Here are updates on some of the Conservation Initiatives our chapter is engaged with:

- Riverside Park Rookery. Jacksonville’s Riverside Park is an important nesting and roosting area for wading birds like Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons. In 2024, many defenseless nestlings died because of disturbances to the nesting trees, so this year we’ve teamed up with community members as well as the City of Jacksonville's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (JaxParks) to help protect these vulnerable birds. Our goal is to educate the public on urban park and wildlife friendly protocols to ensure a thriving environment for both humans and wildlife. Educational caution tape has been wrapped around each of the trees in the nesting area and signs have been added to advise parkgoers to please leave space between them and the nesting families. Volunteer Bird Stewards visit the park regularly to make sure the nesting and roosting areas remain undisturbed. If you see a dead or injured bird at the park, please text Bird Steward Cindy Corey at 904-673-6740.

- Lights Out Northeast Florida. In March 2025, the City of Jacksonville became the first city in Florida to join the growing Lights Out movement with Mayor Donna Deegan's "Lights Out Northeast Florida Nights" Proclamation emphasizing the importance of reducing unnecessary nighttime lighting to create safer skies for the birds that travel through the area during Spring and Fall migration. We are deeply grateful to Mayor Deegan and the City of Jacksonville supporting this critical initiative. Thanks also go to City of Jacksonville Sustainability Manager Ashantae Green for facilitating this significant accomplishment.

Duval Audubon's Conservation Director Elizabeth Filippelli joined Ms. Green for an interview on WJCT's First Coast Connect radio program in April 2025 to discuss Mayor Deegan's proclamation and why turning off lights at night between 11 pm and 6 am helps save the lives of birds. You can view their interview here.

- Shorebird Stewarding. Northeast Florida beaches host thousands of nesting shorebirds every summer, but we humans love to go to the beach as well, which sometimes results in damage to nesting areas and death or injury for many defenseless chicks. We are thrilled to participate in the Timucuan Shorebird Partnership's Shorebird Stewarding Program, which enlists volunteers to help the public share the beach responsibly with our feathered friends. Ms. Filippelli has been very involved with the bird stewarding program for several years and was interviewed in April 2025 by News4Jax about why it's critical for beachgoers to keep their distance from nesting and resting beach birds, many of which are endangered or threatened. Click here to view the interview on the News4Jax website.