[dropcap]O[/dropcap]nly months after earning National Register of Historic Places status for its Doc Thomas House headquarters, Tropical Audubon Society is marking 100 Years of Audubon presence in South Florida this month. A slate of environmental and celebratory Centennial festivities (listed below) are planned around both milestones. (*Unless noted, each event takes place at TAS’s Steinberg Nature Center campus, a 3-acre native oasis nestled 1 block east of the South Miami business district):
April 10: Art Nite, 6-9 p.m. — The DTH period parlor will be transformed into a vibrant art gallery as Painter & Art educator Patricia Rottino Cummins and Palmetto Elementary art students share their endangered species-inspired art, with live music provided by their talented peers. Their exhibit will hang through April. Thirty percent of art sale proceeds benefit TAS. (Free & open to the public)
Parking: Limited free parking in our lot via 55th Avenue gate & along 56th Avenue; metered parking on Sunset Drive; various garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.
April 12: Go-Green Gables Eco-Fair, 1-4 p.m. — TAS partners with Coral Gables Merrick House to stage a Ready-Set-Recycle community event of inordinate scale. (@ Merrick House)*
April 16: Audubon Florida & TAS will cohost a private reception for their top donors 100 years to the day that the area’s first Audubon chapter was formed in “Cocoanut” Grove.
(@ History Miami Museum)*
April 25: “Birdstock” Conservation Concert, 7- 10 p.m. — The final concert of the 2015 season features an exciting playbill of all-original music performed by a slate of topflight South Florida bands,, including Axe & the Oak, GoldDust Lounge, Raffa Jo and Southbound Suspects, will headline The all-original music prerequisite that sets Birdstock apart from other ConCons in the series enables these performers to showcase their uniquely personal sounds. Also on the Birdstock playbill, Jefe’s Tacos & Burgers Food Truck will dish an authentic, Baja-inspired menu; a donation Bird Bar courtesy of Republic National Distributing Co. will provide liquid refreshment. Picnic tables are available on a first-come basis. Nearby community partners also offer take-out: George’s, Sports Grill, Whisk Gourmet & Whole Foods Coral Gables.
$10 donation, children free. Gates open at 7 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m.
Proceeds benefit capital improvements to the grounds and historic buildings.
Parking: Limited free parking in our lot via 55th Avenue gate & along 56th Avenue; metered parking on Sunset Drive; various garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.
April 26: WingDing, 4- 8 p.m. — A celebration of John James Audubon’s 230th birthday, 100-Year Audubon milestones, conservation heroes & environmental victories. Awards, Live Music, Silent Auction, Light Fare & Libations. We’ve hatched a delightful afternoon of great food, Bird Bar libations, live music and inspiring conservation content. Maggy Reno Hurchalla, former Martin County Commissioner and Everglades Coalition Hall-of-Fame inductee, will be our Centennial keynote speaker. Additionally, we will honor our community’s foremost Environmental Rock Stars! These very special people have dedicated their lives to preserving South Florida’s special places. Among them:
- Dan Beard Government Award: Comm. Rebeca Sosa
- Polly Redford Citizen Award: Steve Leidner
- Board Appreciation Award: Rick Cohen
- Exec. Director Volunteer Award: John Boyd
(Free & open to the public)
Parking: Limited free parking in our lot via 55th Avenue gate & along 56th Avenue; metered parking on Sunset Drive; various garage and valet parking options within 1-3 blocks; Metro-rail service to South Miami Station.
Through May 31: Explore the Audubon legacy via The Complete Audubon, The Birds of America exhibit, an unprecedented display of the 435 life-sized, first-edition Elephant Folio prints that comprise John James Audubon’s iconic masterwork. (@ History Miami Museum)*
More information in the pipeline:
To help illuminate an epic that spans early pioneer Florida to modernity, a 100-Year timeline and a colorful narrative authored by Tropical Audubon Society advisor and retired educator Dan Jones can be provided. Both document the historic conservation work achieved by various incarnations of our local Audubon chapter.
- Timeline for story ideas & points of reference
• 100-Year narrative for richer details
• Recent accomplishments, current advocacy issues & future goals
• Historic documents, photographs and images available upon request
