Pennies for the Planet

TogetherGreen the environmental initiative created through an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota, has selected Francis Beidler Forest as one of three entities nationwide to receive funds from its “Pennies for the Planet” program.



The program kicks off in the Fall of 2008 and continues through June of 2009. Thousands of classrooms will receive information about the program through Weekly Reader and Audubon Adventures (Audubon’s in school environmental education program in 5,000 classrooms). Additional promotion will be provided through educational networks including museums, zoos and aquariums; Toyota dealerships; and “Pennies for the Planet” online, part of the http://www.togethergreen.org/ website.

Educational materials will include educators’ guides with activity ideas and information about conservation, posters highlighting the importance of conservation, and online information and activities. Every penny raised through “Pennies for the Planet” will be equally divided among the three conservation projects selected by TogetherGreen:


1) Francis Beidler Forest as the “Habitat Conservation” selection;

2) Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative as the research entity;

3) Project Puffin (Maine) for the bird focus.

The funds that will be given to Beidler Forest will ONLY be used toward the purchase of habitat for protection. By taking part, kids get a chance to tackle local challenges while raising funds to support national biodiversity conservation. And every participant will receive special recognition on the “Pennies for the Planet” website.

Pennies for the Planet is an excellent environmental project for classrooms, after-school clubs, Scout Troops and others to talk about the importance of our natural world and the need to protect it locally and globally. Pennies for the Planet educations kits will be available nationwide starting in the fall or picked up from any Audubon Center - including Beidler Forest! Teachers, home-schooling parents and anyone interested in helping young people learn more about species and wildlife, conservation action projects in their communities, and the protection of wild places and the creatures who live there, are invited to participate.

Additional information can be found at http://www.togethergreen.org/.


Images by Mark Musselman

Death From Above

At the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center, the Barred Owl (Strix varia) is widely known as the silent killer on the wing. However, there is another bird that brings death from a perch and a near-silent glide.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America states that the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is “uncommon.” It also states that the bird is, “Found in mature lowland forests with clearings and water.” As habitat loss is the bird’s main threat, maybe that is why they are not uncommon here in the swamp at the Francis Beidler Forest. While watching a male Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) hawking for insects on and around a Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) near the boardwalk, we felt as if we were being watched.

We’ve learned that in the swamp, it is wise to pay attention to our Spiderman-like swampy sense. A 360-degree look around brought our eyes to the Red-shouldered Hawk adhering to the Sibley guide…“Solitary. Hunts mainly from perch within forests.” What, you may ask, is on the menu? Sibley states, “Feeds mainly on reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds.” We have plenty of those prey items here in the swamp. Before spotting the hawk, we had seen an Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) with nasty looking Tree Squirrel Bot Fly (Cuterebra emasculator) wounds. Apparently, our boardwalk-hugging hawk has a discerning palette.

From numerous spots on the boardwalk, the hawk’s head was blocked by a collection of small branches and leaves. Getting off the boardwalk, we were able to move closer and get an unobstructed view. Finally, we crossed the invisible line of “too close.” With a gentle admonishment, the Red-shouldered Hawk dropped from its perch and soared effortlessly to a new perch on a neighboring tree. Happy hunting!

The talon images are from a hawk killed by a car last year.

Images by Mark Musselman

The Glamorous Side of EE

Environmental education is not only about learning the life cycle of a butterfly, identifying aquatic invertebrates, or discussing solutions to conservation issues.

“Behind the scenes environmental education” is seen here as Mike Andrews, land management specialist at Silver Bluff Audubon Center & Sanctuary and Dan Connelly, Silver Bluff sanctuary manager (at right), protect the roof of the classroom trailer with an “elastomeric coating.” Many such activities are required throughout the year in order to provide quality programming at the Silver Bluff and Francis Beidler Forest Audubon centers.

