This remote gem in South Venice comprises 222 acres of protected land along Lemon Bay. We’ll search for Florida Scrub Jays, Bald Eagles, and various song bird species. Meet at Southern section, 6125 Osprey Road, Venice.
Host: Eileen Gerle, eileengerle@gmail.com
Registration is appreciated but not required.
A four-day festival offering field and boat trips, presentations, keynotes, and a free nature expo of vendors and exhibits. Enjoy and learn from renowned professionals, experience peak migration, and shop unique products
Board of Directors meetings will take place on the 2nd Thursday of the month (except November) from 1:00-2:30 PM at the Venice Audubon Center. Board meetings are open to members; members may address the Board at the beginning of the meeting.
Winter birding here in past years has been great. We’ll look for waders, waterfowl, warblers and more. About 1.5 miles of walking. Meet in the parking lot, 5200 Beneva Rd., Sarasota.
Host: Bailey Cleveland, baileycleveland92@gmail.com
Volunteer Saturdays are scheduled for the 2nd Saturday of the month from 9-11 AM. Whether you can volunteer just once or on a regular basis, please join us!
The Venice Audubon "Green Team" dedicates time to garden, landscape, restore habitat, and keep the Rookery Park beautiful during Volunteer Saturdays. Come and stay as long as you feel comfortable. If you have work gloves and a rake or other garden tools, please bring them. If not, we have some to share. Other projects such as preparing materials for upcoming programs, cleaning equipment, setting up Purple Martin colony housing, etc. also offer opportunities for volunteers.
Come, help keep our park in top shape and enjoy some fun and camaraderie with other members. Projects may vary seasonally or by need. We suggest you bring a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and sturdy shoes.
Contact Roy Musick at rmusick@veniceaudubon.org if you need more information.
Ecuador is well known for its biodiversity and host to more than 1600 species of birds. We'll show some. But even more valuable will be the discoveries within its fauna and flora. Tropical rain forests have evolved in unique ways that make them repositories of some of life's most valuable treasures, waiting to be discovered.
All are welcome - members of the public as well as Venice Audubon Members.
Participants are strongly encouraged to follow current COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
6:00pm: Refreshments and conversation 6:30pm: Announcements followed immediately by tonight's program
Barred owls, woodpeckers, warblers, vireos, thrushes and more in a wooded urban oasis, one of the area’s hotter “hot spots”. The area is small, but some walking may be difficult. Meet in the parking lot, 1420 Gilbert Ave., Sarasota.
Host: Tom Litteral, tlitteral@comcast.net
Sarasota’s premier beach is the site for a wide variety of gulls, terns and shorebirds. Plenty of walking, but if you hit one birding location along the coastline, this is it. Meet in the Siesta Key Beach main parking lot near the pavilion.
Host: Lou Sharp, ljsharp@sbcglobal.net
A spectacular birding hotspot, with ducks, herons, egrets and a good chance at Purple Gallinules, bitterns, rails and hawks. Meet at the picnic tables at the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center, 6888 Palmer Blvd, Sarasota.
Host: Jack Foard, captainjackfoard@yahoo.com
Children ages 3 to 5 years old and an accompanying adult are invited to learn different ways animals adapt to survive in their environments. Big Naturalist and environmental educator Eileen Gerle leads this hour-long program that includes story time, a nature hike, and a craft.
Children are asked to wear sturdy, closed footwear and to bring a water bottle. Registration is limited to ensure a small group experience.
Download event flyer.
Registration is required.
We’re on the road again! This season’s day trips offer birding PLUS education opportunities at world-renowned conservation and research facilities, expanding our awareness of wildlife conservation, human impacts, and changing environments on the many bird and animal species we appreciate and strive to protect. Come along for the day, meet new people, enjoy the wildlife, and learn something new! Registration is directly through Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Preserve. Click the button below for additional information and schedule and to purchase your BirdingPlus Field Trip admission.
Register Now
An excellent hike when migrating birds stop by this beautiful 154 acre preserve which is part of the Lemon Bay watershed. Meet at 8:00 in the parking area at 2695 Bridge Street, Englewood.
This year marks Audubon’s 124th annual Christmas Bird Count, continuing the longest running community science project in the United States. Venice Area Audubon’s participation in the CBC began in our chapter’s early history and we continue to add to the national assessment of the state of birds in our country. Bob Clark, VAAS’s Christmas Bird Count coordinator, presents the purpose, outcomes, and significance of the annual survey as our Audubon chapter prepares for this year’s count on December 17, 2023. Bob will also discuss opportunities for more VAAS members to become involved in this important community science effort.
