarnold. Included will be workshops and informative talks from some of the most important voices in Florida conservation.

Take part in what is the premier event for volunteers, activists, birders, environmental advocates and concerned citizens from around the state.  The 2010 Audubon Assembly will be held at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg. Enjoy Hilton comforts and the dozens of bird species at the lake beside this certified green hotel for a special Florida Audubon Society rate of $109 per room.

You can Book your hotel accommodations separately. Enter the code “FAS” when making your reservation.

Assembly is a special time of year to connect with friends, honor conservation heroes, engage in learning sessions, help plan our 2011 Conservation Action Agenda, and enjoy the outdoors on special field trips. Register Today

Want to know what is going on at the national level? Just bought a car or own one year 2007 or newer? Know the new rule that allows the use of a higher mix of ethanol, from 10% to 15%.

Agenda for 2010 Audubon Assembly:

Audubon Assembly Program

Friday, October 22

Florida Audubon: 110 Years Connecting People with Conservation.
Welcome Luncheon—President Eric Draper shares his vision of Audubon and its special role in Florida today and in the future. 12 noon

Protecting the Places that Make Florida Special: Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, controlling exotic species, using prescribed fire, freshwater flows–land and water conservation is a big job. Learn what tools are needed and available to conserve and restore habitats for the benefit of Important Bird Areas. 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Florida’s Resilient Coasts beyond Oiled Pelicans: The Gulf oil disaster focused public attention on vulnerable coastal birds. How do we convert the passion and the volunteers’ energy into a force for coastal habitat protection and recovery? Beach bird stewardship, colony management, working with law enforcement, and connecting people with nature – these strategies will make a lasting difference for our coastal birds. 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

The WEB of Water, Energy and Bird Conservation Is All Connected: Save water, energy and birds with the same actions? You bet. Listen to stories and write your own about how we are taking everyday actions to use less and save more. Take the Conservation Challenge for water and bird friendly yards and energy efficiency.
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Water for the Environment: Florida is blessed with abundant, clean fresh water. But with 18 million people can we sustain our springs, lakes, rivers, swamps and estuaries? It will take some extraordinary cooperation to harness individual, government and commercial commitments. Learn how we can recover from the damage and protect our waterways from the Everglades to the Panhandle. 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Reception with Cash Bar 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Awards Banquet – Honoring those who fight for Florida’s environment, and recognizing Women in Conservation. Special Guest Speaker: Jack E. Davis, PhD, author, environmental historian and professor at the University of Florida. 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 23

Buffet breakfast—6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Conservation Agenda-Setting and Workshops—Help Audubon sets its Florida Conservation Agenda and engage in practical workshops. Set the course for state and national climate and clean energy policies. Help expand Audubon’s coastal monitoring and citizen science programs, and build partnerships with law enforcement to protect shorebirds. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Conservation Planning
RESOLUTIONS FOR FY 2011: Florida’s Resilient Coastlines and Special Places

Workshops
•National and state strategies for a clean energy future
•Coastal monitoring/citizen science program
•Partnering with law enforcement to protect shorebirds

Chapter and Staff Awards Luncheon—Dr. PJ Deitschel, longtime clinic director and staff veterinarian at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island and member of the Gulf oil spill emergency wildlife response team, will share her experiences on the disaster’s front lines. 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.

Connect with Nature on Field Trips
The birding is great around St. Petersburg, and Audubon’s St. Petersburg and Clearwater chapters will host field trips for Assembly participants. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring hats, bug spray, binoculars, and a rain jacket, just in case.

Birding on Your Own The Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park is adjacent to a boardwalk and small wetlands, so you can step outside with your binoculars whenever you want a quick birding fix.

Guided Field Trips—Saturday morning, October 23
Both groups meet trip leaders in the hotel’s front lobby at 6:45 a.m.

Field trip #1: Roosevelt Wetlands is a diverse wetland area about a ten-minute drive from the hotel, at 43rd St. and 110th Ave. N. in Pinellas Park. More than 100 species of birds have been recorded in the small area, including sora, limpkins, purple gallinules, and several varieties of ducks. Getting to the wetlands by sunrise will let us see birds coming and going as the day begins. Trip time: 1.5 hours.

Field trip #2: We will drive to a tidal area/marsh about five minutes from the hotel where the top level of a parking garage offers the perfect place to set up scopes for a bird’s-eye-view of the restored wetland below. Possible sightings include shorebirds, rails, least bitterns, and a variety of ducks. Shrubs and edges area good place to spot sparrows and some of those challenging fall warblers.Trip time: 1.5 hours.
For details, contact St. Petersburg Audubon Field Trip Chair Judi Hopkins at 727-526-3725 or email her at .

Birding Bonuses—To really hit the birding jackpot, plan to arrive before the Assembly begins and stay until Sunday.

About Valerie J. Amor: As an architectural consultant, LEED AP, LEED certification reviewer, real estate broker and AIA associate, Valerie J. Amor is dynamically engaged in sustainability and issues regarding the built environment. Actively participating in several local, county and national organizations and committees focused on sustainability issues, she is also owner/principal of Drawing Conclusions and founder/president of Green Collar Connection, companies engaged in sustainable design, real estate development, green job training and research. Knowledgeable and well connected she brings you timely and thoughtful articles. Reach her at .

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3. FREE Training for Prospective Florida Water Star Certifiers
4. Unemployment rate drops for third month in a row in Florida
5. NOAA still expects busy hurricane season as La Nina develops

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