President, Santa Fe Audubon Society
Each year, Audubon Florida celebrates its 44 Chapters for their efforts to connect people to nature while protecting birds and the places they need. These awards remind us that conservation is not just about the birds; it’s about people coming together to make a difference, one project, one partnership, one volunteer hour at a time.
This year, the state organization awarded the Santa Fe Audubon Society with the 2025 Outstanding Small Chapter Conservation Project for its efforts to provide safe nesting cavities and a productive environment along Clay Electric and FP&L land easements in Etoniah State Park for Kestrels to live, reproduce, and fledge their young.
Since this project’s inception, it has experienced significant success with the fledging of over 100 new Kestrels. The Lake Region group was the first Chapter to partner with the Avian Research and Conservation Institute, working closely with Dr Ken Meyer.
Kestrels are banded, and some are fitted with 3-ounce GPS transmitters to capture and analyze valuable scientific data on flight distances and patterns. Kestrel nest boxes are set 10 feet above the ground on articulating poles, which makes it safer for caretakers and less disruptive to nests during maintenance and egg and chick counting.
“Santa Fe Audubon Society continues to raise the bar for what any-sized chapter can do,” said Audubon’s Chapter Conservation Manager Kristin Kosik. “They are making significant strides toward their expansion and community education, all while offering an incredible variety of programs and field trips that bring people together for the appreciation and protection of birds and the places birds need.”
Santa Fe Audubon’s Mission is to educate people of all ages in the value and necessity of environmental stewardship through conservation actions, personal example, partnerships, and opportunities to experience the natural world. The chapter serves Putnam, Bradford, western Clay, and eastern Alachua counties.
Santa Fe Audubon strives to offer recreational, educational, and conservation activities that reflect the values embodied in that way of life.
Its website is santafeaudubon.org. The chapter also has an Instagram presence, @santafeaudubon. The group also offers opportunities for interns and students in Audubon, Florida’s Conservation Leadership Initiative, to gain hands-on field experience.
