 |
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 7-11, 2001 in Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
 |
| |
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 7-11, 2001 in Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
|
2000 SEMINARS
Updated: 9/15/00
Biographies
Wetland and Wildlife Management
Presenter: Marc Epstein
Marc Epstein, Wildlife Biologist at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will explore multiple components and complexities of manipulating wetland habitats for migratory birds and public uses. Suitable plant communities and seasonal water depths are necessary to wildlife as they naturally migrate through our area. Migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds are the focus of the ecology of wetlands and wildlife management.Nov 9; 11:00am - 12:00am; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Florida's Fabulous Ecosystems
Presenter: Judith Burhman
Judith Burhman, whose extensive background in Florida Native plant landscaping spans decades, presents this interesting look into Florida's Ecosystems. With 200,000 different known species of plants and animals, and new ones being added every day, the United States claims the highest biological diversity of any country in the world. Within the United States, Florida, though much smaller in area and lacking anything remotely like a mountain, ranks just behind California and Texas in diversity, number of endemic, as well as rare, threatened and endangered species.
The Florida Natural Areas Inventory counts 81 distinct systems, among which are least seven considered globally endangered, including the unique ancient scrub, Apalachicola bluffs and ravines, Peridido pitcher bogs, and Everglades, as well as dry prairie and coral reef. From high pine to river ravines, from rosemary scrub to mangrove forests, from seep bogs to coral reefs, Florida's major ecosystems stimulate the mind and beguile the senses with their diversity of life.
This program provides definitions of plant community and ecosystem, introduces a few of the major systems of the state, some of their fascinating plant and animal residents, stirs the listener to go forth to see and learn more of the biological wonders of this beautiful state.Nov 9; 12:45pm - 1:45pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Brown Pelicans
Presenter: Steve Nesbitt
If you ever looked at the fossil of a pelican, you would never be able to figure out how it made a living. Symbolic of Florida's laid back lifestyle, the brown pelican is unquestionably our most beloved bird. Boasting the longest coastline of any state, Florida is blessed with 1440 (excluding the Keys) miles of prime pelican playground. It is hard to go anywhere on the coast and not encounter one. We were not always so lucky. Brown pelicans were severely depleted in the 1960's by farmers' use of certain pesticides. They disappeared entirely from some of their historical breeding grounds.Join Steve Nesbitt for a delightful presentation on the biology, behavior, habits, diving prowess, food, and threats to this fascinating bird. Steve will discuss breeding sites in Florida and population status in the Southeast, including translocation of young birds from Florida to Louisiana in an attempt to restore the brown pelican to the Pelican State.
Nov 9; 2:00pm - 3:00pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Hummingbirds, But Didn't Know Who To Ask.
Presenters: Bob and Martha Sargent
Do you think you saw a new kind of hummingbird in your garden? Did everyone tell you no way‹the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only one found east of the Mississippi? Well don't believe them for a minute! Bob and Martha Sargent will tell you why. Among the world's tiniest birds, with the fastest wing beat and the ability to fly backwards, forwards, and even inverted, remarkably tame in the presence of humans, the hummingbird is a creature of endless fascination.
Topics to be covered include wintering hummingbirds, hummingbird biology and anatomy, migration, identification, nests and nesting strategy and attracting hummingbirds to your home by the use of plantings and feeding. Controlling pests at you feeders and how to care for your feeders will also be included. Come enjoy this breathtaking slide presentation. You'll see plenty of pictures of all kinds of different hummingbirds taken east of the Mississippi. There will be a question and answer session at the end.Nov 9; 3:15pm - 4:15pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Nov 11; 3:15pm - 4:15pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
The Painted Bunting- A Bird Without Equal: It's Not Easy Being Green
Presenter: Dr. Joe Meyers
For more than 30 years the 3.5%annual decline of the Painted Bunting has continued without abatement. Seven of ten painted buntings have disappeared in that period of time. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, under leadership of Dr. Joe Meyers, recently completed the first phase of research on the Painted Bunting. The Painted Buntings landscape, habitat, bird community, population ecology, survival, and other ecological studies have provided us with our first look and new information on the blight of this colorful bird.
