The Sea Turtle Preservation Society has developed a new volunteer program that will be administered through the Marine Turtle Permit for Sea Turtle Strandings. This program, the Sea Turtle Emergency Response Program, has been developed to provide better beach coverage to search for and rescue post-hatchling sea turtles that have washed back ashore after a large storm event. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of post hatchling sea turtles that are rescued, rehabilitated and eventually released back into the ocean.

DEP’s Coral Reef Conservation Program helps educate and raise awareness of Southeast Florida’s coral reefs. Leading up to the International Coral Reef Symposium this summer, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program is encouraging public awareness of coral reefs and their impact on Florida’s marine environment, the commercial and recreational fishing industry and the economy. Recognizing the importance of the state’s reef ecosystem, Florida is the site of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, July 7-11, 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Have you ever wanted to discover the real South Florida? An amazing hands-on educational tour is now available, that will take you to Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and the Everglades National Park. Air boat ride included.

A two-day public education course on Natural Systems of South Florida is being offered on Thursday and Friday, May 15th and 16th, 2008. Topics covered will include wading birds, nutrient systems in natural areas, monitoring the natural system and many others.

Instruction will be by biologists, geologists, hydrologists, engineers, computer modelers, and other professionals working on South Florida environmental problems. Classes will assemble on Thursday at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and on Friday at Everglades National Park. No prerequisites are required.

It’s hard to imagine that every year dolphins, mammals so similar to us and beloved by so many, are slaughtered in huge numbers in Taiji, Japan. Here in Florida, seeing a dolphin can be the height of a boat ride or trip to the beach. In Brevard county, we see them regularly, from a dockside restaurant on the Indian River or walking the beach at Holland Spressard Park. They are amazing.

Emphasizing a commitment to a healthier lifestyle for all Floridians, Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is recognizing October as Florida Greenways and Trails Month. With more than 5,000 miles of trails and 80,000 acres of greenway, Florida provides residents and visitors of all ages and abilities with year-round access to a wide variety of free health and fitness activities. Greenways and trails provide recreational opportunities, protect Florida’s natural resources, preserve historical and cultural sites and connect communities.

My lawn is a mess. If it’s not the drought–its too much rain. The bugs, the weeds, the bare spots in the grass, living near Florida’s coast just doesn’t seem to make for a nice, livable yard. That is unless, you change the way you think about it. Natural Florida Landscaping, by Dan Walton and Laurel Schiller, is a great little book that explains the cause of many of my landscaping woes.

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been working in partnership with local communities, government agencies and private businesses to protect the natural landscapes that harbor the diversity of plant and animal life on Earth.

Our mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The Nature Conservancy works in all 50 United States and in more than 30 countries around the world.

The polar ice fields are melting. Blame it on whomever you like; debate the cause; argue about global warming. The reality is we are seeing massive change in our world today. If you look at satellite photos you can easily see the dramatic, speedy retreat of the northern polar ice cap.

Are we simply continuing the big melt that began as the period of time we call the Ice Age gives way–or is mankind tipping the planet’s fragile ecological balance out of whack?

In celebration of Florida’s Arbor Day today, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Floridians to protect the state’s natural resources by planting native trees like the sabal palm, Florida’s state tree. Native species protect the environmental balance and beauty of the Sunshine State by preventing the spread of invasive plants.

Native trees maintain wildlife habitats and environmental beauty of Sunshine State.

“From towering trees to small shrubs, Florida has more than 400 species of native vegetation,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “By encouraging the growth of indigenous plants, Floridians conserve water resources, reduce soil erosion, improve air quality and protect our aquatic ecosystems.”

Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection has launched a great new site, called FloridaYards.org! Complete with Florida plant guide and an interactive flash Do-It-Yourself guide, the site is a nifty resource, and I recommend you go visit.

Other sections include a primer, Florida Friendly Landscaping 101, a must see, especially if you’re new to the state. I really like the Plant Guide in the Interactive Yard section. Click the native plants check box and find yourself a plant that’s sure to thrive in your particular climate.

Ever wonder about your “Nocturnal Neighbors”? No, not those noisy neighbors next door that are always up until 2 AM. I mean the ones visiting our beaches at night as they have for longer than you can imagine. That’s right, sea turtles! The three species of sea turtle using Brevard’s beaches struggle with the burden of crawling from the surf and finding a suitable nesting location near the dune.

Spend a Day learning about Florida’s Sea Turtles! Learn how to join NESTS — Neighbors Ensuring Sea Turtle Survival! Take a Sea Turtle Lighting Course!

Saturday, August 27 9 – 3 pm
Sea Turtle Workshop 3 –5 pm Sea Turtle Lighting Course

Beach Community Residents and Sea Turtle Enthusiast are invited to spend a day learning about sea turtles and how to protect them.

For those of you dropping by Green Orlando on a monthly basis, sea turtles are a topic you’ve heard about before. From day one its publisher, Eric Needle, has been inspired by the story of sea turtles and the efforts citizens of this county have made to help protect these summer visitors.

Brevard County and each of the municipalities in the county have lighting ordinances established to reduce the effects of lights illuminating the beach, which disorients nesting females and the hatchlings emerging a couple of months later. It’s a concerted effort by citizens throughout the county, to do what we can to help these imperiled reptiles and it’s easy. Seeing a massive nesting sea turtle or a cute hatchling is usually enough to illicit an emotional response from most everyone and when we’re tied emotionally to these creatures we work towards protecting them.

Florida’s new budget sets aside $2 billion for Everglades, beach restoration, land conservation and water improvement. Florida is an amazing place to be. The state of our environment is critical to so many industries. From tourism to agriculture, quality of life in the sunshine state remains a priority, and the new budget shows that Talahassee sees the connection.

