Check our latest Avocet Newsletter for more details on these events or email us.
Annual Sunset Birding Cruise
18 June 2018 - 7 pm Cedar Key - Tidewater Tours Kiosk
We have chartered a boat and can take 24 people. Last year it was a great success despite the bumpy, wet ride. This is a wonderful opportunity to cruise by the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge islands to see what birds are roosting and nesting on Seahorse and Snake Keys. For a mere $25 each, the first twenty-four lucky souls to speak up will have the pleasure of the company of the others with commentary by our own Doug Maple. Will we be greeted by a rainbow again this year? To reserve your spot call Barbara or Doug Maple at 352 949 1995.
Brazilian Pepper Eradication
Tuesday mornings 9 am
Contact Roger McDaniels at 321 698 1688 or rogermac4@yahoo.com to get on his list so you know where to meet each week.
Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve
January 22 at 10 am Yankeetown WGP Education Center
CKA will spread the word on what we have accomplished, our partnering efforts, the plans we have, and how we can help each other.
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
22 January at 5 pm Cedar Key Library
Basic Bird Identification
January 24 at 10 am - 12 pm Cedar Key Library
Anne Lindgren will show how to tell one bird from another with a two-hour demonstration and then a walk around town to try out what you have learned. Space is limited. Email her to reserve your spot - anne.Lindgren@gmail.com.
Florida Winter Shorebird Survey
February 2 - 8
http://www.flshorebirdalliance.org/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
Coastal Georgia Audubon
February 3-4, Saturday/Sunday: Paynes Prairie, near Gainesville, FL, and St Marks NWR, Florida.
For questions and additional information, contact Bob Sattelmeyer at engrds@gsu.edu or 404-217-7082.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
Friday, February 16 through Monday, February 19
birdcount.org
National Skip a Straw Day
February 23
In conjunction with the “No More Plastic Straws” Campaign
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
February 26 at 5 pm Cedar Key Library
Annual Business Meeting followed by:
Prescribed Fire: Keeping It Brief
This will also be the annual business meeting
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
March 26 at 5 pm
Cedar Key Library
General Membership Meeting open to the public, as are all our meetings.
Vic Doig, Wildlife Biologist & Fire Mgmt Officer, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Lower Suwannee NWR
Wading Bird Rookeries of the Cedar Keys NWR
__________________________________________________________
Past Events
General Membership Meeting and Social
25 September 2017 5:00 p.m.
Cedar Key Library on Second Street
Waccasassa Bay State Preserve Bird Walk
14 October 2017 6:30 a.m. (Note date changed from 8 October as published in the Avocet)
Limited to 14 members by size of van. Email us if you want to go to see if space is available.
Meet at Cedar Key Scrub
Cedar Key Seafood Festival
October 21-22, 2017
Author Event - Beauty and the Beak
October 26, 2017
by Janie Veltkamp at Cedar Key School
Movie Night - March of the Penguins
28 July 2017
Cedar Key Library on Second Street
Old Florida Celebration of the Arts
Cedar Key
8 - 9 April 2017
Downtown Cedar Key
Visit our booth
Florida Master Naturalist Coastal System Class
Levy County
March 22 – April 17, 2017
Senator George Kirkpatrick Marine Lab - FWC
11350 SW 153rd Ct., Cedar Key, FL 32625
Registration closes at 10:00am EST on March 16, 2017
http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/fmnp/cs17-05.html
Jacqui Sulek - Gardening for Birds
March 27, 5:00
Cedar key Library
Our general membership meeting, open to all
Sue Mullins - Citizen Advocacy: Speaking Up for Conservation in Florida
February 27, 5:00
Cedar key Library
Our general membership meeting, open to all
Sue Mullins is a public policy and campaign professional based in Tallahassee Florida, where she has served as an advocate for environmental, affordable housing and related issues for 23 years. Sue established a full service lobbying, campaign and public relations firm in 2007 to advocate issues for clients in numerous fields including natural resource protection, energy and climate change policy, business regulation, election law, corporate governance and public finance. Sue’s representation includes advocacy before the Florida Legislature and Cabinet, Congress, state agencies, and local and regional governments. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from St. Leo College and a Masters in Anthropology from Florida State University. Sue’s campaign experiences include managing all aspects of political, grassroots and public campaign planning, operations and communications for district and statewide offices, issues and referenda, including winning 17 local conservation ballot initiatives and four Florida House races. Sue joined Ramba Law Group, LLC as policy advisor in January 2015 after serving as lead policy analyst for two years in the Senate Minority Office.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park ranger guided hike
February 9th, Thursday, at 10:00 a.m.
