Mar 2003 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter

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Apalachee AudubonThe Newsletter Of The Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.

March, 2003Vol. 103, no. 6 www.apalachee.org

Presidents Column

Counting Birdsfor Conservation

For one day a year, thousands ofAmericans throughout the entirecountry become marathon birders,flocking to fields, ponds and for-

ests to count as many species ofbirds as possible in the AudubonBirdathon. National Audubon So-ciety's fund-raising bird count isthe world's largest competitivebirdwatching event. Audubonchapters, corporations and individ-ual competitors will hold Bir-dathons throughout the UnitedStates during April and May to co-incide with peak migration periodsin their region.

Participants sign-up pledges fromtheir sponsors for donations of 10to $10 or more for each bird spe-cies. Then from dawn to late in theevening on the appointed day, theytally every bird species identifiedfor their favorite conservationcause. Since the expectation is tofind between 100 and 200 species,the birders raise thousands of dol-lars for local conservation projects.Funds raised by your chapter will

support our local Audubon Adven-tures Classrooms and other envi-ronmental education projects. Bir-dathon proceeds also support ourefforts to protect birds, other wild-life and their habitats.

For more information on theApalachee Chapter Birdathonplease contact Larry Thompson orBill Lowrie at 222-2473 or

[email protected].

Larry Thompson, President

Program HighlightThursday, March 27

The Return of theRed Wolf

Thom Lewis, Director of the St.Vincent National Wildlife Refuge,will discuss the status of ongoingefforts to reestablish a populationof Red Wolves on St. Vincent Is-

land. This is a topic of interest formost of us as it involves the poten-tial restoration of a top predatorlong absent from the area and abeautiful animal to boot. Remem-ber our new meeting date and loca-tion.

Our new location is at The FringeBenefits Management Company build-ing is at 31101 Sessions Road. Travel-ing north out of Tallahassee on North

Monroe, turn left at the second stop-

light beyond I-10 onto Sessions Road,directly across from Sams Club. Fol-

low Sessions Road to its end in theparking lot. Informal social at 7 p.m.,program at 7:30.

MEMBERSHIP AND

HOSPITALITY REPORTKaren Wensing MembershipChair

This year we are handing outname badges at our member-ship meetings. Most of usneed an occasional memoryboost and newcomers reallyappreciate a written aid to rein-force an introduction. Help usrecycle by remembering to de-posit your badge at the end ofthe meeting in the box at thesign-in table and you will find

it there at the next meeting.

WE WELCOME new mem-bers: Ann Biddlingmaier, JuliaBunting, Kathy Seay, JenniferDalmas, Joanne Dolloff, Mr.&Mrs. Kelton Farris, CarolineFerguson, Travis E. Hoffman,Julie & Jack Kane, CynthiaKillingsworth, Cliff Leonard,Tracey & Richard Sickler,

Thelma F. Stewart, DeenaWells, and E.L.White. Wealso welcome some transfersinto the chapter: R.M.Brantley, Patricia Crum, Geof-frey Lardiere and CherylMiller.


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OfficersPresident:Larry Thompson [email protected]

Vice President:Eric [email protected]: Harvey Goldman [email protected]: Jim Crews 577-0051

Board MembersMarvin Collins [email protected]

Karen [email protected]

Bill Lowrie [email protected]

Committee ChairsConservation:Eric DraperChapter Rep to State Board: LarryThompson

Development:Larry ThompsonEducation:Ellen SheltonHospitality:Elizabeth PlattMembership:Karen WensingNewsletter: Val Weeks [email protected]

Publicity:Judy Rice [email protected]

Population: Harvey GoldmanField Trips: Marvin CollinsPrograms: Marvin CollinsPast President:Jim CrewsWebmaster: Hans van Tol [email protected], Sierra Liaison: Grayal Farr-385-5732

St. Marks NWR Liaison:Robin Will-877-9058

The Apalachee Audubon newsletter ispublished 8 times yearly (Sept. May, except Dec.) by the ApalacheeAudubon Society, Inc., P.O. Box1237, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237.

This newsletter is printed onpartially recycled paper.

Mission StatementProtection of the envi-

ronment through education, appre-ciation and conservation.

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Red Hills Horse Trials and PhippsPark: Where Birdwatchers andEquestrians Share a Park

By Eric Draper Conservation Chair

The oak hammock on the center hill of Elinor Klapp-Phipps Parkmay be the most peaceful place in Tallahassee. On a late winterday a breeze moves through the giant canopy and the slanting sunbathes the spot in golden light. Bluebirds work the open fieldswhile raptors soar above. The bluff above Lake Jackson is about asfar away as you can get from the economic development clatter thatseems to dominate Tallahassee politics. Yet this 500-acre parcel ofpublic land is the center of an enterprise that brings millions of dol-lars to the local economy. Even more remarkable, that economicbenefit would not occur if the State had not financed purchase of

this land a decade ago.

Now, during the first weekend in March, the Park's turkeys, quailand yellow-rumped warblers will share their home with world-classequestrian competitors at the Red Hills Horse Trials. For threedays hundreds of riders and horses and nearly twenty thousand peo-ple will convene for cross country jumping, show jumping anddressage. The winners will qualify for the World Cup events inFrance.

For those who think Tallahassee is only Seminole and Rattler coun-

try, think again! The Red Hills Horse Trials gives our communityexposure to people all over the world. And what is the messagethat is being sent by this nature-based event? As organizer SallieAusley puts it, "The Horse Trials showcase the community. Com-petitors are amazed at the beauty of the place and the friendliness

See Red Hills, page Three

Visit our remodeled Bird Shop & Bird Window.We carry a complete line of wild bird supplies andquality bird seeds.

