MRK QUick Kit
Bird, Bird, Bird
Bird is the word!
[burd iz th uh wurd]
Advocate - Educate - engage
Matanzas Riverkeeper environmental education kits are supported by a grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund.
Did you know?
- Over 3 billion birds have disappeared since 1970. That's one out of every 4 birds!
- Domestic cats are the #1 human-caused threat to birds. In the United States alone, outdoor cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year.
- A single seed coated with a neonic pesticide can kill a songbird.
- It is projected that by 2050, 99% of seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
- Saint Johns County is well-known for it's amazing birding opportunities with many hot-spots and Important Bird Areas (StJohnsAudubon.com).
MRK Quick Kits
protect what you love!
MRK Quick Kits give you what you need to:
- Make a positive impact on your community
- Win cash and/or prizes
- Log service hours
Bright Futures Service Credit Form
IB CAS Credit
Enter hours in Managebac
SJCSD Service Hours
Log and submit hours to stakimhall@outlook.com for sign-off
Explore
Get to know the amazing world of birds, and
the threats that harm them.
Act
Collect data and/or do a project based on your interests to protect birds of the Matanzas Watershed.
advocate
Reach out, speak up, and
PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE!
win prizes from these great sponsors
Complete the MRK Entry Ticket to be entered into a raffle for amazing swag. Deadline: May 1, 2023
Surfboard, skateboard, fishing pole and gear, E-bike passes, tacos, coffee, pizza, and amazing swag! Climbing wall passes, scuba diving experience, and so much more!!
HELP THE PLANET = WIN PRIZES
1.
2.
3.
COMPLETE A KIT
Explore the incredible birds of the Matanzas watershed. Get outside and get birding. Advocate to protect our feathered friends. Bird is the Word!
CLICK HERE to see all the kits
DO A PROJECT
We provide birding activity ideas - or you can think outside the box and do a project based on your personal interests (art, writing, music, etc). Get creative!
ENTER TO WIN
Complete the MRK Entry Ticket before May 1, 2023 to win raffle prizes. In addition, a grand prize of $500 will be awarded to a student, team, class, or club who makes the biggest community impact with their project.
BONUS
List the teacher who referred you to this kit. The top TEACHER to be listed on the Entry Ticket will win $500 to use as they please.
CLICK HERE for contest details
Contents
Explore birds
Overview of birds including common threats and issues
Get Birding
Tools and apps, local hotspots, and tips on bird identification. Get outside and have fun!
Step up, Speak Out
Share your opinions and ideas with local and state legislators
Contacts and resources
State and local leader contact information, media contacts, and resource library
The Matanzas Riverkeeper
Overview of the Matanzas Riverkeeper mission and Crew.
Explore
"
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not."
- The Lorax
Turn up the volume!
Bird is the Word
Flappy Bird!
relax and be happy with Birdsong
weird and wonderful birds of the Matanzas
North American osprey
- Ospreys have a third eyelid, like a contact lens, that protects their eyes underwater.
- Male ospreys will sometimes bring so many sticks to the nest that their mate ends up buried!
- Courting males perform an aerial display known as the “sky-dance.”
- Check out an osprey nest at the Winn-Dixie on A1A on Anastasia Island! It's too cool.
Great Blue heron
- Great blue herons have specialized feathers on their chest that will grow continuously and fray into a powder. This powder can be used to help clean off fish slime.
- Despite their impressive size with a wingspan of up to 6 ft, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds.
- Great Blue Herons fly with their neck into a tight "S" shape.
American oystercatcher
- American Oystercatchers are the only birds in their environment with the ability to open large molluscs such as clams and oysters (except for large gulls that drop clams onto pavement).
- A group of oystercatchers are collectively known as a "parcel" of oystercatchers.
- Young nestlings can run within24 hours of birth but their beaks are not strong enough to open bivalve shells until they are about 2 months old.
