Seminole Audubon Society

Seminole Audubon Society A Florida Chapter of the National Audubon Society Welcome to the Seminole Audubon Society page! The 2023-2024 season is September through March.

If you are interested in furthering your knowledge of birds, meeting other birders, and helping to conserve habitat for birds and other wildlife – then you are in the right spot. Program Meetings will be held the 2nd Sunday of the month during the season except for October. On October 8th, we will be participating in The Big Sit! in place of the meeting. Meetings will be held in the auditorium at

UF / IFAS Extension Seminole County, 250 West County Home Road, Sanford. Each meeting will have a guest speaker. Monthly field trips to local birding hotspots will be held September through March. Information on upcoming Program Meetings and Field Trips can be found under the “Birding” tab of the Seminole Audubon Society website https://seminoleaudubon.org. This information will also be published here and on Meetup. You can also receive monthly reminders, The Jay (our newsletter), and other communications to your inbox by signing up on the banner at the top of our website homepage. Please consider becoming a member or donating to support the work of Seminole Audubon Society. Membership and donation information can be found at https://seminoleaudubon.org/membership

The Florida Scrub-Jay is the symbol of the Seminole Audubon Society. It is the only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida. It can be found in low-growing oak scrub and scrubby flatwoods. The numbers of Florida Scrub-Jay are small due to development and habitat fragmentation, it is on the federal endangered species list.

The 2026 – 2027 Season for Seminole Audubon Society is starting in just a few weeks. Find out about upcoming events in t...
08/21/2026

The 2026 – 2027 Season for Seminole Audubon Society is starting in just a few weeks. Find out about upcoming events in the latest editions of The Jay newsletter and the Season Calendar.

https://seminoleaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-JAY-Sep-Oct.pdf

https://seminoleaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SAS-Flyer-2026-2027.pdf

Seminole Audubon Society is featured in this article:Seminole Audubon Society and the City of Sanford have built a stron...
08/20/2026

Seminole Audubon Society is featured in this article:

Seminole Audubon Society and the City of Sanford have built a strong partnership to support 72 Purple Martin nesting gourds along Lake Monroe, a high-traffic park in downtown Sanford. Seminole Audubon monitors the colony, tracks nesting activity, and contributes scout arrival data to national research efforts, while the City of Sanford provides ongoing stewardship by maintaining, installing, and storing the gourds each year. An educational kiosk funded through a National Audubon Society grant helps connect residents and visitors with Purple Martin conservation. The project demonstrates how local government and community conservation organizations can work together to create lasting benefits for both wildlife and people.

Purple Martins grace the skies of Florida every spring and summer, but development and habitat changes have reduced their natural nesting sites. In the Summer edition of Naturalist magazine, we share how Audubon chapters around Florida have stepped up to install artificial martin houses and gourds (known collectively as cavities) to provide the space needed for the next generation of this charismatic species: https://www.audubon.org/florida/news/chapters-create-critical-nesting-space-purple-martins

08/14/2026

******ATTENTION RESIDENTS--IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM DOH-SEMINOLE********

DOH-Seminole Issues Rabies Alert

The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) has issued a rabies alert in Seminole County in response to a confirmed case of rabies in a raccoon that was captured in the Tuskawilla area of Winter Springs on August 11, 2026

People and domestic animals should always avoid physical contact with wild animals (e.g., raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, coyotes), which carry a higher risk of human exposure.

This rabies alert is for 60 days and includes the following boundaries in Seminole County:
• E Florida 434 to the North
• Greenbriar Lane to the East
• Dinero Drive to the South
• Dunmar Circle to the West

Take the following precautions to prevent rabies exposure:
• Immunize your pets and livestock based on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule.
• Keep pets under direct supervision and on a leash, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Seminole County Animal Services at 407-665-5201.
• Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract them with outdoor pet food, open garbage cans, or other sources of food. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention, and report the injury to DOH-Seminole by calling 407-665-3243.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home; instead, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
• Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. Contact Seminole County Animal Services at 407-665-5201.
• Prevent wildlife, including bats, from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.
For more information on rabies, please visit FloridaHealth.gov/Rabies or contact DOH-Seminole at 407-665-3243. # # #

08/10/2026

🍄 Seeing mushrooms pop up in your Florida garden lately?

They're usually a sign of healthy soil. After a Florida rain, mushrooms seem to appear like little love notes from the soil.

They're a reminder that beneath our feet, fungi are quietly turning yesterday's leaves and roots into tomorrow's healthy garden.

The part you see above ground is called the fruiting body (or reproductive body) and it is the temporary structure produced by a much larger hidden network underground.

If you were to take a closer look at these wonderful structures, you would see the following:
🍄Cap (Pileus): the top part of the mushrooms
🍄Gills/Pores (Lamellae/Hymenium): The underside of the cap where tiny spores form
🍄Stalk (Stipe): The stem that holds up the cap
🍄Mycelium: The hidden, thread like web living under the soil or wood that does the actual growing and feeding.

Florida has around 268 to 270 specific species of mushrooms documented to thrive in Florida’s subtropical climate, and hundreds more uncatalogued micro-fungi existing across our state’s diverse ecosystem.

Fungi help break down organic matter and recycle nutrients, so mushrooms won't harm your grass or your garden. You can let them be, or if you prefer, you can simply remove or mow over them.

REMEMBER: Always keep children, pets, and yourself from eating wild mushrooms, as some can be toxic.

Learn more about mushrooms from UF/IFAS:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weeds-and-pests/mushrooms-in-lawns/
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/leeco/2021/07/02/mush-ado-about-nothing/
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP377

08/08/2026

🌧️ We’re getting rain, but we’re not out of the drought yet.

Recent rainfall is helping, but the aquifer has not yet rebounded from months of below-average rainfall. In July, 5.17 inches of water was lost to evaporation and plant use, while 6.84 inches of rain fell, leaving little available to replenish groundwater.

The graphic shows the rainfall needed over the next three months, as of Aug. 5, to end extreme drought conditions.

It will take sustained, above-average rainfall to recover. 💧 Continued conservation remains important.

Find water conservation tips at https://www.sjrwmd.com/water-conservation/savingwater/.

08/07/2026
08/07/2026

Proposed Fertilizer Ordinance Download Video Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution flowing into our natural waterbodies. Seminole County Public Wor

07/30/2026
07/23/2026

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PO Box 2977
Sanford, FL
32772

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