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Hurricane Michael Slowed Us Down
We know you've been wondering how St. Vincent NWR fared in the aftermath of October's hurricane. Our small but mighty staff is back on the ground, along with crew from other Refuges, and several volunteers, clearing the roads, and assessing and cleaning up the damage to infrastructure.
This Fall newsletter was intended to go out the day before the storm, but we've decided to share it with you anyway so you can see what happened on your Refuge this summer. We are so sorry that our fundraiser, and many of our fall tours, could not go forward as scheduled.
Regarding damage to the Refuge, here is what we know so far:
- The storm temporarily overwashed most of the swales and roads on the island, not surprising since the USGS gave a preliminary storm surge number of 9 1/2 feet at Indian Pass.
- The Gulf beach is much changed: the primary dunes were washed to sea, and with them, significant amounts of pine forest and dune vegetation.
- The red wolves survived, and bald eagles are still overhead! The fate of the area's significant brown pelican, tern and skimmer populations is uncertain. Very few have been spotted on the Point or offshore since the storm.
- Much of the Refuge's infrastructure was lost or damaged, including all terrain vehicles, docks, storage compounds, hunt check station, tour wagon, fencing, composting toilets and more. On the plus side, the Refuge headquarters in Apalachicola, the historic cabin, the barge, and some heavy equipment came through unscathed.
- Our commercial shuttle operator has also sustained damage to his boat, and the ramp at Indian Pass is still largely clogged with sand, so access to the island is difficult for now.
Looking ahead: the storm has forced the cancellation of important fall activities, including the Fall fundraiser, Wild Week tours, and other events. The November and December hunts also have been cancelled (contact Terry Peacock at (904) 925-6121 if you need more information). Stay tuned regarding tours: we will resume as soon as we are able!
On the positive side, we've received a generous donation from the Sierra Club, and we know that all of you will help us work to support the recovery of our unique Refuge with your donations of money and time.
Read on for pre-storm news!!!
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 Where did the summer go? We have been celebrating, surveying, educating, and planning!
St. Vincent NWR celebrated its 50th year anniversary with two days of events. On July 5th, Refuge retirees and partners came from near and far, some with memories of the refuge since its earliest days, for a luncheon reunion.
On, July 6th, we continued the festivities, for a day of activities, food, and family fun. In all, close to 350 attended. The party started with shuttle service on the government barge from Indian Pass to St. Vincent Island. Visitors were greeted by staff from St. Marks NWR and St. Vincent NWR where US Fish and Wildlife firefighters displayed equipment and held drone exercises. St Marks brought natural hides, skull and scat replicas of native animals. Other exhibitors included Florida State Park Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Service with a shorebird display and a live ghost crab in an aquarium tank. Buffer Preserve provided information on native rare plants. St Marks grill team served hot dogs and accompaniments. Along the beach, Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve identified shells. The tour passed a Loggerhead sea turtle nest protected from predators by use of a special self-release cage. Continuing on near the protected western “Point” area, spotting scopes were available for bird viewing. Everyone explored and discovered the rare beauty of the island any way they wished: walking, biking, and a few, by swimming.
A special donor fundraising campaign this spring allowed us to add a recent graduate of University of Florida as an intern Beach Ambassador during the peak summer weekends and acquire print materials to educate visitors about the island and the protected bird sanctuary at the western point of St. Vincent.
Our dedicated team of volunteer Turtle Patrollers are diligently making their rounds every day, surveying, documenting, and protecting these endangered species along our Gulf beach.
We are so fortunate to have Florida State University Environmental Service Program students as our partners. Students spent the weekend of September 14th-16th camping at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park to participate in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup on St. Vincent Island. This is the third year Friends of St. Vincent NWR have funded the expenses from member donations for the effort. This year, the students participated in the acquisition and disposal of 800 pounds of beach trash. This cleanup is vital for the protection of birds and marine life across the world’s oceans and waterways. It is estimated eight million metric tons of plastic flows into our oceans every single year.
