Remembering Dr. Gabe VargoLong-serving St. Pete Audubon Board Member, Dr. Gabe Vargo passed away on October 11, 2023. Gabe was a retired Professor of Biological Oceanography at the University of South Florida who had a passion for seabirds and raptors. Gabe served as our Education Chair and as the head of Raptors on the Move for many years. The Raptors on the Move educational program was designed to educate our community on the movements of raptors. It was a joint effort between St. Petersburg Audubon Society and the Avian Research and Conservation Institute. As part of this program, St. Pete Audubon sponsored two GSM transmitters (GPS receivers) that were then attached to a Swallow-tailed Kite and a Short-tailed Hawk. Gabe was also involved in Audubon’s Eagle Watch Program and oversaw our research grant program for several years. In honor of Gabe’s legacy, St. Pete Audubon will rename the grants program the “Dr. Gabe Vargo Conservation and Research Grant Program”. We will begin soliciting small grant proposals in 2024.
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