Volume XV, Issue 10 Tampa Audubon August/September 2005

SPECIAL EDITION

Annual Report: Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake Park

July 2004 through June 2005
by Marilyn Kershner
Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator

In August 2004, my husband Al and I were handed the keys

to the “ARC at the Park” (the visitor center at Lettuce Lake
Park). We offered to help “keep the doors open” and be the
ARC’s interim caretakers until resources permitted the hiring
of staff again.

This community education center, started by former Tampa

Audubon president Ged Caddick in 1998, is a mutually
beneficial public-private partnership between the Tampa
Audubon Society and the Hillsborough County Parks,
Recreation and Conservation Department.

Tampa Audubon’s responsibility is to operate the Lettuce

Lake Visitor Center as an information and interpretive center
on weekend days at a minimum. In exchange, we are
provided with an attractive classroom and meeting space in
a beautiful natural setting from which Tampa Audubon can
conduct environmental education activities and thereby
further its mission of connecting people to nature.

With the help of a lot of very special people and donors the
ARC’s operations, programs and field trips continued on a
scaled-back basis. On Page 3 is a list of some of the ARC at
the Park accomplishments over the last year.

The publication of the Avocet is funded in part through a grant from the TECO Foundation.
 Officers:
President
Committees and Programs:
ARC at the Park:
Field Trips and Highlights
Stanley Kroh Marilyn Kershner and Al Tweedy compiled by Mary Keith
Immediate Past President Audubon Adventures: Ann Paul
Aug 13 Nature Walk at Lake Park
Ann Paul
Conservation Committee: JoAnne Hartzler and Mary Keith will be leading it.
1st Vice President Tom Ries & Dave Sumpter Call 962-4716 for more info.
John Costin
Field Trips & Outings: Mary Keith and
2nd Vice President JoAnne Hartzler Highlights from Previous Trips
David Audet
Avocet: Mike Smith and Ann Paul
-Merritt Island -a total of 95 species were sighted,
Treasurer Publicity/PR: Mike Donahue including some wonderful close up looks at very
Vacant
cooperative Scrub Jays; lots and lots of shore birds,
Membership Development:
Recording Secretary Karl Stevens including American Avocets, Red Knots, Marbled
Janet Costin Godwits and Stilt Sandpipers, and some buffleheads.
Fund Raising: Vacant
Corresponding Secretary
Russell Burdge Web Site: John Costin -The IMC - This field trip to the mining areas of
Mulberry was very successful. I think we had 100
Directors: National Audubon Society species, the top highlight was a long look, following
Christine Malzone (2004-2006) Regional Committee Representative:
Sabina Espinet Todd (2005-2007) Rich Paul it down a road, of a white tailed kite. The eagle
Rob Heath (2004-2006) family – 2 adults and 2 nestlings - was very coop-
Melanie Higgins (2004-2006) Christmas Bird Count: Dave Bowman erative, and the great horned owls on
Mike Donahue (2005-2007) nests also posed for us.
Special Events/Tabling Events:
Sarah Brennan
-Ft. DeSoto - On the May trip we found 82 species,
Endowment: Melanie Higgins
including 13 different warblers, scarlet tanagers,
Program: Ann Paul rose-breasted and blue grosbeaks and indigo
buntings, shiny cowbirds, and yellow-billed cuckoos.
A family of pied-billed grebes on a floating nest, four
young still striped fuzz-balls bouncing around and
on top of the adults, was a treat.

Audubon Assembly
by Jacqui Sulek

The Chapters’ committee is in the process of planning the Oct. 20-22 Audubon Assembly. We are looking for a
chapter volunteer to coordinate the chapter displays. There are a limited number of tables available so the task will
mostly involved keeping track of who signs up and letting others know when the spaces have been filled. We would
like to have a contact available for the next Naturalist (deadline July 6th) so please consider helping out.
We are also looking for volunteers to help out over the weekend. Tasks will involve registering attendees, taking meal
tickets, etc. It is a great way to interact with all the folks who will be celebrating with us. I will be coordinating the
people and the tasks so please let me know if you can spare a little time.

Volunteers Needed!

Tampa Audubon Society currently has a couple of vacant positions on our Board of Directors. Our Board typically
meets once a month for 1-2 hours and discusses many issues that are vital to our Chapter. If you are interested in
helping to chart the direction of our Chapter, please consider serving on our Board of Directors.
The Board is also looking for volunteers to help with various projects such as fund raising activities, hospitality,
membership management, letter writing, representing the Chapter at community events, etc. Whatever your unique
skill or interest might be, we need you!

Please contact Stanley Kroh, President, at 228-4257 or smkroh@tecoenergy.com for more information.
ARC at the Park

The ARC greeted nearly 10,000 visitors (9,938) on weekends, responding to questions about the
park and wildlife identification. We induced visual learning for children by having them color wild-
life images and displaying them in the gallery, where we also displayed wildlife photos captured by
many of our guests. Information flowed freely through a range of multimedia projects, including
our new wetlands habitat display, nature videos, and pamphlets regarding water conservation, the
Tampa Bay estuary, Florida’s manatees, Audubon activities and birding guides, and more.