Mark your calendar for a very special event! On October 14th, Friends will be hosting a Fun’draiser at Bowery Station in Apalachicola complete with a Jimmy Buffet Tribute by Sticky Too, Parrothead costume contest, special release OCBC Wildlife Lager, shrimp by 13 Mile, auction items, and more! Don’t miss the kickoff party to fund our new interpretive center at the Refuge office in Apalachicola expected to open this winter. The purpose of this center will be to 'bring the island to the mainland' for all visitors, including area school children, with opportunities for greater appreciation and understanding of island conservation, history, geology, native plants, birds, and other wildlife.
All of these projects are made possible through the diligent effort of our dedicated volunteers, committed advocates, and benevolent donors, who make these dreams achievable. We extend our sincere appreciation for all you do!
Lisa Johnston
Holiday Season is fast approaching. Please consider the gift of a membership or donation for your friends and loved ones. This gift will go far to help protect the threatened and endangered species who call St. Vincent NWR home. Thank you.
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Kimberly Magee: A Summer Voice for the Refuge
In May 2018, Kimberly Magee, our first Indian Pass-based intern, began work as an ambassador on behalf of St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge. Only days before she arrived, Kim graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida; she literally hit the beach running upon her arrival. Our primary goal was to intercept and educate area visitors before they paddled or motored to the Refuge. The westernmost Point of the island is an important stop-over for migratory birds, and is of particular importance year round for threatened and endangered species, including snowy and piping plover, red knot, and bald eagle. Even though signage and ropes encircle the Point from the Pass to the Gulf beach, we knew that most visitors did not understand the importance of that posted area to the birds. Kim learned that many visitors did not even realize that the island across the Pass is a National Wildlife Refuge!  Why? First, because, summer visitors come to Indian Pass from Alabama, Georgia, other parts of north Florida, and the Midwestern U.S. They camp or rent houses and often launch kayaks, paddleboards or other craft at the boat ramp as they enjoy the beauty of our area, although they often don’t understand the local geography of our area, or what is expected of them in terms of Refuge access and regulations. And secondly, the Refuge is difficult to “interpret” and “sign,” since it is across the Pass from the boat ramp.  But Kim found that most visitors were eager to learn, and by the end of her 10-week stint, she had made friendly, educational connections with nearly 700 visitors to Indian Pass.
“As a refuge ambassador,” says Kim, “I needed to navigate conversations that could have included strong opinions and defensive attitudes. But I found that most of my interactions were positive experiences for me, and for our visitors.”
Local residents also appreciated Kim’s presence, even though they already knew and respected the Refuge and its access issues.
“Kim was a delight in so many ways,” says Nina Kaufmann, who lives year round on the Pass. “She was knowledgeable about the local wildlife, approachable, and friendly, and she could be tough, if and when necessary, too. Locals and tourists alike enjoyed her presence at Indian Pass.”
Thanks to all those who generously contributed to finance Kim’s internship this summer. We hope to maintain and expand this successful internship program in the months and years to come!
Text and photos by Susan Cerulean
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The BioBlitz Challenge Is On! 
The US Fish and Wildlife Southeast Region Inventory and Monitoring Branch has challenged the 130 National Wildlife Refuges and 16 Fish Hatcheries in this region to this contest to see who can find the most species, the most new species, and the most users.
We are in for the fun and the prize and need your help! It’s easy:
1. Download the iNaturalist app to your smartphone and create a free account.
2. Join the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System Project.
3. Upload full screen, clear photos of any species – insect, plant, bird, fungus, snake, mammal, fish, shell, etc. you take during your St. Vincent NWR visit to the island, Pig Island, 11 Mile or 14 Mile sites to the iNaturalist app.
Prize for the Refuge or Fish Hatchery with the most in each category wins a Nikon CoolPix P900 digital camera. Currently, we are in the top five spots in each category.
