at www.polk-county.comA comprehensive guide to area resources
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Contact National Audubon Society, 4150 Darley Avenue, Suite 5, Boulder, CO 80303
Phone: 303/499-3622 FAX 303/499-0286, e-mail: convention@audubon.org
WATCHABLE WILDLIFE CONFERENCE
Cocoa Beach, Florida, May 19-21, 1998
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
THANK YOU TO ROBERT CONNORS FOR SETTING UP OUR COMPUTER SYSTEM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Thursday, May 7, 1998 - 7:00 p.m., Babson Park Audubon Center
Please call President John K. Moore if you cannot attend meeting (696-1401).
NIGHTHAWKS Meeting
Tuesday, May 12, 1998 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Babson Park Audubon Center
Speaker: Mike Deuver, a wetlands expert and ecologist at Disney Wilderness Preserve.
INFORMATION FROM CONSERVATION CO-CHAIRMEN KEN AND HELEN MORRISON
Ocklawaha River Restoration
Hopefully, the 1998 legislature will include in the budget founds to begin restoration of the Ocklawaha River. It is long overdue, so let's think positively.
Old Florida Plantation
On Thursday, May 7, 1998 from 9 a.m. to noon, Polk County Commissioners
want to hear from citizens about Old Florida Plantation proposal. If approved, it could become a
city the size of Bartow on mined- out phosphate land along the southeast shore of Lake Hancock.
It would require taxpayers to pay millions of dollars for "road improvements", instead of maintaining existing roads.
Please be at the County Commission Meeting Room in Bartow at 9 a.m. You don't have to speak, but your presence IS
important because there are many environmental problems.
Need a ride? Call Ken & Helen Morrison at 637-1614,
THE BABSON PARK AUDUBON CENTER WILL BE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY DURING THE MONTH OF MAY. Call Center 638-1355 for information.
THE BABSON PARK AUDUBON CENTER NATURE TRAIL WILL BE OPEN FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. CALL CENTER AT 638-1355.
[Note from editor:
Look for a new look in the Ridge Audubon Society newsletter starting with the October 1998 issue. I have been editor of the
RAS newsletter for 13 years, with lots of help from my husband, Alan, and will turn over the editorship to new capable and vital people.
I look forward to a new format, style, articles, and definitely a new appearance. It has been my pleasure to be associated so closely
with the Babson Park Audubon Center. Thank you all for your confidence in me. -Maree J. Duncan
Dr. PAUL FELLERS RECEIVES
KAUCHER AWARD
Ken Morrison
Dr. Paul Fellers of Winter Haven was given the prestigious Kaucher Conservation Award by the Ridge
Audubon Society at its annual meeting on April 13, 1998.
In presenting this award, Conservation Co-Chairman Ken Morrison empha- sized that it is not to recognize service to Audubon,
but to honor "distinguished service in the conservation of Florida's life-sustaining natural resources."
Morrison asserted that Dr. Fellers probably is Polk County's "outstanding practitioner" of the art of developing
public interest in natural history and the environment. It was said that such interest is a necessary prelude in bringing about public
action to conserve our natural resources.
Dr. Fellers was a scientist with the Lake Alfred Citrus Experiment Station for some 30 years until his retirement. He is an
indefatigable field trip leader and has taken many groups to natural areas in Polk, all parts of Florida and beyond, to view birds,
butterflies, wildflowers, etc.
A fellow bird expert, Tom Palmer, has observed that Fellers is "omnipresent" in the field, seeming to be all over the place.
He says that if you have spotted one rare bird, Fellers has found two.
Appreciation was expressed to Fellers for the invaluable assistance he has been to Ridge Audubon in assisting with our Birdathon,
teaching a bird identi- fication course, and compiling Christ- mas Bird Counts. Add to this that he is a mainstay of Lake Region Audubon
Society and one can only wonder where he finds the stamina to devote four nights a week to western dancing
Dr. Fellers attends public hearings, writes effectively and otherwise expresses his concerns about our stressed environment.
He is currently alarmed that plans to mine and/or develop the Lake Hancock area could be disastrous to an outstanding congregating place for wildlife.
EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL
Ridge Audubon Society member Beth Geils, Backyard Garden Volunteer Coordinator for this Festival, running from now until the 3lst
of May, is looking for volunteers to help in the booth sponsored by National Audubon. Each shift, there will be one National Audubon Society staff
member and two volunteers caring for the booth and answering questions about planting flowers to attract birds.
