provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society is excited to announce the final lecture of its three-lecture series this season on March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sanibel Community House. Cheryl Merz with EagleWatch will provide an in-depth look at Florida’s eagle population and the volunteer community science program that monitors them.
The Audubon EagleWatch Program is a growing community science program founded in 1992 in Central Florida with only 22 volunteers. Today, the program is statewide, reaching more communities each year and continuing to heighten awareness of Bald Eagle nesting activities throughout the state.
Based at Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, Audubon EagleWatch seeks information about Bald Eagles, active nest locations, and possible disturbances or threats to nesting activities. As one of the premier community science programs in Florida, EagleWatch works to protect approximately 40% of the state’s nesting pairs.
EagleWatch’s volunteers collect and document Bald Eagle nesting information that is used to help in the conservation efforts of the species.
Cheryl Merz originally hails from Tampa, Florida. She has been involved with EagleWatch for over twelve years. Cheryl has recently stepped into the role of program manager, and you will easily see that Cheryl loves every aspect of Bald Eagles. Their conservation is her true passion.
San-Cap Audubon Society board members are excited to host Cheryl and dive into Florida’s eagles and their conservation. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on San-Cap Audubon’s website. If tickets are not purchased in advance, they will be $10 at the door.