Skidaway Audubon News: Audubon Seeks Volunteers

Got a little extra time on your hands? Skidaway Audubon is looking for a few caring folks to assist with various projects and activities. Simply click here to signup to help. Best of all, there is no experience required! There are a variety of volunteer opportunities, such as the ones listed below. 

Adopt a Garden - Audubon’s crew of gardeners, affectionately called the Garden Gnomes, have installed several pollinator gardens in out-of-play areas along the golf courses over the past few years, and recently added additional gardens in community areas. The objective is to increase habitat for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies, whose numbers have been in dramatic decline. Audubon Board members Beth Powers and Lynn Wrenn are implementing an “Adopt a Garden” program, where volunteers will be able to tend to a garden of their choice at a time that is convenient for them. No experience is necessary and Audubon covers the cost of all plants and needed materials. 

Sparrow Field - Whether you have a green thumb or you’re all thumbs, the pollinator garden at Sparrow Field could use your help. Located off Bartram Road, the Pollinator Berm at Sparrow Field is home to more than 100 species of flowering plants that attract butterflies, dragonflies, bees and other insects that are essential to horticulture, and more importantly, agriculture. Volunteers are needed to help maintain and “grow” the garden. Plus, it’s a great way to learn which plants can thrive in The Landings and to meet other gardeners.

Outreach - Audubon is looking for a few enthusiastic advocates of nature! Help is needed promoting Audubon’s mission and handing out informative materials as a representative at various local events. Come enjoy the rewards of raising awareness about conservation!

Cart Tour - Help is needed for Skidaway Audubon’s first golf cart tour of The Landings.  The tour, to be held this summer, will take residents to The Landings’ most interesting gems, including a spin around the picturesque Terrapin Point golf course to learn about the terrapin turtle rescue and Garden Gnomes pollinator projects. Volunteers are needed to help plan and implement this tour.

Bottle Brigade - Hate seeing trash along the roads, paths and lagoons? Join the Bottle Brigade! The Bottle Brigade was formed in 1988 to help keep the island beautiful. Each team member removes litter along an assigned route, usually near one’s home, once a week or as needed. Young people looking to be of service to the community are especially welcome.                           

WaterWise - Skidaway Audubon, in conjunction with The Landings Association's Strategic Water Committee, recently launched the WaterWise Pilot Project to promote the use of hyper-local weather stations and smart irrigation controllers within The Landings. The objective is to make a dramatic difference in the amount of water used for irrigation on the island. Homeowners in some cases are seeing a nearly 50 percent reduction in water use with smart controllers paired with local stations. If you are interested in helping to save water, or have professional experience in weather, hydrology, or associated fields, we would love to talk with you!

Bird Cam - The popular bird cam, educating viewers with close-ups of the island’s raptor families, is run jointly with Cornell University. Volunteers are needed to help with the website, social media, and internet/technical issues. No experience is required. Current volunteers can show you the ropes.

Bird Trail - The Dave Scott Bird Trail is a project of Skidaway Audubon that consists of more than 200 bird houses, installed on posts with baffles, to provide a safe place for songbirds to raise their young. Volunteers are trained to monitor the nests weekly throughout the nesting season, gathering data on the number of eggs and nestlings, and how many baby birds fledge. Woodworkers are needed to help repair and replace birdhouses at the end of the season. Audubon supplies the birdhouse design plans, wood, and materials. If you love our “feathered friends,” consider becoming a monitor or nest box builder.

Education - A Continuing Education Committee secures speakers for Audubon’s popular lecture series, as well as setting up and staffing the meeting room at St. Peter’s Church. These monthly presentations, open to the public, are another way Audubon attempts to engage and educate residents.  Additional help with this important function is always welcome.

Bat Abodes - Bat houses can draw unwanted bats away from homes, and attract them to areas where they can consume massive amounts of mosquitoes. Skidaway Audubon installed and maintains bat houses along the golf courses and offers advice to residents interested in erecting their own bat houses. Residents interested in bats and bat houses are invited to volunteer.

Skidaway Audubon is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. To volunteer, click here. To provide financial support, click here.