Duval Audubon Society

Learn about the critical role ranches play in protecting Florida’s diverse habitats while viewing encounters with the many species of wildlife that call Treasure Hammock Ranch home. Additionally, the program reveals what a year of work is like on a Florida cattle ranch---from the stereotypical images of cowboys on horseback herding cattle to the more realistic hot and dusty workday spent on foot moving cattle individually through the cow pens for vet checkups and myriad other activities.

Treasure Hammock Ranch sold its development rights in exchange for a conservation easement that protects the land in perpetuity as a place where wildlife and cattle ranching can co-exist in an increasingly urbanized Indian River County.  The ranch attracts a wide variety of birds throughout the year drawn to Treasure Hammock’s various habitats and often-extensive seasonal wetlands.  Most of Florida’s wading birds at one time or another visit the ranch, including smaller birds commonly found along shorelines such as Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer.  Migratory birds often seen on the Ranch include the American Kestrel, Common Nighthawk, and the colorful Painted Bunting.  Besides being a haven for migratory birds, the ranch has its own population of native birds that nest on the property including Loggerhead Shrikes, Eastern Meadowlarks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Crested Caracaras.  A real surprise discovery was finding a night roost for Sandhill Cranes and Wood Storks in one of the pasture wetlands.

Realizing the photographic opportunities inherent in having such a diverse population of birds on one property, Bob Montanaro approached the Sexton family, the owners of Treasure Hammock, with a plan to spend at least a year on the Ranch photographing its wildlife and the cattle ranching that has continued now at Treasure Hammock through four generations of the Sexton family.  While extensive, this program is only a sampling of the diverse species found on the ranch and the work done there.  Bob is continuing the photographic work at the ranch to expand the record and bring a more complete picture of how Treasure Hammock benefits wildlife, cattle, and the people of Florida alike.

Bob Montanaro is the administrative assistant for the Pelican Island Audubon Society.  "Critters, Cows, & Cowboys" follows on the heels of his previous program, "Ospreys of Pelican Island: An Exploration into the Life of the Fish Hawk, which documents three years of Osprey nesting at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge".  For more information about both programs, please visit www.lunarcabin.com