FIELD TRIPS

HUMMER
THE
th
Thursday March 18
Blue Springs boat trip & picnic
Boat leaves at 10:00 AM. Board at 9:45 AM
Call Vivienne Powis for details 386-216-9361 NEWSLETTER OF WEST VOLUSIA AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.
A Chapter of Audubon of Florida and National Audubon Society
-------------------------------------------------------------- Published monthly September – April (except for December)
Tuesday, April 6
VOL. 42, NO. 5 March, 2010
Birding at Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens in Port
Orange. This should be a good place for Warblers.
We will meet at the Post Office parking lot on Hwy INSTALLATION BANQUET
44 in Deland at 8:45 AM and car pool to Port
Orange. Time permitting we may visit under the Wednesday, May 26th
Dunlawton Bridge afterwards. Please be prompt, DeLand Country Club
bring snacks and wear comfortable shoes! 2289 Country Club Drive, DeLand
--------------------------------------------------------------
BIRDS!! – That’s what Audubon’s all about –
Cocktails 5:30-6:30 (cash bar)
here’s a chance to build your birding skills – by
Buffet dinner will be served at 6:30
getting out and looking around, and to be with
other birders just for the fun of it – along with
helping with one of the largest studies of birds and Reservations should be made by May 18th
their habits ever taken. Call Janet Marks 775-4447

It’s the Spring Migration Count. It takes place Installation of new officers
Saturday, May 8th. Sharpen your skills, help others “Year In Review” slide show
and learn from them. Call Harry Robinson at 943- and
8342 and leave a message to get on a team. Dr. Gian Basili
Assistant Director of the Department of Operations
March 23rd and Land Resources for the State of Florida
The Woman’s Club of DeLand
128 W. Michigan Ave. Checks for $23.00 should be made out to
West Volusia Audubon Society.
6:30 PM Mix and Mingle Mail to: PO Box 1268, Deland FL 32720-1268
7:00 PM Meeting
ACTIVITIES/ FESTIVALS
FLORIDA’S WADING BIRDS
AND RAILS
Faith Jones, Seminole Audubon Sunday, April 25 from 3- 7 pm
All WVAS members are invited
Short meeting to follow Celebrate Earth Day with a BBQ at Spruce Creek Park
Wheelchair accessible, public welcome 6250 Ridgewood Ave (US 1) Port Orange

