Audubon Florida’s Conservation Management Initiative (CLI) is an immersive program that connects undergraduate college students with Audubon chapter leaders for a novel, intergenerational studying expertise. Every fall, 25 college students from throughout Florida are chosen to hitch this system by means of the educational yr, the place they discover real-world conservation matters like habitat restoration, group science, environmental advocacy, and nonprofit management. On the finish of every program, individuals full a student-led undertaking in collaboration with their chapter. Via their tasks, college students hone their expertise whereas contributing towards native conservation efforts.
We characteristic three thrilling initiatives under.
Gale Salyer: College of Central Florida Chapter | Orange Audubon Society
Orange Audubon Society works to revive native vegetation at their newly acquired Apopka Birding Park to supply higher habitat for wildlife. In an effort to take away invasive cogan grass, they launched into an bold mowing program. There’s only one downside: Species like skinks and gopher tortoises can conceal within the grass! To keep away from them whereas mowing, Salyer created a GIS map for Orange Audubon displaying (very clearly) the place gopher tortoise burrows and different delicate wildlife areas are. With GPS, the mowing crew can simply keep away from these factors whereas restoring the habitat.
Miguel Arguello: Florida Worldwide College Chapter | Tropical Audubon Society
How can chapters work with the subsequent technology of conservation leaders to guard birds and the locations they want? That’s the query Arguello tackled as his CLI undertaking, as he labored with each scholar teams and Tropical Audubon Society to attach college students with conservation alternatives. He explored internship alternatives, liaised with scholar teams, linked his work with the FIU Arboretum Initiative, reached out to undergraduate management, and even shaped Florida’s latest Audubon on Campus chapter.
Thandi Kirk: Florida A&M College Chapter| Apalachee Audubon
To extend Purple Martin populations throughout the Sunshine State, chapters are flocking collectively to create martin gourd arrays and different synthetic nests (see web page 16). Most of the homes are put in in public parks and inexperienced areas, however many individuals don’t know what they’re, so Kirk determined to handle schooling as her CLI undertaking. Noting that some folks erroneously considered the arrays as large chook feeders, she created a sequence of instructional indicators that showcase the spectacular migration of this little chook and the significance of those new nesting habitats. Leon County favored her indicators a lot that they reached out to put in them in different parks that characteristic Purple Martin arrays.
This text was revealed within the Summer time 2026 Naturalist.
