History:First Florida Audubon Society Meeting 1900-03-02
From Indian River Lagoon Project
First Florida Audubon Society Meeting
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| Name | First Florida Audubon Society Meeting |
|---|---|
| Date | March 2, 1900 |
| Description | On March 2, the first meeting of the Florida Audubon Society is held in Maitland at the L.F. Dommerich estate. The list of early Ôofficers' included: N.Y. Governor and later U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, Florida Governor W.D. Bloxham, American Museum of Natural History's Frank Chapman, Rollins College President G.M. Ward, Stetson University President J.F. Forbes, and the editors of the state's largest newspapers. A little later, the list grew to include President Grover Cleveland, Florida Governor W.S. Jennings, ornithologist Theodore S. Palmer, and Maria R. Audubon.
Working together, the state Audubon Societies successfully push for the passage of the Lacey Act, prohibiting the interstate trade of wildlife killed in violation of state laws. A regular winter visitor to Florida, Frank Chapman, ornithologist and curator of the American Museum of Natural History, organizes the first Christmas Bird Count. The holiday tradition has grown into the largest volunteer wildlife census in the world and today, in Florida, more than 2,000 people participate in over 60 Christmas Bird Counts each year during a three-week period around Christmas. |
| Region | Estuary
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| Source | Florida Audubon Society |