Images by Paul Koehler

Take a Child Outside

Take a Child Outside Week begins today. No, this week is not in support of corporal punishment. No, this week is not in support of a quieter church service or an enjoyable operatic experience. The goal of this week is "to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world. By arming parents, teachers and other caregivers with resources on outdoor activities, our goal is to help children across the country develop a better understanding and appreciation of the environment in which they live, and a burgeoning enthusiasm for its exploration."

Wow! That sounds like what we strive to do every week of every year here at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center in Four Holes Swamp. We encourage you to take your child outside to a place like no other on the planet! You can find a variety of lesson plans on our education curriculum page as well as wildlife and plant information on our species lists and images pages. For the long-range planners, next summer's bird-themed camp will provide your child with a full week of outdoor exposure!

If you don't have a child handy, don't let that stop you from going outside! Check out what we have available for any and all visitors to the Francis Beidler Forest.

Images by Mark Musselman

Beach-nesting Bird Management Workshop

As part of its initiative to protect seabirds and restore South Carolina's nesting populations to their former size, Audubon south Carolina has agreed to help fund an educational and monitoring position with the Department of Natural Resources to educate the public about the new regulations and monitor seabird and human activity on the islands. Workshops (see details below) help support this initiative.

Despite South Carolina’s multitude of barrier islands (an estimated 3,000 on the lower coast alone) only five are known to support seabird nesting. Among them are Bird Key, Crab Bank and Deveaux Bank, properties under the protection and ownership of the Heritage Preserve System and Audubon Important Bird Areas.


These properties were brought into the ownership of the Heritage Preserve System due to their critical nature to seabirds. Past regulations closed nesting areas on these properties during the nesting season. Each year DNR staff post warnings and set up rope barriers to protect the nesting sites. However, those attempts at controlling intrusions into the nesting areas failed. Footprints and dog tracks literally criss-cross the nesting sites.

Evidence is showing that disturbance is having an impact on nesting seabirds – birds that nest in large groups and are extremely vulnerable when even one of these sites are impacted. They have literally put all of their eggs in one basket. In the early 1990’s Bird Key was the largest Brown Pelican rookery in the entire United States, boasting over 4,000 nests each year. There were no nesting Brown Pelicans on Bird Key in 2005 and signs point to disturbance as a major factor. Our state’s total population of Brown Pelicans is reaching a low level not seen since the days before the ban on DDT.

Under new regulations, Bird Key Stono and Crab Bank are both closed to humans and pets from March 15th of each year to October 15th of each year. Deveaux Bank, because of its large size, continues to have some recreational uses below the mean high tide line, such as sportfishing.

The Beach-nesting Bird Management Workshop will help managers and volunteers identify and protect critical shorebird nesting habitat.



Purpose: To teach managers to identify birds that nest on SC beaches and to recognize preferred habitat; to review the status of these avian species; to demonstrate simple techniques that can protect beach-nesting birds.

When: October 30th, 2008, 8:00am – 4:00pm

Where: Charleston, SC at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources facilities at the Marine Resource Center Auditorium (in the MRRI building) http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/mrc.html

This workshop is intended for:
Federal, state, county, and private land managers in coastal South Carolina.
County and city officials involved in land-use planning
People interested in volunteering to protect beach-nesting or rooftop nesting birds

Registration Information:
The registration fee is $5 to cover costs of snacks and refreshments during meeting. We will take orders for lunch (sandwiches) from 7:30-8:00 at the registration table. You may also bring your own lunch. Please bring cash to the meeting to pay for registration and lunch (if you wish to purchase). If you want to go on the field trip, please contact Jeff Mollenhauer at jmollenhauer@audubon.org or 843-462-2150. We need to arrange boat space prior to the meeting.