325 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32608
Parking costs $5; meet at the first pavilion by the bathrooms a little before 10:00 on that day. I told the ranger to expect 6-10 people, so we need to talk this one up as much as possible.
http://www.sweetwaterwetlands.org/
Beauty and the Beak
February 4
Cedar key Library
Cedar Key winter resident Janie Veltkamp will be the featured presenter at the Saturday, February 4 talk at the Cedar Key Public Library. The talk will begin at 10:30 am.
In her new upcoming book, Beauty and the Beak, we learn how Veltkamp, a raptor biologist, created a prosthetic beak for a bald eagle from Alaska. Once wild and free, Beauty’s world was shattered by an illegal bullet that damaged her entire upper beak leaving her helpless to feed herself. That’s when Veltkamp created the “Beauty Team” of biologists, dentists, engineers and veterinarians and who designed through collaboration a 3D printed beak for the bald eagle. Her upcoming book describes the natural history of bald eagles from hatching to the time at age 4, as a sub adult Beauty was injured and right up to the 3 hours of surgery that would restore her bald eagle beak! Would it function? Learn more about this unique eagle and her north Idaho journey!
Janie Veltkamp is a raptor biologist and rehabilitator, wildlife educator, trained nurse, and master falconer. She has lifetime care of Beauty the bald eagle and led the engineering team who made Beauty’s prosthetic beak. Jane is founding director of Birds of Prey Northwest, in Idaho, which educates the public about raptor conservation, including through live raptor programs, and provides medical treatment and rehabilitation to thousands of injured birds of prey. She is the eagle expert for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Native American Aviary. Visit birdsofpreynorthwest.org
Big Bend Science Symposium
February 1 -3
The 2017 Big Bend Science Symposium will be held in Cedar Key on
February 1 – 3 hosted by UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station and the
Big Bend Science Partnership.
https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/
Cedar Key Bird Rescue
January 30, 2017 ---Training workshop for volunteers interested in joining the Cedar Key Bird Rescue program. Attendees are not required to volunteer for the program but volunteers must attend a training before taking part in the program. Attendees will learn about the Cedar Key Bird Rescue program, hear from a licenced wildlife rehabilitator about best bird handling practices, learn how to access rescue gear, and learn how to rescue an injured bird. This program primarily focuses on rescuing birds that have been tangled in fishing line, and the majority of birds rescued in this program are pelicans.
Read More
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
8 December 2016 - Join us for the final membership meeting of 2016 at 3:00 in the Cedar Key Arts Center on Second Street in Cedar Key. We will have a team building exercise to identify short term goals and develop action plans to accomplish them. Your input is welcome.
AUDUBON REFLECTS ON FIRST YEAR, PLANS FOR SECOND
November 12, 2016
The nascent Cedar Keys Audubon Chapter met this past Friday, November 11, 2016, at 3 pm in the Cedar Key Arts Center’s new, bright, open, airy second-floor workroom with a packed agenda.
NEW OFFICERS AND OLD PLACED
Primary among the agenda items was the installation of new officers: President Bill Rucker will be replaced by Co-Presidents Crosby Hunt and Deborah Anderson; Janie Veltkamp will be the Education Chair. Retained officers include: Vice-President Doug Maple, Secretary Libby Cagle, Treasurer Nancy Hanson, and Communications Mandy Offerle.
PAST YEAR SUCCESSES REVIEWED
The group revived its past year’s successes, which were numerous and effective. Mr. Rucker made the point that the chapter “has money in the bank” and a full and increasing membership, an excellent way to begin the new year.
