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All Taxa Inventory Update
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The initial stages of our “All Taxa Inventory” are underway! We have been blessed with the presence of Matt Greenwood, intern from the University of the South Sewanee. Matt has been drafting the basic outline of our All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). The center’s location is a great place for an ATBI to be undertaken because the Pascagoula River is widely recognized as the last free flowing river in the contiguous United States. Because of this, the river basin contains a huge amount of biodiversity. Matt has been using the first ever successfully conducted ATBI, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ATBI, as a blueprint on how to set-up the general structure and processes of this daunting task. Moreover, Matt has been highlighting the major goals and objectives of the program such as education, science, and stewardship. PRAC is very excited about this process, and we hope to start with some initial specimen collecting this fall by engaging students of Moss Point High School’s newly formed Audubon club. If you are interested in becoming a “citizen scientist” for this program, get your rubber boots on and come join us.
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Learning Platform Standing Tall
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The Visions Service Adventures Mississippi Volunteer Team has just completed one of the three learning station decks to be built at the Center. A grant from First Chemical Corporation was set in place last year for the materials to build three “learning platforms” at strategic sites on the center grounds. The platforms were designed by Mark LaSalle, and the main carpenters for the project were Vision supervisor’s Chris Essock and Bob “Bob Cat” Bonagura. Other members of the team were Tambi Cork and Mindy Minton. Because PRAC’s main educational goals are to teach students and adults about the watershed and wetlands, these decks will be placed adjacent to the bayou, the tidal marsh, and the bay head swamp. We were lucky enough to have the Visions student volunteers from across the country converge on the center grounds to start work on the deck/observation platform in the first week of July. After three weeks of hard work, the deck has been completed and is ready for use. Not only will this deck allow us a raised view of the bayhead swamp, it is in the perfect location to view and observe our nesting pair of Bald Eagles. Come on down and enjoy our new "perspective".
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Got Hummers?
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As the days grow cooler, the number of hummingbird sightings will increase across the Gulf Coast states. After nesting and rearing babies up to 3 times per year, hummers will soon start to prepare for their long migration across the Gulf of Mexico by increasing their caloric intake. Quite simply, they will try to put on as much weight as possible, and use this energy for their 18 to 24 hours non stop flight to lower Mexico and Central America. August through early November is a great time to help these dynamic birds by placing feeders in your yard. Their main food supply is floral nectar and small insects, but they will gladly visit feeders year after year to “boost up” on energy. We encourage folks to make their own nectar, and not buy store bought mixes which contain red dye. As long as the feeder itself is red, the birds will be attracted to it. Hummers can see red feeders up to ¾ miles away! The homemade nectar is an easy 4 to 1 ratio of water and sugar (4 parts water, 1 part sugar). The most common hummer along the gulf coast is the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, but you may be able to attract the coastal migrating Rufus Hummingbird by maintaining a feeder in your yard during the winter months. Be on the look out for these awesome birds and do your part to help them “fuel” up. Dont forget to enjoy the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center's Hummingbird Migration Festival in September. This event is a great chance to see hundreds of hummers at one time! For more info, visit www.msaudubon.org/hummingbird08.php
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Strawberry Plains Audubon Center--285 Plains Rd., Holly Springs, MS 38635,
662-252-1155, fax-662-252-8844
Bird Conservation Office--1208 Washington St., Vicksburg, MS 39183, 601-661-6189,
fax 601-661-6364
Pascagoula River Audubon Center-- 7001 Frank Griffin Rd. Moss Point, Ms. 39563, 228-475-0825
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2007 by Audubon Mississippi. All rights reserved.
Web consulting by Andy
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