With the elections behind us and facing a less environmentally-friendly Congress, Legislature, Governor and Cabinet, Audubon is focusing attention on campaigns to conserve land, water and wildlife. There is every reason to believe that our science-based, solution-oriented advocacy is needed now more than ever. Combined with our passion for Florida’s birds and special places, our policy agenda should prove persuasive to Florida’s newly elected leaders.
Our policy team pledges to keep you informed and urges your action on key issues. Take advantage of the “tell a friend” feature on the top right of this page to get other people involved and engaged. You can start today by helping inform people of the plight of the once plentiful and now endangered Everglades Snail Kite.
On Friday, November 5th, from 6-8pm at the Osceola County Commission Chambers in Kissimmee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is meeting to discuss this year’s hydrilla management strategy in Lake Tohopekaliga in Central Florida. Due to the degradation of most of their natural habitats and traditional food sources, the only population of Snail Kites in the country have now become largely dependent on a community of invasive hydrilla and an exotic apple snail that feeds on it. A well-intentioned, but overly-aggressive hydrilla control plan could potentially wipe out the best remaining existing habitat forthis signature Florida bird. Please read our Snail Kite Survival Fact Sheet and White Paper for more information.
This Friday, you will have an opportunity to speak up for the Snail Kite and help lake managers understand the need to find a balance between invasive weed management, recreational lake use and protecting this signature bird's most reliable food source.
Florida’s conservation victories have always been won acre by acre and species by species. But conservation requires from us the same resiliency nature demonstrates in recovery. We need to stay engaged so we are ready to passionately push forward ideas that conserve Florida’s special places and resist with resiliency actions that harm water and wildlife
