Sign up for field trips when you register for the conference.  Note that some of these trips are concurrent; it is not possible to attend all of them, so please decide which trips you want to attend before you register.  When a trip reaches capacity, it will close.  

(1) Morning birding at Tropical Audubon Society's Steinberg Nature Center

Tropical Audubon Society's Steinberg Nature Center is a 2.2 acre green space surrounded by urbanization. Being an island of green in a sea of gray makes the preserve an ideal stopping point for migrating birds. Explore the campus of Tropical Hardwood Hammock and former Pine Rockland while finding and identifying migrating birds and the ones who call it home

Time: 7:30 am – 8:30 am

Location: 5530 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL 33143

Directions: Park in the lot off SW 55th Avenue.

Leaders: DJ Mlodozeniec

Contact for day of trip: DJ Mlodozeniec, 716-864-7819

Capacity: 20

(2) Everglades National Park - Guided tour

Located in the "Long Pine Key" area of Everglades National Park. Participants will learn about the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration, Long Pine Key monitoring activities, prescribed fire, pineland croton and federally listed butterflies, and other threatened and endangered species, tegu trapping in the pinelands, and will have the opportunity to visit the historic Nike Missile Base.

Time:  8:30 am – 1:30 pm

Location: 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

Meeting Time & Place: 8:30 am at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034. The group will carpool from the Visitor Center into the park interior.

Admission fees will likely be waived — but only for those who arrive on time to join the carpool.

Map: https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/coedirections.htm 

Directions: Turn west at the intersection of US 1 and Palm Drive in Homestead (where the Florida Turnpike ends). Continue on State Road 9336 (Palm Drive / Ingraham Highway) to the stop sign at Tower Rd (SW 192nd Ave) and turn south (left) — you'll see the Robert Is Here fruit stand. Continue on Tower Rd to the next stop sign, then turn west (right) onto Ingraham Highway (State Road 9336). After entering the park, the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is on the north side of State Road 9336; Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center can also be entered into most navigation apps.

Agenda: 8:30 am — Meet at the Visitor Center, organize carpools (Hillary Cooley). Participants are divided into 3 groups that rotate through concurrent 90-minute sessions, with 15 minutes between stations for travel and breaks:

  •  9:00 – 10:30 am — Station 1, 2, or 3

  •  10:45 am – 12:00 pm — rotate to next station

  •  12:15 – 1:30 pm — rotate to final station

After 1:30 pm, participants may leave or enjoy the park on their own.

Station 1 – Research Road Pinelands: Discussion of pine rockland ecology and management activities, including butterfly monitoring, threatened and endangered species, tegu monitoring, pine tree monitoring, and prescribed fire. (Pablo Ruiz and Kevin Donmoyer)

Station 2 – Hole-in-the-Donut Restoration: Learn about the area's plant succession over twenty-eight years, focusing on slash pine plant communities, visiting four sub-restoration areas scraped in 1998, 2001, 2013, and 2020. (Steve Woodmansee and Maria Vasquez)

Station 3 – Nike Missile Base: Learn about one of the best-preserved relics of the Cold War in Florida — the historic Nike Hercules Missile Base (HM-69), virtually unchanged since it was decommissioned in 1979. (Daniel Blankenship and staff)

Note: sessions run concurrently and groups rotate between stations.

Leaders: Hillary Cooley, Pablo Ruiz, Maria Vasquez, Kevin Donmoyer, Daniel Blankenship

Contact for day of trip: Hillary, 305-297-0338

Capacity: 100

Additional Information: Please bring plenty of drinking water, snacks, and sun protection. Portions of the field trip may include hiking on wet ground or shallow standing water — plan to wear closed-toed shoes you don't mind getting wet.

US Coast Guard Station at Richmond— Guided tour, choice of morning or afternoon

The site contains an active-duty Coast Guard unit, with antenna fields and weather equipment around the site.

Times: Two choices, 8:30-10:30 am or 1:30-3:00 pm

Location: 15608 SW 117 Ave.

Map/Directions: The only entrance is on SW 117 Ave & SW 160 St (traffic light). Park in the north parking lot, by the flagpole.

Leaders: Megan Clouser, Hector Schmidt

Contact for day of trip: Megan, 305-724-5509

Capacity: 25

Registration: Pre-registration is required, and participants must be approved prior to the day of the field trip so a list can be given to the guards. Field trip organizers will contact you within the week prior to the field trip to confirm your approval.  You will be asked to sign in upon arrival.

Special Considerations: Only one vehicle can go through the gate at a time; drivers must wait until the gate closes before they will be allowed in. Each vehicle must call the front gate at 305-930-2957 to gain entry.