2911 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32312(850) 385-2162


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and support. There are not a lotof places that combine multipleuse of park land."

Some users of Phipps Park, in-cluding this writer, nervouslywatched the growing presenceof the Red Hills Horse Trialsover the past six years. I like tocycle through the many miles ofold hunting roads and see onlydeer, coyotes and bobcat sign.My wife and I have our favoritewinter picnic hike through thetrillium and fern laced swamp

forest trail. That Phipps is usu-ally only accessible by foot, bikeor horse makes the place veryspecial. Its diversity of lifemakes it more so. "Who needshorses in paradise," I selfishlywondered.

Then reality overcame skepti-cism. Two weeks after lastyear's competition, with its

25,000 spectators, 240 contest-ants and acres of parking andhorse trailers, you could not tellthe site had been used. Thehammock was restored to itscharming serenity. As Sally putit, "In one week we build a littlecity and remove it, as thoughnothing had ever happened."

Spectators are treated to

world-class competition, but thatis not all. Gopher tortoise habi-tat is fenced off and educationinformation helps teach peopleabout the area's special ecologi-cal features. Chuck Goodheart,who helped transform PhippsPark from old farmland notes

that the Red Hills Horse Trialsintroduce people to the area. Ithas even led to creation of ariding camp for kids from low-income areas of the city. Thetrials raise money, some of

which goes back to improvingthe park's other uses. Chuckhas an eloquently expressedvision for the park: Twentyyears from now, when Talla-hassee has doubled in size, youcan have the same experienceof seeing diverse wildlife in aquiet setting.

Most significant is the im-

pact of competitors and theirfamilies and crews along withjudges, veterinarians and horsebrokers from all over the conti-nent. Reinforcing the cultureof the Red Hills area with itsemphasis on the genteel use ofland for hunting and horsebackriding, the horse trials bringpeople with significant in-comes to spend on lodging,

food and supplies. The impactfrom competitors and visitorsis several million dollars.

The reader may ask at thispoint why the ConservationChair for Apalachee Audubonhas become another Red Hillsbooster. The answer is imme-diate and removed. NorthwestFlorida is experiencing a huge

population increase. Floridahas moved from managinggrowth to promoting growth.One way to offset the conver-sion of hundreds of thousandsof acres of forest and farmlandto new development is to getthe government to purchase

land for preservation. Phippswas bought by the NorthwestFlorida Water Management Dis-trict through Preservation 2000/Save Our Rivers funds to pro-tect the Lake Jackson watershed

from development. Competitionfor scarce public funds makes ithard to get decision-makers tospend money for Florida For-ever, the successor program toPreservation 2000 and Save OurRivers. Buying power for Flor-ida Forever is shrinking as landprices go up and legislators areconsidering cutting back on landmanagement and acquisition

funds.

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park isan excellent example of savingland and securing economicbenefits. As Sally Ausley ex-plained, "If it was not for thatland, the Red Hills Horse Trialwould not be.

For more information on Red

Hills Horse trials visit www.rhht.org. For information onNorthwest Water ManagementDistrict Lands visit www.state.fl.us/nwfwmd. For informationabout Florida Forever visitwww.dpe.state.fl.us/lands/carl_ff. To help support morefunding for public lands visitwww.audubonofflorida.org andenroll in the Florida Conserva-

tion Network.

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Red Hills, from Page Two


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Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PaidPermit No. 30

Tallahassee, FL

Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 1237

Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237

To check membership status, or to change address, call the National Audubon Society Office at 1-800-274-4201

Monthly meetings, field trips, conservation activities and bird walks

Audubon CalendarMonthly meetings are free and open to the public. They are held at the Fringe Benefits Management Company at

3101 Sessions Road. Most evenings begin with an informal social at 7:00 p.m., followed by the program at 7:30.Unless otherwise stated, field trips will depart from the Wachovia Bank at 3400 S. Monroe Street (opposite theFairgrounds). Note the time of departure in the description for each trip. For more info check out our web site at

http://www.apalachee.org/calendar.html.

Saturday, March 22Birdwalk. Meet at 8:00 AM at the Wachovia Bank on N. Monroe (across from thefairgrounds). Maybe this time we can bird the Black Swamp Nature Preserve without getting totally inun-dated by storm events.

Thursday, March 27Membership Meeting. Thom Lewis, Wildlife Biologist with the St. Vincent NationalWildlife Refuge, will present a program on Red Wolf restoration on St. Vincent. See front page.

April,Birdathon! - First 3 Saturdays of the month. The Annual Birdathon is coming in April and your

help is needed! This is the height of the spring migration and a high point of the year for ApalacheeAudubon. You can participate in two ways:

1. Join us. Get pledges from friends, family, and associates and join one of the three field trips.

2. Pledge a donation of so much per species identified or a fixed amount, depending on your capacity for risk.

We will raise dollars for environmental education and habitat restoration and have a lot of fun in the process. De-tails will be forthcoming, but flag a Saturday in April, put aside a few bucks for the cause, and join with other mem-bers of your Audubon Chapter for this annual event.

Thursday, April 24 -Membership Meeting. George Willson, Vice President for Conservation Lands forthe St. Joe Company. St. Joe is conveying tens of thousands of acres into public ownership. See themaps and hear the story!

Documents

Mar 2003 Apalachee Audubon Society Newsletter