Join National Wildlife Federation and Florida Wildlife Federation in Florida’s Panhandle for a series of volunteer days to Get Dirty and Help Wildlife

National Wildlife Federation and the Florida Wildlife Federation sponsoring a series of volunteers days in support of wildlife and wildlife habitat surrounding the Gulf of Mexico.  Volunteers will be assisting state parks in their efforts to provide sustainable and beneficial wildlife habitat.  Take a day or two to make a difference, roll up your sleeves and see what individuals working together can do to help wildlife who permanently or seasonally call Florida their home.

Date	Location	Time	Number of Volunteers	Project Description	Who is Needed
March 5 and 6	Bald Point State Park (below Tallahassee)	9:00 am – 4:00 pm	100	Re-seeding as much as 50 acres of vital wildlife grass and marshes.  Volunteers will rack and seed the acres.	Families, groups, individuals
March 12	Peridio Key State Park (near the Alabama boarder)	10:00 am – 4:00 pm	30	Preparing the dunes on the 2 mile barrier island for nesting season; straightening posts, strings rope, posting signs and removing invasive grass	Dune work is for ages 16 and older; Invasive work need to be certified for herbicide
March 24 and 25	Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (between  Panama City and Pensacola)	9:00 am – 5:00 pm	50	Assist with invasive grass remove and replanting of native grasses to support critical habitat for nesting shorebirds and other wildlife	Families, Individuals and Groups can register for this event

Register to volunteer for one or more of these opportunities at www.nwf.org/oilspillvolunteers or by email oilspillvolunteers@nwf.org.  For more information on any of these events visit www.nwf.org/oilspillvolunteers or call: 703-438-6003.

Great Backyard Bird Count This Weekend!

The Great Backyard bird count is THIS WEEKEND!!! And it is FREE and open to all ages and skill levels! Family Fun and educational! Check out http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ for details.

Sierra Club's Best Internship on Earth by Sarah Hodgdon, Sierra Club Conservation Director

Do you know a current student or recent graduate who loves the outdoors & travel, has a sense of adventure, is creative - and who would be a good spokesperson for Sierra Club's youth programs?

This summer, one lucky student or recent grad will get The Best Internship on Earth - hiking, rafting and exploring all across the country with the Sierra Club's youth programs. Apply or spread the word today!

Working with Sierra Club's Inner City Outings, Building Bridges to the Outdoors, and Volunteer Vacations Programs, our lucky intern will make a video blog of their experiences and help raise awareness across the country of the critical work the Sierra Club does introducing youth to the outdoors.

The intern will get a $2,000 gift certificate from The North Face to outfit them with all the gear they need for their summer of adventure. We'll also cover all travel expenses and pay a stipend.

Apply today at http://www.sierraclub.org/BestInternship. Entries are due by March 16th.

See glorious sights, meet amazing people, have new adventures, and get paid to do it!

Thanks for all that you do to protect the environment!

February Recent Sightings by Jim Eager

• 1/14/11—Nelson’s Sparrow—Mitchell Harris—Patillo Ck Rd—MINWR
• 1/14/11—Saltmarsh Sparrow—Mitchell Harris—Patillo Ck Rd—MINWR
• 1/16/11—Nashville Warbler—Jim Eager—private residence Melbourne
• 1/18/11—Merlin—Tom Dunkerton—Peacock’s Pocket—MINWR
• 1/19/11—Ash-throated Flycatcher—Mitchell Harris—Duda Sod Farm—Viera
• 1/21/11—White-throated Sparrow--Mitchell Harris—WSEG boat ramp—MINWR
• 1/25/11—Redhead—Jim Meyer—N side of Beach RD—Canaveral NS
• 1/25/11—Canvasback—Jim Meyer—N side of Beach Rd—Canaveral NS
• 1/28/11—Hairy Woodpecker—Mitchell Harris—Salt Lake WMA—Mims, off SR 46
• 2/11/11—Rusty Blackbird—Mitchell Harris—Salt Lake WMA/Dairy RD—Mims, off SR 46
• 2/13/11—Field Sparrow—Mitchell Harris—Pine Flatwoods TR—MINWR

Just an observation:  As a lot of us birders have observed a noticeable absence of duck species in the numbers we’re used to seeing, especially the Scaup out on the Banana and Indian Rivers.  2 years ago 500,000 scaup were counted by Phyllis Mansfield’s team during the Cocoa CBC.  Where have they gone??  For a little reprieve have people seen the number of Horned Grebes around this winter?  While co-leading 2 Bio-geography of the 1000 Islands field trips during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival I counted 2 large flocks of 200+ and 300+ Horned Grebes.  I personally haven’t seen that many in my life at one time.  As the comedian Gallagher says “one of those things that makes you go HMMMMM!!

Volunteers Needed at Anderson Park in Rockledge

Are you looking for an opportunity for your organization to give back to the local community, getting that Environmental Merit Badge or meeting your community service requirements for school, or just want to have fun with friends? The City of Rockledge is hosting “weeding of the wetland” at Anderson Park.

• Who: The City of Rockledge
• What: Weeding of the Wetland
• When: Saturday, March 12, 2011, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Where: Anderson Park, 1220 Pluckbaum Road, Northeast corner of Plukebaum and Clearlake Rd.
• Why: The wetland demonstration planting at Anderson Park has become overgrown and needs to be hand weeded, in an effor to maintain the integrity of the original planting.
• What to Bring: Your gloves, rakes, and muscles!

For additional details, contact: Alix Townsend, City Planner. City of Rockledge
1600 Huntington Lane
Rockledge, FL 32955
321-690-3978 Phone
321-690-3987 fax