St. Johns Regional Audubon

promotes the protection, preservation, and restoration of the habitats of birds and other wildlife through education, stewardship, and science-based advocacy.

Our very own James Hill has been profiled by the St. Augustine Record! We are so lucky and  proud to have him as one of our volunteers.  Here is a link to the article. Thank you for all that you do, James!”
James Hill Finds Peace Through Birds

Education Event-by Kate Teaford

Our Welaka Bluebird Box Trail

Our Conservation Leadership Initiative (CLI) student Elizabeth (Liz) Cernik spent her time with us last semester maintaining and monitoring our Eastern Bluebird box trail at the Welaka National Fish Hatchery.  Check out her presentation on this project! (Bluebird Box image by Ralph Kiertianis.)

Liz just graduated from Flagler College and has been hired as the Florida Shorebird Alliance Shorebird Steward for St. Johns County.  She can be reached at elizabeth.cernik@audubon.org.
125 Years Audubon in Florida
125 Years Audubon in Florida

SJRA Statement on the Guana Land Swap

The SJRA has sent a letter to the Florida Acquisitions and Restoration Council opposing the proposed land swap involving 600 acres of the Guana River Wildlife Management Area. View our letter via this link.

SJRA Welcomes Taza Jenkins to the Board!

We are delighted to announce that, at our May 7, 2025 Board meeting, Taza Jenkins was appointed to the SJRA Board of Directors to fill the remaining open seat until our next annual meeting. Born and raised in St. Augustine, Taza will help us develop programs for younger adults (20s and 30s). An artist, Taza will also lend her tremendous talents to the SJRA as we continue to develop new materials for our membership and the public.

We are also delighted to announce that Lisa DeVitto has joined our Planning Committee as the Planning Director for Putnam County. Lisa, who is a life-long resident of Crescent City and a member of its City Commission, will help us plan tabling events, talks, and
bird walks in eastern Putnam County.

Thank you, Taza and Lisa, for joining us!

Florida Scrub Jay Image

St. Johns Regional Audubon Annual Meeting Results

We want to thank the wonderful folks at the Alligator Farm Zoological Park for hosting us for our Annual Meeting of the Members – and for the lovely tour of its Rookery for our members.

Over 45 current and new members reviewed what we did last year and talked about our future. We are particularly proud of the St. Augustine Audubon Native Plant Garden created under the direction of Laurie Gilmore and our growing education programs led by Kate Teaford.

We also re-elected the following to our Board of Directors:
• Eva Askew-Houser
• Jorge Buening
• Dan Dodge
• Jan Lucas

We elected the following officers:
• President – Amy Koch
• Treasurer – Jan Lucas
• Vice President – Dan Dodge
• Secretary – Mindy Hellman

For details of our accomplishments and future plans, you can view our slide presentation from the Annual Meeting here. If you are not a member, we hope you consider joining us!

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:

https://www.thearkrescue.org/contact

Bird Osprey Photo

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.

Palm Warber