Raising the Purple Martin Gourds for the 2026 Nesting Season!

Join Seminole Audubon and the City of Sanford to raise gourds on THREE poles this year! Two poles are located near the picnic tables behind the Downtown Sanford Marina, and a third pole is behind Marina Isles Waterfront Assisted Living. Meet behind the Marina at 9 am on Wednesday, January 14th. Participants will place pine straw in the gourds (to start off the nests) and help attach the gourds to the racks for raising.
Purple Martins are a migratory bird that spends the non-breeding season in the savannahs and agricultural fields primarily of Bolivia and Brazil. In January, the Purple Martins begin their migration to North America to breed. In eastern North America, these birds nest exclusively in Purple Martin gourds and houses erected by humans. The gourds at the Downtown Sanford Marina were erected in response to a Seminole Audubon member seeing Purple Martins attempting to nest in streetlights.

Downtown Sanford Marina
531 N. Palmetto Avenue, Sanford
9 am on Wednesday, January 14th