Apalachee Audubon

The Newsletter Of The Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc.

Vol. 103, no. 7 www.apalachee.org April, 2003

A Pleasant Spring so it is very advisable to pre-register.

President’s Column For a complete festival schedule and
Outing: The Wakulla online registration go to: www.
Birdathon 2003 Birding and Wildlife floridaconservation.org/festivals/
wakulla or call Lora Silvanima with
Festival the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conser-
How many birds can you find vation Commission at 850-487-0516
and identify in 24 hours? By Jim Shelton for information and registration.

April is Apalachee Birdathon Month. I know it’s spring when I hear the
Join chapter leaders, members, and call of the Northern Parula ringing
out from the tree canopy above.
community leaders on one of our Bir-
Their high-pitched call is a reminder
Program Highlight
dathon teams for the most exciting bird
watching experience of your life! Or that for the next two months a virtual Thursday, April 24
the most fun you will ever have raising river of other neo-tropical migrants
money for a great cause. And if you will follow and the very best birding The current series in the Tallahassee
aren’t a highly skilled birdwatcher, of the year is upon us. This is also Democrat describes the enormous im-
don’t let that get in the way of having the time for the annual Wakulla pact the St. Joe Company is having on
an exciting day on a team led by an Birding and Wildlife Festival. our lives in the Panhandle where it
expert (Formerly Welcome Back Song- owns much of its 900,000 acres of
You will soon receive a special Bir- birds.) Apalachee Audubon has been Florida land. Our speaker, George
dathon packet in the mail with details an active co-sponsor and participant Willson, was with the Nature Conser-
on how you can join one of our teams since it’s inception eight years ago. vancy when he was hired about three
on Saturday, April 19th. It will be a The original mission of the festival years ago by St. Joe to become Vice
full day beginning early in the morn- was to educate the public to the President for Conservation Lands.
ing. If you can't wait to get started plight of neo-tropical migrants. This Since then he has managed the sale of
send an e-mail to me, has been expanded over time to in- over 120,000 acres to the state includ-
([email protected]), or call clude all wildlife with a special em- ing major additions to Wakulla Springs
222-2473 and I will help you sign up. phasis on birds. and Bald Point State Parks. St. Joe is
And if you can't join a Birdathon Team This year’s Festival will be on considering the sale of an additional
you can still participate by choosing a April 25-26 at the Wakulla Springs 160,000 acres to the state over the next
day to record the birds at the feeders in State Park. You don’t want to miss four years. Tonight’s program is an
your yard . it. These festivals are a lot of fun opportunity to learn and ask questions
The money raised by Birdathon and a wonderful learning experience about these plans. See the maps and
Teams and feeder watchers will help for all ages. This year it offers a hear the story!
Apalachee Audubon fund Audubon great variety of guided walks, field
Adventures classrooms and other trips, demonstrations and presenta- Note the new location for this and future
chapter programs. This year we will tions on an incredible array of topics. programs. The Fringe Benefits Manage-
On Friday night there will be presen- ment Company building is at 31101 Ses-
provide educational material for local sions Road. If traveling out of Tallahassee
schools that will reach over 1,700 chil- tations on bats, owls and frogs. Sat-
urday will begin with the very popu- on North Monroe, turn left at the second
dren in more than fifty 4th through 6th stoplight beyond I-10, directly across from
grade classrooms. lar sunrise birding cruise and end Sam’s Club, onto Sessions Road. Follow
Join the fun! Join a Birdathon Team. with a night prowl at St. Marks while Sessions Road to its end in the parking lot.
Everyone is welcome. during the day there will be a variety Programs begin with an informal social at
of presentations from bird identifica- 7:00 p.m., followed by the program at
Larry Thompson, President tion to building a water garden. 7:30.
A number of the field trips and
presentations have limited attendance BACK PAGE
 Officers
Beggar's Role For Water Management President: Larry Thompson 942-0058
District Gives Special Meaning To The [email protected]
Vice President: Eric Draper 222-2473
Term "Panhandle" [email protected]
Treasurer: Harvey Goldman 385-5222
By Eric Draper – Conservation Chair [email protected]
Secretary: Jim Crews 577-0051