- A group of waxwings are collectively known as an "ear-full" and a "museum" of waxwings.
- Cedar waxwings are very social and will work together as a team to pass berries from beak to beak down a line.
- Although usually bright yellow, their tail feathers may be bright orange due to a new introduced berry they like to eat!
- The term "waxwing" comes from a small amount of red wax-like substance on their secondary wings. It's believed this helps attract females, or to signal age and social status.
Cedar waxwing
- The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male.
- A group of Belted kingfishers is called a "crown" or a "rattle" of kingfishers.
Belted kingfisher
- The design of the Japanese Bullet Train is based on the kingfisher's beak, making it 30% more efficient and quiet. Click here to learn more. Very cool!
Great Egret
- Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings. This behavior is known as siblicide.
- During breeding season, a patch of skin on a male's face turns neon green, and long plumes grow from its back, called aigrettes.
- The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America. Audubon was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers.
- In the early 1900s, human feather collectors devastated species such as the snowy egret. Used for fashion clothing and hats, their aigrette feathers were worth up to $30 an ounce – twice the price of gold at the turn of the century. Several laws, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which ended plume hunting in the United States, now protect them.
You NEED to watch this video. It's shocking.
Black vulture
- Vultures lack a voice box; their vocalizations include rasping hisses and grunts.
- Vultures are bald so that dead meat (carrion) won't stick to their heads.
- Vulture fecal matter is free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi due to the strong stomach acids in the stomach.
Jen's favorite because "vultures are the underdog. Smart, misunderstood, and vital."
- Just like humans, Roseate spoonbills grow bald as they age, losing feathers from the top of their head as they get older.
- The collective noun for spoonbills is "bowl."
- It is thought that the roseate spoonbill receives its bright coloring from the pigments of the crustaceans that it eats - which contain carotenoids that help turn their feathers pink.
Roseate spoonbill
Clapper rail
- The saying “thin as a rail” comes from the bird’s lean body.
- Chicks less than two weeks old are carried on the adults’ backs during periods of high water or when the birds move across open water.
- Clapper Rails have special salt glands that enable them to drink sea water.
Kim's favorite because they sound like "cackling old ladies in the marsh!"
Hollow bones and wish bones
the last dinosaurs
Dinosaur. It's what's for dinner!
CLICK HERE to read a VERY interesting and WEIRD article. It answers the age-old question of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
A major extinction-level event (ELE) occurred approximately 65 million years ago when an asteroid strike and heavy volcanic activity drastically altered Earth's environment. This ELE wiped out the dinosaurs, except a small group that would eventually evolve into modern-day
birds. Birds survived
most likely due to
their ability to fly,
adapt to new habitats,
and their small size.
An event that occurs when a large number of species die out in a relatively short period of time.
E.L.E - Extinction Level Event
Threats: The horrible, awful truth
Birds made it through the extinction-level event that wiped out most species 65 million years ago but will they survive a modern human-induced ELE?! In what some scientists call the Holocene Extinction, many bird species are rapidly declining due to habitat destruction, poor water quality, collisions, and free-roaming cats.
Pollution
Cats
Windows
Current studies estimate that the US and Canada have lost approximately 30% of the wild bird population since 1970. A combination of human-influenced factors have contributed to this severe decline across all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Click on the
pictures
to learn more
Bird decline since 1970
SourcE: allaboutbirds.org
HABITAT LOSS
Birds rely on specific places to live, find food, breed, rest, and raise their young. Often, these areas change based on a bird's life cycle and migration patterns.
Habitat loss is the number one threat to birds. The US Fish and Wildlife Service states that millions of acres of bird habitat are lost or degraded each year due to development, agriculture, and forestry practices - and climate change will increase this loss.
FREE-ROAMING CATS
Cats can make great pets - but KEEP THEM INSIDE! After habitat loss, cats are the next biggest threat to birds worldwide. Cats kill an estimated 2.4 million birds per year in North America alone. Feral (unowned) cats are responsible for 69% of the total cat-bird mortality in the US.
