Spring is in the air and our bird conservation budget just got a boost! We are thrilled to share that Duval Audubon Society and our Lights Out Northeast Florida partners were awarded a $12,000 grant from National Audubon Society’s Audubon in Action Grant Program! The award signifies National Audubon Society and Audubon Florida’s commitment to protecting our migrating birds in urban environments, and their confidence in your local program. The Audubon in Action Grant program supports chapter-led projects that contribute to Flight Plan, the National Audubon Society’s 2023–2028 Strategic Plan. And just as important, this award signifies the importance of Florida, which sits on the Atlantic Flyway (Migrating Bird Highway), that migrating birds need our help to navigate more safely in our cities. Each dollar of this award will be used to retrofit three of the city-owned buildings that have been a threat to birds. While we will not be able to address the entire glass structure, we will prioritize each floor to ensure maximum impact. Special thanks to the City of Jacksonville, Mayor Deegan, and COJ Sustainability Manager Ashantae Green for your support of this program and helping to protect migrating birds over Northeast Florida.

‍Lights Out Northeast Florida Collision Monitoring Begins This Month. Spring migration and nesting season are almost here, and our downtown collision monitoring routes run from March 15 through May 15. Our volunteer collision monitors are the heart of this program—if you see one downtown in the early morning, please say hello and thank them for their dedication. Migration season is also a reminder to dim non-essential lights from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Turning off lights won’t solve every challenge birds face, but with the click of a switch or a simple timer, you can make a meaningful difference right now.

‍Building Partnerships with Legislators. Lights Out Northeast Florida is expanding its advocacy efforts at the local and federal levels. Last month, Audubon Florida’s Northeast Florida Policy Associate Chris Farrell and Elizabeth Filippelli met with U.S. Representative John Rutherford and District Director Chris Miller to begin building a collaborative relationship focused on protecting migratory birds in Northeast Florida. The meeting was productive and resulted in a new connection with Jacksonville's Downtown Development Review Board—an important step as we work to integrate bird-safe considerations into future urban development. We look forward to cultivating these relationships in 2026 and beyond to ensure both wildlife and our community can thrive.

If you are interested in supporting this growing advocacy effort, please reach out.

Volunteers needed! As noted above, our Spring Migration collision monitoring program begins on March 15, and we could use a few more volunteers.

Volunteering for Lights Out Northeast Florida involves walking an assigned route in downtown Jacksonville once a week in search of dead or injured birds and completing a survey after each walk to report what you found. The walk starts at sunrise and finishes when the route is complete (about 1 hour, possibly longer depending on the number of birds you find).

Volunteers must be 18 or older and commit to walking your route once a week for the duration of the monitoring period (March 15 - May 15).

If you are interested in helping us save birds this spring, scan the QR code or visit https://tinyurl.com/LONF-Spring-2026 to apply!

My name is Ty Froehlich, and I am a Life Scout out of Troop 277 in Ponte Vedra Beach. I am currently working towards the rank of Eagle Scout. One of the requirements to become an Eagle Scout is to complete an Eagle Scout project, I have chosen to aid the Duval Audubon Society by constructing four new benches at Crosby Sanctuary that will replace currently run-down ones with brand-new benches that will last for years. This project would not only teach me time management, but how to lead a project and how to be disciplined.

I started my journey to Eagle in January of 2023, and from there, I earned the rank of Tenderfoot, then Second Class, then First Class, then Star, and then, finally, Life Scout. I have earned a total of 22 merit badges so far and am working on one more so that I can fulfill the requirement for Eagle Scout. I have been on many campouts where I have learned how to survive in the outdoors, and how to cook delicious food with limited supplies. I have learned so much from this project so far and from Boy Scouts in general. They have taught me so many skills that I will carry on with me into the future.

My future plans are to attend the United States Naval Academy or a University with a Navy ROTC program such as the University of South Carolina, or Texas A&M. With your support, my dreams can be so much closer to becoming a reality. Duval Audubon is a very prestigious society, and I cannot wait to complete my journey to Eagle Scout with your help. 

Your donations are greatly appreciated! Donations will help cover materials, which are estimated to run 2-3 thousand dollars.

Donations can be made online at my project fundraising page, or by check/mail to:

Make it payable to: "Troop 277" at 608 Ibis Cove PIace, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. The receiver is the Troop 277 and our treasurer is Mrs. Heather Natsch.

Thank you for helping to make this dream project possible!

• Concerts for Conservation at Egan's Creek Park: 2-4 pm, Sunday, March 1, 2026
• 7 Creeks Fest at Betz-Tiger Point Preserve: 10 am - 3 pm, Saturday, March 7, 2026
• Coffee with Birds: Shorebird Series at Huguenot Memorial Park: 9-11 am, Sunday, March 15, 2026  (register here)
• Program: Riverside Park Kind Outreach & Rescue Pilot at Willow Branch Library: 6-7:30 pm, Monday, March 16, 2026
• NE FL Florida Young Birders Club Outing at Crosby Sanctuary: 8-10 am, Sunday, March 22, 2026 (register here)
• Crosby Sanctuary Open House & Volunteer Work Day: 8 am - noon, Saturday, March 28, 2026

Duval Audubon Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 16304

Jacksonville, FL 32245

https://duvalaudubon.org