Audubon Honors Young Bird Stewards from St. Augustine and St. Petersburg

Words by Jonathan Scott Webber
Published October 04, 2012

The National Audubon Society will feature the conservation volunteerism of Florida bird stewards John Brice (9) and Nora Jade Flower (14) in this year’s Audubon Adventures, an environmental curriculum used in 4,000 classrooms nationwide. Audubon Florida will also honor John and Nora this month as Junior Volunteers of the Year at the 2012 Audubon Assembly in Sarasota.

This year’s Audubon Adventures curriculum features John and Nora Jade as young conservationists in the Sharing Our Shores and Caring for Our Planet units respectively.  In its 30th year, Audubon Adventures is a 3rd-5th grade education curriculum featuring four units correlated with Florida’s Sunshine State Standards.

Since the age of 4, John Brian Brice has been helping protect beach-nesting birds near his home in St. Augustine. With his uniform vest just inches from the ground, he began accompanying his grandmother, Peggy Cook, to the few remaining beaches in St. Johns County where threatened Least Terns scrape shallow nests on the sand. Five years later, this third grader volunteers as a bird steward, educating beachgoers about Florida’s coastal wildlife and providing opportunities for them to view birds at a safe distance with binoculars. He also helps protects birds from dogs and other potential hazards. “My favorite part of bird stewarding is being at the beautiful beach and looking at and studying the beautiful birds with binoculars,” said John Brice.

In St. Petersburg, Nora Jade Flower’s volunteering also began as a family affair, rescuing Least Tern chicks that had fallen from their nests on gravel rooftops and staffing beach-nesting bird education stations on area beaches.  At age 9, Nora Jade testified before the Pinellas County Commission in support of bird conservation at Shell Key Preserve. “We protect the beach nesting birds from human disturbances,” says now 14-year-old Nora Jade. “Some people don’t listen, but many just don’t know that they are doing something harmful when they chase the birds or get too close to the nests.”

Many of Florida’s beach-dependent birds are in steep decline due to habitat loss and disturbance. When adults are flushed from their nests, eggs and chicks are left exposed to sun, predators, and crushing; a single disturbance can result in the failure of an entire colony.

“These two remarkable young adults are a great example of the next generation of Floridians helping the next generation of Florida’s wildlife,” said Eric Draper, Executive Director of Audubon Florida, “Their dedication is an inspiration to kids and adults alike.”

To learn more about Audubon Adventures and for information on ordering a kit for your favorite classroom, please visit: http://education.audubon.org/audubon-adventures.  Individuals or families looking for more information on becoming bird stewards in their area are encouraged to email flconservation@audubon.org. 

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