Pascagoula River Audubon Center
Moss Point, MS
donations
"Save the Ticket Booth" Campaign
PRAC needs YOUR help share the history of Moss Point!

Along with the beauty of Rhodes Bayou and local wildlife, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center also serves as a demonstration site for use of native plants in the landscape. These two elements are only part of the allure of the Center itself.

The grounds of the Pascagoula River Audubon Center include two historic cultural elements that have been recognized by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Specifically, the historic elements of interests include a remnant portion of the historic Pascagoula Street Railway & Power Company trolley line that connected Moss Point and Pascagoula at the turn of the 20th Century, and a 100-plus year old wood-frame building, locally known as the “Scout Hut”, originally constructed as a small “cabin” in or about 1905. (from website)

To add to its historical aspects, a replica of the original trolley ticket booth has been constructed on site. While the vision was to restore the original ticket booth, that was not able to happen, therefore a new building was constructed as a replica. It has served as a museum to Moss Point’s rich history while connecting to a bright future.  For more information, click Site History

Funding for the building of the ticket booth was provided by David Wood, former resident of the Center property, as a memorial to his late wife. Unfortunately, after less than five years, the structure is in need of major repairs to make it safe for guests and staff. Before making those improvements, moving it toward the Arthur Street sidewalk was determined as the best location for future use and expansion.

As repairs began, additional structural problems were discovered along with a termite infestation. The cost for the repairs has doubled, but the commitment to restore and reopen the Ticket Booth remains, but YOUR help is needed.

PRAC staff is looking for history buffs who are interested in helping with the restoration of this replica so that local history can continue to be exhibited.  Every dollar will help reach the $10,000 goal.  

If you are willing to help, please click HERE to make your donation electronically. Once funds are received, a plaque recognizing Ticket Booth donors will be on display in the structure.  
summer
Summer Interns/Volunteer To Bloom at PRAC
This summer, some new faces can be found working at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center as new summer interns begin their 8-week internship and our returning summer volunteer gets started.

Interns Le’Jeaha Falary and Haley Magee are taking a break from college classes to obtain some hands-on work with the staff at PRAC from May 30 until the end of July.

Le’Jeaha is a student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College after having graduated from St. Martin High School.  She is majoring in English and journalism at MGCCC and plans to transfer to Ole Miss to complete her bachelor’s degree.  She said she applied for the internship because she loves nature, bugs and gardening.  She is sure to get experience in all three this summer!

Haley is a Game Programming student at Shawnee State University in Ohio.  She is a graduate of Pascagoula High School and has been a long-time volunteer and supporter of PRAC through her family.  Her desire to reconnect with nature and the community drew her to apply for the position, and she is welcomed back to her roots.

Summer volunteer Camille Cuevas is returning for her second year at PRAC where she works with educational programs and center operations.  A current student at Resurrection Catholic School, Camille plans to be a police officer in the future. She volunteers at PRAC so that she will be active during the summertime and knows it is a fun place to work.

Please stop by to welcome these young ladies to our flock!
cubs
Sign's Up for PRAC
The Cub Scout Pack 240 from Moss Point recently spent the evening at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center learning about snake skins, turtles, native plants and local species of birds. The young explorers also visited the Harry McDonald Boy Scout Hut and museum where they took a step back in time to learn more about scouting in the local area.

Den Leader Brian Montgomery also shared snake education using some recently-shed snake skin as examples. 
Music Show
Memorial Music Festival at PRAC
The memory and legacy of Tommy Crawford will be honored by the first ever Tommy Crawford Memorial Songwriters Show hosted at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 10.

Open to the public, the memorial benefit is being billed as a night of memories and music to raise money for music education and development and to pay tribute to the longtime Moss Point resident and musican.  Donations will be accepted at the door.


Scheduled presenters include Taylor Craven, Ty Taylor, Dana Woods, Darwin & Dana Nelson (Double Dee), and Steve Norsworthy & Sweet Water Bayou. A cash bar and concessions will be available.  No outside food or drinks will be allowed.

Proceeds support the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance and its educational efforts to donate musical instruments to area schools, which was important to Tommy. They also host the annual Mississippi Songwriters Festival which is looking to expand further eastward from Ocean Springs, into Moss Point & Pascagoula.
camps
Summer Camps Begin Next Week!
PRAC will be overrun with our youngest explorers this summer through registration at the Geo Camp offered by the Mississippi Geographic Alliance followed by Discovery Camps offered by PRAC staff. 

