The Osprey Outlook
               A Monthly Newsletter of the Alabama Coastal Foundation 

Volunteer Opportunities

April 5 - Little Dauphin Island Tree Planting

April 29- ACF Coastal Kids Quiz

May 2- Washington County Groundwater Festival

May 8 - Crawfish Craze

To volunteer or for more info, click here.

Note from the President

Spring has sprung! It's the time of year for azaleas and gardening, warm days and cool nights...and a  great time to get involved! Springtime's lengthening days are the perfect time for you and your family to  be a part of one or more of the many activities in the area that help promote and sustain a healthy environment. Whether your interests lie in education, protection, or innovation, there is an event in April that is sure to fit the bill. Please consider volunteering at or attending one of these exciting events!
Catherine Hall-Pate, ACF Board President

April 5- Tree Planting at Little Dauphin Island
The Mobile Bay NEP, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, ACF, and US Fish and Wildlife Service have partnered once again to conduct a tree planting on Little Dauphin Island. Volunteers will meet at the Marine Resource Division office on Dauphin Island at 9am; we will boat all volunteers out to Little Dauphin Island. All volunteers should bring their own gloves, bug spray, sun screen. Water will be provided.

April 9 & 10 - GreenCoast 2008 - Arthur Outlaw Convention Center Mobile, AL
Whether you are a builder or a homeowner, this regional green building conference and green expo offers: 25 workshops in three educational tracks, youth build projects, nationally-recognized keynote speakers and over 60 green business exhibitors.  This conference brings together excellent speakers who have a wealth of knowledge & the green vendors who have the healthy products that are required in green buildings. Come see for yourself how easy it is to be green!(CEUs) are available for professionals in real estate, building and facility managers, and planning. Several registration options are available. Contact Charlene Lee or Wendy Allen (251) 928-2309 or visit www.greencoastonline.com  for registration info.

April 19 Earth Day Mobile Bay 2008 - Fairhope Pier-  10am to 7pm
This event is free. Come to enjoy the live music and environmental displays. There will be educational activities for children and adults plus local artist displays.  Bring your computers and electronics for recycling- the City of Fairhope is providing free disposal!

Shuttle buses will be provided by Brats Baldwin County & will leave from the Bruno's and Big Lots parking lots all day. Call (251)-947-4121 or visit  www.earthdaymobilebay.org for more info.

April 29 - Coastal Kids Quiz - Daphne, AL

On April 29, students from thirteen schools in Mobile and Baldwin Counties will participate in the 7th annual Coastal Kids Quiz.  Teams of fifth graders will test their coastal knowledge in a round-robin style tournament. The competition is fierce, with the winning teams receiving scholarship bonds and the winning teachers winning funds for environmental education projects in the classroom.  We are still in need of sponsors for the event as well as volunteers to serve as scorekeepers, timekeepers, judges, and moderators.  Contact the ACF office at 990-6002 if interested.

Students from 2007 Kids Quiz.

ACF Members: Notice of Special Meeting of the Board of Directors and Members
Notice is hereby given to all of the members of the Corporation that a special joint meeting of the Board of Directors and members of the Corporation will be held at the Corporation office at 122 Fairhope Avenue, Unit 3, Fairhope, Alabama on April 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm to present and propose that the Articles of Incorporation be restated as set forth in the attached proposal and to vote thereon, to ratify the election of a new Board member, to vote on Amending and Restating the Bylaws and to consider such other matters that may come before the meeting.

Click Here to review the materials referenced above.  

It's Time to Get Craze-y!
The 6th Annual ACF Crawfish Craze is just around the corner! This year's event will once again feature teams competing to be named the Top Crawdad! Join us May 8th at the 5 Rivers Delta Center for this all-you-can-eat-and-drink celebration. Enjoy live music, a silent auction, and of course, plenty of crawfish, shrimp, sausage, veggies and beer!
Tickets are $25 and include an ACF membership. If you are interested in entering a team in the cook-off, donating an item for the silent auction, or want to find out more information, go to the ACF Website.
 

Bay Buddy Program Back in Swing for Spring
Are you looking for a way to get more involved with children's education? Why not be a Bay Buddy? Thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation South Alabama, ACF works with children ages K-3 in Mobile and Baldwin Counties to teach them about basic conservation principles. The Bay Buddy program is volunteer-led and includes information about watershed preservation, aquifer protection, and proper disposal of grease to alleviate sanitary sewer overflows.

ACF is coordinating a series of Bay Buddy days at several local schools this spring: if you are interested in being a Bay Buddy, we will provide you with training, materials and schedule coordination. Contact the ACF office at 990-6002 to volunteer or for more information.