Radio telemetry has unlocked the secrets of this bird. Loss of habitat, degradation of habitat especially in coastal dunes and forests adjacent to marshes, and even global warming have been determined or suspected of causes for the bird's decline. Joe will present these ideas and possible solutions. He also will present habitat management in coastal backyards and how to attract Painted Buntings and record a color-banded bird, which may help us determine solutions for restoring the population.Nov 9; 4:30pm - 5:30pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Nov 11; 12:45pm - 1:45pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Bird Behavior
Presenter: Dr. Jack Hailman
Dr. Jack Hailman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and currently Research Associate at Archbold Biological Station will present a talk, illustrated with slides, on the survey of avian behavior emphasizing Florida species and behavioral patterns easily observed. Included are examples of preening and related activities, locomotion both in the air and on the ground, foraging including capture and eating of prey, aggressive interactions of dominance hierarchies and territorial behavior, courtship displays and song, nesting and anti-predator reactions. Special attention is given to behavior that differs among species; such as the two different ways birds scratch their heads and the several different foraging strategies of closely related birds like herons and egrets.Nov 9; 2:00pm - 3:00pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Nov 12; 9:30am - 10:30am; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Black Rails and Black Rail Habitat
Seminar and Field Trip Combo
Presenter and Leader: Mike Legare Join Mike Legare, Wildlife Biologist with Kennedy Space Centers' Dynamac Corporation, as he gives his fascinating presentation, entitled "Black Rails and Black Rail Habitat", on these elusive birds and their secretive habits in the marshy areas where they are found. Listen to the tapes that Mike used to induce the rails to call while he gathered data on rail density for his research.Free carpool field trip at 4:45 pm; limited to 40 registrants, follows seminar. See field trip description.
Nov 9 & 11 only; 3:15pm - 4:15pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Partners in Flight Program
Presenter: Maureen Picard
Many birds need to migrate to survive. There are many issues that affect the migratory songbirds. Today international cooperation and agreements with many agencies are important to protect the remaining vital habitats. Research is also important to understand the needs of individual species.Nov 9; 12:45pm - 1:45pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Florida Scrub Jay
Seminar and Field Trip Combo
Presenter and Leader: Dave Breininger with Paul Schmalzer
Dave Breininger, senior ecologist for Kennedy Space Centers' Dynamac Corporation, will present a talk entitled "Florida Scrub Jays and Scrub Fire Ecology". The presentation will focus on Florida scrub jay habitat use, demography and sociobiology in different types of habitat with and emphasis on fire ecology. Following, join Dave and Dynamacs' Plant Ecologist, Paul Schmalzer on a free NASA bus tour for a trip through restricted areas of Kennedy Space Center to view some scrub jay families and rare plants, grasses and spikemoss that are found in the scrub.
A free field trip, limited to 40 registrants, at 9:30am follows seminar. See field trip description.
Seminar and field trip are at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Visitor Information Center Nov 10 & 12, 8:30am - 9:30am (seminar); Free
Butterflies, Sparkling Jewels of Florida
Presenters: Buck and Linda Cooper
Buck and Linda Cooper, acknowledged experts in the identification of Florida butterflies using binoculars only, will present a seminar focusing on the life histories of butterflies and planting to attract and increase their populations. The Coopers will also share their adventures they had while traveling the state to see and photograph all of the 163 species of butterflies found in Florida. Special emphasis will be given to identification of species expected on the local field trips planned.
A Butterfly and Wildflower field trip, limited to 25 registrants, at 12:30pm follows seminar. See field trip description.