The Bird Rescue Program, actualized by the Fish and Wildlife’s Tiffany Black, based at the Fitzpatrick Lab, and Dr. Savanna Barry, based at the Nature Coast Biological Station, has trained one group and has a second training group planned for January. The chapter created and distributed a brochure capturing the rescue procedure. A subcommittee was formed to publicize accessing trained persons.
Cedar Keys Audubon commanded a presence at the recent Seafood Festival with a fully-feathered booth, complete with pictures and takeaways.
Chapter members worked with delighted Cedar Key School students, through visual and dramatic arts techniques, in bird identification and bird rescue.
Chapter members provided bags for fishermen to use to place fish carcasses in rather than tossing them into the waters upon which birds choke.
GOALS FOR THIS YEAR ENTERTAINED
Some goals for the upcoming year were entertained: regular outings, hikes, and walks; increased activities with students at Cedar Key School; presence at the upcoming Art Festival; forwarding local environmental needs, such as living shorelines here in Cedar Key; participation in the February Cedar Key Arts Center’s focus on “Wings”; and more. A list of suggestions will be forwarded by email to members to add to and/or select from.
AUDUBON FLORIDA MEETING
Jay and Donna Bushnell attended and reported on their recent experience at Audubon Florida 2017 Conservation Action Agenda Meeting in Saint Petersburg, Florida. They reported being impressed with the fact that Audubon is much “bigger than birds”; instead, it is a conservation force of great breadth and magnitude.
The full agenda, consumately readable, is available at the following website. http://fl.audubon.org/sites/g/files/amh666/f/draft_2017_conservation_priorities.pdf
The Bushnells offered a website for non-scientists to search for answers to science questions and invited the audience to try it: http://www.skepticalscience.com/
AUDUBON EXPERTISE OFFERED
Audubon mentor Jacqui Sulek, who advises some 45 different Florida Audubon chapters, reminded everyone to involve themselves in activities they enjoy. Being part of Audubon should be a happy experience, she believes. “Do what makes you happy and enjoy it,” she advised. Many options are available upon which members might work; activities are only limited to one’s imagination. Climate change, bird watching, conservation corridors, and many more subjects are appropriate.
Ms. Sulek offered to help in all ways needed. She lives an hour and fifteen minutes away and enjoys coming to Cedar Key.
The meeting concluded at 4:45 pm.
Mandy Offerle
Cedar Keys Audubon
Communications
Annual Sunset Birding Cruise
18 June 2018 - 7 pm Cedar Key - Tidewater Tours Kiosk
We have chartered a boat and can take 24 people. Last year it was a great success despite the bumpy, wet ride. This is a wonderful opportunity to cruise by the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge islands to see what birds are roosting and nesting on Seahorse and Snake Keys. For a mere $25 each, the first twenty-four lucky souls to speak up will have the pleasure of the company of the others with commentary by our own Doug Maple. Will we be greeted by a rainbow again this year? To reserve your spot call Barbara or Doug Maple at 352 949 1995.
Brazilian Pepper Eradication
Tuesday mornings 9 am
Contact Roger McDaniels at 321 698 1688 or rogermac4@yahoo.com to get on his list so you know where to meet each week.
Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve
January 22 at 10 am Yankeetown WGP Education Center
CKA will spread the word on what we have accomplished, our partnering efforts, the plans we have, and how we can help each other.
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
22 January at 5 pm Cedar Key Library
Basic Bird Identification
January 24 at 10 am - 12 pm Cedar Key Library
Anne Lindgren will show how to tell one bird from another with a two-hour demonstration and then a walk around town to try out what you have learned. Space is limited. Email her to reserve your spot - anne.Lindgren@gmail.com.
Florida Winter Shorebird Survey
February 2 - 8
http://www.flshorebirdalliance.org/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
Coastal Georgia Audubon
February 3-4, Saturday/Sunday: Paynes Prairie, near Gainesville, FL, and St Marks NWR, Florida.
