Audubon of the Western Everglades
Annual Report 2015-2016
Our Vision:
Defending Southwest Florida's Natural Resources and Wildlife
Contents
Who We Are and What We Do
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Introductory remarks by Board of Directors
4
Achievements 2015-2016
5-6
Donors July 2015-June 2016 and Financial Statement
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Paul Arsenault, Corkscrew Original oil on linen painting. View other Arsenualt
originals at the Arsenault Gallery, 1199 3rd St. South~ Naples, FL~ 34102,
www.arsenaultstudio.com
Photograph on Cover: Roseate Spoonbill , Jean Hall, Wildlife Photographer who is
AWE’s Project Leader for the Owl Watch Program and Shorebird Steward. Photo
was featured in Audubon’s Photograph Awards Top 100.
Who We Are
Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE), is the oldest conservation organization in Collier County, is an
independent chapter affiliated with National Audubon Society and Audubon Florida and has over 2,000 members
comprised of National & Chapter members. We have a volunteer board of directors, a paid staff of three and many
regular volunteers.
We believe that our environment must be protected for the mutual benefit of both nature & people. Current and future generations are counting on us to preserve and improve the environment. Our Audubon Western Everglades
staff and volunteers dedicate themselves each and every day to make this happen.
What We Do
Conservation
AWE is one of the most effective environmental policy and lobbying organizations in Southwest Florida. We
are active in Collier, Lee, Hendry and Glades counties, whose eco-systems are inextricably interlinked.
Conservation in all four counties is critical for water quality and availability; for the health of our estuaries,
beaches and the Gulf of Mexico; and for the survival of the bird, fish, and other animal species that make
Southwest Florida a special place.
Our staff is widely recognized for policy expertise; negotiation skills; timely provision of scientific environmental
information to politicians, economic decision makers and other influential groups such as fishing and hunting
associations as well as to the general public; effective advocacy for conserving as much environmentally significant
land as possible through public acquisition, rural land stewardship, transfer development rights, alternative agriculture, and ecotourism. As necessary, and typically as a last resort, AWE joins in lawsuits against egregiously harmful
development and other strategic legal measures.
Education
AWE supports in school Environmental Education. Students are introduced to environmental concepts and the
importance of conservation. They are encouraged to “take the message home” and educate family members as
well.
• Our support of Environmental Education programs at FGCU & Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are environmental
education reaches over 6,000 second, third, fourth and fifth graders in public schools.
• Students taken on field trips to Florida Gulf Coast University, Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed and
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are provided age appropriate information on habitats, environmental conservation,
and species of special interest such as the Florida panther.
• 400 FGCU students participated in the Panther Posse and Wings of Hope programs
• 12,000 adults reached through the students
• The Audubon Explorers Program is now focused on 3rd Grade classes in Collier County Public Schools educating
them on Birding 101.
Adult Programs
AWE sponsors an annual lecture series of topics relating to habitats, conservation issues, specific bird and other
animal species with an attendance of over 800 for the season. Topics included Endangered Fakahatchee, Warblers, Attracting Birds to South Florida Gardens, Native Bees & Insects & Living with Florida Panthers.
Adult Field Trips
Our field trips and eco-tour adventures take place in prime habitats and birding locations throughout the region.
• 35 field trips conducted to birding “hot spots” in Collier, Hendry, Lee, Broward, and Glades counties. Attendance
varied from 10 to 25 per trip. Trips introduce participants to environmental concerns as well as to birding.
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Message from the Board of Directors
Eileen Arsenault, President
Ted Below, Director Emeritus
Ken Humiston
Alan Keller
Lu Lackore, Treasurer
Andrew Sillin, Secretary
Edward Tamson, PHD
Our seventh Annual Report covers the second half of 2015 and the first half of 2016. Founded in 1961,
Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE) is the oldest conservation organization in the county and one that
remains a major force in environmental conservation and education in Southwest Florida.
