SUN CITY CENTER AUDUBON CLUB - the Sun City Center Audubon Club
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SUN CITY CENTER AUDUBON CLUB
January 2020
Ponderings from your prez Find ways to help the environment: What can we
do as individuals? Of course, we can call our elected
It’s the new year and a time we start making new officials or go to meetings to pressure our officials to
resolutions – or re-cycle the old ones. Besides personal make the decisions that help the environment. We can
goals, I’ve added “fun” goals – like kayaking and line also start (or continue) doing the little things that
dancing. But two goals are ones that should be on help…and doing them inspires others to do
everyone’s list: them…and others see that and…
Get out in nature. And, of course, the quickest, easiest Bring your own mug for coffee/tea to
way is to get out on our Nature Trail. Melanie Higgins meetings. More and more people do it at our
inspired me to look at the research on benefits to being meetings and some Starbucks even give
out in nature and here is one interesting study I found: discounts if you bring your own mug.
In Japan, the practice known as "forest bathing" Ask the waiter not to bring straws. This is
(Shinrin-yoku) has been part of the national becoming more common now (but ask; don’t
health program since 1982, and its benefits are just leave them on the table where they will
now starting to become more widely recognized probably get thrown away when the table is
in the U.S. As explained by The Atlantic cleared).
"The aim was to briefly reconnect people with Turn off lights and electronic devices that are
nature in the simplest way possible. Go to the “always on” when not needed. I am much
woods, breathe deeply, be at peace. Forest more conscious of turning off lights but admit
bathing was Japan's medically sanctioned method turning the devices off takes more effort.
of unplugging before there were smartphones to
unplug from. Since Shinrin-yoku's inception, Add your own to this list, but let’s commit – to
researchers have spent millions of dollars testing ourselves and to Mother Earth.
its efficacy; the documented benefits to one's
health thus far include lowered blood pressure,
blood glucose levels and stress hormones."
“The Atlantic June 30, 2017”
I love the idea of “forest bathing”. With our own Nature
Trail so close (if you haven’t been, ask for directions at
our meeting) and with county and state parks nearby, why
not “forest bathe” once a week. I haven’t been able to Nominating Committee
get away as often as I’d like but now I can and am The nominating committee is hard at work putting
committing to this goal. together the board for 2020-2021. If you are
interested in serving as an officer for the club, please
contact one of the members of the committee.
Melanie Higgins, Ray Webb or Ann Fenimore.
Mary
Sun City Center Audubon Club 1
General Meeting – Florida Room Upcoming Field Trips
Saturday 1/4/20
Friday 01/17/20
Felts Preserve
Threats to Wildlife from Rising Seas Palmetto, FL
How will rising oceans impact shorebirds like Black Tuesday 02/11/20
Skimmers, Snowy Plovers and American Oystercatchers, Lettuce Lake Park
and where will they go when existing beach areas are Tampa, FL
submerged? Those critical issues will be discussed by two
members of the Sierra Club at the January 4, 2020 meeting Monday 03/09/20
of the Sun City Center Audubon Club. Kent Bailey, chair of Marie Selby Gardens
the Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club, and Rocky Sarasota, FL
Milburn, vice chair, will speak at 10:00 a.m. in the Florida
Room. Wednesday 04/22/20
Honeymoon Island State Park
Pinellas County, FL
Full schedule of meetings & trips available at
http://www.sccaudubonclub.com/meetings
______________________________________
Bok Tower Gardens Field Trip
December 4, 2019
____________________________
The last field trip of the decade to Bok Tower
Gardens was well attended. Fifty members
experienced the 25 years of Holiday Home Tours
at Pinewood Estate. This was truly a season of
beauty with Christmas decorations throughout the
As sea levels rise, wildlife will be caught between advancing home and gardens.
water and developed areas. Although undeveloped areas
around Tampa Bay are scarce, what remains should be The secret garden had a surprise guest, a snowman
preserved, further development in coastal and estuarian made of grapevine wreaths with a cherry Cardinal
areas should be restricted, and more conservation areas on his shoulder. The pineapple Christmas tree was
should be set aside. Eventually, as people are forced to quite appealing. The entire house was designed by
retreat inland, abandoned areas should be left in the most the Amaryllis Society of Bok Tower Gardens. With
natural state possible. holiday décor taking us back in time to the grandeur
and glamour of a bygone era.
