ARC AT THE PARK

The Tampa Audubon Society, in cooperation with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, has established the Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake Regional County Park (ARC at the PARK). The resource center was created to help foster a culture of conservation and an environmental ethic in the Tampa Bay region and to encourage community involvement in the Audubon mission.

Tampa Audubon hopes people will visit ARC at the Park for information, education, resources related to the Audubon mission.

ARC at the Park
• Provides a variety of environmental education programs and field trips for all ages.
• Displays wildlife native to the Hillsborough River watershed.
• Promotes Audubon Society membership and sponsorship for “Audubon Adventures” environmental education materials for local elementary schools.
• Assists park visitors with wildlife and plant identification.

ARC at the Park will form partnerships with other organizations, public and private, involved in environmental programs, such as Hillsborough County Schools, Nature's Classroom, TECO Energy, Inc., the Florida Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Lowry Park Zoo, etc.

We have lots of exciting things happening at the ARC over the next few months. Photography Club: The Photography club meets the third Saturday of each month. 1 p.m. Digital and Wildlife Photography Class 2 p.m. General Photography Club meeting The club is open to anyone interested in nature photography. The club schedules outtings and fieldtrips during the meetings, so to be in the know you have to attend. Volunteer Training: We are in urgent need of additional volunteers to staff the facility. Volunteers committ to one Saturday or Sunday afternoon per month, from 1-5 p.m. Training is simple and available. The only skills you need is a love for the environment and a willingness to share a friendly smile with the visiting public. These 4 hours you spend a month are hugely rewarding. Please visit the ARC or email arcatthepark@yahoo.com if you are interested. If you know anyone that would like to become an active ARC volunteer, please share this with them. Wish List: We are always looking for additional materials to enhance the visitors experience, if you have any of the following, please bring it by the ARC, it will be put to good use: Childrens books about Florida's flora and fauna A VHS rewinder Florida's ecosystems related games and materials Your Time one weekend a month! Schedule of Events: August 14th: Carolyn McKinney will present information on the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN), as well as basic butterfly identification. Meeting is at Century Buick, 3308 W. Hillsborough Ave., 7:00 PM. September 11th: Get up close and personal with some of the wildlife (some wiil not have feathers!) one would expect to encounter on many of our field trips. Presentaion will be given by Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo Animal Ambassadors' team. Come join us at 7:00 PM at Century Buick, 3308 W. Hillsborough Ave.

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NEWS FROM ARC AT THE PARK:
Report from the Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake Park, May 2008  In May, in addition to our regular birding hikes, the ARC will host to Connections Between  Air & Water Hike on the 17th.  This is one of a series of events scheduled around the county for Clean Air Month.  Reservation for this two-hour walk through the uplands and wetlands must be made with the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County 813/627-2600.  We will host both an Earthforce and a Hillsborough County Public Schools High School Field Teaching Workshop in June.  We found a limited quantity of Lettuce Lake guides in a cabinet. The color maps have been reprinted and we will be restoring the numbering system to the new sections of the boardwalk. Visitors to Lettuce Lake Park can obtain both the maps and boardwalk guides at the ARC during the hours it is open, during the week 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and on weekends 1-5 p.m.   So far our practice of lending out binoculars & color ID guide books has worked well, one to a family and with a set of car keys held by the ARC docent until they are turned in.  Family adults are asked to keep the binoculars around their neck and watch their children when they use them.   Binoculars and color ID guide books need to be checked back in at the ARC by 4:30.   

We are working on two new exhibits: The Swamp and the Hydric  Hammock exhibit which will be completed first and an exhibit on the Uplands of Lettuce Lake Park will follow.  Have you ever found an animal skull and been afraid?  How about curious?  Do you wish you could be a kind of wildlife detective and be able to tell what an animal was by just looking at its skull?  Well, you can!  Come to the ARC and participate in learning all about skulls and solve a wildlife crime scene through this one hour program led by naturalist and resident “bonehead,” Katie Fisk.  Attendance is limited to 20 people, so sign up early at ARC in the Park or by emailing Katie directly at HYPERLINK "mailto:ktfisk@yahoo.com"ktfisk@yahoo.com.  It’ll be fun…no bones about it! Saturday, June 21 10:00-11:00am

The boardwalk construction is competed.  It was built by the same contractor as the previous sections and is the same style.  Eventually the entire boardwalk will be replaced.  Thanks to ARC Docent Carol Brite who will be leaving us for a while to work on schooling.  Linda McClung will be back for the summer.  Michele Stillwell will be joining us as a new volunteer.

Thanks to all our ARC Docents who make it possible to share our exhibits and natural history center with the public on weekends,  Chris Rusnak, Dan Harnly,  Autumn Mueller, Ann Paul, David Holt, Mike Mullins, Roger Sheets, Neal & Celina, Susan McClung, Michele Stillwell, Mary Miller, Jody Owens, Tom Nelson.  

Mike & Barbara

For information on the ARC, contact Mike and Barbara Mullins at ARCatthePark@yahoo.com, cell number 813/390-4696.

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Stop by the ARC to see how you can get involved!
We're open Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
6920 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa FL 33637
(just west of I-75 on East Fletcher Avenue, in northeast Tampa)

For more information on the ARC e-mail: arcatthepark@yahoo.com, or phone: (813) 626-2051.

Birdhouses for sale on display at ARC at the Park. Click on photos below for more information.

President:Carolyn McKinney
Immediate past President: Ann Paul/Rob Heath