St. Petersburg Audubon Society receives “Chapter of the Year Award” at Audubon Assembly. Pictures and details on the website soon. Congratulations to all!
By Saskia Janes, St. Petersburg Audubon Society's Historian
Read about St. Petersburg Audubon's past history.
1900
- The first National Audubon Society’s Christmas
Bird Count (CBC) is held on Christmas Day, 1900, when 27 birders noted
all the birds they saw during the day. Those birders covered 25
different areas, mostly in cities in the Northeastern U.S.
- Florida Audubon Society (FAS) is formed in Maitland, Florida.
1909
Founding of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Florida
Audubon Society for the Protection of Birds by Katherine Bell Tippetts
(later renamed the St. Petersburg Audubon Society). The first meeting
is held at the Belmont Hotel.
1910
- St. Petersburg Audubon Society (SPAS) posts
summaries of state bird laws against killing of songbirds or game birds
out of season.
- Tippetts convinces the publisher of The Boys World to remove air-gun ads.
1912
- SPAS is involved in an effort to get state laws
to protect American Robins – FAS developed a bill outlawing the killing
or capture of American Robins. SPAS sent the state legislature a
petition that, with signatures, was 70 feet long.
- FAS and Tippetts urge passage of a law to establish Florida Fish & Game Commission.
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During the first decade, SPAS’ members make annual, end of the year, excursions to “Bird Key” (now known as Indian Key).
1913
- Congress passes the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
- SPAS develops a how-to manual for boys on building bird houses and sponsors a bird house contest.
1916
SPAS publishes an informational booklet about the organization and includes a summary of the bird laws of Florida.
1920
- SPAS becomes a leader in creating bird sanctuaries. Pinellas County has 11.
- SPAS and FAS help support the federal migratory bird laws.
- SPAS helps fund a warden to protect bird colonies on local islands until they receive federal protection in 1921.
- Tippetts is elected the first woman president of FAS and serves until 1924.
1923
By 1923, 30 municipal bird sanctuaries are established in Florida.
- FAS persuade the legislature to make bird study required in public education.
1925
- SPAS creates and supplies Junior Audubon classes in Pinellas schools.
- SPAS
launches a campaign for naming a state bird. Following a vote through
the schools, the Eastern Mockingbird is chosen (later renamed the
Northern Mockingbird).
- As Chair of the Division of Conservation
for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), Tippetts encourages
states and women’s groups to name a bird for each state.
- Daisy
Morrison becomes first Chair of SPAS’ Pinellas CBC and serves in that
capacity for the next 35 years. The first Pinellas CBC was held in the
Gulfport area and 50 species were recorded.
1932
Tippetts publishes a pamphlet of birds of the states (for use in education) in Nature Magazine.
1937
St. Petersburg is established as a wildlife sanctuary by an act of the Florida legislature.
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