Welcome to Duval Audubon Society

Serving Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties

Our mission:

Connecting people with nature, conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife.

We are a chapter of the National Audubon Society. We have a membership of about 1,500 and hold monthly meetings in Jacksonville from September to May. We offer field trips, programs, workshops and other activities throughout the year. Under the drop down menu, you will find our calendar of events. We hope you'll join us!

Please Donate to Duval Audubon!

As a volunteer-run non-profit, we are grateful for your donations. Every contribution helps to continue our work in Northeast Florida!

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION (#CH4724) AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR DUVAL AUDUBON SOCIETY, A FLORIDA-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

 

  • 2017-2018 Season Wrap-Up

    Sheffield Regional Park Field Trip 20180325

    Duval Audubon Society has been very busy this year working to accomplish our mission, Connecting People with Nature. Volunteers led 36 field trips this season at locations as far north as southern Georgia (Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge), as far south as Gainesville (Sweetwater Wetlands Park), and many wonderful birding spots in between. It's been a great birding season, including sightings of over 100 Black Skimmers at the January 2018 Fort Clinch State Park field trip, more than 100 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at Sweetwater Wetlands in April, and a sighting of the rare White-rumped Sandpiper during our visit to Spoonbill Pond on Big Talbot Island in May.

    We also participated in Audubon's annual Duval County Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in late December, and our dedicated volunteers recorded 152 different species during the count. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

    In conjunction with the "real" CBC, we hosted a CBC4Kids event for the younger set in early January at Camp Chowenwaw Park in Clay County. Thirty kids were treated to bird walks with experienced leaders, and afterwards enjoyed snacks along with a great animal outreach program presented by the W.I.L.D. Program ambassadors from the Jacksonville Zoo. Many thanks to Wild Birds Unlimited of Julington Creek for sponsoring the snacks and drinks for the children (and the adults) to enjoy!
     
    CBW TheoRoos Beginning 20171203This year we started a new program of Beginning Bird Walks at the Fort Caroline National Monument in partnership with the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The walks are on the first Sunday of the month from September through May and introduce participants to using binoculars and recognizing the birds in our area. This program has been a great success for us. We have  had 10 to 20 participants at each walk (quite a few are repeat attendees), and several have joined our chapter as a result. We are continuing this program for the 2018-2019 season and hope to build on our current success.
     
    In January we began a partnership with St. Johns Riverkeeper and the City of Jacksonville to do monthly Cleanups at parks in the Jacksonville area to help prevent trash from entering our waterways and endangering our beloved birds and other wildlife.Volunteers picked up trash at five local parks, including one of our favorite hidden gems for birders, St. Augustine Road Fish Management Area. UAS2 Drone Photography and Video shot some beautiful footage during our May cleanup at Sheffield Regional Park, which you can find on our YouTube channel.
     
    We continued our Monthly Program Series this year with some fascinating programs, including presentations about giant creatures of Ice Age Florida, birds and seed dispersal, pelagic birds of Florida's northeast coast, and the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow conservation program at White Oak, to name just a few. Next year's programs promise to be equally riveting!
     
    Our schedule this past year has been ambitious, but we are committed to doing everything we can to accomplish our mission of connecting people with nature, and that will be our goal for the coming year as well! We need your help to make it all happen. If you would like to get more involved, please consider Volunteering to help with field trips (even having someone to manage the sign-in sheet would be a big help!), cleanups, or representing our chapter at outreach events and festivals - it's fun! Contact board member This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to sign up as a volunteer.
     

    Programs and field trips will resume in September after the summer break. If you are a member of Audubon, look for your flyer in the mail at the end of the summer, and you can also find our events on Meetup and Facebook. All of Duval Audubon Society's activities are free for anyone to participate. We hope to see you in the fall!

    Jody Willis, President, Duval Audubon Society

     

  • Save birds this summer - with each trip to the beach!

    Like birds? Like the beach? We have just the opportunity for you! The Timucuan Shorebird Partnership is looking for bird stewards to help our imperiled shorebirds nest safely! All you need are a few hours to spend at nesting sites and a desire to help the public share the beach responsibly with our feathered friends. Contact Audubon Florida's Northeast Florida Policy Associate Chris Farrell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

     

  • Have you heard? 2018 is the Year of the Bird!

    National Geographic in collaboration with Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Life International is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that has saved so many birds but is currently under attack at the national level. Additionally, more than 100 other organizations that work to protect birds and their habitat have joined the campaign. Each month these organizations will feature stories about birds, conservation efforts and how you can help. Read about why birds matter. Take the pledge and then #BirdYourWorld!

    What can you do to participate in Year of the Bird? Plant bird friendly plants! Birds often rely on plants in our yards, balconies, and other spaces for habitat and food and the best plants to provide this are those native to your area. To know the best plants for your area, search Audubon’s native plants database by your zip code. You can even search based on the birds you want to attract and the type of plants you want in your garden. By growing the best bird-friendly plants for your area, you will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment—and this month is the perfect time to get started. Learn more and find your plants here.

     

  • Help our nesting coastal waterbirds by keeping your distance!

    wainwright lete

    This time of year beachgoers, fishermen and boaters are enjoying our coastal areas in northeast Florida. It’s also the time of year when our shorebirds are nesting. Some shallow beach nests and eggs are well-camouflaged. Even small chicks can be easily overlooked and stepped on. We have a decreasing population of several species so awareness can be critical to their reproductive success. Keep your distance. Do not allow your children or dogs to run and cause the birds to take flight. Eggs and chicks become vulnerable to our hot sun and predators when a parent is forced to leave their nest from disturbance.

    Northeast Florida has several new critical wildlife areas that may not be marked off yet. Please take care to not disturb the birds if vising these areas. There are four CWAs posted for waterbird nesting: 

     

     

  • Take Action to Protect Wildlife: Contact your Government Representatives!

    Florida is growing in leaps and bounds, more than one million more people now than in 2010! It’s hard to miss all the new development. For us and the birds and wildlife, it is our responsibility to ensure that new development happens in the most environmentally safe way possible. Duval Audubon Society will try to keep you informed of related current issues and how you can make your voice heard.

    While you may get alerts from organizations asking you to sign petitions, calling or emailing your representative is much more effective. A call is the best and only takes a minute. You only need to identify yourself and indicate if you support or don’t support the issue involved. If it is a particular bill, the number of the bill should be noted.

    To find out who represents you in government, link to the following websites:

     U.S. House www.house.gov/representatives/find/

                  U.S. Senate www.senate.gov/senators         

     Florida House www.myfloridahouse.gov

                  Florida Senate www.flsenate.gov/senators/find              

     Jacksonville City Council member City Council members

                  Mayor Lenny Curry www.coj.net/mayor-curry.aspx

                  Nassau County Commissioners www.nassaucountyfl.com

                  Clay County Commissioners www.claycountygov.com/about-us/board-of-county-commissioners