Contact Mike Manetz (mmanetz@yahoo.com) if you’re interested in participating in this all-day event.
Difficulty: 3 (may involve elevation change, uneven terrain, and/or greater than two miles).
Speaker: Caroline Poli, University of Florida
The moment-to-moment steps that an animal makes accumulate over time to form large scale movement patterns that can profoundly influence the overall health of an animal, whether it breeds successfully, and its lifespan. Rapid and recent advances in miniaturization of tracking technology have enabled scientists to learn about the movements of species ranging from elephants to dragonflies and discover the pathways of global migrations, expansive flights, and unexpected behaviors. Tracking information undoubtedly enriches human understanding of the natural world. But how can we use it for conservation?
In this talk we’ll follow Atlantic Puffins in Maine, Brown Pelicans along the Atlantic coast, Masked and Red-footed Boobies in Mexico, and critically endangered Snail Kites in Florida, to find out how tracking animals can fill critical information gaps and guide conservation action.
Meet at the Millhopper Library Branch, 3145 NW 43rd St. Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
Note: to be followed by a Gull-Fly-In Training Session at Frank Rendon Park, 2705 S Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores FL (carpooling will be offered to depart from Target on Archer Road in Gainesville around noon on Saturday, February 11, 2017)
Speaker, Michael Brothers, Marine Science Center (Volusia County, Ponce Inlet FL)
Your best opportunity ever to fine tune those Gull and Jaeger identification skills! A very special adventure!
Meet at the Millhopper Library Branch, 3145 NW 43rd St. Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
Who are these people walking around with binoculars having so much fun?
And how do you get into the world of “Birding” anyway?
Scott Flamand, Alachua Audubon Vice-President, will share his delight and his expertise on this fascinating hobby.
Come. You won’t “egret” it!
Join local Audubon travelers Lloyd Davis and Pat Bartlett as they share their adventures of recent travel to Cuba. They will share their experiences of seeing the country, meeting people and viewing bird life. But not just bird life. We have been promised to hear about dragonflies, snakes, lizards, butterflies, and tiger beetles too.
This sounds really wild!
Social begins 6:30 pm. Talk begins at 7 pm.
Come hear about the amazing wildlife and landscapes of Southern Africa, including Lesotho! Listen to stories of a recent trip to this biodiverse and endemic-rich zone by Audubon travelers Adam and Gina Kent. The talk will focus on birds, but will also touch on other interesting aspects of the region such as mammals and fascinating landscapes. Learn about a diversity of natural communities including emblematic tropical woodland, the desert-like karoo, and fynbos, a shrubby heathland that looks more like something out of a Mediterranean garden than one’s typical vision of Africa.
Social time 6:30-7pm.
“So near, and yet so far away. . .” For half a century, Cuba was the mystery island for American birders and nature lovers. The island held an alluring charm enhanced by its inaccessibility. With the easing of travel restrictions in the past few years, travel to Cuba has become possible. Join two travelers as they guide you through the former terra vetita, where mule-drawn carts are common and tour buses are about the only vehicles on the roadways. We will visit the larger nature preserves for birds, visiting coastal mangrove, scrub land, savanna and swampland habitats. You’ll learn a little about the landscape, meet native wildlife and the endemics like the Cuban pygmy owl, the trogon, and the bee hummingbird. Your presenters will be Pat Bartlett and Rob Norton who combined forces to bring you this presentation.
Social time 6:30 – 7:00
Audubon EagleWatch is seeking volunteers to monitor Bald Eagle nests for the 2017-2018 breeding season. EagleWatch provides valuable information on nesting activity and the current trends of the Bald Eagle population in Florida. As a volunteer, you’ll be assigned to monitor one or more eagle nests in your vicinity. The data you collect helps eagle biologists determine the right conservation measures to ensure the success of the species in our state.
Go to this web site to register.
Dragonflies and Damselflies are fascinating and conspicuous
components of our insect fauna. There are 169 species recorded
from Florida and 116 species have been found in Alachua County.
This program will cover basic biological facts about the group,
including anatomy, life cycle, reproduction, behavior, habitats, and
feeding. The non-technical discussion will be illustrated with
photographs of many local species. Presented by Dr. Franklin
Snelson, Jr.
Thursday, December 7, 2017 Millhopper Library, 3145 NW 43rd St., Gainesville.
6:30 social time, 7:00 program begins
Join Audubon traveler Erika Simons as she shares her adventures on a small ship cruise of the Southwest Alaska Inside Passage. The small ship not only allowed her to make new friends with her fellow travelers but also made daily off-boat activities possible. Passengers were offered kayaking, paddle boarding, beach meanders, bushwhacking, and photography. Wildlife viewing was often enhanced during these activities. Erika will share her photography of this adventure.
Location is the Millhopper Public Library, 3145 NW 43rd St, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA
Social time 6:30 p.m. Program 7:00 p.m.
Florida’s Charismatic Microfauna
Presented by Paul Moler
Social Time 6:30, program 7:00 p.m.
Although the vast majority of Florida’s wildlife species are invertebrates, most receive little attention. The important roles played by bees and butterflies are generally well known, but many other species toil away anonymously providing important ecosystem functions. Still others may not be major players but are nonetheless behaviorally or morphologically fascinating (“cool”). This program will introduce a select few of the less familiar members of our local fauna.