For questions and additional information, contact Bob Sattelmeyer at engrds@gsu.edu or 404-217-7082.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
Friday, February 16 through Monday, February 19
birdcount.org
National Skip a Straw Day
February 23
In conjunction with the “No More Plastic Straws” Campaign
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
February 26 at 5 pm Cedar Key Library
Annual Business Meeting followed by:
Prescribed Fire: Keeping It Brief
This will also be the annual business meeting
CKA Membership Meet and Greet
March 26 at 5 pm
Cedar Key Library
General Membership Meeting open to the public, as are all our meetings.
Vic Doig, Wildlife Biologist & Fire Mgmt Officer, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Lower Suwannee NWR
Wading Bird Rookeries of the Cedar Keys NWR
__________________________________________________________
Past Events
General Membership Meeting and Social
25 September 2017 5:00 p.m.
Cedar Key Library on Second Street
Waccasassa Bay State Preserve Bird Walk
14 October 2017 6:30 a.m. (Note date changed from 8 October as published in the Avocet)
Limited to 14 members by size of van. Email us if you want to go to see if space is available.
Meet at Cedar Key Scrub
Cedar Key Seafood Festival
October 21-22, 2017
Author Event - Beauty and the Beak
October 26, 2017
by Janie Veltkamp at Cedar Key School
Movie Night - March of the Penguins
28 July 2017
Cedar Key Library on Second Street
Old Florida Celebration of the Arts
Cedar Key
8 - 9 April 2017
Downtown Cedar Key
Visit our booth
Florida Master Naturalist Coastal System Class
Levy County
March 22 – April 17, 2017
Senator George Kirkpatrick Marine Lab - FWC
11350 SW 153rd Ct., Cedar Key, FL 32625
Registration closes at 10:00am EST on March 16, 2017
http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/fmnp/cs17-05.html
Jacqui Sulek - Gardening for Birds
March 27, 5:00
Cedar key Library
Our general membership meeting, open to all
Sue Mullins - Citizen Advocacy: Speaking Up for Conservation in Florida
February 27, 5:00
Cedar key Library
Our general membership meeting, open to all
Sue Mullins is a public policy and campaign professional based in Tallahassee Florida, where she has served as an advocate for environmental, affordable housing and related issues for 23 years. Sue established a full service lobbying, campaign and public relations firm in 2007 to advocate issues for clients in numerous fields including natural resource protection, energy and climate change policy, business regulation, election law, corporate governance and public finance. Sue’s representation includes advocacy before the Florida Legislature and Cabinet, Congress, state agencies, and local and regional governments. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from St. Leo College and a Masters in Anthropology from Florida State University. Sue’s campaign experiences include managing all aspects of political, grassroots and public campaign planning, operations and communications for district and statewide offices, issues and referenda, including winning 17 local conservation ballot initiatives and four Florida House races. Sue joined Ramba Law Group, LLC as policy advisor in January 2015 after serving as lead policy analyst for two years in the Senate Minority Office.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park ranger guided hike
February 9th, Thursday, at 10:00 a.m.
325 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32608
Parking costs $5; meet at the first pavilion by the bathrooms a little before 10:00 on that day. I told the ranger to expect 6-10 people, so we need to talk this one up as much as possible.
http://www.sweetwaterwetlands.org/
Beauty and the Beak
February 4
Cedar key Library
Cedar Key winter resident Janie Veltkamp will be the featured presenter at the Saturday, February 4 talk at the Cedar Key Public Library. The talk will begin at 10:30 am.
In her new upcoming book, Beauty and the Beak, we learn how Veltkamp, a raptor biologist, created a prosthetic beak for a bald eagle from Alaska. Once wild and free, Beauty’s world was shattered by an illegal bullet that damaged her entire upper beak leaving her helpless to feed herself. That’s when Veltkamp created the “Beauty Team” of biologists, dentists, engineers and veterinarians and who designed through collaboration a 3D printed beak for the bald eagle. Her upcoming book describes the natural history of bald eagles from hatching to the time at age 4, as a sub adult Beauty was injured and right up to the 3 hours of surgery that would restore her bald eagle beak! Would it function? Learn more about this unique eagle and her north Idaho journey!
