Stop by the Venice Area Audubon table at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County's Take a Child Outside Week: Exploration Stations event. We'll have activities, games, give-aways, and information to engage children of all ages. This is a family and children event to kick off a week of science and nature events as part of the Take A Child Outside program. Many conservation organizations will be represented along with guided walks and kayaking tours.
Free event, free parking. Reservations/tickets are not needed.
Additional information available here: https://tinyurl.com/2rc44pxf
Migrating birds are often reported in this park early in the Fall. A variety of birds can be seen including warbliers and woodpeckers. Meet in the parking lot at 8:00.
Host: Tom & Linda Litteral, tlitteral@comcast.net
All participants will be required to sign a waiver before beginning the field trip.
Registration is appreciated but not required.
Lakeview Park in Sarasota borders Lake Sarasota and there are ponds and mature live oak trees on the property, so it is great for viewing herons, egrets, raptors, woodpeckers and songbirds. The park is located at 7150 Lago Street. After turning into the park (use the entrance next to Oak Park School), drive all the way to the end of the road. We will meet by the bathroom facilities at 8:30 am.
Host: Eileen Gerle, eileengerle@gmail.com
Volunteer Saturdays are scheduled from 9-11 AM. Whether you can volunteer just once or on a regular basis, please join us! Youth volunteers under age 18 are welcome with an adult.
Gardening and outdoor projects will be a priority, weather permitting. Indoor projects may include preparing the Center and/or materials for upcoming events and activities. Projects will vary seasonally or by need. We suggest you bring water, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and sturdy shoes.
Contact Bailey Cleveland at baileycleveland@veniceaudubon.org if you need more information.
Registration is appreciated to help us prepare our projects, but not required.
Read the book and join the in-person Book Club discussion on the 2nd Monday of the month.
The October selection is Rebecca Heisman's Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration. The book can be purchased online and in bookstores.
This true story recounts the dedicated work of scientists to resolve some of the great questions about bird migration. Through unfailing dedication, working together and utilizing almost every branch of science in the process, this amazing group became avian detectives in the process. The book celebrates the many people, birds, and technology involved in finding answers to some of birders' biggest questions.
Registration not necessary but appreciated.
NOTE: This is for in-person discussion. The Zoom discussion group will be listed as a separate, registration required event.
Our first program of the new year offers a preview of upcoming events and activities for 2024-2025, along with a spirited game of JeoBIRDY! Master of Ceremonies Eileen Gerle will test your bird knowledge and challenge your reasoning skills. Opportunities to sign up for our various education and conservation projects will also be available.
Bring a friend! It's a wonderful evening to introduce someone to Venice Area Audubon!
6:00 - Socializing and light refreshments
6:30 - Preview of 2024-2025 events and activities
6:45 - JeoBIRDY!
NOTE: This is an online Zoom discussion.
Registration required.
Birding here in past years in spring has been great. We’ll look for waders, waterfowl, warblers and more.
About 1.5 miles walking along level trails. Meet in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m.
Host: Bailey Cleveland, baileyclevelant@veniceaudubon.org
Calling all school-age birders and outdoor lovers and their families! Gather at the Venice Audubon Center for a brief orientation before we enjoy a walk around the Rookery Park to look for birds and other wildlife. We'll learn about and practice ethical birding techniques, where to look for birds, and how to use binoculars.
Registration is appreciated but not required. All participants will be required to sign a release form.
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.
REGISTRATION OPENS ON September 1.
Children ages 3 to 5 years old and an accompanying adult are invited to learn about the natural world all around us by looking for clues in nature. Big Naturalist and environmental educator Eileen Gerle leads this hour-long program that includes story time, a nature walk, and a craft.
Please sign up for each month separately. The themes are:
Children are asked to wear sturdy, closed footwear and to bring a water bottle. Registration is limited to twelve to ensure a small group experience.
PLEASE NOTE: This year's program takes place at Shamrock Park Nature Center, 3900 Shamrock Dr., Venice, FL 34293.
There is no fee but donations are welcome.
If you have any questions, contact Eileen Gerle at eileengerle@gmail.com.
Download event flyer.
Registration is required.
With 210 acres preserved along mangrove-lined Lemon Bay, the park is a nice place to learn about coastal habitats. The trail system extends through pine flatwoods with mature slash pines and mangrove forests, and circles and crosses wetlands where birds gather. Meet at the Nature Center at 8:00.
Host: Mike Weisensee, mike17554@gmail.com
This year's Audubon Assembly Celebrating 125 Years of Audubon in Florida is now open for registration.
Learning sessions, keynote presentations, field trips, and opportunities to meet with other Audubon enthusiasts highlight the event. Please note that hotel accommodations at a special rate are limited so don't delay in making your reservation.
For information, registration, and hotel details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-audubon-assembly-celebrating-125-years-of-audubon-in-florida-registration-918813625287?aff=oddtdtcreator
A Most Remarkable Creature by Jonathan Meiburg is November's selection. The book can be purchased online and in bookstores and may be available in your local library.
