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WE ADORE OUR MEMBERS!
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Thank you for all your support! We could not be as effective as we are without our members and donors.
Are you interested in supporting South Florida's Voice of Conservation? Joining is easy! Become a member or RENEW your membership and help us grow our mission. |
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RESTORATION WORKDAYS AT TAS:
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TAS WELCOMES WASHINGTON FELLOWS!
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Tropical Audubon Society has partnered with FIU in providing volunteer opportunities for a group of Washington D.C. Fellows while visiting Miami. They are participants in the Public Management Institute at FIU; part of the program curriculum encompasses engaging in local community service. The four Fellows volunteering at TAS are from Western Africa, and are pictured here with TAS Board member Lewis Milledge, a.k.a Brother, at our Steinberg Nature Center. In photo: Dalada Bally, Mustapha Gwary, Danbala Garba, Brother Milledge and Adbou Ndour
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TAKE ACTION FOR MANATEES!!
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Help us get 1 million signatures to the Fish and Wildlife Service to increase sanctuary protections for manatees in Crystal River!
 | | Give Manatees Sanctuary! Sign the petition at www.threesisterssprings.org |
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TAS en Espa�ol:
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Protect Wildlife: Keep cats indoors
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According to the American Bird Conservancy, the domestic house cat is one of the world's most
effective predators. It is estimated that there are
over 80 million feral cats in the United States, and
each year, these cats kill hundreds of millions of
birds and millions more other small animals.
Even well-fed cats continue to kill birds. The number
of pet cats in the U.S. has increased threefold in
the last 40 years and approximately 65% of these
are roaming for some portion of the day. These
free roaming cats, added to the number of feral
cats, total an estimated 140 million cats, which
kill on average at least 1.4 million birds per day.
In some areas, cat predation has decimated local
bird populations, and has led to the disappearance
of some species.
While the Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) approach seeks to solve the overpopulation of feral cats, it does not address the loss of wildlife. A better approach would be to trap, neuter and relocate feral cats to enclosed sanctuaries or into a forever home. Cats released back into the street after being neutered have a much shorter life expectancy than healthy, indoor cats. Please click here to read more about how you can become a responsible pet owner and help us protect wildlife.
Learn more about feral colonies and their impacts on birds, click on the video below:
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Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds
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LEARN MORE ABOUT TAS!
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 | | "Who We Are" by Jared Jacobs |
Do you want to intern with us? Contact us to set-up an interview. Available positions include:
- Conservation Intern
- Education & Outreach Intern
- Media Intern
- Restoration & Citizen Science Intern
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PRACTICE GREEN DEEDS YEARLONG!
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We believe everyday is Earth Day, so here is a list of simple steps you can adopt into your daily activities to help our Planet:
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- Convert coffee grounds into starter pots
- Set your computer to Sleep after 15 minutes
- Switch plastic bags for reusable tote bags
- Whenever possible, switch to paperless bills
- Carry your own non-plastic reusable water bottle
- Make your own cleaning products from natural ingredients
- Cut office commute by organizing Skype meetings
- Compost leftovers
- Garden with Native Plants!
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Summer Movie Night under the stars: Free Screening of Plastic Paradise
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- Donation Bird Bar
Plastic Paradise is an insightful documentary that investigates plastic pollution and its damaging effects on our birds and the environment. Take the pledge today to Rise Above Plastic and join the movement to end single-use plastic bags & containers in Florida.
Admission is FREE; donations are encouraged!
Weather permitting, the film is shown on our grounds under the oaks and stars on a 12-foot outdoor screen! Rain or shine (films are screened in the parlor during inclement weather.)
 | | Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Trailer |
Thank you to our partners! Please click on their logos below to find out more about them:
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Save 22 acres of Pine Rockland & Hammocks in Palmetto Bay
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The Village of Palmetto Bay is proposing to change the land use and zoning for 22-acres of forest that include hardwood hammocks and imperiled pine rocklands, home to a variety of endangered and threatened species in South Florida, and critical habitat for migratory songbirds.
The proposed land use and zoning change would eliminate the legally binding zoning promise made to the area residents back in the 1980's, when the original Burger King headquarters building was built on. Moreover, the 22 acres in question received a Parks and Recreation zoning designation in 2005 when Palmetto Bay first adopted a Comprehensive Master Plan. Why would "The Village of Parks" roll back protection of this forest and allow for its development?
Please attend the meeting and voice your support for conservation of imperiled pine rocklands and hammocks critical to wildlife! Read more about this issue here. To get the agenda for the meeting, please click here (see item 3).
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Say NO to selling Pine Rocklands: Contact UM President Donna Shalala Today!
