FLTWS is seeking applicants for:
The 2025 'Courtney Tye Graduate Student Memorial Scholarship' ($2,000)
The 2025 ‘Greater Everglades Undergraduate Student Memorial Scholarship’ ($1,500)
The 2025 ‘FLTWS Diversity Undergraduate Wildlife Student Scholarship’ ($1,500).
The deadline for applications is 1 December 2024; recipients will be contacted in early 2025; checks will be presented at the annual Spring meeting of the Chapter in April 2025 in Tallahassee.
Please visit our Scholarships page for more details.
UPDATE, NOV. 5th: REGISTRATION IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD for the “PRESCRIBED FIRE FOR WILDLIFE” class, December 3-5, 2024, at the FFA Leadership Training Center located on Lake Pierce near Haines City, Florida. Please check back soon for additional updates.
Class size is limited so early registration is encouraged. Basic Registration is $375.00 and full registration with all meals and lodging is $675.00. The Registration deadline is November 19, 2024. Register online viahttp://fltws.org/shop(credit cards or state or federal pcards accepted).
Click this news tab to view the full details.
This year our fall meeting will take place November 7th-8th at the Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center in Gainesville.
This workshop will focus on Florida Flora: the identification and conservation of Florida's native plants.
Topics will include:
Plant Identification Basics
Identification of Ferns and Trees
Graminoid ID - Grasses, Sedges, and their Relatives
FIELD TRIP to Prairie Creek Preserve to practice your new ID skills!
The Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Awards of Excellence!
Herbert W. Kale, II Award - Hilary Swain, Executive Director at Archbold Biological Station
Paul Moler Herpetological Conservation Award - Peter Meylan, R. R. Hallin Professor, Emeritus at Eckerd College
Outstanding Educator Award - Andrea Hutwagner, STEM Education Manager at Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Influential Woman in Wildlife Award - Karen Bjorndal, Director of the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research
NGO Special Recognition - South Florida Wildlife Center
The Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society is pleased to announce that Rebecca McKee of the University of Florida is the 2024 recipient of the Courtney A. Tye Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship, Christian Fernandez of the University of Florida is the recipient of the 26th annual Greater Everglades Student Memorial Scholarship, and Felix Roy of the University of Florida is the recipient of the 6th annual Undergraduate Diversity Student Scholarship. Rebecca, Christian and Felix were recognized for these awards at a banquet during the FLTWS Spring Conference on April 25th in Cape Coral.
Dear Florida Chapter Members,
Please read the this letter from our Society to two Florida senators co-sponsoring the Florida’s Springs and Aquifer Protection Act (SB 1576). If you agree that this is an important conservation initiative, please take a moment to email your Senator (as a private citizen) and ask that a strong, meaningful bill be passed.
Thank you,
Becky Bolt
FLTWS Conservation Chairperson
Congratulations to “The Friends of Thornby”, a small, dedicated group of local citizens who have worked to conserve an area of environmental and cultural significance. The area, known as "Thornby,” is a 40-acre parcel of Old Florida boasting 1,000 feet of shoreline on Lake Monroe in West Volusia County. In addition to the cultural significance associated with remnants of an Indian midden and a possible Seminole Indian Wars fort, the area supported centuries-old live oak and cypress trees, more than seven acres of wetlands that serve as both a discharge and recharge area for the Floridan aquifer, and a host of wildlife and native plant species.
The Florida Chapter of the Wildlife Society is proud to announce the 2014 Greater Everglades Student Memorial Scholarship. We are alos excited to announce, for the first time ever the FLTWS Graduate Student Scholarship. For more information on these prestigious awards, check out our scholarship page.
Congratulations to Ms. Jenny Adler, for her winning photo "Deep Breath"!
Please visit the photo contest gallery to view the runner up images. (other great contestant photos will be added soon!)
Thanks, also, to our judges for their time and effort. They had to judge 45 photos, and I can tell you there were many beautiful and interesting ones to review, it was no easy process!
Dear FLTWS Members,
Protecting our waters, natural areas, and wildlife are fundamental to the goals and vision of the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Please consider helping us help Florida’s Water and Land Legacy Campaign place a critical conservation amendment on the November 2014 ballot. The coming months offer the most productive signature gathering opportunities during this campaign while festivals are happening around the state. Volunteers are needed now to sit at tables and ask festival participants to sign petitions.
There is less than one year to gather the remaining 480,000 volunteer signatures needed to put the Water and Land Conservation Amendment on the 2014 ballot. Right now, the most important thing you can do to protect our rivers, springs, beaches, and wildlife is to volunteer. Please visit Florida’s Water and Land Legacy website (http://floridawaterlandlegacy.org/) to learn more about the campaign and sign up to volunteer today.
Thank you,
Becky Bolt
FLTWS Conservation Committee Chair
Submitted by Claire Sunquist Blunden
Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2015, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is introducing species action plans and an imperiled species management plan for 60 species on Florida’s Threatened Species list. A State Wildlife Grant provides funding for additional staffing and other resources
that are being utilized for this five year project, which includes planning for the development and implementation of the imperiled species management plan. The FWC began this process by adopting a new conservation model in September 2010 to evaluate the status of species listed as state threatened or species of special concern. As part of the new conservation model, there were updates made to the rules for Florida’s endangered and threatened species, Chapter 68A-27, Florida Administrative Code, which were approved by the FWC Commission in September 2010. The rule is important for identifying and protecting Florida’s imperiled species.
At the 2013 spring conference, Dr. Richard Seigel was awarded the 2013 Paul Moler Conservation Award.
Rich’s work on KSC in the 1970s formed the basis for an ideal long-term look at variations in the herp populations over time. There have been a number of changes in abundance and distribution of amphibians and reptiles at the site, especially for diamondback terrapins, which have declined dramatically. Data on snake populations have also shown major declines for several species, but apparent increases in others. Recent Masters’ degree projects have focused on the ecology, movements, and survival of juvenile gopher tortoises, and the use of ephemeral wetlands by sirens and aquatic snakes.
Rich’s contribution to the knowledge of herps in Florida is eclipsed only by the contribution he has made nationally. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications and five books to his credit, there is little doubt that his knowledge and influence have made a huge impact. Even more importantly is the role he has played teaching and mentoring hundreds of students, many of whom have become well known herpetologists in their own right. Richard Seigel epitomizes the intent of the Paul Moler Herpetological Conservation Award and is an excellent, deserving recipient.
You can read more about Dr. Seigel and the award, right here.
