October 18            The Life of Birds

Reinier Munguia – Wildstock Photography

Learn about all aspects of a bird’s life from the adaptations that allow them to survive in their environment to their amazing flights and displays.  You will get detailed information about many species with special emphasis on Florida birds.  Reinier will cover topics such as physical and behavioral adaptations, communication, foraging, courtship, nesting, brooding and many bird facts and real-life stories.

November 15            The Gopher Tortoise is Leading the Way for Future Conservation in Florida

Ray E. Ashton – Ashton Biodiversity Research and Preservation Institute and Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative

Approximately 2,000 people move to Florida each week.  This growth is impacting already strained natural resources.  The Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative folks are working hard to change the direction of conservation in Tallahassee and throughout the state.  Good conservation for tortoises will also benefit resident and migratory birds as well as our own quality of life.  Ray and his wife, Pat, have published a book, The Gopher Tortoise: A Life History.  In this program you will learn how you can help protect wildlife.

December 20:            Birds, Birds, Birds

June Harrington, Former MCAS member

Join June for a Birds of Florida presentation.

Holiday Party – please bring a treat to share.

January 17            Beach Nesting Birds

Ann Paul – Audubon of Florida Coastal Island Sanctuaries

Ann Paul, from Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, will share key information about the birds that depend upon Florida's beaches to nest.  Included are some of Florida's rarest birds (Snowy Plover, Wilson's Plovers, American Oystercatchers, and Least Terns), and some of the most unusual (Black Skimmers and terns -- Caspian, Royal, Sandwich, and Gull-billed).  Laughing Gulls nest here too, and we'll talk about them as well.  Nesting habitat requirements of these species, behavior, population information, and conservation needs will all be included in this comprehensive discussion of these species and how birders and conservationists can help protect them.

February 21     Exploring the Great Florida Birding Trail

Mark Kiser – Birding Trail Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 Get an overview of the 2,000-mile trail and learn where to find Florida’s “most wanted” species.  The Great Florida Birding Trail is designed to conserve and enhance Florida’s bird habitat by promoting birding activities, conservation education and economic opportunity.  Learn about some of the 445 sites (including little-known gems) along the trail and about the spectacular bird species that you can encounter.  

March 20            Jay Watch Program

Cheryl Millett – The Nature Conservancy

Jay Watch is a citizen science program where volunteers monitor Florida Scrub-Jays at particular sites to track the total number of scrub-jay adults and young of the year and which areas they are using.  Together with biennial vegetation monitoring, these data provide land managers with information that helps them decide how to best manage their land to maintain or increase their scrub-jay populations.  Jay Watchers in Manatee County have tracked scrub-jay populations at three sites over the past three years.  Come and learn about these fascinating birds and this fun project where volunteers get to see areas that are otherwise difficult to access and see scrub-jays acting as they do without lots of human interaction.

April 17            Manatee County Audubon Society – A Year in Review