RSVP at least one week before

NOMINATIONS to Audubon of Florida Board Member at Large
The nominating committee is still asking for
Ann Moore at 386-937-0251 or ayinm@msn.com
suggestions for officers for the coming year. Call
Gloria Johnson at 822-9700. Please bring a dish to pass
------------------------------------------------------------
March 14 & 21 from 2-4 PM
Roger Fulton will be hosting wildlife tours at the Lake Woodruff
NWR. The tour depends on the group, but generally covers about
1.5 miles over 1.5 hours. Up to 25 species of birds and other
wildlife are often seen. It is free. Just show up at the end of Mud
Lake Road. If you get lost, or have questions, call Roger’s cell 386-
956-6089 or contact him through his webpage at
www.rogerfulton.com
Beginning Birding group at Lake Beresford Trails Park
 CONSERVATION NOTES
With the discussion on the pros & cons of the
Farmton Plan, I thought it might be informative for our
members to learn a little more about the two aquifer
components that we use for water here in Volusia County.
There are two general categories of aquifer: Surficial
and Floridan. Surficial aquifers are shallow beds of shells
and sand that lie less than 100 feet underground. They are
separated from the deeper Florida aquifer from a confining
bed of soil. Surficial aquifers provide most of the public
freshwater supply along the Atlantic coast north of Palm
Beach. Surficial aquifers are recharged locally as the water-
table fluctuates in response to drought or rainfall.
In contrast, the Floridan Aquifer is the portion of the
principal artesian aquifer that extends into Florida and is the
largest, oldest, and deepest aquifer in the southeastern U.S..
It is considered one of the most prolific aquifers in the world.
Ranging over 100,000 square miles, it underlies all of Florida
and parts of southern Alabama, southeastern Georgia, and
southern Carolina. According to the USGS, before
development in Florida, it is estimated that nearly 90 percent
of the upwelling discharge from the Floridan aquifer system
was to springs and streams. There was also upward leakage
in coastal areas that even extended offshore (in early days,
ships used to put in close to shore to get freshwater supplies
replenished).
In the case of Farmton, the developers are proposing
to use water from the deeper Floridan aquifer to supply the
community (in lieu of depending on the Surficial aquifer).
Utilizing Low-Impact Development techniques, the residents
will consume about 50% less water than current households
in the county. This is due to a variety of LID approaches
which include native vegetation and other low-water
landscaping in the deed covenants, and the use of storm water
run-off recapture and treatment techniques (more detailed
information can be found at University of Florida’s website
buildgreen.ufl.edu). The approach will decrease the
possibility of contributing to saltwater intrusion in the
Surficial aquifer.
AUDUBON ADVENTURES
Sponsor a classroom today! We have 29 teachers signed up,
but only 16 sponsors. For a complete description of this
years’ program, you may log onto National Audubon's
website at www.audubon.org, select education, then
Audubon Adventures.
In order to get the “Action for Planet Earth” kit into a 4th-6th
grade classroom, send a check made out to West Volusia
Audubon for $46, earmarked for “Audubon Adventures”, This
edition will focus on energy, water, and habitat issues, and
on getting involved in community projects for the good of the
planet, the community, and individuals.
Share the cost with a friend! Designate a specific teacher or
school. Home school classes are welcome! (Individual kits are
$25.) Help spread the environmental word!
Donna Reynolds / Education Chairman
The City of Edgewater currently draws its water from the
upper Floridan. Years ago, the City also took all their
residents off of septic tanks and re-worked their
infrastructure to capture, treat and re-use water. Recently
the citizens of Edgewater voted against any future zoning
for 1 per 20 acre ranchettes west of I-95. However,
Farmton is currently grandfathered for its ranchettes and the
land could be sold and subdivided today in 5-25 acre lots
with 2,236 homes in Volusia and 2,044 in Brevard (without
the approval of either county).
This could result in 4,280 septic tanks placed in the
Surficial aquifer. Combined with sewage injection projects
taking place in Brevard and other Counties, the Surficial
aquifer will be under greater threat of contamination under
the current plan than under Farmton’s proposed use of 250
ft deep wells accessing the upper Floridan aquifer and by
using Low Impact Development techniques. Pollution of
the Surficial aquifer in Volusia County can affect the
functionality of wetlands and lakes. Also of interest, the
hydro-geologic characteristics of Volusia County are such
that the greatest area of recharge to the Floridan Aquifer
occurs in West Volusia (8-20 inches per year versus 0-8
inches per year in the Farmton area). According to the St.
Johns River Water Management District, Florida receives
an average of about 50 inches of rain each year. About 37
inches evaporates or runs off the land into surface waters
before it has a chance to soak into the ground. This leaves
13 inches annually to recharge the aquifer in limited areas
where the soil is porous enough to allow the percolation of
the water back into the deeper Floridan Aquifer. However,
Surficial aquifer recharge in areas such as Farmton in East
Volusia County are more readily affected by rainfall,
pollutants from storm water runoff, and consumption
demands.
The Floridan Aquifer is a complex system that
experts are still trying to understand. The movement of
water at varying levels and under different hydrogeologic
pressures continues to be studied.
Karyn Hoffman
Karyn Hoffman and Debra O’Reilly making pine cone bird
feeders at the Scrub Jay Festival. Arnette Sherman Photo.
 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

West Volusia Audubon had the pleasure of partnering with
Stetson University’s Gillespie Museum on February 13th to
provide a hands-on program for children in the Echo Rangers
program. After the children visited with Peter May and his
“Bugly” display at the museum, they came over to the Rinker
Center to make pine-cone bird feeders and listen to bird calls.
Harry Robinson assisted and we made 50 feeders. Sponsored
by DeBary Hall Historic Site and the County of Volusia, the
ECHO Ranger program is for youngsters in grades 2 - 5 and
provides hands-on experiences related to Volusia County’s
many ecological, cultural, heritage and outdoors offering.
More than 30 locations - including museums, parks and
libraries - are participating from all areas of Volusia County.
For more information, go to the website debaryhall.com or
call 386-668-3840.
of encouragement! The website will only get better with
time! We are also looking for a couple of folks who would
be interested in helping take turns maintaining the website.
We will be using Microsoft FrontPage and it is fairly easy.
Interested individuals should contact Ed Sherman.
We’re also posting our meetings and some of the field trips
on the website “meetup.org” and have gained some new
members and several guests. We have been frustrated by the
local newspapers’ never printing the meeting information we
send them, so we are trying new ways to make the
community aware of our group.
Thank you to all the members who volunteer their time and
donate funds to help the West Volusia Audubon Society!

