Spend some time on the trails and learn about birds and bird watching! This special event is hosted in partnership with the Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Guests will encounter various stations along the trail and get to participate in fun, interactive, and educational activities.

Free with the price of admission to the park.

Sign up now to volunteer with us.

According to an analysis of eBird hotspots, Eckerd College has the highest number of species seen/acre of any college in the country. Join Beth Forys (Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies; Vice President of SPAS) and Student Birdwatchers Trevor Clair and Connor O'Brien on a field trip to explore a diversity of on-campus habitats, including our mile of sea-wall, a cabbage palm hammock, and our many on-campus ponds. The birds are everywhere and the potential is high for outstanding sightings. 

This will be a joint field trip of Eckerd College's Ornithology Club (Audubon Campus Chapter) and local members of St. Petersburg Audubon. There will be limited space for this event. Local members and patrons will receive a separate email for sign-up on Friday, April 5th at 11 a.m.

Peter Magnin will be joining us for our March program to present on Outdoor Survival and Amazonian Indigenous Tribes. Peter is a survival instructor, primitive skills practitioner and expedition guide.

Peter Magnin has been studying survival and primitive skills since 2013. His first experience with survival training was with the Air Force’s SERE instructors before he retired from the military and started attending schools as a civilian. Early training started with Terry Barney’s beginner to advance survival classes. This inspired Peter to train under Mors Kochanski at Karamat Wilderness Ways, Winter Survival. His experiences range from living outdoors in various shelters for nine weeks under Master Maine Guide Tim Smith at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School to spending 30 days in the desert with primitive and traditional technologies at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS). Peter has taught at the first Global Bushcraft Symposium in Canada in 2019, and again in 2022 in Wales, UK. He has been a special instructor at multiple survival and primitive schools across the country and continually teachers at gatherings. As a wilderness EMT, he is an expedition guide and medic for Joe Flowers with Bushcraft Global since 2019, going to the jungles of Brazil and Peru and learning from indigenous tribes. He spoke as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) at the 7th Special Forces Group, Jungle Warfare Symposium on jungle survival in 2022. For the future he is continuing his education in primitive skills and testing his knowledge in the field.

Learn more a bout Peter on his website.

Event location: Zoom (virtual)

Register here for the event.

Join us at Brooker Creek Preserve!

Field trip lead: Ron Smith
Difficulty: Moderate (natural paths)

Join us at Weedon Island Preserve! Attendees should plan to meet at the fishing pier just after 7:00 a.m. to watch birds flying off from their roosting site before moving on to walking the boardwalks and paved trails. Parking is available near the pier and at the nature center. Bathrooms are also available.

Field trip lead: Ron Smith
Difficulty: Moderate (natural paths)

St. Pete Audubon will be hosting Audubon Florida’s former Director of Bird Conservation, Marianne Korosy, PhD, for our February speaker series. Dr. Korosy will guide us through the captivating realm of Birds and Wildlife of Antarctica, South Georgia, Falklands, and the Southern Ocean.

Event location: Boyd Hill Nature Center

We will be hosting Meredith Bradshaw on the captivating topic of Purple Martins. Join us for an enlightening evening as we welcome Bradshaw who will be sharing their wealth of knowledge about these fascinating birds.

Event location: Zoom (virtual)

Register here for the event.

Dr. Joan Strassmann, biology professor at Washington University in St. Louis and author of Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard, will delve into the art of slowing down, honing our observation skills, and finding joy in the smallest avian wonders that grace our gardens. Whether you are an experienced birder or just starting out, Slow Birding promises to inspire, educate, and renew your appreciation for the feathered neighbors right outside your door.

More about Dr. Strassmann:

• New York Times article - After a Frantic Year, It’s Time for ‘Slow Birding’

• Purchase Dr. Strassmann’s book locally at Tombolo Books
  

Event location: Zoom (virtual) - Register here.

Join us on this field trip for a great chance to see wintering land and water birds! This park offers board walks, two observation towers, native plants and more.

From E.Bay Dr. (686), take Highland Avenue, SE south and meet in the parking lot.
Field trip lead: Peter Plage
Difficulty: Hike about 1.5 miles over paved and natural surface trails.

Unfortunately, this cleanup has been cancelled. Please check back for more cleanup dates in the new year.

Join us at Fort De Soto Park while we observe duck migration from the Gulf Pier! Registration is not required but recommended to give the field trip leader an idea of how many attendees to expect.

Field trip lead: Ron Smith
Difficulty: Easy (pier) to Moderate (natural paths, loose sand, potential for feet to get wet)

Join us as we welcome Jeff Liechty, Assistant Sanctuary Manager for Audubon Florida’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, for an engaging talk on brown pelican banding. Jeff has been dedicated a portion of his career to banding brown pelicans that have been hooked and/or entangled by fishing gear. He will be presenting on his banding efforts and the importance of his work.

Event location: Zoom (virtual)

Join Ron Smith on his monthly bird walk at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

Meetup location: Education Center lobby
Time: 8:00 AM
Cost: Free
Binoculars are available for loan.

Thank you all so much for your interest in this field trip! We have closed registration due to a high volume of registrants.

Join us at Crescent Lake Park! This field trip location was a hit last season and we can’t wait to see what we spot this time around.