Deadline is December 1, 2018.
Hey, it’s our 50th birthday, lets celebrate and have some fun!
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Sambar
Truly, a hunt of a lifetime.
Every year, for a three day weekend just after Thanksgiving, up to 200 people lucky enough to be drawn for the lottery Sambar hunt converge on St. Vincent island. This is no ordinary North American game, nor is it an ordinary North American hunt. Sambar deer are actually an elk, native to much of Southeast Asia in places such as India and China. Introduced to the island more than 100 years ago, and more than 50 years before the island was acquired by USFWS, Sambar have been there ever since. St. Vincent NWR administers one primitive weapons hunt each year as a management tool, to ensure that the non-native elk do not overpopulate on the island.
This affords a hunt opportunity that people come from far and wide to participate in. Everyone is either trying to break the record harvest size of 742 pounds, set in 1991, or just enjoy the unique primitive camping and hunting experience that occurs. There are no stores, paved roads, running water, or electricity available on the island for the hunters. There is also no bridge that leads to the island, so all hunting and camping gear must be hauled over by boat. Every morning, each hunter travels to their stand, either by walking or by bicycle, some of which will travel several miles to reach the best spots on the island. The typical harvested Sambar is several hundred pounds, so it takes a little bit of comradery among hunters and refuge staff to help the successful hunter get the animal back to camp. For some of the hunters, their favorite time is the evenings back at camp, when the successful hunters are dressing out their Sambar and as the others are watching, they are all telling their own stories of the ones that got away during the day.
By the end of the weekend, maybe a dozen or so of the hunters that showed up will be leaving with a Sambar. All will be tired, most will be wet, but they will all have great stories to take home.
Administration of purchasing the hunt permit is done through our state partner FWC at www.myfwc.com. Sambar photo credit Monica Harris USFWS |
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Refuge Report
The greatest challenge for St. Vincent NWR this year, perhaps, has been to the Loggerhead Sea Turtles nesting on the Gulf side of the island and the surveyors who quantify the nesting season. Total nests for 2018 will only be about one third of what occurred in each of the last two seasons, which were record years. This is all part of natural variability, but a challenge for the surveyors who are always hoping to document another record turnout of sea turtle nests.
The sea turtle nesting season has been mitigated by the fact that St. Vincent Island is the proud “host” of a litter of two healthy red wolves that were born this Spring. There has been several sightings of the wolf pups and in each case the report is that they look wonderful and very healthy.
St. Vincent NWR celebrated it’s 50th anniversary with a festival on St. Vincent Island on July 6, 2018. It was an extraordinary event, with free hot dogs and snacks, free admission, and many outside conservation groups setting up booths for the 300+ visitors. Booths covered such topics as seashells, shorebirds, fire ecology, Florida state parks, mammal pelts and scat, and more. The event was run almost entirely by volunteers and supporters, and meals were provided by a grant that was written by the supporters.
During summer 2018, the Friends of St. Vincent funded the first ever “Indian Pass Point” intern. The intern spent the summer documenting the use, and misuse of Indian Pass Point. She also greeted folks on the mainland side of Indian Pass, ahead of their visit to St. Vincent Island. This was done to educate visitors about the island, the refuge system, and also the regulations that are in place to protect the wildlife of St. Vincent NWR. The internship was a resounding success, and has set up a model from which the supporters and refuge hope to continue having greeters at Indian Pass during upcoming busy times, such as summer months and some holiday weekends.
Many thanks once again to the supporters and volunteers who have made 2018 a productive, fun year so far!
John Stark
Deputy Refuge Manager
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Volunteers Make a Difference!
A Day in the Life on Turtle Patrol
It’s 6:30 in the morning, barely dawn. Backpack, water and apple in hand, I have arrived at the St Vincent Island boat dock. I am usually early. I enjoy that few minutes to drink my coffee and finish preparing for a day that will be both exhilarating and taxing. I may enjoy an invigorating ride on the ATV around the turtle nesting areas of the island. Or, I may be walking home for miles if that ATV decides to quit running. One must always be prepared for whatever St. Vincent Island has in mind for you today.
