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Dear Auduboners,
The most exciting step of this year was the SAS' board decision to go forward with a capital campaign to build a Nature Center at the Celery Fields, something we have been mulling over for a few years. The Center will allow us to expand our programs, especially for kids. With a base from which to operate, we can provide numerous activities, including summer camps, Junior Naturalist certification, Adopt-a-Garden program and more. Grown ups will have more to do too: a docent program, butterfly and bird garden management, and art exhibit installation-all while engaging with out-of-town visitors and the general public.
What will the Nature Center cost? The building will be $300-400,000, but we must increase our endowment to $1,000,000 so that we can operate the Center in perpetuity without forcing future generations to come up with basic funding each year. Our endowment is currently at $150,000, so we have a long way to go, but from what we hear from capital campaign experts and other non-profits, this is imminently doable-in fact it is considered a modest campaign.
As you know, we have been saving money for this project for a number of years, and every member of the Board of Sarasota Audubon has made a pledge this year as well. All told, we have 20% of what we need without this news even going public.
In addition, to truly launch the project, one of our very generous members has come forward with a challenge pledge of $100,000. How spectacular! In order to get this $100,000 we need to raise another $100,000, so in the fall, you will all be invited to participate in this exciting challenge and more.
Why a Nature Center at the Celery Fields? With the County's completion of 100 acres of wetlands embedded in a 300-acre wildlife and recreational area, the Nature Center will be ideally suited to its task of environmental education and stewardship of a prime birding site.
When will the Nature Center be built? The Nature Center project is in partnership with Sarasota County and we expect to break ground sometime in the fall of 2013.
If anyone would like more information about the campaign, or is interested in serving on the committee to raise funds, please call me at 941-724-1709.
The Board of Sarasota Audubon wishes all of you a cool and pleasant summer. We look forward to your return, safe and sound.
Jeanne Dubi, President
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 | | Stu Hills, Martha Straub & Julie Byrne receiving appreciation plaque |
SAS Provides Binoculars to Laurel Nokomis School Students
The mission of the Laurel School Bird Observatory is to get children outdoors, and connected to the natural world in a way that will enhance their education, fitness and mental health. Other benefits for our school include the beautification of a blighted area,
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Laurel Nokomis Students showing off binocs & new garden |
a tool for the inspiration of creative lesson planning for teachers and community connection between LNS and all the participants and funding sources involved in this renovation. As the old African proverb states, "it takes a whole village to raise a child".
"What is the extinction of a condor
to a child who has never seen a wren?"
-Robert Michael Pyle
Claire Herzog, teacher & project coordinator, Laurel Nokomis School
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Fun in the Field
Thursday, May 5: Rothenbach
Stu Hills and Jeanne Dubi led a group of butterfliers to this impressive Sarasota county park reclaimed from a former landfill. The park includes a 2.75-mile paved circular trail that winds thru a beautiful native hardwood forest along a scenic waterway and around a gigantic "mountain" top. Although the prolonged lack of rain had dried up most of the wild flowers, the prolific Bidens plant ("Spanish Needles") provided an attractive allure to numerous butterflies. A highlight of the morning was more than a dozen Black Swallowtails flitting about--some nectaring or laying eggs, others seeking mates. (Note: Especially late afternoon, certain species of butterflies gather on hilltops looking for mating opportunities--kind of like a Sarasota singles bar!)
For the morning, the ten butterfly species included the Common Buckeye, Red Admiral, Fiery Slipper, Southern Skipperling, Horace's Duskywing, Common Checkered and Tropical Checkered Skipper, Zebra Swallowtail, and the Zebra Longwing--the state butterfly of Florida.
Stu Hills, trip leader
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Overnight Bus Trip to Wakulla Springs
January 18, 19, & 20 2012
Two nights at Wakulla Lodge, Wakulla Springs. We will be stopping off at Paynes Prairie on our way north to try to see the whooping cranes. The second day we will spend at St. Marks NWLR. Here we hope to see a wide array of ducks and s
 hore birds. In the afternoon we will visit an outdoor Museum in Tallahassee for lunch, woodland birds, a self guided tour and special presentation. On the third day we will visit a bird research station for more woodland birds, head south, lunch at Suwannee River SP and expect to return about 5PM.
Karen Jensen
Registration form at sarasotaaudubon.org.
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Conservation News
Everglades Protection Losing Ground
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take over Everglades permitting, while blasting Florida's lack of protection for the famed "River of Grass."
U.S. District Judge Alan S. Gold said the state's historic inaction raises concerns, as do Gov. Rick Scott's more recent decisions on related environmental issues.
Gold cited the governor's decision last week to ask the federal agency to rescind its recent statewide water quality rules and his decision in January to suspend state rulemaking. The governor also ordered the South Florida Water Management District and the state's S. District Judge Alan S. Gold said the state's historic inaction raises concerns, as do Gov. Rick Scott's more recent decisions on related environmental issues.