Janie Veltkamp is a raptor biologist and rehabilitator, wildlife educator, trained nurse, and master falconer. She has lifetime care of Beauty the bald eagle and led the engineering team who made Beauty’s prosthetic beak. Jane is founding director of Birds of Prey Northwest, in Idaho, which educates the public about raptor conservation, including through live raptor programs, and provides medical treatment and rehabilitation to thousands of injured birds of prey. She is the eagle expert for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Native American Aviary. Visit birdsofpreynorthwest.org
Big Bend Science Symposium
February 1 -3
The 2017 Big Bend Science Symposium will be held in Cedar Key on
February 1 – 3 hosted by UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station and the
Big Bend Science Partnership.
https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/
Cedar Key Bird Rescue
January 30, 2017 ---Training workshop for volunteers interested in joining the Cedar Key Bird Rescue program. Attendees are not required to volunteer for the program but volunteers must attend a training before taking part in the program. Attendees will learn about the Cedar Key Bird Rescue program, hear from a licenced wildlife rehabilitator about best bird handling practices, learn how to access rescue gear, and learn how to rescue an injured bird. This program primarily focuses on rescuing birds that have been tangled in fishing line, and the majority of birds rescued in this program are pelicans.
Read More
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
8 December 2016 - Join us for the final membership meeting of 2016 at 3:00 in the Cedar Key Arts Center on Second Street in Cedar Key. We will have a team building exercise to identify short term goals and develop action plans to accomplish them. Your input is welcome.
AUDUBON REFLECTS ON FIRST YEAR, PLANS FOR SECOND
November 12, 2016
The nascent Cedar Keys Audubon Chapter met this past Friday, November 11, 2016, at 3 pm in the Cedar Key Arts Center’s new, bright, open, airy second-floor workroom with a packed agenda.
NEW OFFICERS AND OLD PLACED
Primary among the agenda items was the installation of new officers: President Bill Rucker will be replaced by Co-Presidents Crosby Hunt and Deborah Anderson; Janie Veltkamp will be the Education Chair. Retained officers include: Vice-President Doug Maple, Secretary Libby Cagle, Treasurer Nancy Hanson, and Communications Mandy Offerle.
PAST YEAR SUCCESSES REVIEWED
The group revived its past year’s successes, which were numerous and effective. Mr. Rucker made the point that the chapter “has money in the bank” and a full and increasing membership, an excellent way to begin the new year.
The Bird Rescue Program, actualized by the Fish and Wildlife’s Tiffany Black, based at the Fitzpatrick Lab, and Dr. Savanna Barry, based at the Nature Coast Biological Station, has trained one group and has a second training group planned for January. The chapter created and distributed a brochure capturing the rescue procedure. A subcommittee was formed to publicize accessing trained persons.
Cedar Keys Audubon commanded a presence at the recent Seafood Festival with a fully-feathered booth, complete with pictures and takeaways.
Chapter members worked with delighted Cedar Key School students, through visual and dramatic arts techniques, in bird identification and bird rescue.
Chapter members provided bags for fishermen to use to place fish carcasses in rather than tossing them into the waters upon which birds choke.
GOALS FOR THIS YEAR ENTERTAINED
Some goals for the upcoming year were entertained: regular outings, hikes, and walks; increased activities with students at Cedar Key School; presence at the upcoming Art Festival; forwarding local environmental needs, such as living shorelines here in Cedar Key; participation in the February Cedar Key Arts Center’s focus on “Wings”; and more. A list of suggestions will be forwarded by email to members to add to and/or select from.
AUDUBON FLORIDA MEETING
Jay and Donna Bushnell attended and reported on their recent experience at Audubon Florida 2017 Conservation Action Agenda Meeting in Saint Petersburg, Florida. They reported being impressed with the fact that Audubon is much “bigger than birds”; instead, it is a conservation force of great breadth and magnitude.
