The Florida Master Naturalist Lecture Series will feature E-Birding with David Simpson on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Savannas Preserve State Park, 2541 SE Walton Road, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 34952 in the park’s education center. A $5 donation is requested online through the St. Lucie County Extension website.
E-Birding will include the presentation of the eBird iOS mobile app for smart phones and how to use this wonderful tool for your bird observations. Simpson will explain how we can use this free data entry app to assist with the Christmas Bird Count and other fun purposes. This application has revolutionized how birders record information in the field. In 2014, the inventor of the app transferred development and management of the app to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird team. The goal was to make a single, free global data entry app for in-field use.
eBird Mobile makes it easy for birders to record the birds they see in the field and link these observations with eBird, a global online database of bird records used by hundreds of thousands of birders around the world. It makes it easy to track what you see, and makes your own data more available for scientific research, education and conservation. According to Cornell University, eBird Mobile is the only app that passes information directly from the iOS device to your eBird account on the web.
David Simpson is a professional birder and consultant who holds many American Birding Association records, including Big Year (both second and third place for Florida) and Big Day. He is the current record holder of 11 monthly Big Day records in Florida. A life-long central Florida resident, Simpson has been birding for more than 30 years. He has led birding tours privately and as a ranger at the St. Sebastian Buffer preserve. Simpson and his wife, Dee, lead tours at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Brevard County, and the Big “O” Birding festival in Okeechobee and work closely with the Wings and Wildlife Festival and the Indian River Birding Festival. In addition to birds, Simpson is experienced with all aspects of Florida wildlife and has an extensive knowledge of native plants, snakes, frogs and other critters that may be encountered here in our state. He is well-known for documenting and sharing his birding adventures.
There is a $5 fee for this program, and registration is through the St. Lucie County Extension website at https://stlucie.ifas.ufl.edu. Contact Mary White, president, Florida Master Naturalists’ St. Lucie Chapter at fmnmarywhite@gmail.com or call Savannas Preserve State Park at 772-398-2779 for more information.
What: eBirding lecture at Savannas with David Simpson, who will explain the use of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free app eBird and how it can be used for the Christmas bird count.
Date & Time: Thursday, Dec. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Location: Savannas Preserve State Park, 2541 Walton Road, Port St. Lucie
Questions: Mary White President St. Lucie County Chapter Florida Master Naturalists fmnmarywhite@gmail.com or Savannas Preserve State Park at 772-398-2779
Registration: $5 regular registration closes on Nov. 25. $7 late registration begins Nov. 26. Credit card payments can only be accepted in advance of the class online at https://stlucie.ifas.ufl.edu. A small fee will be added for Eventbrite and credit card payments.
Refund Policy: Refunds will be available until the close of regular registration. No refunds will be issued after that date or credited to future classes.