With over 1000 people moving into the state every day, you have to wonder how we can sustain such growth. Only by preserving and improving, only by better managing resources can we hope to cope, and that means greening our mindset as we look at development.

This month, the turtle walk program at Sebastian Inlet State Park broke an all-time, nightly record. Recent participants of the Sebastian Inlet State Park “Turtle Walk” made history by witnessing the magic of a loggerhead turtle lay her eggs on the same night that a leatherback and green turtle beached themselves to lay their eggs. The nesting of the leatherback was a record breaking eighth nest of its kind within the park this year.

So you’re in Central Florida for a conference, on vacation, or maybe you live here! But have you ever seen the real Florida? Many of us, residents included, have no idea how diverse, how immense and how beautiful the natural Florida outdoors are.

Birds, manatees, dolphins, land, sea or sky, we’d like to show a slice of our world, beyond what the theme parks and night clubs can offer.

Has this weather been amazing or what? Once again, spring is upon us. As I watch the weather around the nation it really makes me feel blessed to live here in Brevard County. This past winter has to be one of the most mild on record for Central Florida, but for most of the country it has been a season of extremes.

The 2004 Hurricane season kicked it all off. Then landslides in California, flooding in Utah, blizzards in March and several wicked winter storms made for a difficult winter. As tsunami in the far east and accompanying earthquakes hammer the region it has to give us all pause. We are not as in control as we like to believe.

Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and we encourage you to participate in some of the great local activites this year. Earth Day, which began in 1970, is now celebrated by millions of people worldwide. This year is its 35th anniversary, and around the world, hundreds of thousands of people — nongovernmental organizations, governments, teachers, and faith-based groups, among others, are making plans to declare that they are part of something extraordinary: a worldwide movement to protect our planet, our children, and our future.

And how can you find out what you can do, locally, this year? It’s simple, just visit Earth 911!

The return of weary travelers begins again this spring as it has for years beyond our counting, as female sea turtles migrate back to Brevard’s beaches to begin the cycle of life anew. Last years’ hurricanes left Brevard’s beaches in shambles and likely destroyed any nests incubating at the time of the storms.

How many times has this happened in the past? How will it affect the long term survival of these ancient and imperiled mariners of the sea? Time will give us insight into this question maybe after it’s too late. Maybe instead, in time we will be celebrating the survival and recovery of these magnificent creatures.

April 22nd, 2005 is the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day, which began in 1970, is now celebrated by millions of people worldwide. This year is its 35th anniversary, and around the world, hundreds of thousands of nongovernmental organizations, governments, teachers, and faith-based groups, among others, are making plans to declare that they are part of something extraordinary: a worldwide movement to protect our planet, our children, and our future.

This year, Earth Day Network’s theme is “Protect Our Children and Our Future.”

Get Water-Wise! A little planning can save more than your daisies as warmer weather ushers in the planting and irrigation season.

They are a committed group, an army of broad-brimmed hats, oversized gloves and comfortable shoes. Green thumbs at the ready, they await spring’s arrival on warm, misty, fertile wings. They are gardeners, and they know that planting is more than digging a hole and throwing in some seeds. It’s a finely honed art, and water is a crucial part of their palette.

Tom Wichman is one such seasoned gardener. A Florida Master Gardener Coordinator, Wichman says that proper water usage is vital to ensuring a responsible and healthy garden.

Protecting Your Share of the Local Environment is a Lot Easier than You Think

In Brevard County, “development” is often seen as a dirty word. Everywhere we look in our county, we see another shopping center or tract of houses going up and another tree going down. And for the residents that are already here, it’s easy to look at these new developments as the bad guys when it comes to habitat destruction and environmental impact. The problem with that thinking is that “new” is a relative term. When it comes to the environment of Brevard County, it doesn’t matter whether you built your home last week or whether you built it back in 1854 when Brevard was first established. The bottom line is, every home is taking up space that was once wildlife habitat.

Jim Egan is the Executive Director of the Marine Resources Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the Indian River Lagoon. Jim oversees a staff of twelve scientists and over seven hundred volunteers involved in efforts to preserve our local Marine Resources. Every program is science-based but driven by local volunteers of every age.

These programs are always looking for volunteers: Water quality monitoring, native planting program, brazilian pepper busting, the Right Whale Monitoring Program, the Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway Program, the Library of the Indian River Lagoon, the Lagoon House Welcome Center and the public education programs.

Working with Caring Communities
Save the Manatee Club (SMC), the world’s leading manatee conservation organization, is dedicated to protecting endangered manatees and their habitat. Ever since singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former Florida Governor Bob Graham founded the nonprofit organization back in 1981, the Club has been deeply involved in numerous efforts on behalf of the manatees. Though the challenges are many, we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the manatees’ survival. Thankfully, the positive, collaborative support of concerned citizens and organizations in communities everywhere, including in Brevard County, helps tremendously in the ongoing struggle to protect Florida’s official state marine mammal. Through the Club’s work, over more than two decades, manatees have become one of America’s most beloved species. In fact, people from all over the globe are Save the Manatee Club members.

The Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival was created in 1997 to showcase the unique nature, wildlife, and technology in Brevard County. With a comprehensive schedule from sunrise to sunset, participants can explore all our county has to offer while enjoying time with families and friends.

Now in its eighth year, the festival, has grown to become one of the top three premier environmental events in the United States. This major accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of the Brevard County Tourism Development Council, Visit Florida, corporate and organization sponsors and partners, volunteers (speakers, presenters and task performers) and the attendees who participate.