Scrub Jay

Jay
Marion County Audubon Society,Inc. Non-Profit Org.
P.O. Box 5616 U.S.Postage
Ocala, FL 34478 Paid
Ocala, FL
Permit No. 255

Marion County Audubon Society Inc. Newsletter

April 2008

INSIDE

FWC contacts
Page 2

New Members
Page 3

Mark these dates Where’s your

April 2008
☛ Thursday, April 3 & Friday, April 4 -Nature Quest Wildlife Days at Silver
Springs attraction. Audubon has a booth. Hours 9-4. Volunteers needed. Call
Ron Broman 861-4560. Come support this event.
☛ Saturday, April 12 - 8 a.m Bird walk at the Forty-Ninth Avenue Trail
Head. Call Carolyn at (352) 622-2850.
☛ Tuesday, April 15 - 7 p.m. Audubon Meeting at Grace Episcopal Church
Parish Hall, Ocala. Speakers talk about alternatives to managing our
garbage mountain. Refreshments served.
☛ Tuesday, April 22 - A trip to O’Leno State Park in Alachua County. Meet in
the parking lot of the park at 8 a.m. Call Carolyn at (352) 622-2850.
May 2008
☛ Saturday, May 10 - The annual Audubon picnic you’ve been waiting
for. Fun starts at 8 a.m. if you want to paddle down Juniper Creek (call
Erica 352-546-5718). Picnic at noon at Juniper Springs Recreation
Area. Entrance fee: $4.26 per person.
garbage?
Page 4
Member Alert! Audubon Picnic
Recind permits to destroy gopher tortoises Page 5
Marion County Audubon Society has sent the following letter
to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission: Walk in the Parks
Page 6
““In as much as the Commission has raised the status of
the gopher tortoise to “threatened” to acknowledge its current
Join Us!
danger of extinction, we earnestly request that you also recind
all permits to “destroy” that have already been issued to Page 7
developers which we understand are valid in perpetuity.”
Marion Audubon Conservation Committee member Margy Upcoming Events
Bielling said the letter also asks for the list of current “permit Page 8
to destroy” holders. It is hoped these developers could be ap-
proached one on one. Your support matters. Write a personal
letter to each FWC Commissioner ..........................see Page 2
Send letters asking to recind all current permits to destroy gopher tortoises
Letters to individuals work best.
Here are the names of FWC’s
Commissioners:
Rodney Barreto, Chairman
Brian S. Yablonski, Vice Chairman
Kathy Barco
Richard Corbett
Dwight Sstephenson
Ronald M. Bergeron
Kenneth W. Wright
Commissioners meet five times a year.
the remaining 2008 meeting dates are:
April 9-10, Tallahassee
June 11-2, Dania Beach
Sept. 17-19, Jacksonville
Dec. 3-4, Key West
To find out the agenda items, log onto
Send correspondence to the
Commissioners in care of:
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation
Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, Fl 32399-1600
The gopher tortoise is a keystone species of
the longleaf pine ecosystem. Over 360 other
Birds of a feather flock
together
Marion County Audubon Society, Inc.
offers a local chapter membership option
to those who wish to be involved in Marion
County’s environmental issues and
activities.
Local Audubon membership includes
a monthly (during the winter) issue of The
Scrub Jay, Marion Audubon’s newsletter.
The newsletter has information on
meetings, programs, activities, issues for
your involvement and guided field trips
to identify native birds, flora and fauna.
Dues are $10 annually. A bargain!
Three easy ways to join:
1. Go online and sign up at:
www.marioncountyaudubon.com
2. Print the online form and mail it to us.
Date__________
Name__________________________
Address________________________
City________________Zip_________
Phone___________Fax____________
E mail_________________________
$10 membership paid by
____cash ___check
____new ___renewal
Prior Audubon chapter elsewhere?
_____yes____no
Are you willing to serve an active role?
_____YES ____no
3. Use the form above, and mail it to:
Marion County Audubon Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 5616
Ocala, Fl 34478

We need you now!

http://www.myFWC.com
the e mail address for Commissioners:
Commissioners@MyFWC.com
species use gopher tortoise burrows.
To know more, visit
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW048

We are on the Web at

www.
marioncountyaudubon.com

Go where the birds are . . .

