September 19 - Song Sparrows: A Unique Little Brown Bird with Christin Pruett, Ph.D., Florida Institute of Technology

October 17 - Nature Deficit Disorder: What Is It And How Do I Cure It? with Kristen & Mike Beck, Florida Outdoor Center

November 21 - Owls of North America with Sam Fried

December 12 - Vero Beach Community Center - Holiday Potluck - 6:00 p.m.

January 16 - Avian Ecology/Water Birds with Dale Gawlik, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University

February 20 - Snail Kites with Wiley M. Kitchens, Ph.D., University of Florida

March 19 - Right Whale Research with Ed Gerstein, Florida Atlantic University

April 16 - Florida's Paleontological History - Focus on Vero Beach with Fred Mazza, Paleo Discoveries

May 21 - Bird Art Through The Centuries: Humans Conveying Their Love Of Birds with Juanita Baker

October 10 - Sea Beans with Ed Perry, co-author with John Dennis of Sea-Beans From the Tropics: A Collector's Guide to Sea-Beans and Other Tropical Drift on Atlantic Shores

November 15 - Arctic Meltdown: Climate Change in the Arctic with John Trefry, Ph.D., Florida Institute of Technology

December 12 - Vero Beach Community Center - Holiday Potluck - 6:00 p.m.

January 9 - Florida's Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber with Blair and Dawn Witherington

February 13 - Indian River County's Water with Deborah Ecker - local water expert - Plus a short review of the Indian River Lagoon Spoil Islands Project with Marc Virgilio, IRL SIP Cordinator

March 12 - Wildlife Photography with George Bollis, President, Indian River Photo Club

April 9 - Right Whale Research with Jim Moir

May 14 - The St. Sebastian River - A Trip Down the River with Kristen & Mike Beck, Florida Outdoor Center

2011

September 24 - Saturday - Captain Forster Hammock Preserve - Guide: Tim Towles for fall migration warblers - Meet at the parking lot entrance at 7:30 a.m. on South Jungle Trail. May want to bring insect repellent for the mosquitos.

October 2 - Sunday - Sebastian Inlet State Park - Guide: Juanita Baker - 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. - Catch the migrating shorebirds at Sebastian Inlet State Park at low tide when they gather to feed. Enter the North Gate to the parking lot on the right which is closest to the Tide pool where we will meet. Basic Birding. Photographers welcome. See video taken last year: Basic Birding

October 22 - Saturday - West County Wastewater Treatment Facility - Guide: Peter Sutherland - An excellent local site for birding numerous species - Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the entrance to the facility, 8405 8th Street, Vero Beach.

October 29 – Saturday – St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park – Guide: Judy Elseroad – The group will hike up to two miles in sand to see Florida Scrub-Jays.  Wear long pants and closed shoes/no sandals or shorts.  Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Platt parking lot on the north side of 512, west of I-95 and east of Fellsmere.  Trip will end at approximately 10:00 a.m.

November 17 - Thursday - Begum Point - Guide: Ralph Monticello - Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the west end of Fred R. Tuerk Drive in Indian River Shores

TO BE RESCHEDULED - Joe Overstreet Landing - Guides: Susan Boyd & Bob Montanaro - possibility of seeing Whooping Cranes - Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the TA Truck Stop, corner of SR 60 and 90th Avenue, for carpool. Snacks & restrooms available at fish camp at Joe Overstreet Landing. Start back approximately at noon.

TO BE RESCHEDULED - Indrio Savannahs - Guides: Susan Boyd & Bob Montanaro - Expect to see Florida Scrub-Jays - Meet at 8:00 a.m. in Indrio Savannahs parking lot at 5275 Tozour Road off of US-1 in northern St. Lucie County. End approximately between 11:00 a.m. and noon.

December 14 - Wednesday - Viera Wetlands - Guide: Jack Casselberry - A prime viewing area for numerous bird species - Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the McDonalds at SR512 & I-95 for carpool - Will stop for lunch in Viera before returning.

2012

January 12 - Thursday - Florida Scrub-Jay Excursion - Guide: Joe Carroll - visit several locations in Indian River County to view Florida Scrub-Jays - meet at 7:30 a.m. at South County Regional Park, 800 20th Ave. SW. The field trip will move to other locations in Indian River County to view Scrub-Jays at the discretion of the Guide.

