Dear Friends of Audubon Everglades,

We hope that this finds you healthy and well during the coronavirus pandemic.

With physical distancing requirements and restrictions on gatherings extended, Audubon Everglades will continue to exercise caution and will not conduct/promote/sponsor face to face events or activities in groups of 10 or more which cannot be conducted without recommended physical distancing.

The monthly meeting/program will not be held on May 5th as originally scheduled.

We will schedule/conduct/promote a variety of “virtual programs” (i.e. livestream/zoom/youtube) and “events” providing educational, engaging and fun opportunities to our community. Programs will be announced by email, social media and on the Audubon Everglades website .

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There are several events scheduled in May

During May, our focus will be on “Plants for Birds”. We are currently working out the details for a virtual program to provide specific information about native plants for birds which are well suited for South Florida.

eBird “Global Big Day” on Saturday May 9th is an annual celebration of the birds around you. Participating is easy. Bird your backyard or local park and report your sightings on eBird, and on the Audubon Everglades Community Facebook Page. Please remember to always put safety first and follow safety guidelines.

Photography Interactive Webinar on May 12th 7-8:30pm with award winning photographer Lisa Langell. Open to all, Registration required: May 13 Photography Webinar with Lisa Langell

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We have an immediate opening for volunteer(s) who know how to set up and administer virtual programs (Zoom, Google meet, etc.)

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In case you are wondering what are we doing about the business scheduled for the cancelled April Annual Meeting. There were 3 important business to cover at the meeting:

Budget for the year April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021:
The budget needs were submitted by various AE groups to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reviewed the budget requests, developed a budget and submitted it for review by the entire board and the board approved the budget. The proposed budget will be posted on the Audubon Everglades Website. AE will operate with the budget the board approved until the time we can take a vote of the membership.

Election of Board officers
The Nominating Committee reviewed the needs of the board, identified and interviewed candidates, and submitted a list of candidates for review by the board. The board approved the slate of candidates which included the current President, VP, Secretary and Treasurer. AE will continue to operate with these board members until we can take a vote of the membership.

Bylaws changes
During the year it was evident that 4 areas of the Bylaws needed to be clarifiedmodified.
The proposed changes were researched, submitted to the board for review and approved by the Board. Proposed Bylaws changes 2020 are provided on the AE website. AE will operate with the current Bylaws until the time we can take a vote of the membership.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Please use caution and take all the appropriate steps to be safe, protect your own health and the health of others in our community..

Susan McKemy
President 
Audubon Everglades