Program Overview:
7:30-8:00 Coffee and Breakfast (outside auditorium, no drinks or food allowed in auditorium); Registration and lunch orders taken

8:00 Introduction and Overview of South Carolina Shorebird Project – Jeff Mollenhauer, Audubon South Carolina

8:20 Statewide Perspective of Seabird/Shorebird Populations and Information
About Posting Nesting Areas – Felicia Sanders, SCNDR

8:50 Shorebird Conservation & Managing for Human/Dog Disturbance – Sid
Maddock, Audubon North Carolina

9:20 Importance of Intertidal Zone and Effects of Human Disturbance – Lisa
Eggert, Clemson University

9:50 – BREAK

10:10 How to Create Least Tern/Wilson’s Plover Habitat – Mike Walker, SCPRT

10:40 Developing a Statewide Wilson’s Plover Survey – Kerri Dikun, Coastal
Carolina University and Jeff Mollenhauer, Audubon South Carolina

11:10 How to Manage Rooftop Nesting Least Tern Colonies – Monique Borboen,
Audubon of Florida

11:40 Conducting Research on Rooftop Nesting Least Terns – Chris Hill, Coastal
Carolina University

12:00 – LUNCH picnic tables at the outdoor classroom behind the Marshland House

1:30 – 4:00 Field Trip (by boat) to Morris Island and/or Crab Bank to learn about key beach-nesting bird habitats, how to identify shorebirds/seabirds, and see a demonstration of sign posting.

Image by Jeff Mollenhauer

Clearing

Due to the approach of Tropical Storm Hanna on Friday, we cleared the office early at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Thankfully, there was little wind associated with the storm and therefore no boardwalk repairs waiting for us on Saturday. Unfortunately, there was also precious little rain associated with the storm. Our rain gauge at the nature center showed only 1" fell on site. The swamp remains rather dry and the skies continue to be clear.


Today, clearing began on three 2-acre parcels in the grassland restoration site near the US Hwy 15 and I-26 intersection. As we've previously written (entry 1 and 2), this restoration project will create perennial, warm-season grassland on 38 acres of previously-logged land. This grassland will be for the benefit of grassland bird species, specifically sparrows, buntings, bobwhite quail and other ground-nesting birds. Grassland habitat is diminished through conversion to agriculture, conversion to managed forest, and development.

Although it doesn't look pretty today, the rich smell of dark, turned earth indicated to us that the grassland ecosystem will thrive on this site.

Images by Mark Musselman

Hurricane Train!

Well, as of the 1400 EDT report, it looks like the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest will dodge the effects of Tropical Storm (could-be Hurricane) Hanna. We came dressed to crawl in the fine powder under the building, haul out the hurricane shutters, and wear out our finger tips screwing on the end caps. The really fun jobs always seem to get cancelled! Oh, wait! Looking to the east there is Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm (can't wait to be Hurricane) Josephine! We may yet get a chance to run shutter drills.

As the morning was not to be filled with shuttering as planned, we set about updating and enhancing the education department curriculum page. We know...you're jealous, right? Each grade-level page can be reached from the curriculum page. The grade-level pages have been modified to show our emphasis on the two curriculum units, birds and wetlands/watersheds. The lessons that are currently written for these units can be found under the headings "Pre-trip," "At Beidler Forest," and "Post-trip." For second grade, clicking on the "Decoupage Habitat" lesson in the "Pre-trip" brings up the full lesson as a PDF. Lessons continue to be added as week-long units are being developed for each grade. Those units will be posted soon.

Regardless of what appears on satellite images FAR to the east, this is a wonderful time of the year to take a field trip to the swamp! If you are a teacher, know a teacher, or simply play a teacher on tv, see what we have to offer by visiting our evolving curriculum page and letting others know of its existence!

Hello, Hanna

Well, we did ask for rain to put water back into the swamp. Maybe we should be careful when we ask for such things at this time of the year. Today, the first order of business at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest was a discussion on Hurricane Hanna. The latest projected track shows the eye going right over Four Holes Swamp.