Nov 10; 11:00am-12:00pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Bird Photography Basics
Presenter: Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris, perhaps one of the world's premier bird photographers, will present a 1-1/2 hour slide program. In this program; topics to be covered include choosing and using telephoto lenses and film, exposure, the use of natural light, image sharpness, composition and image design, getting close, and photographing action and behavior. Nature photographers of all interests and skill levels will benefit from attending this session. A question and answer session will follow. Copies of two of Artie's photography books and a selection of photographic accessories that he uses will be available for purchase.Nov 10; 1:00pm-2:30pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
The Sooty Tern
Presenter: Dr. Glen Woolfenden
Dr. Glen Woolfenden, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida and Research Biologist at Archbold Biological Station will present a talk on his research of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata). This abundant bird species breeds on small tropical islands around the world. The tern spends its entire life out in the ocean except for when it comes to land for breeding. On the Atlantic side of North America, this fascinating species breeds only at the Dry Tortugas in Florida. Here ornithologists have studied the tern for half a century. The work, based on banding many individuals, includes discovering where they go and what they do while breeding.Nov 10;, 3:15pm-4:15pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Nov 11; 4:30pm - 5:30pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Florida Dry Prairie Ecosystems/Florida Grasshopper Sparrow
Presenter: Dr. Paul Gray
With 100-200 plant species per acre, dry prairies are one of the most diverse plant communities in North America. Dry prairies occupy very flat, poorly drained areas and are dominated by grasses, saw palmettos and low shrubs and forbs. The prairies of central Florida host a unique suite of birds that includes the Florida Sandhill Crane, Audubon's Crested Cara Cara, Burrowing Owl, Florida's Mottled Duck and Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. The extensive wetland complexes host a variety of wading and waterbirds including almost all of Florida's Herons and Egrets, Least and American Bitterns, Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Storks, Limpkins, King Rails, Anhingas, Grebes, Shorebirds and various ducks.Florida originally had about 2.8 million acres of dry prairies. Close to 90% of those have been converted into other land uses. Join Dr. Paul Gray, Manager of Audubon's Kissimmi Prairie and Lake Okeechobee Sanctuaries for a fascinating presentation on Florida's notive prairie ecosystems, the sanctuaries and the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. The sanctuary's breeding population of endangered Grasshopper Sparrows is one of six known in the world.
Nov 10; 4:30pm - 5:30pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Geology of the Barrier Islands
Presenter: Larry McAdam
Join Larry McAdam from Seminole College and investigate the dynamics of the barrier islands as always shifting and changing. This part of Florida is young geologically speaking.Nov 10; 12:45pm-1:45pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Wading Birds of the Wetlands: Florida's Serengeti
Presenter: Rich Paul
Florida's famous wetlands are home to a diversity of long-legged wading birds almost unequalled anywhere in the world. Twenty species occur here, ranging in size from the tiny Least Bittern to the reintroduced Whooping Crane. Rich Paul, Manager of Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, will discuss the populations and ecology of the herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, storks and flamingos that occur within our state.Nov 10;, 3:15pm-4:15pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Nov 11; 2:00pm-3:00pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
The Whooping Crane Reintroduction in the Southeast
Presenter: Steve Nesbit
Whooping Cranes are one of the rarest birds on earth. They nearly went extinct (the entire population declined to just 22 birds in 1941) before rigorous conservation efforts brought them back from the edge. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission , working in a cooperative effort with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Canadian Wildlife Service, the International Crane Foundation and several private landowners, is involved in a large scale project to restore the whooping crane to its former range in the southeastern United States.Patience and teamwork have finally paid off. Last March, far out in a large marsh in a remote area of Central Florida, two eggs hatched and two birds emerged into history. The chicks were the first wildborn whooping cranes in the United States in 60 years and the first east of the Mississippi in a century. Join Steve Nesbitt, Florida Project Manager for the Whooping Crane Reintroduction Program; for his fascinating presentation on the efforts to reestablish this magnificent bird to its former range in the southeast.
Nov 10; 2:00pm-3:00pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
The Florida Manatee
Presenter: Sandra Clinger
Save the Manatee club, established in 1981, is a membership supported non-profit whose mission is to raise public awareness, to educate, to support research, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts, to advocate, and to take legal action for the protection of manatees and their habitat. Brevard County's location, the presence of a warm water refuge, ample forage, and a protected area in the north Banana River make Brevard ideal habitat for manatees.Brevard County has the largest spring and winter manatee aggregations documented in the State. Most manatees on the East Coast use Brevard's waters at some time during the year. Unfortunately, Brevard also has the highest number of total manatee mortalities and water craft-related manatee mortalities of any county in Florida. Sandra Clinger, of Save the Manatee Club, will present a spectacular slide show on the biology, behavior and conservation of this endearing mammal.
