September 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

8/9/2019 September 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

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Date: 08 September 2006 (Friday), Time: 0800 - 1200 Where: Eglin AFB publicbeach (East of Beasley Park all the way to the jetties- meet in the gravelparking lot on the southwest side of the Destin pass bridge, near the jetties)

Requirements:

Closed-toe shoes (no flip-flops or sandals will be permitted)

You can wear shorts

You must be able to participate for the entire cleanup timeframe

You must be in good enough physical condition to walk up to 3 miles in sandon the beach

Items to bring with you:

Lunch, Water bottle- we will provide refills

Work gloves, we will have some, but not enough for everyone

Sunscreen, Hat, Chapstick

Beach attire (reward yourself and take advantage of the beautiful beach afterthe cleanup is complete) If you have any questions or concerns, please contactme by email only. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Erica SchnarrVolunteer Coordinator, Jackson Guard- Eglin Natural

Back to Nature Festival Showcasesthe beauty of Northwest Florida. Thebeaches, forests, and waterways ofsouth Walton County host the 5thannual Back to Nature Festival onOctober 20 - 22, 2006.

Hiking, kayaking, birdwatching, andstargazing are just a few of theplanned events. Each event is led by alocal expert who guides participantsand helps them understand the ecol-ogy and special features of local natu-ral and historic areas. Kayak along the calm waters of acoastal dune lake, a type of waterway sorare as to be found in only two otherplaces in the world.

Take a walking tour of RosemaryBeach to see how local native plantshave been used to create landscapesthat provide wildlife habitat and thrivewith little additional care.

See how history and nature blend atCoffeen Nature Preserve--a beachfrontfacility where rockets were tested duringWorld War II.

Learn about beach ecology at TopsailHill Preserveone of the most pristinebeachfront areas in Florida.

Take a river tour and learn about theflora, fauna, and early residents wholived along the Choctawhatchee River.

Take a nighttime stroll along the darkbeaches of Grayton Beach State Park,gazing at the stars with a local naturaliswho will interpret the infinite night sky.

The South Walton Community Coun-cil (SWCC) offers the Back to NatureFestival with the idea that as peopleexperience the extraordinary natural

world in south Walton County, they wirealize that this resource needs pres-ervation and protection. From the Guof Mexico to Choctawhatchee Riverand Bay, encompassing rare coastaldune lakes, a state forest full of trails,and four unique state parks, southWalton is a natural treasure.

For more information about Back tNature, including event registrationvisit: www.southwaltoncc.org or ca(850) 314-3749

CAS monthly meetings are heldthe first Thursday of each month(August to May) at 6:30 PM atOWC Nicev i l le Learn ingResources Center (LRC), Room131. Non members are welcome.

September Program:

Sept 7Trees and StormWater Runoff. Vernon Comptonwith the Nature ConservancysGulf Coastal Plain EcosystemPartnership, will speak about theimportance of a tree ordinanceand storm water runoff.

Fieldtrips & More:Eglin Debris SurveySept 23,Oct 21st. Volunteer with EricaSchnarr at 850-883-1177 for theNational Debris MonitoringProgram

Sept 2Bird Walk to FWB/Okaloosa County spray fieldsand holding ponds. Meet atCoach & Four 7:30. LennyFennimore 863-2039

Sept 14Birdwatching forCasual Observers at UWF/CLLLifelong Learning. Register withThelma Phillips 651-0508

Sept 16 North American FallMigration Bird CountDonWare 862-6582

Sept 16International CoastalClean-up 8-11 AM NancyHussong 651-7131

October 4EcoTrek OWCPrimetime. Register with NonieMaines 862-9588

October 7Bird Walk to Pt.Washington State Forest guidedby Thomas D. Beitzel. Meet atthe Publix on CR395 at 7:30 AM.

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

CBA Oyster project 2

FWF/UF Scholarship 2

Panhandle Birding Festival 2

Alabama Coastal Birdfest 2

Coastal Clean-up Info 3

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

S E P T 2 0 0 6

T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e C h o c t a w h a t c h e e A u d u b o n S o c i e t y

V O L U M E X X X V , N U M B E R 6

CAS is dedicated to the protection of bird and wildlife habitat, environmental education, and a greater appreciation of Northwest Floridas natural beauty.

Walton CountyBack to Nature Festival

Okaloosa Island-

* Beasley Park

* Park E of Surfdweller

Destin-

*Henderson Beach State

Park

*Destin Harbor

Niceville-

*Rocky Bayou State Park

8 11 AMContact the Okaloosa

County Environmental

Council at: 651-7131

[email protected]

The North American Migration Count provides a

snapshot of where each bird species is during the peak

of the migration in Massachusetts. In Florida the fallmigration is on the leading edge for many species.

