Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center

Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center A West Volusia Audubon project supporting Volusia County’s Lyonia Environmental Center and Preserve.
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The Florida heat can take a toll on the gardens, but thankfully the Garden Keepers like Jennifer here make sure that the...
06/12/2026

The Florida heat can take a toll on the gardens, but thankfully the Garden Keepers like Jennifer here make sure that they’ve got plenty of water!

📸: Danielle Linsler Rice

Sure, they’re adorable, but why are gopher tortoises so important? For the answer, look to their burrows!You’ll hear us ...
06/11/2026

Sure, they’re adorable, but why are gopher tortoises so important? For the answer, look to their burrows!

You’ll hear us use the phrase “keystone species.” This means that gopher tortoises have an outsized impact on the ecosystem around them, and a big reason for that is because their burrows are used by and provide support for hundreds of animal species.

Some of the species that rely on gopher tortoise burrows include the endangered eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), the gopher frog (Lithobates capito) the gopher mouse (Podomys floridanus), and many, many more.

📸: Danielle Linsler Rice

Thanks to Ashe Rayne for sharing this great shot of a pair of Scrub-Jays here at Lyonia Preserve - not bad for their fir...
06/08/2026

Thanks to Ashe Rayne for sharing this great shot of a pair of Scrub-Jays here at Lyonia Preserve - not bad for their first time seeing a Scrub-Jay!

Our first look at a hatch-year scrub-jay! This little one was spotted by the Advanced Class during Jay Watch training at...
06/07/2026

Our first look at a hatch-year scrub-jay! This little one was spotted by the Advanced Class during Jay Watch training at Lyonia Preserve. We hope to have many more of these sightings when Jay Watch surveys begin this month!

📸: Lois Posey

Our friends and members with donations big and small have made a lot of progress on our campaign but we still need your ...
06/04/2026

Our friends and members with donations big and small have made a lot of progress on our campaign but we still need your help to hit our goal of raising $10,000 for Jay Watch!

Will you help us support the Florida Scrub-Jay by donating or sharing this post?

You can find the donation link in our bio Instagram or right here: https://www.lecfriends.com/jay-watch/

Jay Watch is a community science program led by Audubon Florida that is dedicated to training and supporting volunteers in conducting scientific surveys. This effort helps us evaluate the total number of scrub-jays and annual nesting success at more than 45 sites in 19 counties including our beloved Lyonia Preserve and Blue Spring State Park!

As Florida’s only endemic bird species, scrub-jays delight locals and draw birders from all over and often reward visitors with a lifelong memory by landing on their hat or shoulder. But the Scrub-Jay population is under an ever-increasing threat and its population is estimated to have declined by 90% since the early 1800s, largely due to loss of its native scrub habitat.

With your help, we can help continue to ensure that the Florida Scrub-Jay will be around to delight and inspire for many generations to come.

This weekend the LEC hosted the Daisy Scout “Animal Observer” badge workshop. Scouts enjoyed learning about our differen...
06/02/2026

This weekend the LEC hosted the Daisy Scout “Animal Observer” badge workshop. Scouts enjoyed learning about our different aquarium habitats while observing the animals that live there. Afterwards, they had a touch tank experience with one of our sea stars and sea urchins.

Even the scrub-jays are fighting to stay cool these days!📸: Danielle Linsler Rice
05/29/2026

Even the scrub-jays are fighting to stay cool these days!

📸: Danielle Linsler Rice

It’s time to celebrate with one of Lyonia Preserve’s keystone species: the Gopher Tortoise! You’ll often find them jus...
05/28/2026

It’s time to celebrate with one of Lyonia Preserve’s keystone species: the Gopher Tortoise! You’ll often find them just like this, munching on some grass or other greens, but they’ve also been known to check in on our Garden Keepers from time to time.

📸: Danielle Linsler Rice

The iconic Volusia County Historic Courthouse is joined in Downtown DeLand by the Artisan Alley Scrub-Jay mural! Be sure...
05/26/2026

The iconic Volusia County Historic Courthouse is joined in Downtown DeLand by the Artisan Alley Scrub-Jay mural! Be sure to check it out on your next trip to Downtown DeLand.

This mural was painted by members of West Volusia Artists and offered as a gift to the citizens of DeLand by West Volusia Artists and West Volusia Audubon ().

The mural is licensed by National Audubon Society as an Audubon Mural Project. The is a public art initiative that aims to raise awareness and advocate for actions on the plight of birds threatened by loss of habitat and climate change.

📸: Chris Kintner

Address

2150 Eustace Avenue
Deltona, FL
32725

Telephone

+13867897207

Website

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