There is not too much that can be done at Beidler Forest beyond putting shutters on the windows and backing up important files to portable drives. The boardwalk will need to fend for itself...it's likely to lose all one-on-one battles with falling trees or branches dropping from 100 feet. Whether the winds howl at hurricane strength or not, this Friday's Audubon South Carolina board meeting may need to be postponed. The eye of Hanna is scheduled to arrive sometime in the early morning on Friday after the advance guard of wind and rain.

Hurricanes are not always a destructive force in the swamp. Obviously, in 1989, Hurricane Hugo rearranged the landscape, especially in the higher, drier areas that border the swamp. Over 80% of the pines and hardwoods were knocked down between the nature center and the swamp. Only 10% of the canopy was removed in the cypress-tupelo swamp itself, but much of the boardwalk was damaged by falling debris. However, ten years prior to Hugo, Hurricane David slowly worked its way up the coast with strikingly different results.

Hurricanes are fueled by warm water evaporating and condensing as it cools at higher altitudes. That condensed water falls as rain. Hurricane David hugged the coast, giving it a supply of warm water, and was slow-moving, so it had ample time to dump copious amounts of water across the landscape. Four Holes Swamp worked admirably as a wetland, filling with the tremendous volume of water and slowly releasing that water downstream into the Edisto River. Flooding occured where it should have occured (in the floodplain of the swamp) and was not considered disasterous because no human structures have been built in normally-wet areas of the swamp. What a novel idea!

Hurricanes help to move heat and water around the globe, which is beneficial overall. Tell that to the 10-year-old whose sleepover birthday party is Friday.

Goodbye, Denise!

Today. was Denise Ecker's last day as a seasonal naturalist at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Denise arrived in March and partnered with Brad Dalton through the spring season. When Brad left for medical school, Denise stayed on as the summer seasonal naturalist and has been invaluable beyond her regular duties in preparing the education department for the coming season of school group visits.

When not leading school groups, Denise helped Jeff Mollenhauer, director of bird conservation, capture bird audio, was a counselor during summer camp, and enthusiastically completed various glamorous tasks, including taking trash to the dump, filling potholes in the driveway, and cleaning bathrooms before Storks & Corks.

Duke's BBQ in Ridgeville was the site of Denise's goodbye lunch. Ummmm. However, it's now late in the afternoon and the big lunch has us feeling like bears ready to hibernate. As if on cue, a substantial thunderstorm moved in and chased away the visitors enjoying their swampy solitude.

Happy trails and great birding, Denise!

Images by Mark Musselman

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren's will build their nests in many unusual places. It's the male that prepares the nest. We can hear the ladies saying, "Mmmm hmm!" Last year's summer campers at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest watched as chicks were raised in the cigarette disposal container by the front door of the nature center. As in business, the saying holds true, "Location, location, location." As previously reported (1, 2, 3), the low, exposed nest was likely visited by a hungry Greenish Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta x quadrivittata). Despite that gaff (and all other male errors), a Carolina Wren pair remains together throughout the year on their permanent territory.





Image by Mark Musselman

Barbara Thomas, Audubon South Carolina staff, has a family of exceptionally literate Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) residing outside of her St. George home. At least we assume that the birds are literate as they have taken up residence in the newspaper delivery box.









Images by Barbara Thomas

Do you have any images of odd Carolina Wren nesting sites?

The Economy Strikes!

We missed our blog entry yesterday as we were distracted by the sudden collapse of GrandLuxe Rail. We were scheduled to provide the Audubon presence on the rail trip from Seattle, WA to Jackson, WY via Mt. Rainier National Park, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. An email yesterday afternoon announced that GrandLuxe Rail would cease all operations effective this Friday. Good thing we paid attention while in Jackson Hole last week!

There are plenty of benefits to working at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, but one of the biggest is being able to observe wildlife outside the office window. It has a calming effect. Today, the scene is dominated by a variety of birds and they appear to be pulling out all the stops. It's as if they are saying, "Hey, look! We're still here! Cheer up. Travel will come another day."