www.floridabirdingtrail.com

2 7
“It Starts In Parks” Hello and Welcome
Marion County Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring New Marion County Audubon Members
Nature Walks in Marion County Parks
on the first and last Tuesdays of the month. Ocala Anthony
Jean De Young Janice Bresnick
Bring a hat, insect repellent, water and Robin Seymour
binoculars if you have them. James Stone Reddick
Walks begin at 8:30 a.m. Susan Cesarini Linda Bosnjak
Mary Clark
Here are the dates: Elizabeeth Schnitzler Belleview
April 1 - Marshall Swamp Trailhead Karen Dailey Dorothy Caron
May 6 - Moss Bluff Laverta Lopez
May 27- Ocklawaha Visitors Center Trail Kelli Parks Silver Springs
June 3 - Silver Springs Shores Park Jo Lappling Bonnie Borden
Alice Fisher Marlene Metz
For more information, Eris Mazzarelli
call Cathy Norris at 671-8560 Barbara Edwards Summerfield
Lawrence Chippendale Mr & Mrs.
Officers/Board 2007-2008 Marion County Audubon Society, Inc. Ignacio Leon Don Seyferth
Co-Presidents Website Thomas Colbert
Robert Stenstream & Guy Marwick Jim Yaich Fort McCoy
Secretary Program Chair
Rosalie Coyner Erika Ritter (352) 546-5718 Thomas Poots
Asst. Sec. & Volunteer Coordinator Field Trips
Deborah Appling Carolyn Retey (352) 622-2850
Treasurer Conservation
Larry Sutton Margy Bielling, Judy Greenberg
Communications Chair & Publicity Dolores Sassser
Lucy Tobias (352) 816-1251 Birding Guide
Communications Team Jeannie Konicki What kind of
Sandra Fernandez, Teresa Darnell Data Base & Membership Chair bird is pictured
Jane Pope (E-mail distribution) Ron & Vicky Stapp
Earth Day Coordinator Telephone Membership Team above?
Vince Druding Dot Hull, Jane Eberts
Education Sybil Brennan
Hospitality Team
(answer on P. 5)
Ron Broman & Jim Buckner
Newsletter & Mailings Dot Hull & Greta Archer
Betty Olson

6 3
Do you know where your trash is?
No, not in the can, after it leaves your
house? Here’s shocking news - your trash
is being shoved around by machines at
Baseline Landfill & it isn’t going away.
Tuesday, April 15, 7 p.m. our Audubon meeting
gets trashy. Dr. Tim Townsend, UF professor of
Environmental Engineering and Licensed En-
gineer Jones Edmunds will discuss handling of
Mount Trashmore. The county is looking at incin-
eration. Is this sthe best and only alternative? What about toxic ash? They will
Marion County Audubon meetings
are free and open to the public.
Meetings start at 7 p.m., Grace
Episcopal Church Parish Hall.
Refreshments are served
afterwards and free pamphlets are
available for many Audubon
projects.
Bring family, friends and
neighbors.
4 5
Audubon celebrates with a paddle and a picnic
May 10, Annual Picnic
Wow! Another year has gone. Enjoy the
beautiful walks around the sand boils and
see results of CCC early efforts that created
the picnic area at Juniper Springs
Recreational Area in Ocala National
Forest. Have a refreshing swim or just relax.
We will present our new program chairs for 2008-2009.
Want to paddle?
Meet at 8 a.m. at the canoe launch at Juniper Springs Park for a very
discuss these & alternatives -
collecting methane for power,
enjoyable paddle down Juniper Creek to Highway 19 take out (about six
toxic materials and waste miles). Please call Erika (352-546-5718) if wanting to participate and to
reduction methods of bio- arrange for shuttle of personal boats. We will need to leave boat transport
reactors. A bio-reactor landfill vehicles at take out area. Bring your own kayak or canoe or rent one (cost
operates to rapidly transform is $33.50 plus $20 cash deposit, includes shuttle). Paddlers must pack
and degrade organic waste. food & drink in non-disposable containers(we may get to lunch late).
With efficient design and
operating a landfill’s life can
Picnic time
be extended by as much as The serious eating starts at noon at Juniper Springs Recreational Area on
20 years. Highway 40. Look for Audubon table. Marion Audubon provides main
dish. Bring your own plates, drinks, favorite side dishes. Entrance fee:
$4.26 per person.
N
E. Silver Springs Blvd.
A
40
Grace
yellow rumped
A Cruising Down the River
Episcopal
SE Broadway Church warbler You are invited aboard The Anhinga Spirit.
photographed Experience the Ocklawaha River.
441
at Paynes The wildest Outstanding Florida Waterway.
SE Fort King St. Prairie & included Trips are custom designed, educational and fun!
SE Tuscawilla
Pine Avenue
in the park’s Licensed by USCG
SE Watula
352-546-5718 (home) 352-817-7820 (cell)
newsletter
captainerikaritter@yahoo.com
(from page 3)