The morning shift will be 8:30 a.m. to l:00 p.m. and the afternoon shift will be 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m.
If you are interested, please contact Beth at (941) 678-1795 or e-mail her at
bgeils@postoffice.worldnet.att.net. The address to contact is: Field Office, 1344 South Highland Park Drive, Lake Wales, Florida 33853.
RESOLUTIONS
On Wednesday, March 11, 1998 RAS Board of Directors went on record:
..to support the Oklawaha River Restoration Project and urge the State Legislature to provide adequate funding to complete it. This project
is not a local issue and is of state-wide concern. RIDGE AUDUBON MEMBER DISPLAYS AUDUBON MATERIAL AT ANNUAL FEDHAVEN HOBBY/CRAFT SHOW
by John Paulson
Dick Willmott, a member of Ridge Audubon Society participated in the Annual Show at Fedhaven on March 3, 1998.
Items received from Ridge Audubon for display and distribution were several books, magazines, posters, pictures, give-away phamplets and note cards.
Dick also displayed several pair of binoculars, spotting scope and tapes of bird calls played on a cassette player. The display was well received and several
individuals indicated they were interested in joining the Audubon Society.
Dick has participated in this event for the past three years, assisted by Norma Ludecke & John Paulson, also members of Ridge Audubon Society.
cafe'AUDUBON
..to request that Polk Count Commission not to approve a proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment for transmittal to Dept. of Community Affairs.
Reasons include public health and safety concerns regarding radon environmental problems including trans- portation, utilities and natural resources...
to indicate to County Commission that it would be unwise to seek a revision in its Comprehensive Plan in order to accommo- date the Old Florida Plantation Proposal.
[It was alarming to us that the 52 much needed conditions that the Regional Planning Council staff proposed be adopted if PFP was to be approved were set
aside in favor of the conditions tailored to the developer's wishes that were not submitted until the day of the public hearing. ..this means that the
conditions adopted could not have received study either by the Council's staff or Council itself. We strongly recommend that the County Commission does not
seek to amend the County Comprehensive Plan for Old Plantation Plan.
Great for the Birds
Good for the Farmers
Thanks to you TM
The First Certified Shade Grown Organic Coffee .. By purchasing our Bird Friendly CoffeeTM, you are supporting the National Audubon Society and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Pour a delicious cup of Cafe' AUDUBON today and help protect endangered migratory birds and their habitats.
Grown the traditional way under the natural shade of the rain forest canopy and without the use of synthetic pesticides, the coffee plantations provide natural wintering habitat for many migratory songbirds. In addition to protecting our environment, through sustainable agriculture, Cafe' Audubon will generate royalties to help fund National Audubon Society and Smithsonian Neotropical Migratory Bird Center programs.
Enjoy your favorite brew and protect important neotropical bird habitat. Contact Eco Organic Coffee Company at 1-888-326-2633.
RIDGE AUDUBON SOCIETY
ANNUAL COVERED DISH MEETING ON MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1998
The our annual meeting, the following members were elected to the Board of Directors:
Recording Secretary - Ann Freling
Treasurer - Lorelei Hagan
Member-at-Large - Martha Sehi
Member-at-Large - Hunter Lilly
Our current Board of Directors:
President John K. Moore [ 1997-1999]
1st Vice President Barbara Gordon [1997-1999]
2nd Vice President Geoff Babb [1997-1999]
Corresponding Sec. Jeannie Rayburn [1997-1999]
Recording Secretary Ann Freling [1998-2000]
Treasurer Lorelei Hagan
Members-at-Large:
Marian Lambert [1996-1999]
Robert Connors [1996-1999]
Patty Moser [1997-2000]
Steve Morrison [1997-2000]
Martha Sehi [1998-2001]
Hunter Lilly [1998-2001]
Guest Speaker of the evening was Lou Parrott of Green Horizons Land Trust.
Awards were given to:
Dr. Paul Fellers was given the Kaucher Award for outstanding service to our community.
Alan and Maree Duncan were presented with a Diane Pierce painting for their 13 years of work on the RAS newsletter.
[note: If you left 2 new hot pan holders at the Audubon covered dish meeting, call Helen Morrison at 638-1614}
Visit at www.polk-county.com
A comprehensive guide to area resources