All cats have a fine-tuned predatory instinct that has contributed to the extinction of more than 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Even well-fed cats will seek prey in the wild. They are listed as one of the world's worst non-native invasive species.
TIP: Drink bird-friendly, shade-grown coffee to save bird habitat
Look for bird-friendly labels! This coffee saves vital bird habitat, reduces erosion, improves water quality, reduces pesticide use, saves rainforests, and it TASTES GREAT!
WINDOW COLLISIONS
Birds behave as if windows are invisible. Studies estimate that bird-window collisions kill up to a billion birds each year in the US alone. The worldwide annual estimate is in the multiple billions. Even if the bird is able to fly away, it will often die from traumatic blunt-force injury due to impact.
Window imprint from bird collision. Photo by David Fancher
Photo by Susan Spear/Cornell Lab.
We can help birds by creating bird-safe windows. Screens, decals, paint, film, tape, ribbons, and cording can be used to prevent birds from hitting glass. Below are a few examples but you can get creative!
Bird-friendly window ideas.
Bird-friendly window ideas.
CLICK HERE to learn more from our friends at Flap.org!
PESTICIDES and POISONS
Globally, more than 5 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year for residential, agricultural, golf course, disease, and forest/rangeland management. One study estimates that approximately 67 million birds die each year in the US due to pesticide use. This number is considered extremely conservative.
The US uses approximately 50 chemicals that are lethal to birds including Neonicontinoids. "Neonics" are found in many common products including bug sprays, seed treatments, and veterinary applications.
TIP: Reduce pesticide use by planting native!
Native plants have natural defense systems against local predators that reduce the need for chemicals. Plus, native plants attract butterflies, insects, and BIRDS in our area. It's a win-win!
SourcE: Smithsonian
Going, Going - but hopefully not- Gone.
- Click on the to learn more including songs, habitat, and threats.
- CLICK HERE for more information about SJC imperiled species.
Least Tern
Tri-colored Heron
Little Blue Heron
American Kestrel
Wood stork
State-Listed Birds of St Johns County
Shorebirds and stewardship
help our coastal friends
- Respect posted areas. Stay off dune habitat and out of nesting areas.
- Keep your dog at home - but if Fido goes to the beach, make sure your dog remains on a leash at all times.
- Remove all trash that you take to the beach, and make sure it gets into a trashcan. Also, make sure to dispose of fishing line properly!
- Fireworks scare birds and can make them abandon nests. It's best to attend official events only.
- Don't feed wildlife.
- Leave sand in it's natural state. Don't leave holes or disturb dunes.
7 simple actions to make a difference
ACT
"
"Many of us ask what can I, as one person, do, but history shows us that everything good and bad starts because somebody does something or does not do something."
- Sylvia Earle
IMPORTANT! You must include at least 3 pictures of your project in the MRK Entry Ticket to qualify for prizes!
1. download the Merlin app
The Merlin app makes it easy to indentify birds by sight and SOUND. Answer a few quick questions, or click "record," and it will ID birds for you.
Merlin Bird ID by cornell lab
Merlin features the best of community contributed photos, songs, and calls, tips from experts around the world to help you ID the birds you see. CLICK HERE to download.
2. Find a location to look for birds
Birding doesn't have to be complicated. Simply walk outside your house and observe the world around you. If you are feeling adventurous, check out some great birding spots in our area. The Matanzas watershed is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and has been designated an Important Birding Area by the National Audubon Society. Start exploring!
Check out any of these spots on the Great FL Birding Trail!
3. Enter your data
Log at least 10 different birds to help gather data about what birds are in our area at different times of the year.
