Dear friends and supporters,
After considerable reflection, we, Nicole and Nasim, are stepping down as Co‑Directors of the Cape Florida Banding Station. When we accepted these roles two years ago, the collaboration was a strong fit and an exciting opportunity to advance community‑rooted bird research. Over time, it became clear that key differences in values and approaches to accountability made it unsustainable for us to continue in this project.
We remain deeply grateful to this learning experience with Michelle, Liz and everyone else who stepped foot at the station during our time there. We also want to reflect the deep gratitude we have for every volunteer, friend, donor, and ally who has dedicated time, skill, and heart to this project. Your commitment has strengthened both the station’s research and the broader movement for environmental justice.
The banding station will operate this coming fall season. For all questions about schedules, volunteering, or future plans, please reach out to Michelle directly at vireoojorojo@gmail.com.
If you have any questions or ever need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email, Nicole- mirjamirita@gmail.com and Nasim- avesypoesia@gmail.com.
With much appreciation and respect,
Nasim and Nicole
Dear friends of the Cape Florida Banding Station,
We hope this message finds you well. As we enter this time of transition for the Cape Florida Banding Station, we want to first express our deep gratitude to Nicole and Nasim for their dedication and service over the past two years. Their leadership was vital to continue the important legacy of the Station while bringing our work to new audiences, and we honor their commitment to the station and its mission.
As we look ahead we are excited to build on this momentum and we are committed to continuing the station’s work in Fall 2025 and the future. Our team remains fully dedicated to the core mission of the Cape Florida Banding Station of connecting people with birds through community science that contributes to our understanding of migratory bird ecology in South Florida and the Western hemisphere.
We understand that leadership transitions can be both exciting and uncertain, and we want to assure you that preparations are already underway for the fall season and we will ensure that all volunteers are welcomed, valued, and given an opportunity to grow in the months ahead. We are committed to pursuing the opportunity for shared leadership created when Michelle left Florida, and we are working diligently to find a way to achieve this while also holding all leadership to the highest standards of accountability. We invite all of you to be part of this effort.
As Nasim and Nicole mentioned, we will be open for the Fall 2025 season. We are working towards opening daily from August 15th – November 2nd or 9th, especially during peak migration (late September – mid-October). We recognize this is a large lift and are especially grateful to our banders in charge and other banders in our network who are stepping up to make that possible. We are also actively planning for long-term sustainability by investing in training more banders this fall and elevating the skill level of all our volunteers, returning and new.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, feedback, or ideas. We value your continued support and engagement, and we are eager to keep building this incredible community together.
For any immediate inquiries regarding volunteering or future plans, you can contact Michelle directly at vireoojorojo@gmail.com or Steffanie at smunguia@zoomiami.org.
Thank you for your unwavering support and for all the work you do to help this station thrive. We look forward to this next chapter with you!
Warmly,
Michelle Davis, Founder
Steffanie Munguía, Director of Field Operations
Cape Florida Banding Station