January 14 - Saturday - Green Cay Nature Center, 12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach - Guides: Susan Boyd & Bob Montanaro - extensive boardwalk over wetlands - expect to see numerous species of waterbirds and other wildlife - Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the TA Truck Stop, corner of SR 60 and 90th Avenue, for carpool. Light snacks & restrooms available in nature center. Stay for lunch afterward at local restaurants or bring own lunch. Start back approximately at 1:00 p.m.

January 18 - Wednesday - Environmental Learning Center, 255 Live Oak Drive, off the Wabasso Causeway (CR 510) - Guide: Heather Stapleton - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. - Meet in front of the ELC Entry Pavilion - Explore the ELC with a knowledgeable guide, learn about Florida plants, birds, habitats, etc.

January 21 - Saturday - Treasure Hammock Ranch - Guides: Sean Sexton & Jens Tripson - visit a working Florida cattle ranch with a wide variety of bird life

January 25 - Wednesday - North Sebastian Conservation Area - Guide: Jane Schnee - Meet at 8:30 a.m. - Will meet at the main entrance on Gibson Street in Sebastian

February 2 - Thursday - Sebastian Inlet State Park - Guides: Darlene Halliday and Ranger Terese Harber - Birding walk with the Ranger - meet at 1:00 p.m. in the Fishing Museum located just inside the south entrance of the park.

February 4 - Saturday - Barrier Island Sanctuary - Guide: Tina Marchese - explore the Sanctuary and search for pelagic birds

TO BE RESCHEDULED - Quality of Life Indicators: Exploring differing perspectives in Indian River County - Guide: Graham Cox

February 18 - Saturday - Quality of Life Indicators: Exploring differing perspectives in Indian River County - Guide: Graham Cox - Start at 10:00 a.m. Join us for a field trip a little out of the ordinary, a discussion with Fellsmere city manager Jason Nunemaker on how we can integrate our quality of life community indicators with the ideas and vision provided in the Fellsmere city comprehensive plan. Indicators are only useful when they are tied to a community vision for the future. Our discussion will pick up where we left off in June 2010 in asking for useful indicators that would serve the city's needs. Meet in the Fellsmere City Council chambers at 21 S. Cypress Street for an informal discussion of the city plan and potential indicators. Call Graham Cox, 772-388-5394 or e-mail at glcox@audubon.org for details and with any questions and sign up for the meeting.

February 25 - Saturday - Fort Drum Conservation Area - Guide: Billi Wagner - A quintessential Florida landscape right here in Indian River County – albeit at the extreme SW corner, almost at Yee Haw Junction - this area has it all: a cypress swamp with boardwalk, pine flatwoods, pasture, canals, lakes and mesic hammocks. Best of all, there are walking trails.

The Fort Drum Conservation Area is owned by the St. John’s River Water Management District. It is off-limits to hikers during scheduled hunting periods and many other days in between because the land manager will not change the locks. We have scheduled the field trip for an open date.

We will rendezvous at 7:30 am, along 58th Ave at Route 60 in the Ryanwood shopping center (Publix). Carpooling is important. For anyone driving to Ft. Drum on their own:

The entrance is nine miles west of I-95, on the south side of Route 60. Beware, the sign on your left is easy to miss. If you complete the bend to the right on Route 60 and reach the large cell tower at Blue Cypress Lake Road , you have gone perhaps a mile too far.

From the Ft. Drum turn off, drive south on the meandering dirt road all the way to a locked gate. Parking is to the left on the shore of the wide but shallow Lake Cara . We will further carpool from there starting at 8am. Those with a vehicle permit will unlock the gate and drive another half mile or so to the next gate, again with an open parking area (with a port-a-potty) on the left near a wooded horseshoe lake. From this second gate, two hammock islands are reached after a short hike on a berm and a boardwalk (where there are benches) through a cypress swamp. Please check the weather forecast. Bring water and binoculars. We will be finished before 11 am.

March 8 - Thursday - Padgett Creek Ranches - Guide: Ralph Monticello - Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Publix parking lot at the corner of 58th Street and State Road 60

March 22 - Thursday - Wakodahatchee Wetlands, 13026 Jog Road, Delray Beach - Guide: Bill Loftus - boardwalk over wetlands/expect to see numerous species of waterbirds and other wildlife - Meet at 6:00 a.m. at the TA Truck Stop, corner of SR 60 and 90th Avenue, for carpool. Start back approximately at 1:00 p.m.

March 24 - Saturday - Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area - Guide: Tim Towles for pine flatwoods specialties