This time of year on the refuge sea turtle hatchlings are making their parade to the warm Gulf waters as they have for thousands of years. Migrating birds, some from the farthest northern reaches of the continent, are navigating through and pausing on the shores of the island as a last fuel stop before a long transmarine flight to their winter homes. All summer long our patrol of 25 dedicated volunteers has canvassed the Gulf shores of St. Vincent monitoring sea turtle crawls to locate new nests, installing cage protection against predators, watching for telltale hatching prints, and finally, inventorying to determine number of eggs laid and hatchling success rate. As of late September, 128 nests have been located, tied with 2016; two record-setting years in a row!
Our turtle patrol volunteers also participated in the Second Annual Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Festival held at the Coastal Conservancy in Port St Joe on July 2nd.
The Panhandle area of Florida, including St. Vincent NWR, was extremely fortunate to avoid Hurricane Irma’s path of destruction. Even so, we were absorbed in preparation to protect resources and equipment from potential damage on the island.
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Next up: We will host the first meeting of non-profit nature advocate organizations in our area to develop rapport and find ways to assist each other in preserving and protecting areas in Gulf and Franklin counties.
The tour wagon makeover is almost complete. Expect more comfort and better acoustics. The fall season will be kicking off with Wild Week tours coming mid-October. Please visit our website www.stvincentfriends.com for more information and to reserve seating.
We look forward to 2018 and the opportunity to celebrate our Refuge’s 50th Anniversary. Please watch for special events throughout the year and plan to join us!
As we approach year’s end, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Friends of St. Vincent NWR so that we may continue and expand our mission to promote a better understanding, appreciation and conservation of the natural history and environment of the Florida Panhandle and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge.
Thank you to all who enthusiastically volunteer, donate, or advocate for our special Refuge!
Lisa Johnston, President
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On September 16th, students from Florida State University’s Environmental Service Program participated in the International Beach Cleanup efforts on the Refuge. Results by the number were very impressive: 20 students, 25 loaded bags of trash totaling 1,000 pounds of refuse, and a staggering 719 plastic bottles, all removed from critical bird and sea life habitat.
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Celebrating
the Wild Side of History
Reflections on
St. Vincent NWR
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1968, but the island history is much older. Over the coming year we will reflect on some of the story that helped make St. Vincent what it is today. St. Vincent Island, part of the National Wildlife Refuge, formed over five thousand years by limestone sand from the Apalachian Mountains carried by the Apalachicola River and deposited in the Bay. The island has an unusual drumstick shape and is part of a chain of barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico. Islands have always held a fascination for people and St. Vincent is no exception. One of the most interesting accounts of life on St. Vincent Island is contained in the diary of George Wefing who lived there in the late 1800s. George was the stepson of George Hatch who purchased the island from Col. Robert and Sarah Gorrie Floyd in 1868.
George Wefing and his mother Elizabeth Wefing Hatch continued to live on the island after the death of George Hatch in 1875. . George bought the island from his mother in July,1881 for $1550. To give a hint and flavor of what life on the island was like for George Wefing and his mother, we include two excerpts from his diary (kept a journal from July 10,1879 when he was 16 years old until January 12,1884 detailing his experiences with a freezing winter and a hurricane.
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 December 30 & 31, 1880: ‘ The day sets in with strong W. wind and very cold. It was so cold that the oil in the lamp froze. In the morning Dick and myself took a deer hunt. We saw four deer but did not get a shot. The day ends pleasant with light W. wind and cold weather. This morning the thermometer was down to 23 in the hall.’The day sets in with strong N.E. wind. In the morning the brig. Geo. W. Chase came down and let go anchor in front of the house. In the evening a brig came and got aground but got off in about half hour or so. Her name is the D.C. Chapman. The day ends with freezing rain and strong N.N.E. wind. Everything is covered with ice. Ice this morning an inch and a half thick.’September 9, 1882: ‘ The day sets in with strong S.E. wind and rain. The barometer is falling slowly and there is every appearance of a blow. In the morning Dick and myself went down and brought the boat up the bayou for fear of a gale. In the evening we made everything snug about the house as it is blowing a gale from the S.E. and the Bar still keeps falling. At sunset the tide was nearly half way up to the house. As night came on the wind increased to a hurricane and the Barometer had reached 29.35 and still falling. By 9 P.M. the hurricane had reached full height. The Bar. Stood at 28.90. Mother, Dick and myself all staid in the hall being afraid to go to bed while it was still blowing so heavy. About midnight the wind hauled to S.W. and the tide began to fall and we all went to bed. Next morning at day light I turned out to take a look but could not see much else than water and broken trees and fences blown down’
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Marine Debris
Special article by Sam Garrison, Board Member and FSU Student
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Seventeen (17) years into the 21st century and we have already produced more plastic than all hundred years of the last century combined. Marine pollution is a serious problem in our oceans. It is estimated that between 5-13 million metric tons of plastic finds its way into the sea each year.