CAS meets twice a year for a bird count. Our goal is

to set up eight birding parties in Okaloosa County andsix in Walton County. In addition to experienced

birders beginners are welcome too. This is a great

opportunity to fine tune your birding skills.

Don Ware would appreciate both team leaders andrecorders/spotters to call him at 862-6582 or email

[email protected] to volunteer for all or half of

the day from home or in the field on September 16th.

SIGN-UP FOR THE FALL MIGRATION COUNT

Jackson Guard needs volunteers

for monthly beach clean-ups


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Dear CBA Volunteer,

Thank you SO MUCH for your help with the Northwest FloridaOYSTER Project!!! The Basin Alliance relies on the participationof hard-working volunteers such as yourself to fulfill its missionof sustaining and providing optimum utilization of theChoctawhatchee watershed.

With your help, we have completed the oyster reef at the end ofBay Drive in Fort Walton Beach. Last Thursday, in the secondphase of the Bay Drive project, we dumped 1,021 buckets (36

cubic yards) of shell! As you know, reefs provide importanthabitat for fish, oysters, and other aquatic life. Adult oysters (which we expect togrow well on our new reef) can filter 50 gallons of water a day, which helps reducenutrient loading.

Thank you again for your generouscontribution to the improvement of waterquality in Choctawhatchee Bay. We lookforward to working with you again soon!(Watch for notice of our next reef-buildingproject, which will take place in Rocky Bayouwithin the next two months.)

Sincerely,

Sarah Kalinoski, CBA Volunteer Coordinator

Page 2 VOLUME XXXV, NUMBER 6

Fairhope, AL, August 17, 2006 - Mobile Bay Audubon Society has once again joined with several other environmental organizations to sponsor the AlabamaCoastal BirdFest, which will be held October 19-22 in Fairhope, AL.

Visitors are invited to take part in 18 guided tours to prime birding spots along the240-mile long Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, two evening dinner events with excit-

ing speakers, and a free, day-long Bird & Conservation Expo.

Tours include coastal and inland walking tours and boat tours on Weeks Bay, Mo-bile Bay and in the Mobile/Tensaw River Delta. Visitors can expect to see a widevariety of shorebirds, marsh species, passerines, and raptors as well as migratorybirds from all over the North American continent.

The Bird & Conservation Expo on Saturday, Oct. 21, will feature booths, exhibits,

and workshops from Alabama State Lands Division, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, AlabamaWildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Mobile Bay Audubon Society, Missis-sippi Audubon, Alabama Ornithological Society, The Southeastern Raptor Center,Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Discovering Alabama,

WildBirds Unlimited, and others. Admission to the Expo is free and open to thepublic.

Proceeds from the BirdFest go toward preserving and protecting bird habitat on theAlabama Gulf Coast. Last year, BirdFest donated $10,000 to Dauphin Island BirdSanctuaries, which is made up of several parcels of land, including the Dauphin

Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

For more information on the Alabama Coastal BirdFest or to register for tours or

evening event, please visit http://www.alabamacoastalbirdfest.com or call 251-929-0922.

Florida Panhandle Birding &Wildflower Festival

Mobile Bay Audubon Society Sponsors Alabama Coastal BirdFest, October 19-22

October 6 8, 2006 Port St. Joe, Florida

Lenny, Theresa, Nonie & Stacey

Location: St. Joseph Bay PreservesCenter 3915 County Road 30-A, PortSt. Joe, FL

Guided Field Trips

Lectures

Educational Displays

Art & Books

Reception

Registration fee: $15 per person

Covers all lectures and BufferPreserve field trips with additionalfees for most other field trips andreception. Pre-registration online afterJune 30th or by mail is encouraged.

Registration will be possible at thefestival, but space will be limited.

Featured Guest Speaker:Bobby Harrison, one of two researcherswho recently rediscovered the Ivory-

billed Woodpecker. Field Tripsby land and water to St.Vincent Island, Little St. George Island,

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, St.

Joseph Bay, Apalachicola Bay and

many more. Talks about Eagles, Carnivorous

Plants, Butterflies, MigratoryHawks, and Apalachicola River

history by Faith Eidse, author of

Voices of Apalachicola, Nature

Photography workshop by BillBoothe - and many more. . .

