Lyonia Preserve Volunteer Celebration, November 8, 2025

Area Journey

Throughout an early morning jay stroll led by West Volusia Audubon Vice President Stephen Kintner, volunteers hit the paths and had been delighted to see a few of Lyonia Protect’s most charismatic inhabitants— curious teams of Florida Scrub-Jays. Many volunteers graciously offered scrumptious snacks to accompany the beneficiant espresso donation from Starbucks. The sense of neighborhood amongst volunteers was obvious as Jay Watchers took a number of moments to assemble and catch up.

Meet and Greets

 Lyonia Environmental Middle Supervisor Christie Miller offered a heat welcome to volunteers new and outdated. There was additionally a chance to satisfy the most recent member of the Audubon Jay Watch crew, Carrie Mohanna, who assists with the coordination of program actions.

Analysis and Outreach

 Audrey DeRose-Wilson, Audubon Florida’s director of hen conservation, facilitated an in-depth have a look at Florida Scrub-Jays from quite a lot of viewpoints:

 • Wildlife Biologist Mike Legare spoke in regards to the inhabitants at Merritt Island Nationwide Wildlife Refuge and land administration actions. 

• DeRose-Wilson offered a recap of the 2025 statewide outcomes, knowledge, and Jay Watch season. After fairly a number of years of surveys with no birds, the Southfork Tract nearly wasn’t surveyed this 12 months. After listening to from Southwest Florida Water Administration District employees that jays had returned, Jennifer Callaghan with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee led a Jay Watch survey, and confirmed that jays had been again, with two household teams detected. The habitat has appeared good at this web site for some time, so hopefully these jays elevate younger subsequent 12 months.

• Volunteers explored the intersection of comics and conservation via the eyes of Annicka Chaffey. As an artist and science communicator, Chaffey lately produced a comic book e book in collaboration with the avian ecology and teaching programs at Archbold Organic Station. Cora: Discovering a Residence within the Scrub is a narrative that educates center schoolers in regards to the Florida Scrub-Jay.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who attended, introduced scrumptious treats to share, carried meals, cleaned up, shared photographs, and helped to make the occasion a fantastic success! Subsequent time you’re hanging out with a Jay Watcher, preserve a watch out for the t-shirts created by Oskar Garcia, a College of Florida scholar who volunteered his time and expertise to create the gorgeous design. As a small token of thanks, every volunteer on the occasion walked out with a pleasant new addition to their survey wardrobe!

This text initially appeared within the 2025 Jay Watch report. Read the full report here.