We are proud of the fact that we finished our 2015-2016 June to July fiscal year without reducing our policy and
advocacy activities while major political decisions affecting the prospects for the future health of our environment were taking place. Similarly we did not reduce our education programs. Our support of those programs
is aimed at the next generation of citizens and decision makers, our public school youth. We owe this achievement primarily to the ongoing generosity of our donors. The list of our committed donors and the details of our
financial situation are found later in this report.
During 2015-2016 we experienced increasing attendance at our monthly educational programs held at the
FGCU Kapnick Education Center at the Naples Botanical Garden. The beautiful venue hosted speakers covering topics ranging from Endangered Flora & Fauna at Fakahatchee Strand State Park to Florida Panthers,
filling the spacious room with interested attendees on six occasions. In addition, we continue to make great
strides in our Coastal Shorebird Monitoring program and our NEW Owl Watch Program monitoring Burrowing
Owls on Marco Island. The Shorebird program involves volunteers educating visitors on the various types of
birds nesting on our local beaches with the intention of dissuading the beachgoers from disrupting the nesting
birds. The Owl Watch Program is a citizen science based program monitoring the burrows to see how many
chicks survived the season as well as maintaining the burrows by roping off new burrow locations and landscaping inside the burrow area.
As will be seen in the achievements section of this report, AWE once again this year contributed to some
important environmental successes. However, conservation efforts continue to face large obstacles with
smaller budgets at both governmental agencies and privately funded organizations. Given the ongoing threats
to our environment and the need to continue encouraging responsible growth, we sincerely hope that our donors find ways to increase their support to AWE.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge, as we do every year, that environmental achievements are rarely the
product of single institutions but rather stem from the concerted action of coalitions. While we are certain that
AWE has been and will remain a vital partner in regional environmental struggles, we wish to express our
appreciation for the efforts of our fellow environmentalists and partner organizations during the past year.
Burrowing Owl Chicks
Photo by Jean Hall
Shy Roseate Spoonbill
Photo by Jean Hall
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Conservation Achievements during 2015-16
Audubon of the Western Everglades pursues a proactive conservation mission with six principal goals:
Restoration of the Greater Everglades with emphasis on the Western Everglades including the Caloosahatchee watershed and coastal habitats where preserving largely intact ecosystems such as Corkscrew, the 10,000 Islands and Big Cypress
Swamps accompanies efforts to restore more degraded areas.
Protection and Restoration of Wetlands and Water critical to aquifer recharge and water supply as well as to the
recovery of imperiled wood storks and many other species.
Protection of Fragile Coastal Habitats assuring that communities and agencies plan for shoreline retreat due to sea level
rise, and stewarding shorebirds and seabirds dependent on these ephemeral habitats.
Climate Change and Regional Energy Policy: Support regional adaptation to sea level rise and adoption of energy policies encouraging the fastest practical reduction in dependence on fossil fuels and the substitution of renewable energy
sources. Participate actively with groups of interested citizens, utilities, businesses and local governments to complement state
and national organizations, to address one of the biggest threats to Florida.
Land Use/Growth Management through better regulations and more effective incentives for developers and landowners to
embrace environmentally sustainable, smart-growth across Southwest Florida.
Increased Lands in Conservation Status through full title purchase and easements. Support for Florida Forever, Amendment 1, U.S. Farm Bill easements, National Wildlife Refuges, Lee 20/20 and Conservation Collier.
Selected AWE achievements since July 2015:
Restore the Greater Everglades:
Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin including a large reservoir and associated nutrient reduction areas.
These projects are essential for restoring and sustaining the Caloosahatchee River estuary’s ecosystem. The $600 million C43 reservoir was authorized by Congress in June, 2014, after strong outreach from AWE and allies at local, state and national
levels. The State, moving ahead with construction prior to appropriations for the project from Congress broke ground in the
fall of 2015 using State funds that AWE urged the Florida Legislature to appropriate, and has committed to completing the project. State funds, $10s of millions, were also appropriated for a water storage projects at Lake Hicprochee, the Alico and
Babcock Ranches, and nutrient reduction projects near the Ortona locks. AWE continues to seek RESTORE Act (BP Oil Spill)
funds for regional restoration projects.
Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP), AWE staff is fully engaged in the planning effort of identifying projects
to move more clean water south in the western Everglades flowpath incorporating an existing L-28/Seminole Reservation
project, and the possibly of moving Lake Okeechobee water into Big Cypress Swamp and thus implementing hydrologic restoration for Big Cypress National Preserve advocated by AWE and allies. AWE has advocated such a planning process for
years to complement eastern and central Everglades flow path efforts. The projects developed will be submitted to Congress
for authorization and funding in future Water Resources Development Act in accordance the long term comprehensive project
planned schedule which AWE staff helped to develop, the Integrated Delivery Schedule or IDS.
Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Planning- AWE is actively participating in the process to advocate for cost
effective storage and treatment options in the Lake Okeechobee watershed to provide water supply storage and enhanced
management options to lessen impacts on Lake Okeechoobee and the coastal estuaries. AWE has been active in efforts to
reduce the excess nutrients flowing from the Lake watershed to Lake O and ultimately to Southwest Florida coastal waters.
Picayune Strand Project has moved significantly toward completion. Unfortunately, work is coming to a stop as the project
cost has exceeded its authorized limits. Reauthorization is included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Pending in Congress. AWE has been active in advocating for appropriations for this and all authorized projects.
WRDA (Water Resources Development Acts) 2016 has moved closer to passage by Congress in late summer, 2016 with
bipartisan support in the Senate. It includes Congressional authorization for the water management infrastructure outlined in
the Central Everglades Planning Project and additional funding needed for Picayune Strand. AWE and allies have advocated
this authorization bill since WRDA 2014 passed.
Protection and Restoration of Wetlands and Water:
Wetland Losses addressed by AWE and Corkscrew Swamp Strategies in collaboration with Corkscrew Swamp
science staff, AWE has continued to lead a statewide, long-term effort to reform development permitting regulations to stem
well-documented wetland losses, especially of shallow, seasonal wetlands. AWE refined Corkscrew’s permit evaluation tool
and also recommended significant improvements to a similar tool being proposed by the State DEP. AWE is also using the
Corkscrew tool to evaluate pending egregious permits in southwest Florida.
Protection of Fragile Coastal Habitats:
Shorebird Stewardship Programs in Lee and Collier Counties were expanded from a 2014/15 pilot to a full Winter
Migratory Shorebirds Program by AWE and partners, using new grants and collaborating with Audubon Florida staff. Six
Shorebird ID sessions and 14 guided beach walks were provided to stewards and the public. Nesting season stewardship
saw poor outcomes in Lee, possibly due to heavy gull predation, and tremendous success in Collier at Sand Dollar and
Second Chance for Black Skimmers and Least Terns. Sand Dollar’s colonies appeared to be the most productive in Florida.
Several new stewards were recruited and trained, and stewards have also been positive factors in nesting success and beachgoer awareness. Also, while crow predation threatened the Marco colonies early like last season, prompt early June action by
FWC and USDA removed the predatory crows from Sand Dollar, yielding the very positive nesting.
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Conservation Achievements (cont’d)
AWE Burrowing Owl Watch Program-Under the project leadership of volunteer Jean Hall, with guidance from former
Marco Environmental Specialist and Owl Prowl founder Nancy Richie, AWE took over and enlarged the monitoring and
maintenance of over 180 imperiled Burrowing Owl burrows on Marco Island with over 400 owls inhabiting them (see our
website: http://www.collieraudubon.info/owl-watch.html). After a very popular training session last winter, 20 volunteers
monitored these nesting burrows from February to July.
19 New and Enhanced Critical Wildlife Areas (CWAs) Proposed by FWC with strong support from Audubon and AWE,
including one Shorebird Steward volunteer who traveled the entire state photographing 19 potential new CWAs, FWC has invested heavily in expanding its protections via CWAs for coastal water birds. Seven are in southwest Florida, for which AWE
organized 30 attendees for the three public hearings. Final approval is Nov, 2016.
Climate Change and Regional Energy Policy:
Sea Level Rise – Adaptation/Oil and Gas/Energy Policy- AWE has continued advocating to strategic agencies for sea
level rise adaptation planning encompassing habitats and infrastructure, including consideration of intergovernmental coordination.
