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Penny Murnane, Library Technician, Mary Esther Library 

Penny Murnane is a beach steward and birdy backpack leader, making backpacks for kids with binoculars available for Panhandle library patrons.

HOW DID YOU BRING BIRDING BACKPACKS FOR CHECKOUT TO YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARIES?

I came up with the idea for the birding backpacks after I looked at different libraries throughout Florida and noticed that some libraries offer birding backpacks, particularly in the southern part of Florida such as in Citrus County. I also noticed that libraries in other states such as Maryland and New Jersey offer birding backpacks. So, I looked carefully at what was included: an adult pair of binoculars, a youth pair of binoculars, and some guidebooks. The ones in South Florida had guidebooks to birds in their area. My library director, Sheila Ortyl, was very supportive of this idea. She also likes birds and believed that it was an item that could go into a “Library of Things” that more and more libraries are offering nationwide. She was so supportive that she said to just go ahead and buy the items that I thought would be good for the backpack. The binoculars, the books, and the backpack were all purchased after I had researched and consulted with Margaret Benner and Gail Glasgow of Choctawhatchee Լ����Ƶ Society. They both agreed that the binoculars needed to be very durable and have a good warranty in case they were damaged.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE BIRDING BACKPACKS WILL BRING TO THE COMMUNITY?

I hope that by making the birding backpack available to the community it will encourage more people to be aware of the beautiful avian creatures we have all around us. A family returned the backpack recently and they were excited to tell me that they went birdwatching on the Eglin Reservation and near Timber Lake Road saw what they thought was a cormorant but the app said it was an Anhinga. She also told me they saw Cedar Waxwings, Blue Jays, cardinals, and Tufted Titmice. I am hoping the backpack will help people get outside and enjoy nature more!

Jamey Binneveld 

Jamey Binneveld is a dedicated bird steward, taking shifts throughout the summer and on busy holiday weekends. She also uses her exceptional photography skills to educate and inspire locals and visitors. In 2024 she captured photos of a motorized paraglider that flew too low over the colony. Because of her photos, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tracked down the owner of the tour group to help prevent that from happening again.

WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START VOLUNTEERING WITH AUDUBON?

I began volunteering as an Լ����Ƶ bird steward in 2023. I started learning about and seeing for myself all the challenges that our nesting birds are faced with. I wanted to do everything that I could to help them, and to educate others about Florida’s very special nesting colonies.

IS THERE ANY SPECIAL TIME OR EVENT THAT OCCURRED WHILE VOLUNTEERING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I really enjoyed being a part of launching a new stewarding site at Cayo Costa this past summer. I was able to help educate boaters, minimize disturbances to nests, chicks, and adult birds on the island, and also to observe and help collect data.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A BIRD STEWARD THAT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW UNTIL THEY DO IT?

I want people to know that being a bird steward is fun and easy! You get to be outdoors and on the beach with other people that are also bird lovers. The training was also fun, which included an online training class. It is also easy to pick what shifts you want from the schedule that is emailed out to us. Most of all, after every shift you get to go home with a good feeling knowing that you helped make a difference today.

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