Nov 10;, 4:30pm - 5:30pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Nov 11; 2:00pm-3:00pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Florida Wildflowers
Dr. Walter Kingsley Taylor
As any traveler touring Florida knows, the "Sunshine State" lying in the latitude where major deserts of the Earth occur and lying near the edge of the tropics, is neither desert nor tropical. It is true, however, that some similarities exist between the Florida Scrub and certain scrubby areas found in the desert region of the U.S. Southwest, and that stately palms waving in the oceans breezes of extreme southern Florida create an image of the tropics. Though certainly more temperate than tropical, Florida is like a bridge that connects the two regions.Florida has a tremendously diverse and complex assemblage of terrestrial ecological communities is a rich and unique assemblage of wildflowers that one would be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the continental U.S. Most of Florida's plants are wildflowers-any flowering plant growing in a natural state. Although many people view wildflowers as herbaceous and showy plants, in the strict technical sense, trees, shrubs, vines, cacti, grasses, rushes, sedges and all sorts of weeds are wildflowers. Dr. Walter Taylor, accompanied by his lovely wife Karin, has spent countless hours, both in the field and laboratory, and traveled many miles to document Florida's beautiful wildflowers.
He says "If I can share with some person my joy of finding a new wildflower and the importance of learning some of the beauties growing in Florida, then all of my efforts have been worth while. These plants are part of our heritage, and each one contributes to the richness of the states flora." Join Dr. Taylor as he presents highlights of his wonderful slide collection of Florida's incredible wildflowers. He will emphasize some of the species blooming on the Space Coast during this beautiful time of the year.
Nov 11; 11:00am - 12:00pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
Seagrasses and The Indian River Lagoon
Presenters: Bob Day and Mary Jo Barkaszi
Bob Day and Mary Jo Barkaszi will team up to present the perfect preview for the Indian River Lagoon Boat Trip. The IRL is a national treasure that most of us take for granted. It is America's most diverse estuary, with a rich array of plants and animals that are dependent on clean water for survival. In this presentation, Bob will show slides of the Lagoon's scenic beauty and fantastic diversity and give a brief overview of the Indian River Lagoon Program; as well as a review of the status of projects and programs designed to protect and preserve the resources of the Lagoon.Mary Jo will educate you on one of the Lagoon's most important, yet least understood, natural resources-the seagrasses. Seagrasses are flowering plants that live underwater. They are nursery areas for much of Florida's recreationally and commercially important marine life. Seagrasses and the organisms that grow on them are food for many marine animals, including manatees. Seven species of seagrasses are found in Florida waters. One of them, Johnson's seagrass, is found nowhere else in the world.
Nov 11; 4:30 - 5:30pm; BCC Gymnatorium Stage; $3.00
Everything That You Wanted to Know About Shorebirds, But Were Afraid to Ask
Presenter: Arthur Morris
Internationally renowned bird photographer Arthur Morris has studied shorebirds at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York for more than twenty years. He conducted an ISS survey there for eight years for the Manomet Bird Observatory; he counted more than one-half million shorebirds, most of them by ones! Shorebirds remain his favorite bird family, and were the subject of his first book, "Beautiful Beachcombers." Their subtle beauty has always captivated him. Attendees will learn the basics of shorebirding as well as shorebird identification and aging, that is, determining a shorebird's plumage: adult, juvenal, or basic (winter). So if the great variety of sandpipers, dowitchers, knots, plovers, phalaropes, godwits, turnstones, oystercatchers, avocets, and stilts leaves you searching for your field guide, this is one program that you will not want to miss. Copies of Artie's shorebird book, and a selection of his prints and calendars, will be available for purchase.Nov 12; 11:00am-12:15pm; BCC Auditorium; $3.00
 |
 |
 |
Click here to send eMail inquiries about the Festival or Contest.