Join us at 9:30 for refreshments and socializing before the
presentation. Remember to bring your own mug or cup. The singing tower carillon played in the
background. Many members toured the window by
Florida Room - Atrium the pond, the gift and plant shop.
9:30am Refreshments Happily, our enthusiastic group had a delightful
10:00am Business Meeting lunch at L’Incontro Italian Restaurant.
10:45am Program
We boarded the Lamers Bus and headed home
with pleasant memories of a fantastic day.
Sun City Center Audubon Club 2
SCC Audubon Club Three Day Trip
March 3, 4, 5, 2020
Gainesville, FL
Pack your bags we're going to the Gainesville area! Our bus leaves at 7:00 AM and heads towards Gainesville.
Our picnic lunch stops in the Silver Springs State Park. While there we will take a tour of the springs in a
glass bottom boat and enjoy the beautiful trails. Afterwards we will arrive at the Florida State University Butterfly
Rainforest and also visit the FSU National History Museum. We will be staying at the Best Western
Hotel Gateway where we will gather for wine/beer and cheese. Our dinner will be held in the
hotel banquet room.
Early on Wednesday morning our expert birder, Ray Webb, will lead us through
Sweetwater Wetlands Park followed by a trip to Morningside Nature Center and Living
History Museum. Lunch is at Cracker Barrel.
After lunch we will have a guided tour of Kanapaha Botanical Gardens which is a 68-acre facility
Comprised of 24 major collections visually accessible from a 1 ½ mile paved walkway. These
Include the state’s largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.
Our evening wine/beer and cheese will be a little early since we have a special event planned. We will visit the FSU
Bat Houses to watch the evening emergence of over 100,000 bats! This has become quite an attraction. We plan on
being there just before sunset and keep out eyes on the bat house. The bats usually exit within a ten-minute window
shortly after sunset as they leave to forage the Gainesville area doing their share in controlling the night-flying insect
population. Our dinner Wednesday evening will be at Northwest Grill.
Thursday will afford us another chance for excellent birding at La Chua
Trail in Payne’s Prairie under leadership of Ray Webb followed by a tour
of Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation. Lunch will be at
Longhorn Steak House.
In the afternoon we will visit the antique Village of Micanopy starting with
a docent-led tour of the Micanopy Historical Society Museum and a
leisurely visit to the antique and specialty shops. We will return to Sun City
Center about 5:00pm.
Kathy Eckhart
Sun City Center Audubon Club 3
SCC Audubon Club Three Day Trip
March 3, 4, 5, 2020
Gainesville, FL
If you would like to join us, please complete the form below and send it with a deposit check for $100,
made out to SCC Audubon Club, to Rod Rodrigues 328 Northway Dr. Sun City Center., Please
indicate how many rooms you would like and a phone number or email address.
Names______________________________________
Single or double room__________________________
Telephone__________________________ email________________________
Sun City Center Audubon Club 4
2019 Photo Contest Rod Rodrigues
This year, the photos submitted were again excellent, making the decisions difficult. Choosing to order them by
preference can strain the brain when so many worthy entries are laid out before you. Congratulations to the
winners, superb pictures all:
John Lampkin for Black Skimmers Skimming
Jack Migliore for Future Owl-impian
Tom Brederson for Who Eats First – Ant or Hummer?
Thank you to the participants who
submitted a total of photos. This
made for a successful and fun event!
Membership Dues
$10.00 pp
Due by January 30, 2020
Visit:
http://www.sccaudubonclub.com/
Please complete form located on
website and follow instructions to
submit your membership fee today.
IT’S FESTIVAL TIME!
Sun City Center Audubon Club 5
IT’S FESTIVAL TIME
The great winter weather in Florida lends itself to The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival is
outdoor festivals and there are some great birding arguably one of the best birding festivals in the
related festivals coming up in the first quarter of country. Now in its 23rd year, they’ve got it
2020! down! The location is Titusville, so it’s close to
Cape Canaveral and the National Sea Shore both
The Florida Scrub-Jay Festival will be held at awesome destinations!
Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey, FL. This
festival moves every year, so we’re lucky to have Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival
it close enough to be a day trip this year. Organizer: Brevard Nature Alliance
January 22-27, 2020 https://scbwf.org/
Although Boyd Hill Raptor Fest is on the same
day as our February meeting, it’s a short drive to
St. Petersburg to attend the festival which doesn’t
conclude until 4:00 pm. The Nature Preserve
houses educational ambassador raptors whose
injuries make them unable to be released back
into the wild. You may have met some of them at
our December meeting
The day starts with the Annual Scrub-Jay 5K and Boyd Hill Raptor Fest
10K races which wind through the park both on Organizer: Friends of Boyd Hill Nature
pavement and on the trails. The Festival Preserve
immediately follows the races, beginning 10:00 February 1, 2020
am and will offer lots of information on the State’s https://friendsofboydhillnaturepreserve.wildaprico
iconic and only endemic bird, along with fun t.org/event-3573992
activities.
Florida Scrub-jay Festival
Oscar Scherer State Park
January 11, 2020
https://www.floridastateparks.org/events/10th-
annual-scrub-jay-festival
Burrowing Owls are surely one of the cutest birds on the planet and the
Burrowing Owl Festival celebrates this endangered species. The City of Cape
Coral has numerous platted empty lots that are home to many burrowing owls
and the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife have taken responsibility for performing
surveys and promoting the protection of these owls and their burrows. This is
an excellent festival with many vendors selling bird and wildlife related items,
and booths hosting wildlife rehabilitators, agencies, and artists.
Burrowing Owl Festival
Organizer: Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife
February 29, 2020
http://ccfriendsofwildlife.org/2019-burrowing-owl-festival/
Sun City Center Audubon Club 6
IT’S FESTIVAL TIME
More Festivals Melanie Higgins
Right in our backyard is the Wonders of Wildlife Festival. This is only the second year of the festival and it
promises to be bigger and better than last year’s offering. Local rehabbers, nature artists, and representatives from
Hillsborough County Natural Resources will be in attendance as well as live bird demonstrations and raptor
flyovers.
Wonders of Wildlife Festival
EG Simmons Park
Organizer: Raptor Center of Tampa Bay
March 21, 2020
http://www.raptorcenteroftampa.org/event/wonders-of-wildlife-festival/
Get out there and have FUN!
News from our Master Birder Birding Workshop
Ray February 21, 2020
Christmas has just passed; I hope you all had a festive, Sun City Center Audubon Club will be
heartwarming time. Our birdlife is now well established in hosting a Beginning Birding Workshop on
its winter cycle. There will be little change until our purple Friday, February 21, 2020 in the Florida
martins begin to arrive in January. At my house, mixed Room at 9:00 AM. At the workshop, we will
flocks of songbirds pass through regularly, including discuss the selection and proper use of
yellow-rumped, palm and pine warblers. We have wintering binoculars and field guides, and how to
American robins, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, ruby-crowned become a better birder - including birding
kinglets, blue-headed vireos and blue-gray gnatcatchers as etiquette. We will be showing how to
well. identify some of our confusing species, such
as the white herons and egrets. This
The 120th National Audubon Christmas Bird Count workshop is open to all residents of Sun
period will continue until early January. Our count, the City Center and Kings Point and their
Alafia Banks CBC, was held on December 15. We found guests.
60 species of birds in our Sun City Center section, while
the entire count circle tallied 160 species. Thanks go to my
team; Joe Mustion, John Lampkin, Steve and Jan
Burkholder, Don and Liz Grozis and Ken Payson. Also,
thanks go to Club Link, for allowing us access to the North
Course and Renaissance, to count the birds there.
Sun City Center Audubon Club 7
Sun City Center Audubon Club Schedule 2019-2020
Monthly Meeting Schedule Officers & Committee Chairs
2019-2020
01/04/20 Sea Level Rise and Shorebirds
Kent Bailey & Rocky Milburn
President Mary Duncan
02/01/20 The Communal Kite Vice-Presidents/ Patsie Ginley
Gina Kent Programs Ann Fenimore
03/07/20 Florida Butterflies Secretary Betty Giles
Marc Minno Treasurer Rod Rodrigues
04/04/20 Love is in the Air At Large Gail Mongiello
Reinier Munguia Linda Floyd
Refreshments Pat Dean
Membership Loni Baxter
WORKSHOP Name Tags Jo Ann Wilkinson
Conservation Joe Mustion
Beginning Birding Melanie Higgins
February 21, 2020 Historians Ed & Clara Clancy
Newsletter Denise Rosen
Publicity Susan Shuttleworth
Greeter Gail Mongiello
Field Trips/
Master Birder Ray Webb
Three Day Trip Kathy Eckhart
Purple Martin
Sun City Center Audubon Club 8
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