On February 20th, we were privileged to help host the Scrub
Jay Festival at Lyonia Environmental Center. Arnette put on
several different programs throughout the day, teaching
people bird identification and about the history of The
Audubon Society. Meanwhile, in the display area, Donna
Reynolds worked hard to prepare our display. Deb and Mike
Reilly, Janet Marks, John Eggert and Vivienne Powis helped
make approximately 60 pine-cone bird feeders and ran a
raffle for the Lyonia Environmental Center. Mike Brothers
from the Marine Science Center brought a Kestrel and led
bird walks, Louise Chapman from the Bicentennial Youth
Park was there with a group of children, and Gina
Zimmerman came by to say hello (she works with Dr. Ken
Meyer and trained us how to find the Swallow-Tailed Kite
nests).
We have a new website that is in progress, but functioning
quite nicely courtesy of the hard work and creativity of Ed
Sherman. We will now be able to post bird count numbers
online and provide members with the most current
information in a timely manner. Please stop by and take a
look at www.westvolusiaaudubon.org and send Ed a note
Karyn Hoffman
Bird Counts - Restoration
We will be conducting bird counts at Restoration in
partnership with Halifax River and South-east Volusia
Audubon chapters. The next count dates are: April 17th, June
12th and October 2nd. We welcome the help of anyone who
has basic knowledge of birds and is capable of walking about
3 miles on grass roads. We meet at 7:30 AM at the main gate
to the property. Bring water. To get there from DeLand, take
SR 44 east to I-95 go south to the first (Edgewater) exit, Turn
right onto a dirt road. Go west for over one mile to the first
open gate on your right. We will meet just inside the gate.
That is the basic info. If you wish to join us please let us
know by email or telephone, as we will be sending out an
orientation package before each count.
Hope to see you there.
Harry Robinson and Karyn Hoffman

BOARD MEMBERS
WELCOME NEW OFFICERS
MEMBERS Co-Presidents Karyn Hoffman 956-1097 alafia1@earthlink.net
Arnette Sherman 734-5840 arnette@cfl.rr.com
VP Programs John Eggert 736-6922 jeggert@cfl.rr.com
VP Conservation Karyn Hoffman 956-1097 alafia@earthlink.net
ROSS CAMPBELL Secretaries Gloria Winans 789-1445 Glor1425@embarqmail.com
Lynn Bowen 736-1688 Abowen27@cfl.rr.com
ROBERT DANNELL Treasurer Marylou Weiner 738-7443 mlweiner@att.net
CHRIS FRIESEN
JESSIE GASKILL COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN
EVANGLINE HENDRICKS Education Donna Reynolds 228-2783 rondonreynolds@gmail.com
DON & DIANE KELSO Hummer Editor Marge Koshiol 801-5111 marjoriekoshiol@bellsouth.net
Hummer Production Ed Sherman 748-2538 esherman1@cfl.rr.com
JOSEPH LYNOTT
Membership Cyndy Barrow 736-6519 abarrow1@cfl.rr.com
JAMES MARCUS Hospitality Janet Marks 775-4447 jmarks@centurylink.net
BARB MCCLURE Harry Robinson 943-8342 sirharrydeland@gmail.com
JANICE QUICK Field Trips Sylva Parrillo 734-4821 sylva05@earthlink.net
LESTER STOLL Vivienne Powis 216-9361 vivienne@lindenleafla.com
Ways & Means Vic & Gloria Johnson 822-9700 vjohnson009@cfl.rr.com
JEANNE WOLF Historian Maureen Fitzpatrick 304-4544 maureendaytona@bellsouth.net
MARY WODROW Bird Counts Harry Robinson 943-8342 sirharrydeland@gmail.com
 NONPROFIT ORG.
WEST VOLUSIA AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.
P.O. BOX 1268, DELAND, FL 32721 - 1268 US POSTAGE PAID
MID-FL, FL
PERMIT NO. 20578

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FL Lic. # AL 11216

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The business cards that you see here are from individuals
that have donated money to help support our newsletter. ARNETTE SHERMAN, REALTOR®
Please support them in their business if you can.
Cell 386-748-1499
Office/fax 386-734-5840
e-mail arnette@cfl.rr.com
www.edshermanrealty.com

ED SHERMAN REALTY LLC

1325 S. Spring Garden Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720

Vivienne Powis R.N.

administrator

734-4773
775-2600
2085 S. Woodland Blvd.
DeLand, FL 32720
FAX: 386-734-6999
386.740.9117
vivienne@lindenleafla.com
1180 Jackson Ranch Rd www.LindenLeaFLA.com
DeLand, FL 32724
EMAIL: olenasty@ hotmail.com FL Lic. # AL 11216

www.westvolusiaaudubon.org www.volusia.org/birding/wvaudubon.htm