Burrow Trimming Volunteers
Thanks to all the volunteers from Lemon Bay Conservancy, Peace River Audubon, and local birding groups who came out today to help with trimming around the burrows of the Burrowing Owl colony in Placida! We had 14 volunteers total, so we’re missing a few in the photo above.
Florida Fish & Wildlife recommends keeping vegetation around burrows low to allow the owls to see what’s around them and better avoid predators. The volunteers used weedwhackers to mow the vegetation, rather than lawnmowers or other heavy lawn equipment, in order to minimize weight above the burrows, which might cause a burrow to collapse.
Wooden stakes were placed around the burrows to mark them so that the property owners association mowing contractor will avoid the sensitive burrow area when working nearby.
FWC guidelines require staying at least 10′ from burrows, except when performing burrow maintenance, in order to help protect this state-threatened species. That boundary expands to 33′ during nesting season, which runs from February through July.
We are looking for volunteers to help us with surveying the burrowing owl colony and logging data. If you’d be interested in helping, please send us an email at info@lemonbayconservancy.org, or call the office at 941-830-8922, and we’ll get in touch!
Burrowing Owl adult and Owlets near their burrow (July 2025)