All morning, the Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) continued to return and eat the ripe fruit of the Horse Sugar (Symplocos tinctoria). After lunch, the second shift brought a male Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) that checked under every leaf for an insect meal. Apparently, the Hooded Warbler did not do a satisfactory job, because a Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus) soon followed and rechecked the leaves. Soon after that, a White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) appeared and quickly located a large caterpillar that had gone undetected by the warblers. After choking down the caterpillar, the White-eyed Vireo wiped its bill and appeared to mockingly cry to the other species, "Rookies." For reasons unknown to us, a pair of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) became agitated and protective of their turf. After a few high-speed, low-level passes, the Worm-eating Warbler led the other species in departing the area.

As we're trying to wrap up this entry, a Northern Parula (Parula americana), a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia), a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) all check the area for a pre-migration meal.

Below are some shots out west in Wyoming:

Images by Mark Musselman

Horse Sugar

No, Horse Sugar is not a polite way to curse. Horse Sugar (Symplocos tinctoria) is a shrub or small tree with dense clusters of fragrant flowers. The name is derived from the fact that horses (and cows and deer) readily consume the leaves. Even hikers can consume the leaves for a refreshing trailside treat!

Horse Sugar blooms between March and May. Now, however, the fruit is on the plant and it is attracting the attention of Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus). The Red-eyed Vireos, like many other bird species, are preparing for their migration and need to add fat reserves for their journey to South America. As the rain as come and gone throughout the day, so have the Red-eyed Vireos. They are quite particular as to which fruit they select. The green fruit is eyed with a cock of the head and left, while the purple fruit is plucked and swallowed whole.

It has been a pleasant distraction watching the vireos forage outside the office window. If fact, it's snack time for us too! Now, where is that apple?

Images by Mark Musselman

Bird Banding Draws Media Attention

Although Tropical Storm Fay lashed the Carolina Lowcountry with bands of rain and wind, that story was "so old news" for the local print media. Bryce Donovan of the Post and Courier and Jenny Peterson of the Summerville Journal Scene endured a Fay-induced soaking to see how birds are banded at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest as Jeff Mollenhauer, Director of Bird Conservation, prepares to launch Project PROTHO.

After the rain abated, the four nets were opened again. Another half hour later, we were able to check the nets set along the edge of the swamp (two on the dry side and two on the usually wet side). Only one net, which was located on the dry side, had any birds tangled in its mesh. The three squawking hostages were a female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), and a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). Although we were not there to see how the captures occurred, we have a theory. All of the birds call freely when distressed. One of the three likely got caught, called in alarm and attracted the curious attention of at least one of the remaining two birds. As noted in the previous bird banding blog entry, the net is extremely difficult to see. A second bird caught in the net and adding to the alarm calls may have brought in the final bird. The bird equivalent to, "Oh! Shucks!" was probably uttered more than once.

On the back porch of the nature center, the bagged birds were removed individually, banded and their vital statistics taken. Bryce held and subsequently released the Carolina Wren and the Tufted Titmouse, but passed on the Northern Cardinal after hearing a description of the painful bite that the seed-cracking bill can inflict on human digits. The recapture of birds, like those caught today, will help us learn more about the bird populations in our sanctuary. However, the purpose of our bird banding permit is to gather data on the Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea).

The Prothonotary Warblers will receive color bands in addition to their National Bird Banding Laboratory aluminum identification bands. The color bands will allow us to identify the birds without having to recapture them as the numbers on the aluminum bands are entirely too small to read without the bird in hand. Additionally, visitors to our center or individuals along the birds' lengthy migratory route will be able to identify the birds and share the information with us. Along the boardwalk, we would like to learn the location of Prothonotary Warbler nests, the extent of a male's territory, the fidelity of breeding pairs during the breeding season and across seasons, the annual fidelity a pair has to a particular nest site, and where the birds go once their young have fledged. Currently, the birds all look alike and we are unable to determine answers to the any of these questions.