1.Click
Sound ID
2. Push
Record
3. Listen and ID. Click on a bird to learn more!
4. Add birds to your Life List and/or send to Ebird
4. Creative bird Project (optional)
Go for the $500 grand-prize! Think outside the box and get creative. Make a difference in your own special way. Utilize technology, art, photography, writing, music, or whatever makes you happy. Do something you love to protect what you love!
birding hotspots
Great birding in St Johns county
Saint Johns County is considered a prime destination for birdwatching and has multiple "hotspots" where you are pretty much guaranteed a fun day in the field. Here are a few local spots to get started.
* Click on the links below for info on walks, talks, and events. Remember - you can get CAS credit for event participation!
Anastasia State Park
Considered one of the most important sites for migrating shorebirds on the east coast, this park is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and has been designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.
Matanzas Inlet is a natural inlet that connects the Matanzas River with the Atlantic Ocean. The Inlet has significant populations of threatened and endangered species, significant numbers of shorebirds, and significant natural habitats.
Fort Mose
Fort Mose is an historic site that was home to the first legally-sanctioned free African settlement in the US. This 40-acre park is also an important rookery with more than 107 bird species. Park rangers offer bird hikes and birding checklists.
St Augustine Alligator Farm
The STA Alligator Farm has an amazing natural rookery. You should really check it out! So many chicks. Their mission "is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds."
fort matanzas national monument
Over 200 species of birds have been identified at Fort Matanzas National Monument. This area is designated as the Matanzas Inlet Critical Wildlife Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
CLICK HERE for additional hotspots in SJC, checklists, and location information.
TOOLS
Field guides and binoculars
You can be an expert birder with 2 simple tools - binns and a field guide!
field guides
Ebird mobile
Keep track of your birding activity and create personal checklists, while making your data openly available for scientific research, education, and conservation. Work completely offline with GPS capabilities. CLICK HERE to download.
Audubon bird guide app
The Audubon Bird Guide is a free and complete field guide to over 800 species of North American birds, right in your pocket. CLICK HERE to download.
binoculars
Binoculars are an important tool for effective birding. Most birders prefer 7- or 8- power optics in order to have a crisp image and wide-field of view, allowing you to track birds in flight. Click here to learn more about selecting a great pair of binoculars. If you do not have binoculars handy, the Matanzas Riverkeeper is happy to lend you a pair from a generous grant from the Saint Johns County Audubon Society!
advocate
Verb. To publicly recommend or support.
Noun. A person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea.
Synonyms: champion, stand up for
ADVOCATE
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
"
— Margaret Mead
"
Advocate
Step Up, Speak out
continue to Take Action
Did you know Northeast Florida is the second-largest area that birds migrate along the Atlantic Coast with 3.5 billion birds making this journey twice per year? Many songbirds use the cover of darkness to avoid predators and use the light from the moon and stars to find the way to their wintering and breeding grounds, but the bright lights we have on our homes and buildings can attract and disorient birds on their migration journeys. Email our County Commissioners and encourage them to adopt a Dark Sky Ordinance.
Here is some sample language to get you started. Feel free to copy and paste this into your email, but be sure to edit it to make it your own.
Dear __________________________,
I am writing today to encourage you to consider adopting a Dark Sky ordinance for St. Johns County. Many songbirds travel at night using the moon and stars as their guiding lights, however, bright artificial lights on buildings draw birds toward these lights and off their natural migration paths. This can cause birds to collide with buildings or collapse from exhaustion when they can't find their way.
A Dark Sky ordinance can help protect birds similarly to how we already protect sea turtles. This ordinance could include requirements that lights are turned off at night during migration season or put on motion sensors. It could also include requirements for newly constructed building to direct lights downwards instead of up into the sky.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
_________________________
CLICK HERE to find their email addresses.
A picture is worth 1000 words, so don't forget to include them.
How can you help?
- Turn off your lights during the darkest period of night – between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during migration seasons
- Direct lights to point downward, instead of upward into the sky
- Switch floodlights to timed lights or motion sensor lights
- Turn off interior lights where possible or close blinds
- Encourage the businesses you frequent to turn off their lights or reduce the amount of time their lights are on at night
- Share educational messages and graphics with family and friends using the hashtag #LightsOutForBirds
Did you know...?