Children ages 3 to 5 years old and an accompanying adult are invited to learn about the life cycle of some of the beautiful butterflies that are frequently seen in our area of Florida. Big Naturalist and environmental educator Eileen Gerle leads this hour-long program that includes story time, a walk through the Venice Audubon Pollinator Garden to look for butterflies and the plants that host and feed them, and a craft.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the oldest community science project in the United States with the first count taking place on December 25, 1900. The history of this event has grown tremendously since then and occurs annual between December 14 and January 5, utilizing thousands of volunteers throughout the country.
Venice Area Audubon Society, a long-time participant in this project, adds to the national bird count by surveying the local Venice-Englewood area annually on one designated morning. Over 100 volunteers survey a 15-mile circumference circle extending from downtown Venice to I-75 to Manasota Key. Volunteers proceed to specific locations to observe and record the species and number of birds sighted, then report the information to the VAAS Christmas Bird Count coordinator for submission to National Audubon. New volunteers are always welcome!
This evening takes us back to the classroom for a look at this highly successful and long-standing VAAS education program. Capitalizing on the excitement and enthusiasm of local school children, the seeds of environmental conservation are planted with both classroom instruction and a field trip to the Rookery, leaving a lasting impression on both the children and the many VAAS volunteers who help.
Linda retired from a successful Sarasota County Schools teaching career and now fills her time as a watercolor artist, Florida Master Naturalist, VAAS Board Member, and the coordinator of the 2nd Grade Birdwatchers Program and the 5th Grade Scrub Jay Program.
Children ages 3 to 5 years old and an accompanying adult are invited to learn about bats and their important role in the environment around us. Big Naturalist and environmental educator Eileen Gerle leads this hour-long program that includes story time and a nature hike to the Venice Rookery bat houses to watch the bats leave at sundown to forage for insects.
PLEASE NOTE THE TIME OF THIS EVENT CORRESPONDS WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE BATS FROM THE BAT HOUSES.
A VAAS birding tour to exotic Ecuador has been arranged for January 9-18, 2024. We hope you'll be able to join the tour to the lush region around Mindo Valley, home to 500 species of birds including Andean Cock of the Rock, Squirrel Cuckoo, Masked Trogon, Flame Faced and Glistening Green Tanagers.
Passports must be valid through September 2024, six months after the tour. Please note: Renewing passports can take up to three months.
To obtain more details about this tour and to secure a reservation with a $200 deposit, please contact Roy Musick, VAAS co-president at rmusick@veniceaudubon.org.
We look forward to your joining us!
Many songbirds migrate through our area annually, some staying through the winter and some using our parks and yards as a stop-over on a longer journey. This evening we’ll learn about some of the difficulties migratory birds face, including what types of injuries and conditions result in a bird needing rehabilitation and the rehabilitation process. Jayne will include discussion on how we can reduce negative impacts on birds around our homes and communities and ideas to attract birds safely to our gardens.
Jayne Neville was the founder/president of Mount Vernon Songbird Sanctuary in Southington, CT, a non-profit organization focusing on the conservation of migratory songbirds. She has a long history in bird rehabilitation and habitat preservation.
Children ages 3 to 5 years old and an accompanying adult are invited to learn about the birds that make their nests and raise their young at the Venice Rookery. Big Naturalist and environmental educator Eileen Gerle leads this hour-long program that includes story time, a hike to the Rookery Pavilion to watch the antics of the young nestlings, and a craft.
More info coming soon.
A second VAAS birding tour to exotic Ecuador has been arranged for March 13-22, 2024. Due to the overwhelming interest in the January tour, Holbrook Travel has arranged another VAAS group tour, for which only 6 openings remain. We hope you'll be able to join the 10 day tour to the lush region around Mindo Valley, home to 500 species of birds including Andean Cock of the Rock, Squirrel Cuckoo, Masked Trogon, Flame Faced and Glistening Green Tanagers.
The itinerary will be similar to our January trip and includes hotel, meals, local transportation, expert guide and our own ecologist and group leader, Eileen Gerle. The cost for our group will be slightly less than $3000 plus about $500 for round trip airfare from Miami to Quito. Carpooling to Miami will enable us to fly together.
6:00pm: Refreshments and conversation 6:30pm: Meeting to discuss plans for the coming year
