Volunteers
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”
– Elizabeth Andrew
At St. Johns Regional Audubon,
we are all volunteers.
Consider joining us to make a difference
for birds and people.
Board of Directors
President: Amy Koch
Vice President: Daniel Dodge
Treasurer: Janice Lucas
Secretary: Mindy Hellman
Director/Education: Kate Teaford
Director/Plants for Birds: Laurie Gilmore
Director: Eva Askew-Houser
Director: Jorge Buening
Director: Kevin Jordan
Citizen Science/ Conservation
Welaka Fish Hatchery Projects: Jorge Buening
Christmas Bird Count (St. Augustine): Bill McNee
Christmas Bird Count (Matanzas): Sue Killeen
EagleWatch Project: Amy Koch
Audubon Florida: Chris Farrell
Conservation Co-Chairs: Amy Koch, Mindy Hellman, Daniel Dodge
Education Coordinator: Kate Teaford
Plants for Birds: Laurie Gilmore
St. Johns Civic Roundtable Representative: James Hill
Additional Notable Volunteer Projects and Work
Fort Matanzas National Monument Bird Steward (14+ years): Peggy Cook
Northeast Florida Policy Associate for Audubon Florida: Chris Farrell
Bird Walk Leader, eBird teacher, CBC leader, and all-around birding mentor: Sue Killeen
Website Team: Mary Conte, Tamara Galbraith, Laura Winston
Education Volunteer: Besse Dawson Harris
Logo Designer: Kailey Boyd DiMonda
Want to help?
The NE Florida Wading Bird Survey Alliance Needs Volunteers
St. Johns Regional Audubon is proud to announce that is has created the NE Florida Wading Bird Survey Alliance with Alachua Audubon Society, Marion Audubon Society, and Sante Fe Audubon Society. And we are looking for volunteers! The Alliance will assist the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in preparing for and participating in a multi-state wading bird colony survey for the east coast of the United States in 2024.
Next year, the FWRI will be part of a major survey of wading bird colonies with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies for the Atlantic Flyway. This flyway is the major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America and follows the eastern coast to the tropical areas of South America and the Caribbean.
The FWRI plans on gather data about the breeding numbers of eighteen species of wading birds in Florida, including all of our resident heron and egret species, roseate spoonbills, anhingas, and brown pelicans. Wading bird colonies, also known as rookeries, may be found near water bodies scattered all the State, so the FWRI has tremendous amount of territory to cover just in northeast Florida. This year, the Alliance plans to help the FWRI by sending volunteers to try to locate potential colonies for survey in 2024 and by testing the FWRI’s wading bird colony software.
For further information about the project, here is a link to
a FWRI powerpoint presentation
about the project:
Here is a link to the FWRI’s training manual:
The Chapter needs volunteers and information about possible wading bird colonies in St. Johns Regional and eastern Putnam County. For further information, please contact: St. Johns Regional Audubon contact: president@stjohnsaudubon.com
St. Johns Regional Audubon needs volunteers to help run the Chapter and keep it growing.
The Board has established the following committees for which we are seeking volunteers:
- Conservation Committee: This committee is responsible for the SJRA local advocacy projects, the Litter Gitter, Lights Out NE Florida, and other projects to protect bird habitat in St. Johns County. Amy Koch and Eva Askew-Houser are co-chairs.
- Plants for Birds Committee: This committee manages the planning, implementation, installation and ongoing maintenance of our native garden project in St. Augustine. It will also create and implement educational opportunities for our community that will be held in our native garden once completed and will develop education programs for the public. Laurie Gilmore is the chair.
- Education Committee: This committee develops and delivers education programs and walks for birders of all ages, but particularly focuses on young birders. This committee works closely with our Young Birders Committee chaired by Blair Clark. Kate Teaford is the chair of the Education Committee.
- Planning Committee: This committee is responsible for developing SJRA’s season events, which includes scheduling bird walk leaders and bird walk assistants and finding program speakers. Amy Koch and Sue Killeen are co-chairs.
- Social Media: This committee is responsible for maintenance of the SJRA webpage, FB page, and MeetUp page. It also creates the newsletter, SJRA flyers, stickers, etc. Experience with computers and computer programs is necessary for this committee. Amy Koch and Mary Conte are co-chairs.
If you would like further information about any of the committees and how you can help, please email us at stjohnsaudubonsociety@gmail.com or fill out the form below