Gold cited the governor's decision last week to ask the federal agency to rescind its recent statewide water quality rules and his decision in January to suspend state rulemaking. The governor also ordered the South Florida Water Management District and the state's other four districts to reduce their budgets from property tax revenue by 25 percent.
Simply stated, the entire situation is rapidly sliding backwards," Gold said in his 76-page omnibus order.
The judge ordered the EPA to review Florida Department of Environmental Protection draft permits and take actions necessary to comply with the federal Clean Water Act.
Gold also directed DEP to halt its use of delaying tactics to avoid complying with a 2006 order to clean up discharges from stormwater treatment areas. The judge said promises had been made and not kept since 1993 when the EPA, DEP and the South Florida Water Management District said it was time to bring the litigation to a close.
Wade Matthews, Conservation Chair
Florida Legislature Trashes Environment and Citizens' Rights: |
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Celery Fields Ribbon Cutting Ceremony May 3
The celebration marked the completion of the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility which will improve stormwater runoff, water quality and provide walking/biking trails and improved birding habitat. The new 75 foot tall observation mound is also a recreational part of this wetlands restoration.
SAS was a co-sponsor of the event. Commemorative t-shirts were given to those
who ran/walked in the 5K run/2K walk.
Come and enjoy the NEW Celery Fields!
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Jeanne Dubi speaking on SAS' behalf  |
Karen Jensen registering participants |
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New SAS Website Coming Soon
Melissa Link of Brand 1111 is working with Sarasota Audubon board and capital campaign committee staff to design a new website for Sarasota Audubon. The new site will include new features, showcase photography from our members, include the ability to renew your membership and make contributions online and many special bells and whistles. Look for the new site this summer.
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 | | Jeanne Dubi, Bob & Catherine Luckner, Bonnie Samuelson, Dick Miles, Claire Herzog, and Ruth Ellen Piepert |
Volunteer of the Year Awards
These folks have dedicated themselves to monitoring our nesting shorebirds (Snowy Plover, Wilson's Plover, Least Tern and Black Skimmer) and educating the public as to how their actions may threaten the survival of these shorebirds. We owe a debt of gratitude to these volunteers who are working to reverse their serious decline.
Bob and Catherine Luckner, Dick Miles and Allen Worms are the recipients of our Volunteer of the Year Awards.
Also recognized for their tireless work on our shorebirds' behalf were Bonnie Samuelson, Claire Herzog and Ruth Ellen Piepert.
From February to August each year, these four species seek space on Sarasota County's busy beaches to lay their small and well-camouflaged eggs in the sand. Over the last few years the numbers of these birds has been reduced as breeding habitat is lost to development and recreational uses. Snowy Plovers, Black Skimmers and Least Terns are now listed as Imperiled Species by the State of Florida and are protecte
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For the last 3 years SAS has had a monthly raffle which helps support various environmental projects. When it was started we collected about $50/meeting and now average $100. Normally there is one prize, but May is bonus month and this year we were able to have 18 prizes for the end of our birding year. What a "hoot" we had that night; people had so much to choose from as we called out the winning numbers. The best part is that as a result of the raffle we gave Save Our Sea Birds $150 and with the addition of a $250 donation have purchased 2 wood duck houses, 2 purple martin houses, poles, and one bat house for Urfer and Rothenbach Parks. John Ginaven has volunteered to advise the parks on their placement.
Next season we will continue this fun project, ask for donation prizes, and I'll be at the door once more trying to get you to buy lots of raffle tickets. 2 tickets for $1...what a bargain!
Thank you for your generosity and support.
Karen Jensen |
Susie Bowie Wins Award For Susie's work at the Community Foundation as editor of The Nonprofit Resource Center's e-newsletter, she was awarded the "Gold Wilmer Shields Rich Award." On her behalf, a grant of $500 was designated to a non-profit organization of her choice. Susie chose the Sarasota Audubon Society. The grant from The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. was made possible through the President's Fund.
Susie is a talented dynamo and SAS has benefited greatly from her efforts on our behalf. Thank you, Susie! |
SAS Southeastern Arizona Birding Trip
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!st Row: L. Klein, H. Ingam, K. Young, M. Kaegi, L. Jakubowicz, M. Straub, J. Bryant, V. Ponzo
2nd Row: B. Higgins, B. Shanko, Karen Jensen, J. Dubi, M. Heinlen, J. Brandhorst, P. Rist |
Fifteen enthusiastic birders, including leaders Jeanne Dubi, Karen Jensen, and Kathryn Young, spent eight days exploring the beauty and birds of the moutains and canyons of southeastern Arizona.
For Merrill Kaegi's travelogue and photos
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