Wildlife including sea turtles, whales, and shorebirds are being seriously affected by the remnants of our waste. Entanglement and the ingestion of debris can hinder critical functions of marine life including swimming and eating.
It is hard to live day-to-day life without using plastic tools, like toothbrushes and plastic bottles. Even though our use of these disposable items are temporary, they are lingering in the ocean for thousands of years, "breaking down" into harmful chemicals that are believed to accumulate heavy metals and alter hormone functions in animals. To better understand the amount of debris on our beaches in the Panhandle, I am surveying the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in northwest Florida including St. Joseph Peninsula, Cape San Blas, St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, St. George Island, Dog Island, and Alligator Point. Data from St. Vincent, St. George, and Alligator Point is being collected by volunteers during the International Coastal Cleanup hosted by the Ocean Conservancy.
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge hosts several nesting sea turtles each year. It is important to include St. Vincent in this study because of it's important merit to wildlife.
I strongly encourage you to use less plastic in your lifestyle. This includes using reusable bottles, coffee cups, and grocery bags. Try and replace everyday items with biodegradable alternatives like a bamboo toothbrush! It is important that each of us does our part to make a difference.
What will you first change be? Improving the health of oceans begins with your decisions.
Sam Garrison
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
10/10/ thru 10/13/2017 Wild Week Guided Tours
10/31/201 Sea Turtle Nesting Season ends
11/01/2017 Guided Tour
11/08/2017 Guided Tour
11/16 thru 11/18/2017 Archery Hunt*
11/30 thru 12/2/2017 Sambar Deer Hunt*
12/06/2017 Guided Tour
12/20/2017 Guided Tour
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01/03/2018 50th Anniversary Guided Tour
01/25 thru 01/27/2018 Primitive Weapons Hunt*
02/14/2018 Valentines Day Guided Tour
02/28/2018 Guided Tour
03/03/2018 World Wildlife Day Guided Tour
03/21/2018 Guided Tour
04/04/2018 Trail Bike Guided Tour
04/21/2018 Earth Day Guided Tour
05/05/2018 International Migratory Bird Day Tour
*Closed to the general public during hunts
Find out more about Hunts HERE
Sign up for any of our Guided Tours HERE |
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Meet Janna Rinehart
Turtle Patrol Volunteer 
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I am honored to turtle on St Vincent Island. It is a challenging and rewarding privilege in a rare and wonderful setting. I love the solitude, especially in the walking areas. The difficulty and occasional discomfort only add to this unique setting.
My husband Bob and I met and lived in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. A year after Hurricane Hugo we sold our marine repair woodshop at American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook with plans to care for our elderly parents in Florida. After a wonderful cruise up the western Caribbean we sailed into Apalachicola in July 1992. It did not take us long to discover Indian Pass and the Lagoon. That was home, no reason to look farther. Shortly after moving to Indian Pass in 1994 I began turtling. Quickly committed, I have not missed a season since. In addition to working with the St. Vincent team I became a permit holder last year for a newly formed Indian Pass turtle patrol group. I had worked years with a combined team ( inclusive of Mexico Beach and St. Joe Beach) under Barbara Eells. What I have discovered since becoming the permit holder is how very much I still need to learn. St. Vincent gives me the opportunity to grow my skills.
Early on in my turtling career, Barbara introduced me to the magic of birds who visit our shores. |
Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to start volunteering with the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and now also conduct weekly bird surveys. I am continually challenged as many birds change their plumage at least twice a year. Some even change beak and feet colors as they mature.
Oh boy did I learn patience while staring at each little banded bird, just waiting for it to turn just right so that I could read the text on their leg bands .
And then, such great joy when I could get it right, report the band information, and hear the history of that one individual bird. Some of their histories are most remarkable.
Barbara also slowly introduced me to the world of wildlife rehabilitation. It is not easy work and many times more heartbreaking than not. Then there are the moments you win and get to release a now healthy bird to rejoin its flock. I think Rehabbers are probably the only people who send pictures, and then spend much time discussing… bird’s poop! I had no idea how much I could learn from it about a bird’s health. It's true and I will continue to discuss this fascinating(?) subject with anyone interested.
This is now my forever home. I am truly blessed to be in a place with so many like minded people. So, let’s go save some animals y’all.
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Seasonal Migrations
by
Sue Cerulean
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The comings and goings of wild birds of all kinds are one of the great wonders of our Refuge. But don't let yourself think that migration is confined to just a few months in fall and spring. Even during the longest, hottest days of July and August, the departures of birds signaled the season's inevitable change.
Among the first to head south this summer were purple martins, in late June and early July. Maybe you saw their enormous chattering flocks swooping over bridges and marshes along our coast line? Also in July, the first warblers, thrushes and tanagers began to move south through our woodlands and marshes. Their migrating numbers will grow until they peak in October.
By early August, Swallow-tailed Kites had headed to South American wintering grounds; we won't see them again until late February, at the soonest. A favorite August visitor is the Black Tern. This beautiful bird breeds in far northern marshes, but rests on its long trip south on the quiet outer stretches of our island, and others nearby. It was a startling pleasure to see them standing among more familiar breeding terns, such as Sandwich, Least, Royal and Forster's, for a few brief days or weeks in August.