From June 5 to 30, children from ages 5 to 14 will explore the grounds, gain insight on the local environment and wildlife, and experience many different outdoor activities. Camp schedules run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

There are still slots available for the Discovery Camps offered by PRAC.  To register, click HERE

In July, PRAC will host the Ocean Springs YMCA and FabLab who will be offering summer camps on site, and two teacher workshops of Project WILD have also been schedule for the summer.  



 
gray
PRAC Welcomes "Celebrities" on Site
“Celebrities” have been spotted at PRAC for the past few weeks. The City of Moss Point Mayor Billy Knight hosted a legislative reception in early May followed by a visit from Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. The visits were designed to spotlight the beauty of the River City and to begin building a bright future on current happenings.

The excitement continued when Elizabeth Gray, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Audubon Society, made a visit as she toured sites around the Audubon Delta region.  Elizabeth joined Audubon in 2021, first as president and chief conservation officer before being appointed as Audubon's first woman chief executive officer. Prior to joining Audubon, she was the Global Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Climate Change program. Trained as an ornithologist, she has spent 30+ years as a dedicated conservationist, spending considerable time in the field nationally and abroad.

Elizabeth has been a leader on equity issues, from founding the first urban conservation program in Washington, D.C., to empowering the next generation of conservation leaders through a young professional’s network and youth advocacy program, to serving as one of five members of TNC’s Global Gender Equity Council.

Elizabeth is based in Audubon's Washington, D.C. office. She holds a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Washington and an A.B. with highest honors in psychology from Harvard University.
NAS CEO Elizabeth Gray with Mayor Billy Knight
juli
Artist Juliday Exhibits "Nature Inspired Art"
Living along the Gulf Coast of Alabama has been a major influence in Juli‘s love of nature and the art she creates. Her earliest memories of loving nature were as a child walking along the Escatawpa River and Dauphin Island with her father and exploring the hills around Lake Eden in Vermont,.

Juli’s inspiration comes from the quiet lush environments of woods, bogs, deltas, creeks, rivers and beaches. “While only a few steps or strokes from civilization, I become lost in the sounds and sights of areas only reached by foot or a quiet glide in my kayak”  During these explorations Juli becomes focused on the botanicals and shore birds, sketching and taking photographs, to later use in expressing her deep connection with nature in her art.


Juli’s love of nature extends into her own yard in Mid Town Mobile where native plants and gardens create a quiet oasis to contemplate nature, read, sketch and paint. As an environmental naturalist her focus is on teaching others the harm of invasive plants and the importance of reintroducing native plants at home.

Juli is a retired art educator taught in numerous and diverse settings. Both public and private schools, local colleges, museums, she conducted summer camps and held private lessons for over twenty years. She continues to teach private lessons.

As an art educator Juli held board positions at the local, state, regional and national levels. She also presented art education workshops at local, state and national conferences. One of the highlights of her years as an art educator was being named AAEA Art Educator of the year.

Juli’s works, depicted in watercolor, acrylic, oil and ceramics, are representations of shore birds and botanicals from magical spots along the Gulf Coast.
Kim
4-H Kayak Club Becomes Certified
Through partnerships with the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, the Jackson County 4-H will receive its charter as a 4-H Kayak Club this July, the second chartered club in the state. Chartered means that the organization will be recognized by the state and the local officials as a certified youth club with youth officers. 

The current youth members will assume additional leadership roles within the club and will be the founding members of this club.  They will be great leaders for the new members we gain in the future.

PRAC is excited to have been instrumental in the establishment of this club and will continue to engage with membership, meetings and operations of this organization.

 
hours
Summer 2023 Hours of Operation
HB23
Save the Date!
Plans for the 4th annual festival are underway.  Stay tuned!
fof
Feed our Flock Helps Birds; Honors Others
Feed our Flock is a great way to memorialize a lost loved one or an honorary gift to a nature lover. This month’s Feed our Flock is in memory of Alan Adkison.

For a donation of $100, PRAC will recognize the honoree or memorial donation on social media, website and on the property.

If you are interested in making a Feed Our Flock donation, click donation link on our home page at pascagoula.audubon.org or contact us prac@audubon.org
CONNECT WITH US
FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedIn
Pascagoula River Audubon Center
5107 Arthur St., Moss Point, MS 39563
(228) 475-0825 | pascagoula.audubon.org

© 2024 National Audubon Society, Inc.

Unsubscribe