FEBRUARY, 2020 NEWSLETTER - FRIENDS OF ST. MARKS WILDLIFE REFUGE
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Your Refuge Loves You
Thanks for being a Friend of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge and
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
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Wildlife, Heritage & Outdoor Festival
A look back
The WHO Festival, falling at mid-winter, is always up-for-grabs where weather is concerned. This year, we caught typical North Florida chill, with gray, cloudy and wet conditions throughout the entire festival.
 Typical of our reliable Friends, however, a really good crowd of Refuge devotees were present. It was lots of fun to see old friends and to welcome new ones who wanted to experience the event for the first time.
Many volunteers were present to make this festival its usual success. We thank you all - you are so valued. Also, it is so important to thank our sponsors . . . they make the event possible. This year, of course, the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge were right there at the forefront, as were the Wakulla Tourist Council and the Apalachee Audubon Society. Thanks, again, to all of you for your help. Here are just a few photos of some of the activities that took place during the six-hour festival.
Captions, top to bottom:
FSU, Environmental Services Program volunteers;
Face painting, Reba Hope;
Friends Board members Bill Clutter (left) and Bill Everitt (right) along with board volunteer Amelia Fusaro;
Cyndi Johnstone identifies animal pelts for kids at the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service table;
Joe Reinman, Refuge Ranger, along with Chloë Dubben and biological intern Emma Buckardt gather for an impromptu photo;
Perkins Street Pickers providing great tunes, (l-r) Thomas Jacoby, AC Frizzell, and Bob Howard (this photo by Jennifer Lange).
Text and all other photos courtesy the editor
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Jeff VanderMeer
His Recent Gift Supports
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander Research
Recently, Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times best-selling author, presented a $5,000 check from VanderMeer Creative to the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. The gift stems from Area X book royalties. Here,
Friends' Board of Directors President, Susan Cason, accepts check from Jeff.
The Southern Reach Trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) was inspired by Jeff's many visits to the Refuge. His generous gift helps the Refuge continue frosted flatwoods salamander research (one of several wildlife initiatives funded by the Friends) after the federal grant for that wildlife initiative runs out.
Jeff has been a steadfast supporter and sponsor of projects to protect threatened and endangered species. Thank you Jeff! And thank you readers of Jeff's books. This isn't possible without you.
Text courtesy Melissa Jacoby; photo by Bill Everitt
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Friends Need Your Help and Talent
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give
Winston Churchill
Would you like to do more for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge? Would you like to be more connected? You can do all of this and have fun at the same time.
Many amazing volunteers support the Refuge through their volunteer help. The Friends group is a 100% all-volunteer support organization that is passionately committed to the Refuge.
You are reading this newsletter because, at some point, you became a Friends member, or you made a donation, or you told us that you wanted to stay in touch and learn more. And now there are many great ways for you to become involved.
We are looking for individuals who are willing to invest their time for the benefit of and support for the Refuge. The following Board-level positions are ones that need to be filled by April: President, Secretary, Treasurer. We also hope to strengthen the Board with at-large members.
In addition, we're also looking for committee members to help in the following areas: membership, communications, computer skills, lighthouse tours, events, and fundraising.
If you are willing to give your time and talent, please send an email to:
[email protected]. Tell us how we can contact you, then give us a sentence or two about yourself and your area of interest. We need your help and would love to have you join us!
Text courtesy Bill Everitt, Friends Board of Directors member; photo courtesy the editor
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Ology Brewing Beer Release
Meet and Greet Jeff VanderMeer
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Dissecting Sibley's Bird Guide
 I'm kind of an old school guy when it comes to field guides. When I was real little, I was only aware of the Yellow, Red, Green and Blue Book of Birds. We had the entire set. Then, in my teen years, I probably graduated to a family hand-me-down, more comprehensive guide. Finally, in my twenties, I advanced to an obscure Golden Press guide (illustrations by Arthur Singer) which is a book I still have and it's a go-to reference for me.
 However, my wife surprised me with a Christmas gift of Sibley Birds East over the recent holidays. I'm enjoying it a lot. David Sibley has taken the bird field guide concept to a very high level.
If you have a field guide that you love and works well for you, disregard this story. However, if you're in the market for a new bird guide, give Sibley some thought.
Here are some really important features of the guide that, perhaps, give it more dimension than predecessor guides - it has:
- An important key to understanding each bird entry in the book, in terms of species, species group accounts and geographical bird ranges
- Extensive introductory information such as birding equipment, variations in appearance of birds and mistakes made in identification, learning songs and calls, and 'finding rare birds'
- A list of extinct species and when last sighted
- A section on mapping out bird anatomy and feather make-up (very useful for the painter or illustrator, see photo below)
- Unlike other guides, multiple images of each bird entry are shown to include underside and upperside of the bird in flight, standard perched images, plus diverse seasonal and other plumages of note
It's a joy to look through this guide. There is so much information crammed into its 438 pages.
The Sibley guide is available in the Nature Store at the Visitors Center, if you feel like you'd like to thumb through it to see if it would be a good fit for you. Then, of course, if you DO buy it, remember that all proceeds of our sales go toward supporting the mission of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Text and photo credit: the editor
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Notice of a Friends Exclusive Event Invitation
(active membership with Friends Required)
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Birding Surveys Assist Our Visitors
Don Morrow and Matt Johnstone, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge volunteers and expert birders lead in-depth bird tours at the Refuge frequently throughout the year. Both Don and Matt keep us up-to-date on what we can see from week-to-week. To see what THEY see, so that YOU can see them, check out their sightings on our website.
Go there now.
Also, visit the Nature Store to find Don Morrow's
Checklist -The Birds of St Marks National Wildlife Refuge. It is informative, accurate and up-to-date. It's for sale at the Friends Nature Store. Anyone who birds at St. Marks should have this fine reference.
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February 15
Walking Nature Tour with Alex and Jan, 1-3 pm. Meet at Visitor Center.
February 18 Lighthouse tours from 11:00-2:00 $2 fee
February 22
Walking Nature Tour with Alex and Jan, 1-3 pm. Meet at Visitor Center.
February 23
Wildlife Observation Tour with Matt and Cyndi Johnstone 10 am-1:00 pm.
Register online.
February 25
Lighthouse tours from 11:00-2:00 $2 fee
February 25
Beginning Painting Class for Nature Lovers with Jan Alexander 1pm-3 pm.
Register online.
February 29
Members Only, Shepherd Springs Walk. 9 am - noon. (See announcement directly above in text)
February 29
Ology Brewing Beer Release and Book Signing, 11 am - 1 pm. (See announcement above in text)
March 8
Second Sunday. Barred Owl Room at the Visitors Center. 2 pm.
March 21
Night Prowl. Sign up required.
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Have you considered including the Refuge in your will? We would appreciate hearing from you if so. The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge can provide information and guide you through the process. Just call the Refuge at 850-925-6121, and ask to be contacted by the Friends' Development Committee,
or email us.
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Reflections newsletter is a benefit of membership for Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. It also serves as an important supplement to
Both the newsletter and the web site provide members and the public information about volunteer activities and events at the Refuge.
Reflections Editor, Phillip M. Pollock
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