Land Use/Growth Management:
Collaborative Panther and Habitat Conservation continued to advance with Florida Panther Protection Program (FPPP)
partners (AWE, several other conservation groups, and eight major SW Florida landowners) collaborating on a Multi-Species
Habitat Conservation Plan for 170,000 acres of eastern Collier. It relies on incentives and regulations for landowners to restore and permanently protect wetlands and habitat in exchange for development of impacted agricultural lands at a 3:1 ratio.
Those are the basis of Collier County’s Rural Land Stewardship Program with FPPP improvements added like the $150 million
Marinelli Fund to build wildlife crossings and restore corridors. AWE continued to strongly support incentive-based strategies
to help expand panther range and resolve human/wildlife conflicts, including Payment for Ecological Services for livestock
killed by panthers. Funding and slow implementation remain challenges. Collier County’s rural land use programs, based on
incentives and including Rural Land Stewardship, Golden Gate Estates, and Rural Fringe Mixed Use District, are being updated. AWE continued to proactively meet with commissioners to advocate improvements like incentives to retain 40,000
acres of farming and restoration of wildlife corridors, as well as adjusting an out of balance Transferable Development Rights
program.
Specific Project Engagement-AWE also engaged landowners of several major developments in Lee and Collier Counties
with ideas for sustainable development that leverages restoration, including several on Corkscrew Road, Rural Lands West
and Pelican Marsh East. AWE has opposed Corkscrew Crossing and Pelican Marsh East and remains positively engaged on
the others. These all remain in the permitting phases.
AWE and Florida Wildlife Federation Sued Collier County for Destroying Panther and Red-cockaded Woodpecker Habitat- Both state and federal cases received negative rulings by judges, but AWE and FWF have appealed the
state case. AWE will continue to oppose the huge rock mine the County has been advocating in panther and RCW habitat.
Increased Lands in Conservation Status:
Florida’s Water and Land Legacy Constitutional Amendment- With support from AWE and many allies, the Legislature
passed the Legacy Florida bill dedicating $200 million annually for twenty years from the Amendment 1 funds, to Everglades
Restoration and springs conservation. AWE will continue to work for addition conservation commitments by the Legislature in
2017.
Corkscrew Swamp Watershed Protection- AWE led efforts, supported by many allies, to rescue a vital Lee Conservation
20/20 purchase (Coral Creek Farm) from failure due to Lee County policies not to buy lands without oil, gas and mineral rights
(OGM). While AWE supports buying these rights when possible, often they no longer are for sale and Lee had ended negotiations for these 579 acres of restoration lands next to Corkscrew Swamp. With AWE intervention, Lee commissioners made an
exception for this parcel and will soon revise that OGM policy so other CREW and conservation lands won’t be lost.
Lee Conservation 20/20 Referendum on Nov 8.- AWE is helping lead the YES on Conservation 20/20 campaign to reauthorize Lee Conservation 20/20 Program which has bought over 24,000 acres since 1996. With rapid growth again in southwest Florida, conservation land programs are vital.
CREW Headwaters- AWE, CREW and Audubon Florida have collaborated on proposing a new Florida Forever project,
called CREW Headwaters, to buy and restore 2800 acres of citrus and drained native habitats north of CREW and Corkscrew
Swamp Sanctuary. Florida Forever’s ARC Council voted in June, 2016 to advance the new project to final evaluation and vote
in October, 2016.
Election Year- In the months leading up to the 2016 primary and general elections AWE staff and volunteers have been
very active in providing background briefings to candidates for offices varying from city councils to Congress on AWE conservation priorities on reducing harmful fresh water releases to the northern Everglades estuaries while moving water needed in
the southern part of the ecosystem; on rehabilitation of the Lake Okeechobee dike; on restoring and protecting the southwest
Florida ecosystem, economy and quality of life; on the virtues of "smart growth" land usage, and on energy policy, climate
change and preparing for sea level rise.