Imagine a government agency with special responsibility for managing Board Members
water supplies for a rapidly growing part of the country. Picture further Marvin Collins 224-9549
that this agency presides over one-fifth of the state and shares borders, [email protected]
Karen Wensing 656-4039
rivers and aquifers with two other states. Consider that the agency's mis-
[email protected]
sion includes clean water for world-class beaches, productive estuaries Bill Lowrie 962-4138
and internationally designated sites of biodiversity. [email protected]

Now imagine a unit of government constitutionally restricted from rais- Committee Chairs
ing the money it needs to do its job and relying on handouts from an in- Conservation: Eric Draper
creasingly stingy state legislature. The image is the Northwest Florida Chapter Rep to State Board: Larry
Thompson
Water Management District. Operating from a tiny building in Quincy, Development: Larry Thompson
Florida, the District has the same basic responsibilities as its billion dollar Education: Ellen Shelton
cousins in South, Southwest and Northeast Florida. Hospitality: Elizabeth Platt
Membership: Karen Wensing
The difference? The other four water management districts have the Newsletter: Val Weeks 925-7981
science, know-how and resources to protect or restore their water re- [email protected]
sources. Our district, beyond the insignificant tax it collects from prop- Publicity: Judy Rice 385-5222
[email protected]
erty owners, is reduced to begging for handouts. When it comes to pay- Population: Harvey Goldman
ing for protecting our water, the district gives new meaning to the term Field Trips: Marvin Collins
"Panhandle." Programs: Marvin Collins
What does this mean for those of us living in this beautiful and water Past President: Jim Crews
rich part of the state? How could our water resources be protected if not Webmaster: Hans van Tol 656-4039
[email protected]
for a ridiculous restriction conceived by the region’s politicians a genera- Ex-Officio, Sierra Liaison: Grayal Farr-
tion back? First look at water supply. Now that the Panhandle is grow- 385-5732
ing so fast there is a question about where to get the wet stuff for all those St. Marks NWR Liaison: Robin Will-
water hogging golf course developments. With federal subsidies, cotton, 877-9058
peanut and soybean farmers draw huge quantities for their pivot sprin-
The Apalachee Audubon newsletter is
klers, most of which disappears in the summer sun. Useful information published 8 times yearly (Sept. –
about the rate of depletion of our groundwater is scarce. May, except Dec.) by the Apalachee
People living in Tallahassee can get a good look at our groundwater Audubon Society, Inc., P.O. Box
1237, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237.
See Water, page Three This newsletter is printed on
partially recycled paper.

Mission Statement
Visit our remodeled Bird Shop & Bird Window. Protection of the envi-
We carry a complete line of wild bird supplies and
ronment through education, appre-
quality bird seeds.
ciation and conservation.
2911 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32312
(850) 385-2162

