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The Florida scrub-jay — a spunky feathered creature that is unique to the state but faces the increasing loss of habitat space because of development — is now the official bird of Seminole County.

In voting unanimously for the designation, Seminole commissioners also urged Florida legislators to name the blue-and-white bird with a friendly character as the official state bird, too.

“The Florida scrub-jay embodies Seminole County’s and Florida’s unique ecosystems that attract attention from the world,” commission Chairperson Amy Lockhart said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The county resolution, however, is only symbolic and does not give the Florida scrub-jay any additional protections.

“It’s something that is near and dear to all of us,” Lockhart said about the scrub-jay. “Seminole County is committed to setting a good example for its citizens regarding pride in Florida’s unique wildlife.”

The commission’s move comes after a group of environmental science students at Seminole High School launched an effort last year to make the scrub-jay the official state bird.

The Florida scrub-jay is listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act, which means the species may face the danger of extinction in the foreseeable future if its habitat continues to be destroyed.

An official state designation would bring about greater awareness, the students said. And they created the Wildlife Conservation Club of Seminole High to help spread the word.

The students pointed out that Florida is the only state that does not have an official state bird, even though many people incorrectly believe the mockingbird has that designation.

A century ago, Florida scrub-jays numbered around 50,000. Today, there are estimated 8,000 scrub-jays left, mostly within the state’s central regions, because of the development of scrub land.

For decades, bird enthusiasts have urged Florida legislators to name the scrub-jay as the official state bird. But their efforts have been thwarted, primarily by Marion Hammer, a former lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, who is a fierce defender of the mockingbird because of its singingability.

But Seminole Commissioner Lee Constantine noted that the mockingbird is already the official bird for several other states, including Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi.

“It’s really important and something that we really appreciate you doing,” said Lucy Guo, a Seminole High student and co-president of the Wildlife Conservation Club, to commissioners after they approved the resolution.

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Wandering the sandy scrub habitat of Deltona’s Lyonia Preserve, traversing rolling dunes filled with short oaks and prickly pear cactus, Stephen Kintner greets resident Florida scrub-jays as if old friends.

While not a single jay showed its face one recent morning (attributed perhaps to the hot Florida summer sun or nearby predators), the longtime volunteer and former Volusia County environmental management director knows the preserve’s population well.

“They have facial recognition and they will not forgive you for six months if you do something bad to them,” Kintner said. Luckily, he’s been on their good side for quite some time.

The 360-acre Lyonia Preserve is part of a tract of land that was set aside for education in the mid-1800s. In 1990, Kintner was part of the Volusia County team that warded off a shopping-center development and ensured the long-term preservation of this land, which he said Deltona has adopted as its “Central Park.”

It’s an important part of the conservation picture for the Florida scrub-jay, a species that numbers about 60 individuals in 20 families within the preserve. Over a period of two weeks, Kintner joined fellow volunteers in contributing to a statewide Jay Watch through Audubon Florida, which rallies volunteers on about 46 sites through mid-July to take a population snapshot of the state’s only endemic bird.

“The population was once estimated to be about 40,000. Today the estimate is about 8,000,” said Jacqui Sulek, Audubon Florida’s Jay Watch coordinator and chapter conservation manager. “There’s only about 5% of the original scrub habitat left.”

The purpose of Jay Watch, which spans from Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Jupiter to Ocala National Forest, is not to get a comprehensive population count but to understand how land management can help scrub-jays and how genetics factor into increasingly isolated populations.

Despite their federal protection as a threatened species, Florida scrub-jays face ongoing habitat loss and development encroaching on areas that were previously managed with prescribed burns, which are harder to use amid urban sprawl.

For 74-year-old Kintner, who has dedicated most of his life to environmental protection, education is key to getting more people engaged.

“The problem with anything you do is getting it to be multi-generational. It can’t just be me,” he said. “People only protect what they understand. You have to get people out here, walking the trails, seeing a scrub-jay and learning about the plants.”

Florida scrub-jays are smart and social birds that bury 6,000-8,000 acorns per year (and remember where they put them), participate in cooperative breeding and have complex social systems.

“The scrub-jay is very charismatic, which makes it easy to fall in love with the bird,” Sulek said.

While this year’s Jay Watch is well underway across Central Florida, Sulek encouraged the public to stay involved through Audubon Florida communications and sign up to volunteer in the future. Lyonia Environmental Center has ongoing educational programming as well.

“Jay Watch is a way to engage people in a very unique environment, to take time to slow down and experience some of the most beautiful landscapes in Florida,” Sulek said. “The more people understand the concerns and threats to our habitat, the more we stand a chance of keeping it in the future. The scrub-jay is a great ambassador for that landscape.”

Visit volusia.org, fl.audubon.org or myfwc.com to learn more.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: [email protected].

Former Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs has announced his retirement from college athletics after nearly four decades.

Jacobs, 62, has been executive associate athletics director for external affairs at Florida since 2018. He was Auburn’s AD from 2004 until his resignation in late 2017.

“It’s bittersweet,” Jacobs told The Associated Press. “Made some great relationships over the years. It’s tough to leave, but it’ll be fun what I’m about to do regardless of where I’m at geographically.”

Jacobs’ Auburn tenure had some major successes — including the 2010 national championship in football. He also hired Gus Malzahn as football coach in 2013, Bruce Pearl as basketball coach in 2014 and Butch Thompson as baseball coach in 2015.

However, there was also controversy, including a wrongful termination lawsuit by former baseball coach Sunny Golloway that was eventually settled out of court. The FBI investigation into college basketball corruption that ensnared former assistant coach Chuck Person happened on Jacobs’ watch, as did a Title IX investigation into allegations of abuse and sexual harassment of softball players.

