Welcome to Duval Audubon Society

Blast from the Past

Duval Audubon Society is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year! Founded in 1939 as a chapter of the National Audubon Society, Duval Audubon Society has been connecting people with nature through regular field trips, programs, educational outreach, and volunteer opportunities for many years. We recently ran across an article from the Florida Times-Union all the way back in 1956!

Entitled, "They Watch the Birds," the article describes the chapter's almost weekly field trips to locations near and far, Florida's incredible bounty of bird species, chapter members' participation in Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count and educational outreach activities, the value of the pest control services provided by birds, and the health benefits of getting outside in nature - sound familiar? We are still just as enthusiastic about birds and nature as we were in 1956, AND 1939!

We hope you will join us at an upcoming field trip or program soon! Check out our calendar of events to see what's coming up, and follow us on Facebook, Meetup, and Instagram!

CBC4Kids a Great Success!

The 5th annual CBC4Kids (Christmas Bird Count for Kids) was held on Saturday, January 5th at Camp Chowenwaw Park in Clay County. More than twenty children ages 8-16 learned some basics about birds and binoculars with "Birding Boot Camp," then split into small groups and hit the trails for a 60-minute bird walk with an experienced local birder to see what birds they could find and identify. Birds spotted by the kids included: Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Turkey Vultures, American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Black-and-white Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, Blue-headed Vireos, and many more! This fun winter event celebrates birds while engaging youth in real Citizen Science.

After the bird walks, everyone enjoyed a wonderful wildlife program from Mike Rossi of Wild Wonders Animal Show, which allowed the kids to get up close and personal with a variety of animal species.

Many thanks to event sponsors Camp Chowenwaw Park, Clay County Parks, and Wild Birds Unlimited of Julington Creek, who generously provided snacks and prizes for the event.

Learn more about the event in this article published in Clay Today.

Tools Needed for Crosby Sanctuary

Thanks to your support, we are purchasing a brush mower and trailer for use in maintaining Crosby Sanctuary. This will make a huge difference, especially in the spring and summer growing seasons, in the accessibility of the land and trails. In the past we have had a lot of difficulty getting the area mowed regularly and we are looking forward to this change.

However, we do need more tools. Please consider donating your spare (working) yard tools to Duval Audubon Society. Needed are: hand saws, chain saw, edgers, trimmers, shovels, rakes, axes/hatches, gloves and almost any other useful yard tools. Please note: there is no electricity, so we cannot use electric tools unless also battery-operated.

To donate: bring your tools to Crosby Sanctuary on an upcoming Crosby bird walk/workday (next ones: February 23 and March 23); bring your tools to an upcoming program (next ones: February 18 and March 11) or field trip where they will be passed on to Pete Johnson, Sanctuary Director; or, contact any Duval Audubon Society board member who will arrange for the tools to be collected.

Thank you for your support!

Looking Ahead

We have some great field trips, programs and volunteer opportunities lined up for the rest of the 2018/2019 season. Here are some highlights:

• Our Beginning Bird Walks at Fort Caroline and the Theodore Roosevelt Area are continuing on the first Sunday of every month in partnership with the National Park Service and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.
• On February 18, join us for our monthly program at the Charles M. Neviaser Education Institute of Community Hospice: "What's Happening to Florida Corals?" from coral biologist Dr. Keven Reed. Light refreshments at 6:30 pm; program starts at 7 pm.
• Our last quarterly cleanup for the 2018/2019 season will be at Sheffield Regional Park on March 10th. Please come help us clean up this excellent birding spot! Contact acting volunteer chair Carol Bailey-White at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
• We’re hosting a special Birding on the Water outing on Saturday, March 16^th with Kayak Amelia. Contact chapter president Jody Willis to reserve your spot: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Field trip destinations include Orlando Wetlands, Harris Neck NWR, Alligator Lake, Vaill Point Park, Lake Woodruff NWR, and many more! Check our Calendar of Events for more information on all of our activities.

Love nature? Want to help share that love of nature with others? Consider applying to join Duval Audubon Society’s Board of Directors.

Founded in 1939, Duval Audubon Society is a chapter of Audubon Florida and the National Audubon Society. We currently have approximately 1,000 members in Clay, Duval and Nassau counties and are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Our chapter is dedicated to the enjoyment of birds and other wildlife. We have a primary focus on the preservation of a diversity of species and habitats through education, conservation, environmental leadership and community involvement. We offer a variety of field trips, programs, and volunteer opportunities that are open for anyone to attend.

We are an all-volunteer chapter governed by a Board of Directors who work together to determine the activities offered by the organization to further our mission, “Connecting people with nature, conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife.”

Currently there are three Board vacancies and we encourage anyone interested in serving as a Board member to apply. Board members are expected to attend monthly meetings and participate in chapter activities on a regular basis. Board Officers are appointed for a one-year term, and Directors serve for two years.

Here is a brief description of the current open Board positions:

The Volunteer Chair (a Director position) helps with recruiting volunteers from the chapter membership and the community for chapter projects and activities such as leading field trips, representing the chapter at outreach events, helping with monthly cleanups, and other projects as determined by the Board. The Volunteer Chair serves a two-year term but may continue if willing and approved by the Board.

The Corresponding Secretary (a Director position) works with the President,Treasurer, and other officers to create and send correspondence to supporters and partners as needed. Most correspondence consists of letters and emails to express our chapter's appreciation for donations and other support from organizations, business partners and individuals. The Corresponding Secretary serves a two-year term but may continue if willing and approved by the Board.

The Clay County Conservation Chair (a Director position) works on conservation issues in the Clay County area. This position serves a two-year term but may continue if willing and approved by the Board.

If you are committed to helping to connect people with nature, please consider applying to join us in managing our chapter. You don’t have to be a great birder but having a love for nature and a passion for protecting and conserving birds and other wildlife would make you a wonderful addition to our team!

Send your completed application to Duval Audubon Society President Jody Willis: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or PO Box 16304, Jacksonville, FL 32245.

Questions? Please feel free to contact Jody or any current Board member (http://duvalaudubon.org/index.php/get-to-know-us/board-of-directors).

Thank you!