Audubon’s Northeast Florida Regional Conservation Committee (RCC) met on September 7, in Ocala. Conservation leaders from Duval, St. Johns County, Santa Fe, Alachua and Four Rivers Audubon chapters attended the day long meeting hosted by Marion County Audubon at the Silver River State Park.
Our main focus was to draft the NE Florida 2012 Conservation Resolution that will be presented at the 2011 Audubon Assembly in Lake Mary.
Within the coastal campaign, we will continue to seek proper protective management measures at all our beach-dependent bird sites. While Northeast Florida hosts some of the last significant beach sites on the Florida Atlantic coast, we have documented a sharp decline in many species, especially Black Skimmers and Gull-billed Terns. We are working with agencies and land managers to implement effective efforts to re-establish sustainable populations of these birds.
For the Florida Special Places campaign, much of the focus will be to address the threats to the water resources – springs, lakes and rivers, as well as to do surveys to help guide management at sites of significant ecological value. Due to budget cuts, the Ichetucknee Springs Working Group was dissolved; our staff is already at work to keep this 15 year long effort going under NGO and volunteer leadership.
After our chapters’ reports, we were treated to a private tour of the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center. Here the Marion County School Board works in a partnership with the State Park to offer environmental education classes to over 10,000 4th and 5th graders each school year. Students get to spend the day at the park, alternating classroom sessions, field trips, a boat tour, and a visit to the Museum and Florida Cracker village. The facilities also include a library where teachers can check out Florida related books and teaching kits. We had a chance to see the Black Bear kit complete with a skull, paw prints, pictures, articles, references and other hands-on materials.
The Silver Springs Museum is open to the general public on weekends and enjoys a great popularity in the community. It was founded by long term conservationist Guy Marwick. Guy has been an active member of Marion Audubon and a long list of other conservation organizations for many years. In 2007 he received the prestigious Guy Bradley award from Audubon.