Throughout the book, Meiburg retells of Charles Darwin's first sighting of a strange and oddly social bird in South America while on his own pursuit of what is now known as the striated caracara. Interwoven in Meiburg's appreciation for the caracara is the work of William Henry Hudson, a prominent Victorian era naturalist and writer. Learn the origins of the many species of caracara with the author while traveling throughout the Americas from remote southern islands to North America.
An excellent hike when migrating birds stop by this beautiful 154 acre preserve which is part of the Lemon Bay watershed. About two miles walking along level trails. Meet at 8:00 in the parking area at 2695 Bridge Street, Englewood.
Gather the family for some outdoor time! Join us on a tour around Lake Jervey on the SCF campus, located just south of the Wellen Park retail area on U.S. 41. We'll our time on an "I spy" adventure walk looking for herons, anhinga, cormorants, ducks...and alligators! Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the main parking lot next to the lake. Please note: most of this walk takes place on a paved path around the lake, so it is a particularly good walk for those with some physical limitations.
A guardian must attend with any participant under age 18. Bring binoculars if you have some and we will also have binoculars to lend. Participants are encouraged to wear closed toe shoes and appropriate sun/bug protection, and to bring water.
What birds are here and where can I find them? Mike Weisensee is one of Sarasota County's top birders so get ready to bust out those smart-phones and take your birding to the next level! With Mike's help, attendees will learn how to develop lists of “likely” birds in any area of the world, at any time of year AND find out the best places to find those target birds.
This will be a hands-on workshop. We will be using both Merlin Bird ID and eBird, FREE apps from Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. Please download these free apps to your smart-phone prior to the event. Please note that Mike will be using his iPhone for demonstration purposes (Android users beware!). But never fear! Even the most tech-challenged among us will gain important information and insights to improve your birding this coming season.
6:15 - Brief announcements/chapter business as needed
6:30 - Program begins
Walk about 2 miles in this gorgeous reserve in search of woodpeckers, warblers and other species. Bring binoculars, water and wear sturdy shoes. Meet in the main parking lot at 8:00 a.m., 1800 Mabry Carlton Parkway, Venice.
Host: Patti Haynes, patti.haynes@gmail.com
The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us by Meg Lowman is a memoir of her journey into the tree canopy. She is a biologist and one of the first tree canopy scientists while continuing to be a fierce advocate for the preservation of global forests. An educator and a mentor, she was also inspired to create the Canopy Walkway at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida.
Join leaders Patti Haynes and Bob Clark on a tour around Lake Jervey and the surrounding SCF campus, located just south of the Wellen Park retail area on U.S. 41. Enjoy herons, egrets, ducks and more, highlighted by colorful Purple Gallinules.
Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the main parking lot next to the lake. Please note: most of this walk takes place on a paved path around the lake, so it is a particularly good walk for those with some physical limitations, including those requiring walkers or wheelchairs.
Host: Patti Haynes and Bob Clark, rlwclark@gmail.com
Participants will be required to sign a waiver before beginning the field trip.
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 and new birders are always welcome!
Please register to receive further details about the event.
The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, established in 1970 to study the wild dolphins of Sarasota Bay, is now the longest running study of a wild dolphin population in the world. Join us as we learn about this unique research program and what insights researchers have gathered in over 50 years of data in a changing environment. In addition to the dolphins, all marine species and birds that utilize Sarasota Bay and its connected waterways are facing challenges to their ecosystems. How can we respond to ensure the survival of species in Sarasota Bay?
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program's website: https://sarasotadolphin.org/
Among the oldest species in the world and unchanged for millions of years, sea turtles nest on our local beaches amidst dangers both natural and human caused. Successfully growing from hatchling to maturity is a massive challenge for the five sea turtle species that nest along Florida's coastline.
Eileen Gerle, a Coastal Wildlife Club sea turtle nest monitor, takes us on the journey through Florida's sea turtles' natural history. Current data on local nest counts and changing trends will be presented, along with actions we as birders and environmentally concerned citizens can take to increase sea turtles' odds of living a healthy, safe lifespan.
Mark your calendar for Rookery Day, a fun, family-friendly morning at the Venice Audubon Center and Audubon Rookery Park.
WAITLIST ONLY. For additional information and to be added to the waitlist, email Eileen Gerle at info@veniceaudubon.org.
Join Venice Area Audubon's Eileen Gerle in Costa Rica for an 11 day adventure, hosted by Holbrook Travel. Birding locations inclue Savegre, Sarapiqui, Arenal, and Carara to visit Caribbean lowlands, premontane forest, tropical dry forest, mangroves, páramo, and more during hikes, boat rides, and an elevated tree canopy trail tour.
The trip is limited to 12 participants. Cost is approximately $3,300 per person. Airfare not included.
