SCAS Welcomes Osprey Watch to Our November General Meeting

By Bob Montanaro

Please join SCAS on November 16, at 7:30 for our November general meeting when we will welcome Bob Montanaro from OspreyWatch.

OspreyWatch (www.ospreywatch.org) is a multiyear project---now going into its third year---utilizing still and video photography to document the daily lives of the Ospreys residing at Pelican island National Wildlife Refuge---the nation's first National Wildlife Refuge established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. With the cooperation of the Refuge staff, OspreyWatch is able to provide an intimate look into the nesting habits of these magnificent birds of prey that find an abundant food source in the surrounding waters of the Indian River Lagoon to feed their primarily fish diet. Besides documenting the lives of the Osprey, the multimedia presentation also features encounters with other wildlife on the Refuge---everything from River Otters and a family of Pileated Woodpeckers to fighting Red-Shouldered Hawks!

Bob Montanaro is the office manager for the Pelican Island Audubon Society handling all aspects of the day-to-day running of the chapter. He is also a volunteer at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge In addition to being, respectively, the 2004 and the 2006 volunteer-of-the-year at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, he also serves on the board of directors of the Pelican Island Preservation Society, the friends group for the Refuge. He also serves on the planning committee for the Pelican Island Wildlife Festival which is an annual event that draws 4,000 to 6,000 visitors to learn about the National Wildlife Refuge System, about local wildlife and habitats, and environmental issues and concerns. Bob received a B.A. in European and Asian history from the University of Central Florida and an M.A. in U.S. history from Florida State University. He also attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco.