Coming Soon! Friends of Skidaway Audubon Presentation by David Mizejewski

On May 5, Friends of Skidaway Audubon will sponsor a presentation by David Mizejewski from The National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

David is a naturalist, television personality, and a well-known and acclaimed spokesperson for NWF. His topic for our presentation will be Gardening for Wildlife. The newly revised edition of his book, Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife, is being released on April 8 and will be available for him to sign at the presentation. He points out that the need to restore wildlife habitat in our cities, towns, and neighborhoods is greater than ever. The Monarch butterfly population has plummeted, as have populations of many native bees. New classes of pesticides have emerged, posing additional risks to wildlife. Many songbird and amphibian species continue to decline, and today we face an unprecedented wildlife crisis, with one-third of American species at risk of extinction in the coming decades. What can we do to help?

David will give us some suggestions and answer questions you may have concerning your own garden. He also will explain how we can have our gardens certified by NWF as wildlife sanctuaries. At this event, we will have preorder forms available for some of the native plants that David will mention in his presentation. The forms also will be available on our website (www.skidawayaudubon.org). Thompson’s Nursery will have the preordered plants, as well as additional plant selections, available for sale and pickup on May 25 at The Landings Association’s HarborFest (11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Landings Harbor Marina). More information concerning Thompson’s Nursery and preorder forms will be posted on our website (www.skidawayaudubon.org).

In keeping with this topic of plants for wildlife, Skidaway Audubon would like to add a new project to our current list of island programs. Audubon International has presented a challenge to certified communities and golf courses to create a Monarch Butterfly Trail. Skidaway is not on the direct migration path, but some Monarchs do take a detour to visit our island, especially the berm gardens at the Sparrow Field. Anyone interested in becoming part of this new venture can contact Skidaway Audubon (https://www.skidawayaudubon.org/contact-us/).

One of the goals of the Friends of Skidaway Audubon is to provide programs of interest to our members and residents. We had anticipated attracting two nationally recognized speakers a year…onene in the spring (David Mizejewski) and one in October or early November. What we are discovering is that these speakers are quite expensive! I just emailed Annie Leonard, who is the Executive Director of Greenpeace. She is an exceptional speaker and has created videos that deal with current sustainability issues. Unfortunately, the fees associated with her coming to Skidaway are beyond our budget…BUT…when you have some free time, you should view one of her videos that can be thought provoking and educational for the entire family! Google “The Story of Stuff” to learn more about our consumer-centered economy and how we have become the world’s largest producer of trash! Researching these speakers has been a wonderful learning experience. If anyone has attended a lecture on environmental issues with a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker that you would like to recommend, please let me know (carol9133@aol.com)!

We look forward to seeing our FRIENDS, members, and all our residents at Gardening for Wildlife on May 5 in the Plantation Ballroom and at HarborFest/Plant sale on May 25.

                                                                                            EDUCATE…ENGAGE…ENHANCE OUR WORLD