March 18, 2016 general meeting

Join Space Coast Audubon Society for our March 18th Meeting “Florida's Important Bird Areas: monitoring and stewardship by partners and volunteers” WHO: Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS) WHERE: Rockledge Presbyterian Church, 921 Rockledge Dr, Rockledge, FL. WHEN: March 18, 2016 at 7:30 pm Dr. Marianne Korosy will be our speaker and will be presenting Florida’s Important Bird Areas: monitoring and stewardship by partners and volunteers Marianne Korosy is Florida’s IBA Coordinator and has worked for Audubon Florida since 2009 with a focus on building volunteer-based, outdoor stewardship programs for shorebirds, seabirds, and Florida Scrub-Jays in Important Bird Areas. Marianne has bachelors and masters degrees in geology from Florida State University and a PhD in conservation biology from the University of Central Florida. Florida's IBA areas include coastal beaches, pine forests, grasslands and scrub-lands. We will take a tour of examples of each of these habitats and the bird monitoring and stewardship efforts underway by Audubon chapters, volunteers, and partners. Florida's Important Bird Area Program supports the persistence of our state's native avifauna and native habitats through sound land management, habitat preservation, and the work of volunteer citizen scientists. Florida's birds and their habitats are under continued pressure from habitat loss and fragmentation, fire exclusion, proliferation of exotic and invasive species, and various forms of human disturbance. Here In Brevard County we have 2 IBAs. Brevard Scrub Ecosystem IBA—there are over 12 sites throughout Brevard County Cape Canaveral-Merritt Island IBA-includes Cape Canaveral AFS, Merritt Island NWR & Canaveral National Seashore Visit the Space Coast Audubon Society website at www.spacecoastaudubon.org and check out the Space Coast Audubon Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Coast-Audubon We look forward to another great turnout. Jim Eager Space Coast Audubon Society Vice President Program/Publicity Chair