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How to contact us

hernandoaudubonpresident@gmail.com

Hernando Audubon Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 1678

Brooksville, FL 34605

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Photo by Lucille Lane

 The Hernando Audubon Society was established in 1959. It is a nonprofit organization and a Florida chapter of the National Audubon Society. We serve members in Hernando, east Pasco and south Sumter counties.

 
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Our Mission is to promote an awareness and appreciation of nature, to preserve and protect natural ecosystems, and to encourage responsible environmental stewardship.

Outreach and Education have always been an important part of our activities in the community. Our programs and field trips are open to everyone, and we do not charge a fee. Hernando Audubon Society strives to ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all people to engage with the chapter, especially in nature-based and conservation activities. 

We fund an environmental scholarship that has been awarded to many local graduating senior high school students. The Stephen B. Fickett, Jr., Environmental Scholarship, established in honor of one of our founding members, has helped many outstanding young scholars defray some of the cost of college. Recipients have gone on to hold leadership jobs in conservation and related fields. Since 2019, the scholarship has been opened to students at Pasco/Hernando State College as well.

Our History
Hernando Audubon was established in February 1959 as a chapter of the Florida Audubon Society. At that time, Hernando County had fewer than 12,000 year-round residents. Wellman Tucker, a forward-thinking conservationist, was the first president and Lisa Von Borowsky, who later established Audubon of Florida's Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, became treasurer. Steve Fickett, a biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) was the society's first field trip chair. The scholarship offered annually by Hernando Audubon is named in his honor.

In 1971, Hernando Audubon was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, clearing the way for the society to accept major gifts. In 1974, Lisa Von Borowsky donated 20 acres of land to the chapter for sale to raise money for a nature center on land recently acquired by the Fish and Game Commission. Hernando Audubon eventually contributed approximately one-third of the funds needed to build what is now the Chinsegut Conservation Center, completed in 1986.

2023-2024 Officers and Committee Chairs:

 

Officers: 

President - Bev Hansen (352) 686-0460 | Vice President - Linda Vanderveen | Vice President - Claudia Amsler | Secretary - Gwen Fraley | Treasurer - Vera Huckaby

Committee Chairs:

Conservation and Scholarships - Tom St. Clair | Field Trips - Linda Vanderveen | Hospitality - Vera Huckaby | Membership - Donna Smetko | Programs - Nicky Armstrong

Publicity - Bev Hansen | Newletter Editor -