[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10429]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


    ST. PETERSBURG AUDUBON SOCIETY CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, the St. Petersburg Audubon 
Society celebrates its centennial anniversary this month, marking 100 
years of serving our community's conservation and awareness of local 
birds and the wild areas they call home.
  The St. Petersburg chapter, Florida's oldest, was founded in 1909 as 
part of a crusade by the Florida and National Audubon Society to save 
wading birds from extinction. At that time, birds' feathers, aigrettes, 
and wings were used to decorate women's hats. This threatened many of 
Florida's unique wading birds with extinction. The result of this 
effort was the saving of these species of birds for future generations 
of Floridians and visitors to Florida to watch and enjoy.
  The St. Petersburg chapter, under the leadership of President Mauri 
Peterson; Vice President Maureen Arnold; Secretary Nancy Ogden; 
Treasurer Rick Potter; and Board Members Harold Albers, Mary Brazier, 
Wanda Dean, Judi Hopkins, Saskia Janes, Dave Kandz, Mark Mueller, Lee 
Snyder, and Alice Tenney; continues to serve our community in many 
important ways including conservation leadership and educational 
opportunities. These activities include weekly field trips, monthly 
programs, and a long list of volunteer activities.
  Specifically, the St. Petersburg Audubon Society raises funds to give 
Pinellas County fourth grade students an Audubon Adventure program, to 
provide scholarships to National Audubon Ecology Camps for local 
teachers, and to give monetary awards to Science Fair winners. The 
chapter also hosts its annual Pinellas Native Plant Society meeting 
every December to bring together members of local environmental 
organizations for a time of celebration and education.
  The members of the chapter have also done what they do best -- 
protect our shorebirds and habitats. They helped establish the Shell 
Key County Preserve and they led an effort to conduct a comprehensive 
study of beach-nesting birds in partnership with Eckerd College, 
Pinellas County government employees, and public land managers.
  Chapter members have even taken their work neighborhood to 
neighborhood and house to house through their ``In Harmony With 
Nature'' programs to help homeowners create wildlife-friendly habitats 
in their yards and to become aware of bird nesting in their own 
neighborhoods. And they continue to sponsor annual Migratory and 
Christmas Bird Counts, a Florida tradition that dates back to 1900.
  A special exhibit about the centennial celebration will be unveiled 
this Saturday at the St. Petersburg History Museum. It will feature 
information about the chapter's founder Katherine Bell Tippetts, 
milestones from the chapter's history, and information about the 
chapter's continuing commitment to the community.
  Madam Speaker, The St. Petersburg Audubon Society continues to serve 
our community today just as energetically as it has throughout these 
past 100 years. The members of the chapter volunteer to protect our 
local wildlife and natural habitats and to make Pinellas County a 
better place to live. Please join me in congratulating the members of 
the St. Petersburg Audubon Society for their rich history of service.

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