Volunteer Spotlight, Audubon Florida Jay Watch
Audubon Florida Jay Watch is the recipient of the 2022 Volunteer Team of the Year 3+ for Resource Management.
Florida scrub habitat is one of the rarest ecosystems in the world. It’s found at the southern end of the Lake Wales Ridge and provides habitat for some of Florida’s most imperiled plant and animal species, one of which is the Florida scrub-jay.
For nearly 10 years, park staff has planned and implemented Florida scrub-jay monitoring at four resource management units within Highlands Hammock and Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve state parks.
Teams of three to seven volunteers have contributed 375 hours assisting with Jay Watch at Highlands Hammock, Seven Lakes, the East Property and the South Property. Additionally, volunteers have contributed 310 hours at Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve.
Audubon Florida Jay Watch, the citizen science program that monitors the endemic Florida scrub-jay, marked its 10th anniversary in 2022.
Monitoring is scheduled during a window of time from mid-June through mid-July when juvenile jays can be distinguished from adults.
The scrub habitat is largely inhospitable to people. When volunteers are working to ensure accurate identification, it can be formidable to navigate beyond the dense, twisted oak trees, palmetto, cacti, scattered pines, and open, sandy patches to reach the interior pine snag where a bird might be perched. Other challenges are the intense and unrelenting heat of the scrub, lack of shade and the oppressive summer humidity.
Volunteers pair off with park staff to observe and record data at designated locations on three consecutive mornings, and although they get an early start, working in these conditions can be exhausting by mid-morning.
In 2021, 60 jay watchers counted 535 adults and 183 juveniles at 46 sites throughout Florida. Within this count, 16 adults and 13 juveniles were sighted at Highlands Hammock, and 32 adults and 18 juveniles were sighted at Lake June-in-Winter.
Congratulations, Audubon Florida. Your dedication is appreciated.
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