For More Information :

www.birdfestival.info

[email protected]

850-229-1797

FLORIDA WILDLIFE FEDERATION SEEKS DONATIONS FOR UF SCHOLARSHIPIn 2005 the Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) started a scholarship fund through University of Floridas,Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, to help educate future generations of fish and wildlifemanagers and researchers. FWF is a non-profit, statewide organization, made up of Floridians from allwalks of life who share the common goal of conserving Florida's natural resources and is affiliated withNational Wildlife Federation. In order to qualify for a $50,000 grant from the State, we need to raise$100,000. This fund will become an Endowed Scholarship at UF known as the Florida Wildlife FederationFellowship for Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Fund. Donating to the FWF Scholarship Endowment Fundis an important way for you to help protect Florida's natural resources. All donations are tax deductible.Scholarships are given to both undergraduate and graduate degree seekers. If you are interested incontributing, contact Diane Hines at (850) 656-7113 [email protected] or send a check payable to "FWFScholarship Fund," P.O. Box 6870, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6870. www.fwfonline.org


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Shorel ines Page 3

CASs education committee is involved in this years International Coastal Clean-up

for Okaloosa County along with partners such as NWF Daily News, Okaloosa County

Environmental Council and AmeriCorp. We will be reaching out to families to teach

them more about our fragile coastlines. Volunteers will b

on hand at learning stations beginning around 8:30 while

the first round of trash begins to come in. Refreshments wi

be provided for all volunteers and up to 500 families that

participate in the educational exhibits will receive an ECO-

Tote made from recycled soda bottles. Each bag will be

stuffed with prizes and educational materials. If you

would like to donate brochures or promotional items from your

environmentally friendly business, please contact Nonie at 862-9588. We hope to

see you at one of the locations mentioned on page one.

ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE?


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SAVE THE DATE!

Audubon Assembly 2006October 19-21

Chapter Representatives

President: Nonie [email protected]

Vice President: Thelma [email protected]

Treasurer: Karen [email protected]

Recording Secretary:Carole Goodyear.897.2666

[email protected]

Corresponding Secretary: Pat [email protected]

Bird Count Coordinator:Donald M. Ware.....862.6582

[email protected]

Conservation:(position open)

Education: Nonie [email protected]

Field trips Coordinator:Bob Penhollow....729.2602

Hospitality:(position open)

Membership: Theresa [email protected]

Publicity: Linda [email protected]

Programs: Thelma [email protected]

Shorelines Editor: Jean [email protected]

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society Membership

Name:_____________________________________ Address:________________________________________

City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:___________________

Phone: ___________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________

Introductory New Member- $20.00 Individual Member Renewal- $35.00

Introductory Student/Senior- $15.00 Renewal Student/Senior-$15.00

When you join you will be part of national, state, and local Audubon groups and will receive...

Audubon magazine

Florida Naturalist Magazine

Our local Shorelines newsletter

Inclusion in Audubon of Florida's advocacy network

Discounts at Audubon Sanctuaries and Nature Centers

Opportunities for Audubon Ecology Camps and specially priced travel adventures

To join, mail this form and a check, payable to National Audubon Society, to;

NAS Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 51005, Boulder, CO 80323-1005.

CAS ONLY memberships are available and include SHORELINES NEWSLETTER ONLY.

To join CAS ONLY mail this form and a check payable to CAS to; P.O. Box 1014 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.

New Member Newsletter Only- $10.00 Renewal Member Newsletter Only- $10.00

Chapter Code: E-11 7XCHFL Dept of Agriculture Reg #CH4619

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE

DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGIS

TRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Nonprofit Organization

U.S. Postage PAID

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Permit No. 110

Were on the Web!CHOCTAWHATCHEEAUDUBON.ORG

A great big THANK YOU to Edible Arrangements for last months donation

Donations are welcome, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Feel free tospecify a particular fund/event that youd wish to sponsor.

Contact Theresa Dennis If you

would like to receive Shorelines

in color with links via e-mail.

P.O. Box 1014

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549

Printed on Recycled Paper

2006 by Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. All rights reserved.

Due to the cancellation last fall, we are gearing up for a great event this October!Plan on joining us for a weekend of networking, education, advocacy and birding!

Location: Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort - Special rate: $89.99/night.Reserve rooms now at 800-206-2724. Special Audubon rate good through September 27only. Don't miss it! Plan to attendFloridas largest gathering of conservation-minded citizensDetails including Assembly registration information, programs, exhibits and field trips will appear inthe summer Naturalist, and available online at www.audubonofflorida.org in July.

Documents

September 2006 Shorelines Newsletter Choctawhatchee Audubon Society