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Sign the petition | Contact Shalala
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Photo Credits: Paul Marcellini
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Pine Rocklands are one of South Florida's most productive and precious ecosystems. Found only in South Florida, and parts of the Caribbean, this unique and rapidly vanishing ecosystem provides critical habitat for a variety of endangered species, including but not limited to, the bald eagle, indigo snake, Florida bonneted bat, and two rare butterflies expected to be earn protection this summer (Bartram's Hairstreak butterfly and Florida Leafwing butterfly). The issue: University of Miami recently sold 88 acres of imperiled Pine Rockland to RAM Realty Services for the construction of a massive shopping and residential complex. (Read more about this development here.) As part of the negotiation, of the 88 acres sold, 40 would be potentially set aside for conservation. The 88-acre parcel is one of the largest remaining Pine Rockland preserves left outside of Everglades National Park (see map below). To develop its current plan RAM still needs to acquire adjacent Pine Rocklands. It is hoping to buy 35 more acres under UM ownership. With 2% of this habitat remaining in Miami-Dade County, it is deeply troubling that UM would be party to destroying it. Losing this globally imperiled habitat to build a Walmart is tragic. We should be preserving, not developing, what little is left of our Pine Rocklands!
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) sent a letter to the developer asking it to stop any construction at this time (read the letter FWS sent to RAM here). We have a chance to preserve Pine Rocklands right now: Please sign this petition urging Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature to halt and/or prevent development on rare endangered forest lands in South Florida. Equally urgent, contact UM President Donna Shalala today! Ask UM to honor our Pine Rockland heritage. It is questionable for UM to sell endangered land for profit that it received as a gift from Miami-Dade County tax payers. Tell Shalala to preserve and protect UM's remaining Pine Rocklands!
Phone, mail or email Donna Shalala:
(305) 284-5155 dshalala@miami.edu 230J Ashe Administration Building
1252 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 For more on this issue, please read today's Miami Herald article here.
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TAS Conservation Committee Meeting
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Wed., July 23 | 5530 Sunset Dr | 7:30 p.m.
 Be part of the conversation with South Florida's Voice of Conservation! We will meet at 7:30 p.m. to discuss conservation issues facing our region at the Historic Doc Thomas House.
Please bring your ideas and interests to the table with our committee members and Executive Director Laura Reynolds.
This meeting is open to the public and if you cannot attend in person, we can provide a conference line upon request. Our parking entrance is on the side of the house at 55th Avenue. Please contact us for more information
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Movie Night Under The Stars Featuring: Plastic Paradise
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Also featuring:
- Live Surf Music courtesy Agents of Aku Aku before and after the movie!
- Donation Bird Bar
Admission is FREE; donations are encouraged!
Weather permitting, the film is shown on our grounds under the oaks and stars on a 12-foot outdoor screen! Rain or shine (films are screened in the parlor during inclement weather.)
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Free "Love the Everglades" Symposium
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July 26-27 | Free event, please click here to register!
 Join Love The Everglades Movement (LTEM), Tropical Audubon, environmental activists and other community organizations for a weekend-long Symposium focused on our beloved Everglades. TAS Executive Director Laura Reynolds will be one of the speakers, along with other knowledgeable experts on Everglades Restoration. The free Summer Symposium will showcase educational speakers, an airboat tour of WCA-3A, action planning and a wealth of networking opportunities to expand information-sharing on environmental, political, social and spiritual concerns regarding Everglades Restoration. For details on Day 1 of the Symposium, please click here. For Day 2, please click here. Please contact EvergladesActNow@gmail.com for more information. See you there!
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Restore Imperiled Pine Rocklands Critical to Migratory Bird Species!
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July 26 & August 2 | Cutler Bay Village Center | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
 TAS and the Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC) have partnered with the National Park Service and other organizations to restore migratory bird habitat in Cutler Bay, along the shores of Southern Biscayne Bay.
This restoration project will give migratory birds a place to rest their weary wings, and will also provide habitat for native birds, reptiles, mammals and plants, as well as helping restore South Florida's unique wetland ecosystems and the critically endangered Pine Rockland habitat. Restoration will also help mitigate the effects of sea level rise and protect regional and global biodiversity. Check out more information about the project here.
Join us on either July 26 and/or August 2 to help us restore this unique ecosystem! Please RSVP with Sarah Martin to reserve your spot and get more details.
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Sea Level Rise & Historic Landmarks
in Miami-Dade County
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Tues., July 29 | Coral Gables Museum | 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
 Join the Dade Heritage Trust and the Sea Level Rise & Historic Places Task Force for a working lunch to learn about which historic places are in jeopardy locally from sea level rise. The Task Force will also lead the conversation on implementing creative solutions to safeguard historic landmarks and how best to finance those initiatives.
This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP Dade Heritage Trust at 305-358-9572
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