Category: Birds and Birding

Eagle Watch Registration Aug 2023

Posted on by Karen Brown

Below are the scheduled dates and times. Click the link to register for the date/time that works best for you:

Saturday Sept 9th 10am-12pm EST via Zoom 

Saturday Sept 16th 10am-12pm EST via Zoom

Tuesday Sept 19th 6pm-8pm EST via Zoom

Sunday Sept 24th 2pm-4pm EST via Zoom

Sunday Oct 1st 2pm-4pm EST via Zoom

Let me know if you have any questions or issues registering. After you submit your registration, you will receive an automated email with a link to join the training. If a conflict arises later and you need to cancel or change your registration, email me and I can change that for you.

I hope to see many of you at one of the upcoming trainings and look forward to another successful season!
—
Shawnlei Breeding
Audubon EagleWatch Program Manager
Shawnlei.Breeding at audubon.org

Interested in an AAS Internship?

Posted on by Karen Brown

Alachua Audubon Society seeks individuals interested in conservation, education, NGO administration, fundraising and other conservation activities. Interns must be currently matriculated college students in good academic standing and be able to contribute a minimum of 5 hours per week for at least 12 weeks during a regular academic term. Intern opportunities we anticipate in Spring 2022 include design of educational materials (graphic arts), helping with field trips and birding classes for the public/kids, organizing guest speakers, mist netting / bird banding training for educational functions, and strategic social media. Interns may accrue academic credit if arranged by their institution.

QUALIFICATIONS:
 Undergraduate student, actively registered during the 2021/2 academic year
 Interested in conservation, knowledgeable or enthusiastic about birds
 Must have 5 hours per week (including weekends) for activities with AAS staff
APPLICATION: Electronic submission (PDF in email) should include:
 letter of intent,
 latest resume with contact information,
 list of 3 references who agree to be contacted (w/phone numbers) (at at least one needs to be a college professor)
all in one single PDF file.

EMAIL APPLICATIONS TO: CHUCAO@UFL.EDU
 by Jan 7, 2022, 5 PM.
 Put AAS INTERN in the subject line.
If you have already served as an intern with us and you want to serve again – re-apply!

The September-October Edition of The Crane is online! Field trips underway and more…

Posted on by Tim Hardin

Read the latest issue of our chapter newsletter here: The Crane September-October 2021.

The Crane is Alachua Audubon Society’s newsletter, published electronically bi-monthly to our website, with back issues also archived there.

As a member of Alachua Audubon Society or the National Audubon Society, you can receive it in your inbox by sending an email to AlachuaAudubonMembership@gmail.com including your name and address.

The July-August edition of the Crane is out! AAS Field Trips RETURN THIS FALL and more!

Posted on by Tim Hardin

The Crane is Alachua Audubon Society’s newsletter, published electronically bi-monthly to our website, with back issues also archived there.

As a member of Alachua Audubon Society or the National Audubon Society, you can receive it in your inbox by sending an email to AlachuaAudubonMembership@gmail.com including your name and address.

Audubon Wins Lawsuit Upholding the MBTA

Posted on by Michael Brock

From the National Audubon Society:

Great news for birds.
National Audubon Society
Great Egret.
Victory! Federal Judge Overturns Bird-Killing Policy
Great news for birds! In 2018, Audubon, several other conservation groups, and eight states filed lawsuits challenging the U.S. Department of the Interior’s elimination of longstanding bird protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Yesterday, a federal court threw out the administration’s rollback of the MBTA, ruling the policy is contrary to the foundational 100-year-old bird protection law.

In 2017, the Department of the Interior overturned decades of bipartisan precedent to say that the MBTA’s protections apply only to activities that purposefully kill birds. The court ruled yesterday that this interpretation was “contrary to the plain meaning of the MBTA.” For context, if the administration’s legal opinion had been in place in 2010, BP would have faced no consequences under the MBTA for the more than one million birds killed in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This reality is underscored by the judge’s own words from the opening of the ruling: “It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime. That has been the letter of the law for the past century. But if the Department of the Interior has its way, many mockingbirds and other migratory birds that delight people and support ecosystems throughout the country will be killed without legal consequence.”

We may have won National Audubon Society v. Department of the Interior, but the long fight isn’t over yet—Congress must pass the permanent legislative fix to protect the MBTA from being weakened through administrative and regulatory changes. Take action today by asking your U.S. Representative to defend the MBTA from further rollback attempts by passing the Migratory Bird Protection Act.
Read more
Great Egret. Photo: Michael Fahn/Audubon Photography Awards

 

Vote for Birds and Nature

Posted on by Michael Brock

Vote for the birds
Much has happened over the last several years, and now is the time to stop and assess how well our government has met our goals: OUR goals, the will of the people. Nothing is more important than electing representatives at all levels who will promote the values of the majority. But our government does not know the will of the people if we don’t vote! Voting, especially in Florida where so many elections are very close, is our most important way of declaring our sentiments and strongest beliefs.

David Yarnold, CEO of the National Audubon Society, made a passionate plea for voting in the Summer 2020 Audubon Magazine: “If you value birds, vote for candidates who will uphold laws that will protect them like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If you value clean water and clean air, vote for candidates who will uphold and strengthen the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.” He went on to encourage everyone to look at candidates’ plans concerning climate and energy.

These are important issues, and it’s critical that we use our voice, our vote, to elect candidates who will put environmental issues front and center. It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of life on our planet is at stake.

Here’s what you need to know:

Primary Election: August 18. Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will be held from Monday, August 3, through Saturday, August 15. All locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters must vote in the polling place to which they are assigned. To find your polling place, use the Precinct Finder. For complete information, visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website here.

General Election: November 3, 2020. Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must vote in the polling place to which they are assigned. To find your polling place, use the Precinct Finder. The voter registration and party affiliation change deadline for the General Election is October 5, 2020. Early voting will be held from Monday, October 19, through Saturday, October 31, with hours still to be determined.

Vote by Mail: Visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website here to vote by mail. The postal service recommends that voters mail ballots one week before the due date to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues and to allow for timely receipt and processing by election officials.