FIELD TRIPS

These start at the gathering place listed. Always bring a picnic lunch. Additional information is provided in THE LIMPKIN CALL newsletter and you can contact the specific trip leader with any question, as the phone number is provided. Participation in field trips requires the signing of a waiver form prior to departure.

   October 15, 2009 Thursday

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Drive the Black Point Trail for a vast display of water and wading birds; scrub jays too. Free entry. More details in Great Florida Birding Trail East, page 16. Meet at Winn-Dixie parking lot, Eustis, 8:00am Leader Dennis O'Neil 383 6309.

   November 10 Tuesday

Promise Ranch Umatilla. This is 1500 acres under conservation easement of upland forest and wet prairie and wetlands, managed for the last 8 years for wildlife with emphasis on bob white, quail and turkey. Meet at Winn-Dixie parking lot Eustis 8:30am. Leader is Dennis O'Neil 383 6309.

   December 12 Saturday

Paisley Bike Trail This is a new property purchased by the county with funds voted in the 2004 referendum. We are walking this new trail not biking and it is short distance in eastern Lake county. Meet at Winn-Dixie parking lot at 8:00am Eustis. Leader- Gallus Quigley-516-8512.

   December 14, Monday

Christmas Bird Count. As always, all the volunteers who can count birds are needed for this event. Meet at7:00am at Emeralda Marsh, Wood Duck Parking lot. Contact is Peg Lindsay&45; pegconder@embarqmail.com. Leader- Peg Urban 326 3868. Refreshments at the Blue House, Sunnyhill Farm at the conclusion. Contribution $ 5 goes to National Audubon.to cover costs of administration for the CBC.

   January 12, 2010 Tuesday

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. This 21,000 acre property near Micanopy, is one of the most important and historical areas in the State. It was described in 1774 by our friend William Bartram and much of what he saw is still there: cranes,eagles, hawks,water birds, alligators, otters. Entrance Fee. Meet at Publix parking lot US 27 and CR 48, Leesburg, at 8:00am or go directly to Paynes Prairie if you wish if you live north of Leesburg. Leader- Peg Lindsay 326 2045

   February 13 Saturday

St. John's River Boat Trip. Thisis at the height of manatee season and the boat departs from Blue Spring State Park, $5 per car. The boat travels for two hours north and south on the river that is still famous for wildlife. Boat Tickets are $ 20 and maximum number available is 35; sign up at Christmas Lunch. Picnic at the park . Meet at Winn-Dixie parking lot Eustis, 8:00am. Leader- Jim Dinsmore 753 4493.

   March 19 Friday

Chinsegut Environmental Area This area forms part of the Chinse-Gut Hill property near Brooksville. and contains a number of good walking trails in both dry long-leaf pine forest and wetlands with an array of cranes, ducks, herons, egrets, ibis. The Nature Center offers exhibits and tables for picnic. Meet at Winn-Dixie Eustis parking lot.

   March 23-25 Tuesday-Thursday

Overnight Trip to the Lake Wales area staying at a lodge on Lake Pierce. Visit to Bok Tower Gardens. Tentative costs are $ 140 per person including room, breakfasts and dinners for two nights. Leader- Peg Lindsay 326 3868. More details later.

   April 13 Tuesday

Gemini Springs- This is a Volusia County park of some 210 acres containing two springs flowing into the St Johns and Lake Monroe. Located near the city of DeBary it is equipped with a hiking trail for water bird viewing . Picnic in the park. Meet at Winn-Dixie parking lot Eustis, k8:00am. Leader- Dennis O'Neil 383 6309.

   May 4 Tuesday Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest. This area offers a variety of activity, such as canoeing and kayaking, which can be done after the nature hike Entry- $4 person. Meet at Winn-Dixie Eustis parking lot at 8:00am. Leader- Linda Bystrak.

MEETINGS

OVAS and TLNC will be combining meetings again this year. All meetings are free and open to the public and are held on Sundays, October though April, at 2:00pm at Trout Lake Nature Center, one-half mile east of SR 19 in Eustis on country route 44.
 
Meetings feature a speaker on a subject relevant to Audubon goals, for approximately 45-60 minutes, followed by a brief business meeting of past and coming events. Refreshments are available beginning at 1:30pm.

   October 25, 2009 Sunday Regular Meeting, 2:00pm Florida NatureYaking is the topic and the speaker is OVAS director, Linda Bystrak, Linda is a graduate of the University of Maryland in with degrees in Biology and Education and has retired from teaching. She has kayaked most of Central Florida waterways in recent times and will share her flora and fauna experiences with us.

   November 22 Sunday

Regular Meeting, 2:00pm, Challenges in Florida Bird Conservation: Red Knots, Red-Headed Woodpeckers And Redstarts, presented by John Ogden, who has a very extensive pedigree with National and Florida Audubon. He has been deeply involved with research in the Everglades as well in the Condor Recovery Program in California. He is currently Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon of Florida.

   December 5 Saturday - 11:30am

This is our Christmas Lunch, held together with Trout Lake and is our only time to be together at the holidays. Please bring enough food to share with others who attend. OVAS/TLNC will provide table settings, decorations and drinks. Leader- Jerry Bohmann 735 5922

   January 17, 2010 Sunday

Regular Meeting- 2:00pm. Update on the Apopka Restoration Project by the manager of it, David Walker of the St Johns River Water Management District.
 
Dave is a Basin Program Manager with the St. Johns River Water Management District where he is responsible for coordinating and managing all aspects of the Lake Apopka and Upper Ocklawaha River Basin restoration programs. He has worked for the District for nearly 24 years. Prior to working at the District, Dave worked in the research program at Everglades National Park. He has a B.A. from Indiana University in Economics and Environmental Studies. He also has a M.S in Environmental Science from Indiana University.

   February 21 Sunday

Regular Meeting- 2:00pm Audubon on the World Stage presented by Ruth Ann Wiesenthal-Gold, who has been engaged in population studies for many Years and participated in a family planning field trip to Ethiopia sponsored by Audubon and the Sierra Club.

   March 16 Tuesday - 6:00pm

This is the OVAS Annual Meeting, Election of Officers and/Directors and the Potluck Dinner. Presentation will be by Diane Brannon, who is our own Lake County wildlife photographer. Since moving to Florida she has become a full-time photographer, especially in Lake County with emphasis on water birds.

   April 11 Sunday

Regular Meeting 2:00pm. Florida's Earliest Birds and Wildlife: A Record Preserved. Presenters are Russell and Bonnie Cronin.
 
Russell Brown and Bonnie Cronin are members of the Florida Fossil Hunters, an organization consisting of amateur paleontologists who are interested in learning about the past and sharing that knowledge with others. They both have done fossil presentations and school and museum displays over the last 10 to 15 years. They continue to hunt for fossils in Florida and elsewhere whenever possible.