The full agenda, consumately readable, is available at the following website. http://fl.audubon.org/sites/g/files/amh666/f/draft_2017_conservation_priorities.pdf
The Bushnells offered a website for non-scientists to search for answers to science questions and invited the audience to try it: http://www.skepticalscience.com/
AUDUBON EXPERTISE OFFERED
Audubon mentor Jacqui Sulek, who advises some 45 different Florida Audubon chapters, reminded everyone to involve themselves in activities they enjoy. Being part of Audubon should be a happy experience, she believes. “Do what makes you happy and enjoy it,” she advised. Many options are available upon which members might work; activities are only limited to one’s imagination. Climate change, bird watching, conservation corridors, and many more subjects are appropriate.
Ms. Sulek offered to help in all ways needed. She lives an hour and fifteen minutes away and enjoys coming to Cedar Key.
The meeting concluded at 4:45 pm.
Mandy Offerle
Cedar Keys Audubon
Communications
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20160528/COLUMNISTS/160529810/0/search?tc=ar
Above is the link to an article in the Gainesville Sun about getting out in June and logging all the birds you see. Most of CK Audubon members are disbursed around the country and world this summer but I think this is still a great challenge for us no matter where we are. If you are willing to participate, at the end of the month send your total and where you are to this email address.
Happy "hunting".
Above is the link to an article in the Gainesville Sun about getting out in June and logging all the birds you see. Most of CK Audubon members are disbursed around the country and world this summer but I think this is still a great challenge for us no matter where we are. If you are willing to participate, at the end of the month send your total and where you are to this email address.
Happy "hunting".
The 2016 Cedar Key Summer Youth Program will be from Monday June 27th through Thursday July 28th.This year, the Cedar Key Audubon will be involved.
The Cedar Key Audubon plans on teaching the younger children about shore birds and birds found in our area. They will incorporate basic simple identification as well as habit and diet knowledge. The children will be picking their favorite species and present completed color sheets to the Cedar Key Audubon.
The middle and high school group will take a first responder workshop that will provide education to unhook and detangle shore birds.
FWC will partner with the summer youth program and focus on teaching the children all about pelicans. FWC will have lots of facts and information on prevention of injury to these birds that share our island.
There will also be a tentative plan for a short skit to be shown to the families of the children and the Cedar Key Audubon at the end of the Summer Program.
The Cedar Key Summer Youth Program is looking for donations for their program to make this summer the best ever!!! Please send donations to: City of Cedar Key PO Box 339 and reference CK Summer Youth.
The Cedar Key Audubon plans on teaching the younger children about shore birds and birds found in our area. They will incorporate basic simple identification as well as habit and diet knowledge. The children will be picking their favorite species and present completed color sheets to the Cedar Key Audubon.
The middle and high school group will take a first responder workshop that will provide education to unhook and detangle shore birds.
FWC will partner with the summer youth program and focus on teaching the children all about pelicans. FWC will have lots of facts and information on prevention of injury to these birds that share our island.
There will also be a tentative plan for a short skit to be shown to the families of the children and the Cedar Key Audubon at the end of the Summer Program.
The Cedar Key Summer Youth Program is looking for donations for their program to make this summer the best ever!!! Please send donations to: City of Cedar Key PO Box 339 and reference CK Summer Youth.
Doug Maple - A Cedar Keys Birds presentation, 21April 2016 at 5 pm in the Cedar Key Library.
Alachua Audubon has a field trip to Cedar Key planned for 16 April and we are invited to join them. "Naturally, anyone who wants to join us on the 16th is welcome. Landward end of Bridge Four somewhere between 7:30 and 7:45."
The Cedar Keys Audubon will have a booth at City Park during the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts Festival on 9 and 10 April. Stop by and say "hello".
_______________________
Recent event for more info on this program: www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org/
JanieVeltkamp - Raptors
and Social Media
Cedar Key Library on Second Street in Cedar Key,
5 p.m.
31 March 2016
Recent event for more info on this program: www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org/
JanieVeltkamp - Raptors
and Social Media
Cedar Key Library on Second Street in Cedar Key,
5 p.m.
31 March 2016
All events are open to the public.