Birds are not our only migrants. I’m sure you’ve already noticed massive flights of butterflies flying across Highway 98 (slow down! So many get crushed by fast-moving cars). Pipevine Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries and Buckeyes are abundant; soon we will see Monarchs. And armies of dragonflies are beginning to move over us, as well. What a great time to be in Florida!
Fall migration will really kick into high gear in October, when cold fronts bring waves of winter residents such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers, a variety of sparrows, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; shorebird populations will increase, as well. This is the month to look for migrating hawks, Peregrine Falcons and Bald Eagles. If you look across from Indian Pass to St. Vincent Point, and you wonder why the pelicans and shorebirds have taken flight, look aloft for a circling raptor, or even eagles standing on the sand.
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MEET
CAROL BLAHA
OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER and TREASURER |
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 When I met my husband in 2007 the first trip we took together was Carrabelle. He had bought a lot there years ago, with the idea to build someday. It was just this overgrown hard to imagine lot, but I knew I was in love with the Forgotten Coast. And as any good wife would do, I pushed him. Clear the lot, interview builders, settle on the floor plan, write the cheque. In 2015 we signed our contract with a builder… Memorial Day weekend of 2016 we took possession. Before I met my husband and Carrabelle, I had no desire for retirement. I had a wonderful business. I thought I’d work forever. My background is in sales—commercial building products—I ran million dollar projects, I loved it. I was also certified in flooring inspections of hardwood, laminate, resilient, ceramic and carpet complaints. My emphasis was green building projects. I loved my work. Both the area and my husband quickly turned me to a new path. As of April 2016 I retired, I became a full time resident here. Retirement allows me to maintain my core belief of giving back to my community. This is very important to me. As a young mom, my children were to be “productive” during summer breaks. Before they could get jobs, the local humane society took them in as volunteers. That of course meant we might have an extra kitty end of season, but that was just fine. Just an example of what I mean by core beliefs. I have been involved in non profits most my adult life. Again, it’s a core belief of mine to give back. I have been involved on board level of WQED-TV great auction, Cystic Fibrosis, and was a founding member of the Colorado Chapter US Green Building Council and many more non-board level positions. I have spearheaded hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for fundraising. In all of these capacities, as a person with a sales background, the focus has been on fundraising. I found the Friends of St Vincent org on a FB post for a tour. I was curious, so went on the site. I clicked on volunteer opportunities and saw a match for my experience. We spoke, had lunch, and here I am to stay!
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ADVOCACY COMMITTEE REPORT
I just returned from a marvelous week of study at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepardstown, West Virginia. I learned so many things that I hope will help us as Friends of SVNWR to be ever more effective.
This is a very tough time for public lands, including national wildlife refuges. The federal budget is ever tighter for parks, refuges and wilderness areas, and the current administration's vision for those lands is largely focused on extracting more, or reducing the size of, our publicly-owned, precious places. I had long conversations with land managers, upper level staff, conservation leaders, and most of all members of other Friends of Refuges from all over the U.S., and from them I gleaned the good news: people are engaged on every level to stand up for the wild places and species we love.
We are very, very lucky here on St. Vincent, even with our tiny budget and small but mighty staff. If we were Friends of the Bears' Ears or the Grand Escalante in Utah, or the Arctic NWR in Alaska, or the Santa Ana NWR in Texas, we'd be working on behalf of lands that are directly and extremely threatened.
Although our beautiful Refuge does not face drilling or logging or mining, nevertheless it needs all lovers and advocates of St. Vincent to stand up for it now, as never before. We would love to have you take an active role in St. Vincent's protection; there are so many ways to help. Please contact Iain Brown, our Friends Volunteer Coordinator. You can reach him at brown.iain@gmail.com.
Susan Cerulean, Advocacy Chair
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REFUGE UPDATE
by
Deputy Refuge Manager John Stark
Kudos to St. Vincent NWR’s maintenance mechanic Dale Shiver, and volunteer David Francisco for overhauling the St. Vincent Island tour wagon! They have replaced the axles, sanded and painted the frame, and fabricated components for the seats and audio system, all just in time for tour season.
St. Vincent Supporters paid for refuge Shorebird Biological Technician John Murphy to attend a Moist-Soil Management Workshop in Puxico MO on September 6th-7th. The workshop provided specific pointers on how to better manage St. Vincent Island’s 6 fresh and brackish water lakes to benefit waterbirds.
It has been another banner year for sea turtle nesting on St. Vincent Island! Tropical storm Cindy, and hurricane Irma collectively had very little impact on 2017’s sea turtle nests. A mild tropical season, coupled with record numbers of nests has resulted in a very productive year for our turtle friends. This year was also great in that we had our first Green Sea Turtle nest in years. Many thanks, from the turtles and staff, to all of the volunteers who run the turtle surveys, folks whose donations pay for the program, and the Supporters organization for their efforts in facilitating the program.
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