Today is the last day to add species to your big year list! Whether or not you get out today to add a few more birds or butterflies to your list, we’re sure you’ve already seen lots of wonderful wildlife and made plenty of memories as you explored the state’s natural wonders in 2021.
Everyone who submits their big year application this year will receive, as usual, a certificate with beautiful artwork and a button featuring your big year list total. This year’s certificates feature a Black-bellied Whistling Duck and a red admiral butterfly. As an extra way to celebrate your accomplishments, this year we will be including a code for free shipping on your next order from the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail store!
Submit your Big Year application here.
In last month’s newsletter, we shared tips on giving eco-friendly holiday gifts. You can carry that commitment to protecting the environment into 2022 with a green New Year’s resolution.
Go native.
Native plants are the backbone of Florida ecosystems, providing food and shelter for our wildlife. Many species are reliant on specific plants; butterflies will often lay eggs on only a single host species. Flowering plants are also important to our native pollinators. Without native plants on the landscape, urban and suburban areas can be a wasteland for wildlife. You can think of a garden in your yard as an oasis. Once you start making your yard Florida wildlife friendly, we’re sure you’ll see the difference, as birds, bees, and butterflies you may not have seen in the neighborhood start to make appearances right outside your home!
Even if you haven’t had luck with gardening before, give these plants a try. Native plants have adapted to Florida’s climate, so many are easy to grow without lots of special care, water, and fertilizer. This means they are better for the environment and great for those of us without green thumbs.
To get started, you can order FWC’s Florida-specific guide, Planting a Refuge for Wildlife. There are also wonderful resources available from the Florida Wildflower Foundation, Florida Native Plant Society, and the National Audubon Society.
Be a citizen scientist.
If you’re already out exploring Florida nature, it’s easy to add your sightings to databases that are invaluable to scientists and land managers. All you need to remember to bring is your smartphone!
The eBird app allows you to record your sightings on any birding trip. It’s a great way to keep track of your own observations (especially if you’re planning to start a new big year list for 2022). It is also one of the largest citizen science projects in the world, with over 100 million bird sightings added each year from across the globe.
The iNaturalist app can be used for any flora and fauna – regardless of whether you can confidently identify the species! Upload a photo with your location enabled and the app will give you a very good guess as to what species you’ve found. Once added to the database, other users can confirm the identification or suggest alternative IDs.
Both tools are fun and easy to use, and provide valuable data for scientists and land managers, who can track plant and animal populations to make well-informed management decisions.
Volunteer your time.
One of the most rewarding ways to engage in conservation is to get out in nature and take direct action! Many local Audubon chapters, Native Plant Society chapters, and other local groups regularly organize workdays to clear invasive species, plant natives, or survey local wildlife. Volunteering is also a wonderful way to get some exercise and make new like-minded friends.
1231 Prairie Lakes Road, Kenansville, 34739
Open: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Contact: 352-732-1225
Website
Named for lakes Kissimmee, Jackson and Marian, this site supports more than 200 species of birds and protects a significant portion of the Kissimmee Prairie, one of the largest remaining dry prairies in the U.S. Other habitats include flatwoods, cypress domes, oak hammocks and freshwater marshes. Pick up a map and guide, and pay the honor fee at the entrance. Here, a 10-mile wildlife drive winds though flatwoods where Red-cockaded Woodpecker nest trees occur and oak hammocks where mixed songbird flocks forage. Throughout the wildlife management area, Osceola Wild Turkeys, Wood Storks and Limpkins are common; watch for Crested Caracaras, Short-tailed Hawks and White-tailed Kites as well as a variety of sparrows including Bachman’s, Henslow’s and Savannah. Explore nearly 39 miles of trails including portions of the Florida National Scenic Trail; viewing towers, decks and blinds are available around the lakes. Butterfly viewing is good here; search for white hairstreak, tawny emperor, Berry’s skipper and Arogos skipper. Be aware that this site is fairly wild, so bring water and a map. Recreation guides can be ordered online at MyFWC.com/viewing/publications. Seasonal hunting takes place at this site; please call ahead or check online for more information.
Saturday, January 1
Your Biggest Year Yet Field Trip (Apopka)
Cocoa Conservation Area Field Trip (Cocoa)
Wednesday, January 5
Hernando Audubon Birding Trip to Circle B Bar Reserve (Lakeland)
Saturday, January 8
Saturday Morning at Fish Island Preserve (St. Augustine)
Field Trip: Sweetwater Wetlands Park (Gainesville)
Enchanted Forest Field Trip (Titusville)
Wednesday, January 12
Photographing Birds at the Shore (Virtual)
Thursday, January 13 – Monday, January 17
13th Annual Everglades Birding Festival (Davie)
Saturday, January 15
Hernando Audubon Society Trip to Sunwest Park (Hudson)
Sunday, January 16
Field Trip to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (St. Marks)
Monday, January 17
Bluebirds and How to Attract them in Northeast Florida (Virtual)
Tuesday, January 18
Photographing Birds at the Shore Workshop (St. Augustine)
Friday, January 21
Hernando Audubon Birding Trip to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (Apopka)
Saturday, January 22
Open House at Crosby Sanctuary (Orange Park)
Sunday, January 23
Orlando Wetlands Park Field Trip (Christmas)
Thursday, January 27
Hernando Audubon Meeting: Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife (Brooksville)
Saturday, January 29
Field Trip: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Folkston, GA)
Check out the events page of our website for more events across the state!
Do you know about any other bird or wildlife-related events going on in Florida? Help spread the word by letting us know! Send in the times, dates, locations and contacts to WildlifeViewing@MyFWC.com for posting on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail website.
Events must be related to birds or other wildlife and must be open to the public. Examples include interpretive programming, webinars, summer camps and family programs.
|
floridabirdingtrail.com