Tues., February 21 @ 6 p.m. - Suwannee Baptist Church Fellowship Hall
Savanna Barry from the UF Nature Coast Biological Station in Cedar Key returns to talk to us about their seagrass monitoring program & why it is important to us in Suwannee and surrounding areas. Anyone who makes their living on the water or is interested in our natural environment is encouraged to attend. FREE program. Coffee & cookies.

Thurs., March 2 @ 6 p.m. - location TBA
UF/IFAS Researcher Peter Frederick will talk about ongoing work to restore shrinking oyster reefs and thereby help coastal ecosystems and economies become more resilient. FREE program. Anyone who makes their living on the water or is interested in our natural environment is encouraged to attend. Coffee & cookies. 

For more information please contact Jane Connors at Suwannee Library Technical Center - suwanneetechcenter@yahoo.com 352.542.8320.

Jack Putz -- Coastal Ecosystem Change in Florida
Thurs., February 16 @ 5:00 p.m.

Dr. Jane Brockman -- Horseshoe Crabs
Sat., February 18 @ 10:30 a.m

Janell Brush and Joseph Marchionno -- Oystercatchers
Thurs., February 23 @ 5:00 p.m.

Vic Doig -- Florida Black Bears in the Big Bend
Thurs., March 2 @ 5:00 p.m.

The 2017 Friends Annual Meeting and Refuge Open House of the Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges will be on Saturday, March 4 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Refuge Headquarters near Fowlers Bluff, off highway 347.

An overview of last year's Annual Meeting can be seen here.

Again this year, the Annual Meeting will feature a Photo Contest dedicated to the memory of the late Bill Killborn. Bill was a talented local photographer and web designer who donated many hours to the Friends group.

We are asking for donated photos to be judged and then auctioned off. Proceeds will fund Friends projects throughout the coming year.

Anyone is welcome to enter, regardless of Friends membership or level of photography experience. Entrants are invited to join Friends (your membership covers an excellent luncheon) but it is not required.

Guidelines for participating:

1. Your donated photos must be 8”x10”and matted.
2. The subject must be nature but it can be any location, not just our Refuges.
3. You may submit up to 2 entries.
4. Your name must not be printed on the front of the photo.
5. Print your name and contact information on the back of the photo only.
6. All who attend the Annual Meeting and  Open House will vote by ballot to determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbon, which will be given after lunch.
7. A silent auction with a minimum bid of $10 will be used to purchase each photo. Those not purchased will be returned to the owner.
8. Deadline for submitting photos is Thursday March 2.
9. Please submit your photos in a large sealed envelope with your name on the outside. You may drop it off at the Cedar Key Arts Center, 257 Second St. between 10:00 and 5:00 daily, or mail it to Friends of the Refuges, P.O.Box 532, Cedar Key, FL 32625.

For further information please call Bill at 314-918-0720 or Anne at 573-341-8330 or email wdummitt@yahoo.com

The Natural Pine Forest trail, a feature marked B in the FWS Dixie Mainline Trail Guide is easier to hike thanks to Jason Coates and several Suwannee residents. This 1.2 mile long down-and-back trail has a variety of habitats including a fresh water pond and a marsh view of Shired Island at the end.