“I believe in Auburn and will fight for Auburn,” Jacobs said upon his resignation from Auburn. “But as I consider the future and what is best for Auburn, I have prayerfully decided the time has come for me to step aside. Sometimes a new direction and new leadership are helpful in moving beyond current problems.”

Jacobs, who grew up in the east Alabama town of Lafayette, played football at Auburn in the early 1980s. After a short stint in high school coaching, he was hired as a graduate assistant coach on the football team and also worked in strength & conditioning before going into administration in 1991.

Jacobs eventually rose to head of Tigers Unlimited, Auburn’s primary athletic fundraising operation. He took over as AD in December 2004.

At Florida, Jacobs oversaw communications, marketing, ticketing, licensing and boosters. He said served as administrator over the Gators’ football program.

But he’s now ready to hang it up for good. Though he said he plans to possibly serve as a consultant for college athletics in the future, he won’t be working full time for the first time since he first took a job mowing lawns at age 12 in 1972.

“Winning championships, those always are fun, but when I think about my career, I think about the people and the relationships and how people have enriched my life,” Jacobs said. “Just good people everywhere.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Livestock Agent

Hundreds of birds call Florida home for all or part of the year. It has often been said that there is no other state better for bird lovers than Florida. While there are many bird species to be found in Florida, there is only one species that is endemic to the state: the Florida scrub-jay.

Endemic means a species is both native to and found only in a geographic area. Florida scrub-jays are the only species of bird that are both native to the state and not found anywhere outside of Florida, making them unique among the state's many birds.

Florida scrub-jays have bright blue feathers on their wings, head, and tail with a more muted blueish-gray coloring on their back and underside. They are approximately the size of blue jays, but easy to distinguish from their distant cousins by their lack of black markings.

As their name implies, Florida scrub-jays are found in habitats with scrub oaks, sandy soils, and sand pines. They prefer to nest in short, shrubby oaks between 1-2 meters in height. The diet of the Florida scrub-jay consists primarily of acorns with a small number of spiders, insects, small amphibians and reptiles, and mice included as available.

They are known to harvest acorns when they are abundant, burying them for later retrieval. It is important that humans not feed Florida scrub-jays as doing so disrupts their natural behaviors (also, feeding scrub-jays is illegal).

Florida scrub-jays live in cooperative family groups consisting of a breeding pair and young helpers, typically the older offspring of the breeding pair who stick around to assist with raising their siblings and defending the family territory until they are old enough to pair off themselves.

The breeding season spans from March through June and the pair will generally nest in the same territory year after year. Each breeding pair will raise one brood of 2-5 young per year.

Florida scrub-jays are considered a federally threatened species. Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation can all negatively affect Florida scrub-jay populations. As non-migratory, territorial birds, Florida scrub-jays typically do not travel far from their home territory to find food or mates.

As their habitats become smaller and more isolated, both of these essential-for-survival tasks become more difficult. Fire suppression has also resulted in fewer scrub oak habitats. Fortunately, efforts are underway statewide to restore and manage habitats through practices like controlled burns.

If you are interested in seeing a Florida scrub-jay in person you are in the right county! Several of our parks and natural areas feature ideal scrub-jay habitats. The Florida Scrub-Jay Trail in Clermont is a great place to learn more about our endemic bird while spending time in nature.

More information on the trail, including hours, events, and activities can be found at https://www.scrubjaytrail.org/. Tips for birdwatchers in Lake County can be found at https://www.visitlakefl.com/birding.

UF/IFAS Lake County Extension is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and is providing services both in person and virtually. Please visit us online at sfyl.ifas.uf.edu/lake and follow UF/IFAS Lake County Extension on Facebook.

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, Dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.

“Governor Ron DeSantis continues to make good on his promise to support Northwest Florida communities with vital resources to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sally,” said Senator Doug Broxson. “Today’s awards will go a very long way to get people back in their homes and build up vital infrastructure to strengthen Northwest Florida’s resiliency in the face of future storms.”

The Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program

The Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program provides funding for local governments to strategically rebuild and harden infrastructure in order to prevent or mitigate losses from future disasters. Communities will receive awards through the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program for Hurricane Sally for the following projects:

The Rebuild Florida Voluntary Home Buyout Program

The Rebuild Florida Voluntary Home Buyout Program reduces the risk of future property loss and recurrent flooding by funding the purchase and re-purposing of residential properties in high flood-risk areas.

The Rebuild Florida Hometown Revitalization Program

The Rebuild Florida Hometown Revitalization Program is designed to support the recovery of economic activity in commercial areas of communities impacted by Hurricane Sally, facilitating the return and recovery of businesses, jobs, and provision of goods and services to the area. Communities will receive awards through the Rebuild Florida Hometown Revitalization Program for Hurricane Sally for the following projects:

The Rebuild Florida Housing Repair and Replacement Program (HRRP)

The Rebuild Florida HRRP for Hurricane Sally is designed to provide funding for local governments to rebuild, replace or repair homes that were damaged by Hurricane Sally, helping impacted Floridians return to decent, safe and sanitary homes. Communities will receive awards through the Rebuild Florida Housing Repair and Replacement Program for Hurricane Sally for the following projects:

The overall awards announced by DeSantis Wednesday totaled $187 million with funds also going to Panama City.

“My administration has prioritized supporting businesses and communities impacted by hurricanes while they get back on their feet,” said DeSantis. “Today, I am happy to announce $187 million in awards to aid in recovery efforts following Hurricane Sally – an important step in helping Northwest Florida recover.”

Pictured: The old Century High School gym on Hecker Road will be demolished and replaced with a new shelter and multi-purpose facility. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

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