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Donations July 2015-2016
$10,000-$40,000
Audubon Florida
Barron Collier Jr. Foundation
Collier Enterprises
Joseph Tompkins
Pearson Family Charitable Foundation
$5,000- $9,999
Arthrex, Inc.
Mrs. William Whaley
$2,500-$4,999
Lorne & Carolyn Belden
Cummings & Lockwood, LLC
Everglades Foundation
Florida Power & Light Co.
Richard & Carol Munro
Nicholas & Linda Penniman
Campbell & Prebish, LLC
Stephen & Mary Smith
$1,000-$2,499
Paula Allen
Lew & Dawn Allyn
Stephen & Cynthia Anderson
Jan Bachrach
Community Foundation of Collier County
John Eimerman
Jean-Pierre & Danyele Garnier
Annelise Gerry
Alan Keller Fund
Maurice & Dorothy Kent
Lu Lackore
Robert & Gwen Langley
Stuart Langton
Vickie Nolen
John & Kathleen Passidomo
Bernard & Delphine Poussot
Riverglades Family Offices
Mr. & Mrs. Rosenweig
Semrod Family Private Foundation
Paul & Nancy Slater
Drs. Jonathan Sonne & Rebecca Lambert
Fred & Anne Stratton
Sutton Family Foundation
Karen Van Arsdale
Dolph & Sharon Von Arx
$250-$499
Paul & Eileen Arsenault
Doug Boynton
Shannon Clark
Diane Cooley
Steve & Louise Farrington
Scott & Caran Keller
OJ Kelsey, Jr.
Elinor Krier
Alan Marsh
Wallace & Elizabeth Martel
Jackie McCurdy
Craig & Diane McElheny
John & Tara McGraw
Richard Mounce
Herbert B. & Margaret E. Scheu Fund
Andrew Sillin
Robin Stranahan
FINANCIALS
Fiscal Year July 1, 2015- June 30, 2016
$ 222,861
Assets at Start of Year
Income
Dues & Programs
Gifts
Grants
Change in Market Value
Total
$ 15,748
150,833
31,000
-5,332
$ 192,249
Expenditures
$ 243,298
End of year assets
$ 171,812
$100-$249
Joe Ambrozy
Stanley Boynton
Dorothy Breed
Dickson Brown
Lorraine Carlson
Brad & Martha Cornell
Dorothy Cornell
Leland Davenport
Frederick Dorsey
Patricia Forkan
Jean Gaston
George Gould
Vincent Greene
William Howard
Eliot & Francine Huxley
Ana Jonas
Jack & Diane Kreager
Richard Macken
Thomas McBride
Monica McVicker
William Nunnelly
Gail Peyton
Mr. & Mrs. Willard Shull
Robert Schulthesis Charitable Fund
Regina Sheppard
Ronald Thompson
Rebecca Troop
James White
Mary Beth Whittaker
William & Mary Wintucky
Up to $99 (cont’d)
Susan Liebetrau
Thomas & Marty McCune
J. Duncan Muir
Sue Murray
William & Arlene Oley
Peter & Jane Thompson
Linda Roth
Jo-Ann Sanborn
Jim & Kitty Shaw
Karen Sendik
Martin Sonkin
Richard & Jeannie Stone
Patricia Tarnow
Karol Tenace
Ann Thomas
Laurie Von Dollen
Eleanor Wright
Ginnie Young
Corporate Membership
Pelican Bay Foundation
$500-$999
Mike Assaad
Burrowing Owl Protection Fund of Marco
Stephen Foss
Humiston & Moore Engineering
Ernest & Sandy Linneman
Lutgert Insurance
Robert & Linda Morris
William & Nicole Morton
Gail Smith
Paul & Melinda Sullivan
Gerald Tiffan
Ken & Paula Zeisler
Up to $99
Roger Barry
Richard & Linda Censits
Cathy Downs
Diane Freeman
Marge Generazzo
Roxann Hanson
Helen Imo
Michael & Avanelle Joynt
Sonia Laporte
Brent Larrabee
Nancy Leamon
Brown Pelican Chicks
Photo by Ted Below
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