Thanks to Bryce Donovan and Jenny Peterson for taking the time to report on our upcoming bird research. Please come join us in the spring and assist us in scientific data collection while you enjoy a walk through the old-growth swamp!

Images by Mark Musselman

Jackson Hole, WY

Since Sunday, we've been at the Audubon Centers and Education Department conference in Jackson Hole. We've have had little free time and even less access to the internet. We'll be back in South Carolina late this evening and will post some of our images and experiences in the coming days.

Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, we'll be mist netting birds with Bryce Donovan of the Post and Courier. Believe it or not, there is not 24-hour coverage of Hurricane (Tropical Storm? tropical depression?) Fay here in Wyoming.

Geckos and Treefrogs

We get a variety of foreign visitors here at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center. The majority of these visitors come from Europe. Yesterday's visitor was no exception, but the staff's reception was notably different.


Mr. Paul Walsh of the Dorchester County Career School brought two of the critters he found in one of the school's rooms. The lizard was clearly "not from around here." The gecko-like features led us to search Google images for "gecko." Shoot us an email if we're moving too quickly for anyone. The first set of images showed an individual that looked strikingly like the juvenile sitting in the bottom of the soda bottle on our desk. A search of the common name under the image confirmed that we had a young Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus). It's tough to blend (think My Cousin Vinny) with a name like that.


The Mediterranean Gecko is originally from...(wait for it) the Mediterranean regions of southern Europe and northern Africa and has been introduced to many areas in the Southeastern United States. This is the first specimen that we have seen in our area. In fact, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory webpage does not show any distribution within South Carolina. These geckos are associated with human development, which shows in the clusters on the range maps. They seldom stray far from buildings with outdoor lights, which attract insects and thereby bring the meal to the gecko.


As the gecko is not native to our region and its effects on local ecosystems is unknown, we had no plans to release the individual on our desk. However, spending our days working to protect habitats and the flora and fauna within them, we are squeamish about crushing the lizard. Therefore, we called Dennis Blejski, a friend of Beidler Forest and local herp hobbyist, to come and collect the gecko. The gecko will soon be residing at Bee City in an "Invasive Species" exhibit.













Mr. Walsh's other guest was a Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratoisa), which is native to the Coastal Plain from southern Virginina through Florida to Louisiana. The Barking Treefrog is a large, stout frog comfortable high in a tree or burrowing into the ground. The nickel-sized wedding ring (shhh, it's almost never been off in 19 years) was used as a reference, since we had no change in our pockets. Hmmm...coinsidence or consequence. The break in the hot, dry weather brought on by Wednesday's rains likely induced this male frog (based on the greenish-yellow throat) to search for a mate. As the Barking Treefrog is native, we let it go outside of the nature center.

Images by Mark Musselman

Raining in the Swamp

Yesterday's rains did little to change the water level in the swamp near the boardwalk at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center. In the coming days, rain that fell in Four Holes Swamp upstream from us may begin to fill in the low areas around the boardwalk as it moves slowly downstream to the Edisto River. Today, however, the swamp floor remains nearly dry with just a hint of moisture in the soil. Although, there has been rain of a different sort.

Walk along the 1.75-mile boardwalk and you cannot help but notice the thousands of green fruits littering the deck and swamp's dark soil. We know that the Palmetto Pride's Litter Buster hotline number is 1-877-7-LITTER, but who will we report? Which animal in the swamp is the scofflaw? We're on it! After being out of the office all week, we were itching for a reason to head out onto the boardwalk.

As it turned out, it was an open-and-shut case. Kyra Sedgwick (aka The Closer) has got nothing on us with respect to wrapping up a case. As the images show, the ubiquitous Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is responsible for chewing the end of the unripened Tupelo Gum (Nyssa aquatica) fruit, eating the seed embryo, and then discarding the remainder of the fruit to gravity's grip. They know where in the fruit to find the part they wish to eat, so the fruits show little damage on the whole. In reality, the damage is complete and the seed is incapable of producing a seedling tree.

Images by Mark Musselman