A small group of concerned citizens formed the Fish Island Community Alliance to protect 33 acres of wildlife habitat in Saint Augustine. Because of their advocacy work, the Saint Augustine commissioners granted approval to preserve this land as a passive park for generations to come. SJCA Member and Young Birder Leader, Blair Clark, spoke to to the Commission and played an important role in the successful outcome.
Imagine what you can achieve if you speak up to protect what you love!
Want to take your advocacy to the next level? Share your thoughts and efforts with other elected officials or media outlets to bring more attention to the issue.
local commissioners
St Augustine city Commissioners
St Augustine Beach Commissioners
St johns county commissioners
Website: www.citystaug.com/582/City-Commission
Phone: 904-825-1006
Email: cosa@citystaug.com
Twitter: @CityStAug
Website: www.staugbch.com/citycommission
Phone: 904-471-2122
Email: Mayor, Don Samora, comdsamora@cityofsab.org
Website: www.sjcfl.us/Commissioners/index.aspx
Phone: 904-209-0300
Find your district: http://www.sjcfl.us/MySJCFL/index.aspx
Twitter: @StJohnsCounty
Fl state leaders
Governor - Ron Desantis (r)
US senator - marco rubio
Email: rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Phone: 202-224-3041
Website: www.rubio.senate.gov
Instagram: @ senatormarcorubio
Us senator - rick scott
Phone: 904-479-7227
Website: https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Twitter @ScottforFlorida
Fl state senator, district 7
travis hutson
FL house of representatives
Find your US Representatives here!
Local Media contacts
TV Stations
first coast news
Contact
Main Phone: 904-354-1212
Community Affairs: (904) 633-8849
Twitter: @FCN2go
action news Jax
Contact
Main Phone: 904-564-1599
Events/Community Page: events@ActionNewsJax.com
Twitter: @ActionNewsJax
Newspapers
Saint augustine record
Contact
Main Phone: 904-819-3430
Sheldon Gardner, Reporter
Email: sgardner@staugustine.com
ponte vedra recorder
Radio Stations
102.1 WFOY
SJC News, sports, and Talk
Contact
Phone: 904-797-1955
Beach 105.5
Flagler Broadcasting
Resource Library
St. Johns County Audubon
Excellent resource that includes information about birding hotspots, injured birds, citizen science, planting for birds, and teacher materials.
Florida shorebird alliance
The Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) is a statewide network of local partnerships committed to advancing shorebird and seabird conservation in Florida.
american bird conservancy
American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
Cornell lab of ornithology
Our mission is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
A network of 510 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail. It’s Your Road to Adventure!
Matanzas Riverkeeper
Matanzas Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the health of the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas watershed through advocacy, education, and community engagement. Our work includes everything from advocating for stronger water quality protections, to organizing waterway cleanups, to teaching children and adults how to be good stewards of our environment. Waterkeepers combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the right to clean safe, water. For more information visit: www.MatanzasRiverkeeper.org.
Matanzas Riverkeeper,
jen Lomberk
Jen Lomberk is your Matanzas Riverkeeper. As a native Floridian, Jen has a lifelong personal connection with Florida’s natural areas and has dedicated her career to protecting them. Jen is a licensed attorney who has worked on a wide spectrum of environmental issues. She now serves as the Chair of the Waterkeepers Florida regional entity.
MRK Education Coordinator, Kim Hall
Kim is busy creating environmental education units to provide a fun and easy way for students and adults to advocate for the Matanzas watershed. She is currently working on the MRK Showcase competition for SJC students focused on positive impact and community service activities.
You did it!
GREAT JOB!
Woohoo!
Thanks for being a voice for the Matanzas!
Spread the word and keep up the good fight!
Sincerely,
The Matanzas Riverkeeper Crew
Advocate - Educate - engage