Join the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 13 for our next lecture series. Jim Cox from Tall Timbers will talk about a five-state study that focuses on the relationship between fire and some of our most curious and elusive birds – Yellow Rail, Black Rail and Seaside Sparrow. Admission is free and refreshments provided.

Lecture Title: “Chasing Phantoms Amid the Flames: Fire Management for Elusive Coastal Birds”

Date:  March 13, 2025 at 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Bio and Lecture Description: Jim Cox is a Beadel Fellow in Avian Ecology and Conservation at Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee. Cox graduated from Florida State university (FSU) with majors in English and History (and a side-order minor in Biology). The bird-watching bug struck at about this time and Cox began assisting Dr. Frances James, a new ornithologist hired by FSU. After graduating, Cox landed a job in a new statewide program focused in the conservation and management of rare wildlife in Florida. Time was spent identifying sites in Florida where habitat conservation through land acquisition, donated easements, and other programs could significantly improve the chances of survival for imperiled wildlife. Cox left work with the state when an offer to study birds at Tall Timbers Research Station emerged in 2000. At Tall Timbers, Cox’s research focused narrowly on the effects that fire management has on a rare species to broader questions about the effects the configuration of conserved habitat might have on biological diversity and rare species viability.

Fire is as important as water and air in sustaining Florida’s ecosystems. This link is firmly established for Florida’s upland ecosystems, but less is known about the importance of fire in many coastal wetlands. The presentation provides a look at new information emerging from a five-state study that focuses on the relationship between fire and some of our most curious and elusive birds – Yellow Rail, Black Rail, and Seaside Sparrow.

Where: The FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory

3618 Coastal Hwy 98

St. Teresa, FL 32358

Zoom: In-person attendance is encouraged, but the lecture will also be live-streamed: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/96204215950

Questions? Contact Jared Fuqua at jfuqua@fsu.edu.