After the boat ride over to the island, and the ATV is prepared for today’s search for turtle crawls or hatched nests, we are off. First up is a walk around the sandy tip of the island, right across from Indian Pass. During nesting season, it is roped off the protect the endangered nesting birds. Seldom do the turtles take advantage of this protected area, but just in case one mama heads up there to dig her nest, we check. This is one of my favorite walks…just we birds.
Next comes a long ride in the ATV to spot crawl marks left on the beach, indicating that a female turtle made the arduous journey from sea to land and back again. And yes, she made a nest and laid her precious eggs! Sometimes she just crawls up and back…a false crawl? A good turtler knows the difference in these marks on the beach.
Photo by Susan Cerulean
On the Refuge, there are lots of animals that would not mind digging up that nest to enjoy those nutritious eggs for breakfast. To protect the eggs, a wire cage is placed over the nest; one from which the hatchlings can escape. The cage edges are buried in the sand and stakes hold it down. Those predators will have to earn that meal.
Back in the ATV, we travel down long, deserted stretches of beach. In some places the driving is easy near the water’s edge. In others, well, the grab bars come in very handy. This part is not for the faint- hearted. Sometimes it is hold on, gun it and go. That is until the pine trees that have fallen across the beach bar the way.
Just like the tip of the island, this is walking area only. Except here, it is scrambling over tangles of fallen trunks and debris. It is leg breaking territory. This is where you find your mettle. The ATV waiting at the open beach on the other side of this area is always a welcome sight.
Back on the ATV, I spot tiny turtle tracks in the sand headed from a nest to the water. Yes! this is the reason we do what we do…get hot and sweaty, bug bitten, sprained ankles, thirsty and hungry. But our weeks of watching have ended with the hatching of dozens of baby turtles. However, only one hatchling in one thousand eggs (or 10 nests) will survive to return to lay her eggs, thirty years from now.
So, I am once again awed by the tenacity of nature to exist. Against so many odds, this little turtle hatchling continues one of the oldest lines of life still on earth.
Wow.Janna Rinehart
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Thoughts on Advocacy: Your Refuge Needs Your Voice!
In the waning days of September, it's such a pleasure to observe the local population of brown pelicans swell, and use the Point of the Refuge to rest and tend their feathers, and fish. Today I counted 575 individuals and hundreds of terns, skimmers and gulls over there, a high for this month. We--you--protected the Point all summer so the birds could maintain their seasonal rhythms, largely undisturbed.
And it's a thrill to see endangered red knots congregate on our beaches, stopping on their journey south just long enough to feed and rest.
Our Refuge's dozen or more pairs of bald eagles have just reclaimed their territories and refurbished their nests, and very soon will lay eggs, and our red wolf pair is leading their two pups all over the island, teaching them the ways of being wolf.
The staff of the Refuge, along with us Friends, is doing everything in their power, with incredibly few resources, to manage this marvelous place. But they need us to do more. We need to muster our voices on behalf of the law animals, plants and habitat: the Endangered Species Act.
Every conservation organization and scientist in North America is deeply concerned, and making their voices heard.
Most recently, on Monday September 24, the American Society of Mammalogists, The Society for Conservation Biology North America, and the American Ornithological Society (AOS) sent a letter to Secretary Zinke and Secretary Ross urging withdrawal of three rules guiding the implementation of the Endangered Species Act. These rules would substantially weaken protections for endangered and threatened species and are likely to lead to an accelerated rate of extinctions in the United States.
Will you call your Senators and Representative today, and remind them to support the law of the land that protects our eagles, wolves, shorebirds and so much more? You help us with contributions of money and energy: now we need your phone calls and letters. Thank you so much.
Susan Cerulean
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