2012 Field Trips

Field trips provide an opportunity to learn about and enjoy Florida’s fauna and flora in natural conditions. For trip questions, please call Gallus Quigley at (407) 242-7833 or Loretta Satterthwaite, 407-886-2925

Feb 18 – Orlando Wetlands Park event - Randy Snyder and Teresa/Loretta
Mar 17 - Rock Springs Run State Reserve - Deborah Green
Apr 21 - MINWR and Canaveral National Seashore - Dick Smith, Lori Mathis and Bob Sanders 

May 19 - Circle Bar B Ranch – leader TBA

February Field Trip Orlando Wetlands Park
When: Saturday, Febrary 18, 2012

Where: Wheeler Road, Christmas,FL

For more information contact Loretta Satterthwaite, 407-886-2925).

OAS’ Birds of Prey Identification Class

Lake Apopka Restoration Area

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Orange Audubon Society’s Birds of Prey ID classes are designed to further the appreciation of raptors and to enhance a birder’s ability to identify them.  The final class of this program year will be held on Sunday, Feb. 5^th at the Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area, Lust Road entrance.  Class will be from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Gallus Quigley, former OAS field trip leader, will be the instructor.  We would appreciate a $5 contribution by OAS members ($10/non-OAS members) and you need not pre-register for the class.  For questions or further details, contact Gallus at 407-242-7833 or gallusq@cfl.rr.com

First Annual

Old Florida Outdoor Festival

The inaugural Old Florida Outdoor Festival will be held Feb. 10–12 and Orange Audubon Society (OAS) has a superb opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this hoped-to-be-annual event that will showcase Lake Apopka and many other opportunities to enjoy nature in the Central Florida area.  OAS has been asked to help lead bus wildlife tours through the Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area to get people outdoors and enjoying nature.  Bus tours (approx. 1½ hrs. long) will be conducted on Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday Feb. 12, leaving from the University of Florida  campus on the east shore of Lake Apopka hourly from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  (Shuttles will be available from the main event location.)  Plans are to also have Audubon volunteers and/or Nikon representatives with spotting scopes at various locations along the tour route. 

The main festival event will be held at the Northwest Recreation Center in Apopka (see www.oldfloridaoutdoorfestival.com for more information) and will include vendors under tent canopies and lots of ‘instructional workshops’ featuring birding, kayaking, fishing, hunting, etc.  Orange Audubon will have a presence there all three days with our outreach materials and, at least on Saturday and Sunday, OAS will be fundraising with our nature-oriented merchandise (adult and youth t-shirts, tote bags, signs, nestboxes, etc.).

Please consider volunteering some time in order to make this a successful event for OAS.  Contact Loretta and Bob (LNS-OAS@att.net or 407-886-2925) for more information and to volunteer as an ‘organizer’, bus tour leader, spotting scope volunteer, outreach person, merchandise handler or a helping hand in some other capacity.  Since this is the first year for this event, final details have yet to be worked out; what other ideas can you suggest as an opportunity for OAS to undertake at this event?