Field trip lead: John Ficken
Difficulty: Easy (grass, paved path)

Join us at Fort De Soto Park! If you would like to stick around longer, feel free to pack a lunch and continue the fun until 11 / 11:30am. Please note that we will likely be wading through shallow water to cross over to Outback Key.

Meeting point : Flagpole
Field trip lead: Ron Smith, Peter Plage
Difficulty: Moderate (natural paths, loose sand, you will likely get wet)

Beth Reynolds will kick off our 2023 / 2024 speaker series with a program on ethical bird photography. With her expertise and passion, Reynolds will enlighten the audience on the importance of ethical practices in capturing the beauty of birds through photography. This event will leave the audience equipped with the knowledge and motivation to capture the incredible moments of birdlife while ensuring their well-being.

Event location: Boy Hill Nature Preserve

Join us at Sawgrass Lake Park to kick off our 2023 / 2024 season!

Field trip lead: Ron Smith
Difficulty: Easy (boardwalk)

Join us on the 16th of September, as St. Petersburg Audubon Society takes charge in preserving and protecting the precious shoreline of the park we have proudly adopted. Together with nature enthusiasts, wildlife advocates, and community members, we are organizing a shoreline cleanup event that aims to restore the pristine beauty of our local park.

Event Details:

• Date: September 16th, 2023

• Time: 8:00 am

• Location: Maximo Park, St. Petersburg

Purpose:

The purpose of this shoreline cleanup is two-fold: to remove accumulated debris that poses a threat to the health of our local ecosystem and to raise awareness about the importance of preserving our natural spaces. By eliminating the litter that often accumulates near the shoreline, we can ensure the well-being of our resident and migratory bird species, aquatic life, and other wildlife that call this park their home.

What to Expect:

Upon arriving, you will be greeted by our friendly St. Pete Audubon volunteers who will provide garbage bags, and other necessary equipment. We will then divide into groups and disperse along the shoreline to collect trash, clean up plastic waste, fishing lines, and any other debris that we encounter.
Whether you're an experienced beachcomber or a first-time volunteer, this event is suitable for all ages and abilities. It's a fantastic opportunity for families to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in their children, as well as a chance for individuals to meet like-minded individuals who share a love for our natural world.

What to Bring:

• Sunscreen and a hat for sun protection.

• Closed-toe shoes that you don't mind getting wet or dirty.

• Reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.

• Snacks if you think you’ll get hungry

• A positive attitude and eagerness to make a difference!

CANCELLED

Please note that we have cancelled our first cleanup with Keep Pinellas Beautiful originally planned for August 19th. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you at our future cleanups!

Registration is now closed. This field trip will be capped at 30 participants.

Spring at Fort De Soto offers a multitude of bird species migrating to their nesting grounds. What will we spot this year? Join us to find out!

Registrants will receive additional information the week of the field trip.

This program will be virtual via Zoom. Registration is required.

The Merlin Bird ID app, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is an amazing tool to help identify birds around us. Sound ID, Merlin’s newest feature, helps identify by sound - but how does it work? Join Alli Smith as we take a look behind the scenes to learn how Sound ID was developed, and how you can help us expand Merlin to cover more species worldwide.

Registration for this field trip is closed.

Join us as we take on Eckerd College’s campus for a morning of birding! You never know what you might see hanging around campus and the mangroves just on the other side of the canal.

Photo: Joe Salcedo '23

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian, an author, a podcaster and an award-winning environmental reporter. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him "the most destructive force on campus." In 31 years at the Tampa Bay Times, he covered a variety of beats and several natural disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes and the Florida Legislature. He now writes a weekly column for the Florida Phoenix and is co-host of the popular podcast "Welcome to Florida." He's the author of six non-fiction books about Florida, including the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country and Cat Tale: The Wild Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther, which Garden & Gun magazine named one of the 20 best books of 2020. His most recent one, published in 2021, is The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children

This field trip is full. Check our events page for upcoming field trips.

Guest leader John Ficken will lead us to check out the wonderful birds of Crescent Lake, both on the water and on the wing! Registration will be capped at 20 attendees.

“Join the Friends of Boyd Hill and the City of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department for the 10th Annual Raptor Fest!

EVENT ACTIVITIES

• Trained raptors in free flight

• Learn about Florida's native raptor species

• Photo opportunities with live birds of prey

• Environmental exhibitors

• Activities for children & families

• Bird walks

• Food & beverage vendors

• & more!”

Join us virtually to chat with Kelly Quinn, founder of Canvas of the Wild, on how she found a career combining both her passions for art and wildlife conservation.

Register for the event

Registration for this field trip has closed. Thank you!

Join us as we take a walk around Outback Key with Audubon Florida staff member Kara Cook! Outback Key is an important location for wintering species and year-round residents. With an increase in biodiversity over the last few years, this sliver of land is a hotspot for various species during winter and nesting seasons. You never know what you might see.

Meetup location: Pavillion #2 at 9:15 a.m.

Difficulty: Moderate - all sand terrain

Field trip leaders: Kara Cook (Audubon Florida) and Abigail Gibson (St. Pete Audubon)

Our December program will be led by staff and volunteers of Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. They will discuss bird rescue and rehabilitation at their sanctuary through Powerpoint and with the help of a couple of bird ambassadors. This will also be an opportunity for attendees to bring much-needed donation items for the sanctuary’s patients and residents. Items needed can be found here at the bottom of the page: https://seasideseabirdsanctuary.org/donate