5 Feb: Monthly Meeting and Program: “A Green Fire – a presentation of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic” by Professor Emeritus Don Baltz, Louisiana State University. This Green Fire DVD explores the life and legacy of famed conservationist Aldo Leopold and the many ways his land ethic philosophy lives on in the work of people and organizations all over the country today. The film shares highlights from Leopold’s life and extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation and the modern environmental movement. It also illustrates Leopold’s continuing influence, exploring current projects that connect people and land at the local level. Meet urban children in Chicago learning about local foods and ecological restoration. Meet ranchers in Arizona and New Mexico who maintain healthy landscapes by working on their own properties, and with their neighbors, in cooperative community conservation efforts. Meet wildlife biologists who are bringing threatened and endangered species, from cranes to Mexican wolves, back to the landscapes where they once thrived. And learn how Leopold’s vision of a community that cares about both people and land ties all of these modern conservation stories together, and offers inspiration and insight for the future.
The meeting will be held in Room 130 of the new Student Services Building at Northwest Fla. State College. Socializing begins at 6:30 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the interested public. Call Gary Parsons at 850-678-1461 for more info.
13-15 Feb: Annual Retreat to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge at Ellisville, Mississippi. Meet this rare and magnificent bird on a guided tour of the refuge, and then engage in general birding in this ecologically interesting and beautiful location. For more information, including lodging info, call Margaret Benner at 850-678-6665.
28 Feb: Bird Walk: Join local ornithologist, Alan Knothe, for a bird walk to the Okaloosa County Landfill and FWB Spray Fields. Tour the most productive birding area in S. Okaloosa Co. with a seasoned expert. Expect to see raptors, waders, ducks, and wintering songbirds. It is common to see more than 50 different species of birds in a single morning at this unlikely-sounding spot. Bring binoculars, good walking shoes, water, and sunscreen. Meet-up is at the parking lot of the Coach and 4 Restaurant at 1313 N. Lewis Turner Blvd. at 7:30 AM. Call Alan at 850-208-1780 for more info.
For more information about future events, and birding in general, visit their website at www.choctawhatcheeaudubon.org or find them on Facebook at Choctawhatchee Audubon Society.