Alachua Audubon Society

CONSERVATION PROGRAM: Annually we donate to nonprofit organizations to support activities that protect wildlife and preserve land. We were awarded grants from Audubon Florida and Florida Power and Light and the National Audubon Society to establish a native plant garden at Gainesville High School that will be used for environmental education. Our Southeastern American Kestrel nest box program continues with nest boxes monitored for success. We partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to collect data and with the Avian Research Conservation Initiative to tag some nestlings with radio tags that will allow monitoring of their movements. We initiated a Prothonotary Warbler Nest Box Project to help conserve one of the few breeding warbler species in Florida. AAS also received funds from Duke Energy to hold for a future commemorative Bald Eagle statue.

EDUCATION PROGRAM: In 2019, we initiated a bird banding lab that is staffed by AAS volunteers and college interns. We have collected much scientific data and trained students through the semester-long internship program. Our ten interns and two local high school students were awarded scholarships. We maintain a native plant garden at Prairie Creek to educate about the importance of providing habitat for birds. We offer four 4-week beginning birder classes at Santa Fe College. We provide weekly field trips at Sweetwater Wetlands Parks and weekend field trips from September to May that educate the public about local birdlife. We have an active education program at elementary and middle schools and paid to bus 4th graders to nature parks for environmental education. We also offer a backyard bird tour that showcases ways to attract birds to backyards.