We welcome you to our monthly programs. Our meetings take place in the Fellowship Room at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 1239 West Del Webb Blvd, Sun City Center on the third Monday of each month from October through April. Meeting dates and times are listed below. The doors open at 1:00 PM for social and sign-up time; the public is invited. The meeting and program begin at approximately 1:40 PM.
Monday, October 21, 2024
Avian Reproduction (Bird Sex!)
Dr. Julie Stocksdale
Eagle Audubon Society
When birds stop breeding, they stop existing. So understanding bird reproduction is vital for the breeding program and ongoing conservation of wild populations. Julie will introduce us to the wide variety of the ways that birds perpetuate their species, starting with courtship, moving through mating, nesting, hatching, and on to fledgling. Oh my, what diversity these creatures have come up with!
Monday, November 18, 2024
Let’s Do It in the Garden! Tales of Bug Love and Bloomer Boogie
John Lampkin
Avid naturalist and nature photographer
Sex is a driving force that shapes the lives of all living things, so animals and plants have more in common than you might think. What is this force that unifies us all? How does it function? What are some of the astonishing, outrageous, and wildly bizarre ways that Nature gets the job done?
Monday, December 16, 2024
Enter the Natives
Tom Heitzman
Sweet Bay Nursery
Tom will talk about why it is best to plant native plants in our yards and gardens and what native plantings are best for our area to attract butterflies and birds.
Monday, January 20, 2025
Gopher Tortoises
Jeff Goessling, PhD
Eckerd College
Dr. Goessling will bring us all kinds of information about these iconic reptiles. We see them in our parks, maybe in our neighborhoods, but how much do we know about their life history and life styles?
Monday, February 17, 2025
Global Raptors
Barbara Walker
Manager, Moccasin Lake Nature Park
Barbara will bring an osprey, barn owl, and peregrine falcon to illustrate the importance of raptors to global ecology.
Monday, March 17, 2025
AUDUBON FLORIDA’s 125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
Lake O Ecology/Restoration
Dr. Paul Gray
Science Coordinator/Everglades Restoration
Audubon Florida
Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the southeast and is the liquid heart of the Everglades. The 1949 C&SF drainage plan lowered the lake, reduced its size, and surrounded it with increased drainage. Now, human pollution creates chronic harmful algal blooms. In spite of these assaults, one-third of the lake remains a vibrant marsh, teeming with fish, wildlife and nature enthusiasts. Paul will discuss what the lake was, what it has become, and what is needed to regain the healthiest Okeechobee we can.
Monday, April 21, 2025
SHOREBIRDS AND SEABIRDS OF TAMPA BAY
Holley Short
Tampa Bay Shorebird Program Manager
Audubon Florida
Shorebirds and seabirds are everywhere we look when we visit the beaches along the Florida Gulf Coast. During the spring and summer, it’s time for many species to lay eggs and raise chicks. Holley Short will explore shorebirds and seabirds that breed on Florida’s beautiful Gulf beaches.