St. Johns Regional Audubon
Celebrating and protecting birds from the river to the ocean in NE Florida
Native Plant Tour and Seed Giveaway March 12
Join us at the St. Augustine Audubon Native Plant Garden for a Spring Tour and native plant seed giveaway on Thursday, March 12.
The seeds come from the plants that we installed at the Garden and several of our Garden Volunteers will be available to take you on a tour. Got questions about propagating plants from seeds? We have that covered too, because Shirley Barber will be on hand to answer your questions about propagation from seeds.
Welcome New Director Elizabeth Cernik
We are delighted to announce that at our November Board meeting, Elizabeth (Liz) Cernik was appointed to the Board for a two-year term.
Many of you have met Liz, who was our Conservation Leadership Initiative (CLI) student from Flagler College 2024-25. As our CLI student, Liz monitored our Bluebird Trail nest boxes at the Welak National Fish Hatchery and attended over a dozen of our bird walks.
Liz is already working on three events in Putnam County where she lives, and was also instrumental in getting us in contact with the Putnam Land Conservancy leading to a new project for us.
Welcome, Liz! We are thrilled to have you on the Board.
SJRA St. Augustine Native Garden Wins Recognition
The SJRA Native Garden located at the St. Augustine Visitors Center has been named as a “Garden of Honor” by the Florida Native Plant Society. This recognition celebrates the garden’s outstanding contribution to native plant education, conservation, and community engagement.
The native garden is tended by SJRA board member, Laurie Gilmore and a dedication group of volunteers.
Want to Buy Binoculars?
When we get questions, we recommend the National Audubon Society’s Guide to Binoculars which has options for every budget, and has articles on how to choose and use them.
Several national retailers in the area keep binoculars in stock that you can try in their stores. Retailers often have tables at birding festivals, including the St. Florida’s Birding and Photo Festival held annually in St. Augustine, where you can try out various brands and styles.
U.S. State of the Birds Report
A Sweeping New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats
Found a Baby Bird?
We are not licensed bird rehabilitators, but the wonderful folks at the ARK of St. Augustine are. They are so helpful in explaining how to capture and take care of injured birds. If you need a rehabilitator, please go to their website for contact information.
Resources for Birders
Here are some good web resources for birders.
Our Hot Spot Page: https://stjohnsaudubon.com/hotspots/ This will give your information about and directions to some our the best birding spots in St. Johns County.
eBird: www.ebird.org: Run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this is a database where you can add your sightings, as well as find local hotspots, research specific bird species, etc. The app is free.
Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ A terrific and free app for your phone that will help you identify birds by description, photo and recently, by bird call! Most birders are now using this app. A great tool for new birders!
National Audubon Society: www.audubon.org: Everything birds!
Plants for Birds: https://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds: This database will give you the native plants and trees good for birds for our area.
American Bird Conservancy: www.abcbirds.org: This group engages in scientific research and advocates for the conservation of birds and bird habitat. It is a good source on how individuals can help birds.
Homegrown National Park: https://homegrownnationalpark.org: Dr. Doug Tallamy’s excellent effort to increase habitat one backyard at a time.