… recruited 12 additional … thanks to Kathy Albury, … planted a butterfly flower

ARC Ambassador volun-
teers to handle “desk duty”
at the Visitor Center and
organized two volunteer
training sessions
… conducted eight free public
education programs attended
by more than 320 adults and
children (thanks to program
chair Ann Paul and our won-
derful line-up of speakers)
Dolly Cummings, Mike Mullins
and Bev Gatliff, we conducted
twelve “freshwater wetlands”
3-hour field trips for more than
300 private and home school
elementary students, teachers
and parents
… hosted five Lettuce Lake
Park fields trips for adults
(other Audubon chapters, the
YMCA Silver Sneakers group)
garden with interpretive photo
signs all around the visitor
center building (thanks to Gail
and Russell Kruetzman, Gary
Peele and local nurseries)
which is visited frequently by
hummingbirds, butterflies,
skippers and moths and
provided the larval plants
needed to produce dozens of
new Monarch butterflies.
… hosted an all-day ARC at
the Park “Open House” with
field trips and two programs
attended by more than 200
visitors.
 Thank you !
The activities at the ARC at the Park this past year are the result of the support of many individuals and community
partners. Every person who made a donation, served as a volunteer, organized, attended or supported the Flock
Around the Dock special event, assisted us in fulfilling the mission of the Audubon Resource Center, to connect
people to nature. We wish to offer our sincere appreciation and many thanks in recognition of the special people that
helped the ARC at the Park with another year of successful programming:

environmental education programsAl Tweedy

crafts activitiesKathy Albury
Katy Ross
Vi Bennett
Dolly Cummings
Mike Mullins
Beverly Gatliff
Susan McClung
Fran Wright
Gail Kruetzman
Russell Kruetzman
commitment, Grant Wilson Kathy Albury
Diana Stevens
professionalism,
Liz Bleau
enthusiasm Lenora Lake
Joe Murphy
field trip leaders
Dan Harnly
Mike Donahue flower gardens
Tom Hutchinson
Tom Nelson
Gregory Riusechfreshwater wetlands
Rob Heath
Ann Paul
Rich Paul
Stanley Kroh
Janet and John Costin
Betty Wargo
Gail Parsons
Stan Motley
Phil Evans
Katy Ross Dean May
Jackie Walker
Dave Miller
Fred Mulholland
Betty Kaminker
Dr. Mark Orr Flock Around the Dock
Diane Myers
Winnie Quindry
Connie Farnsworth
Stearns Poor
Shirley Denton
Ron Hosler
Mary Hoppe
Nanette Holland
Cheryl Johnson
 A Message from Your President

I hope you’re getting out and enjoying our natural areas in spite of the heat. Early
mornings and evenings are a great time to watch wildlife while avoiding the oppressive
heat that summertime can bring.

Your Board of Directors recently had our annual planning meeting in early June at Picnic
Island Park. We had some great discussions for a couple of hours until a massive
thunderstorm blew in and sent us scurrying to our cars! We are still accepting ideas for
field trips, monthly programs, fund raising activities and issues that we as a chapter need
to work on. Please contact any Board member with your questions and ideas.

Speaking of issues that require consideration for action, have you visited southern
Hillsborough County lately? Growth and development is occurring at an unprecedented
rate. South Hillsborough County is the “last frontier” of undeveloped county lands. But
unfortunately, this area is sandwiched between the Tampa/Brandon metropolitan area
and Manatee County, two of the fastest growing areas in the nation. This coupled with a
real estate market that has gone nuts, means that South County is being squeezed from
all sides. I have had recent conversations with the County staff that is responsible for
reviewing new development permits and they tell me that development is now occurring
so rapidly, they barely have time to do an adequate review of permit applications.

Our crazy real estate market has resulted in even greater appreciation in value for water
front properties. Nowhere is this more evident than South County where developers are
proposing to develop every last parcel of waterfront property- regardless of significant
wildlife habitat issues, coastal hazard issues or water supply issues. Tampa Audubon
member, Mariella Smith, who also chairs the South County Conservation Committee for
the Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club, has done an admirable job of tracking these
issues and taking our concerns to the Board of County Commissioners and other
governmental bodies charged with development oversight. Please contact Mariella at
insightgraphics@earthlink.net to learn what you can do to see that this inevitable growth
occurs in a planned and well thought out manner.

Unfortunately, Hillsborough County is on track to rival Pinellas County as the state’s most
urbanized county. Certainly we can find ways to allow development while protecting our
invaluable green spaces and wildlife habitat. We need natural areas to serve as refuges
from the very urbanization that threatens to envelop us all.

As always, thanks for your support of Tampa Audubon Society.