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Water, from Page Two on property to finance proper ida Statutes, exempts the District
management of water resources? from the implementation of this
The simple and historic answer is program due to its limited financial
situation by visit-
that a few decades ago when Flor- resources. The Florida Department
ing the vast prai-
ida's once forward looking legis- of Environmental Protection is re-
rie that used to be
lature put a constitutional amend- sponsible for all non-agricultural
known as Lake
ment before voters to allow prop- wetland related permits. (From the
Jackson. Several
erty taxes for water management, NWFWMD web site.)
years ago the
they shortchanged Northwest
Lake drained into
Florida. They put a restriction in
the sinkhole and
the Constitution forcing our water
still has not come
managers to collect only a nickel
back. Rainfall gets the blame but
for every dollar the other districts
the historic records give a picture
get.
of a constant decline in groundwa-
Seems easy to fix, but several Great Birding Spots in
ter levels over the past decades.
proposals to amend Florida's Con-
From a high of 45 feet and average
stitution to get rid of the relic Wakulla, Leon & Frank-
of 35 (above sea level) to a current
limit have been shot down by po- lin Counties Florida
average of 30ish, our groundwater
litical leaders. Local power bro-
is simply not high enough, and may Apalachee Audubon, under the
kers James Harrell Thompson and
never again be high enough, to al- leadership of Larry Thompson and
Dexter Douglas joined forces to
low Lake Jackson to refill. (Don't with the contributions of local bird-
keep the Constitution Review
tell the Leon County Commission, ing experts, editors, illustrators,
Commission from placing an
they may try to develop it.) and photographers, has published a
amendment on the 1998 ballot.
Then there is the problem of sur- wonderful new book, “Great Bird-
Since then every legislative at-
face water resources. The rest of ing Spots in Wakulla, Leon &
tempt to pass a resolution putting
Florida protects surface water Franklin Counties Florida.” The
the question to the voters has
through the Environmental Re- book has several excellent maps
been stopped. House Speaker
source Permit (ERP). In the Pan- and decribes 27 locations in the 3
designate Allen Bense has said
handle the District is too poor to county region with instructions on
that it will not happen while he is
regulate activities that impact sur- how to drive there, how to enter the
in the Legislature. What won't
face water, so the State Department site, a general description of the
happen? Voters will not be given
of Environment Protection does the location, the interesting birds to be
the opportunity to decide if they
job. Or doesn't. Reviews are found, clothing suggestions, and
want to pay a modest tax to plan
mixed. As a result of a recent deci- walking conditions. In addition
for and protect water for the fu-
sion by the Army Corps of Engi- there are useful details on rest-
ture of our beautiful part of Flor-
neers to stop regulating the destruc- rooms, parking, terrain type, en-
ida.
tion of isolated wetlands, the Pan- trance fees, hours, and whether you
Where are the business leaders
handle became the one place in need permission to enter.
who are now pushing for new
Florida where a developer does not Look for the books at the Pine
roads and airports? Silent, we
have to get a permit to drain, Woods Bird Festival (see page 4),
guess, until the crisis hits. Then
dredge or fill those swamps that are the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’
we will all be asked to take fewer
not obviously linked to a moving Festival (April 12th in Sopchoppy),
showers so that the new golf
stream or river. and the Wakulla Birding and Wild-
courses on the coast stay green.
Imagine that. Florida's so-called life Festival (see page 1). Also, we
Who will be the beggars then?
great Northwest, home to Destin, will have the books at all future
Seaside and Panama City, is too membership events and watch for
poor to protect its wetlands. The Northwest Florida Water them in local bookstores soon. The
So the question must be asked, Management District does not price is a mere $10 plus tax.
how did the Panhandle become the implement Florida's Environ-
one place in Florida where water mental Resource Permit (ERP)
districts cannot levy a one mill tax program. Section 373.4145, Flor-

3
Monthly meetings, field trips, conservation activities and bird walks

Audubon Calendar
Monthly meetings are free and open to the public. They are held at the Fringe Benefits Management Company at
3101 Sessions Road. Most evenings begin with an informal social at 7:00 p.m., followed by the program at 7:30.
Unless otherwise stated, field trips will depart from the Wachovia Bank at 3400 S. Monroe Street (opposite the
Fairgrounds). Note the time of departure in the description for each trip. For more info check out our web site at
http://www.apalachee.org/calendar.html.

Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – The Pine Woods Bird Festival. Tall Timbers, Pebble Hill Plantation,
and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are staging Georgia's first bird festival at the historic
Pebble Hill Plantation on U.S. 319 just 4 miles south of Thomasville. Admission is $3.00 for adults &
$1.50 for children under 12. For more information visit www.nettally.com/necox/festival/index.htm.

Saturday, April 19 – Apalachee Audubon’s Birdathon. See article on page one.

Thursday, April 24 - Membership Meeting. George Willson, Vice President for Conservation Lands for
the St. Joe Company. See article on page one.

Friday & Saturday, April 25 & 26 – Wakulla Birding and Wildlife Festival at the Wakulla Springs State
Park. See article on page one.

Thursday, May 22 – Apalachee Audubon Annual Banquet at Wakulla Springs with guest speaker Stuart
Strahl, President of Audubon of Florida. Final plans will be announced next month.

Non-Profit
Apalachee Audubon Society, Inc. Organization
P.O. Box 1237 U.S. Postage
Tallahassee, FL 32302-1237 Paid
Permit No. 30
Tallahassee, FL

To check membership status, or to change address, call the National Audubon Society Office at 1-800-274-4201