|
|
 Welcome Friends, to this mid-summer update! St. Vincent NWR has endured a challenging nine months since Category 5 Hurricane Michael slammed the northwest Gulf coast of Florida on October 10. In just hours, that storm swept away much of the island’s infrastructure. Less than 3 months later, a 6-week government shutdown exacerbated recovery and forced the Refuge to cancel annual hunts, the Christmas Bird Count, and the wagon tours of the island. And yet. And yet. Our Refuge is still a place where red wolves thrive, sea turtles nest, and migratory birds and butterflies refuel. Even as we watch, the impacts of the storm’s devastation continue to unfold (nearly total loss of primary dunes, acres and acres of downed and salt-killed slash pines). The staff and the volunteer Friends are jumping in to help the island heal. With the help of Captain Joey, we have shuttled hundreds of visitors to the Refuge, formulated new walking tours, and forged new partnerships with Florida Audubon and FWC to help protect the shorebirds. We brought the staff of our two senators to the Refuge to help them put a face to the storm’s damage. We raised more than $8000 at our rescheduled fundraiser in April. Our summer intern is walking the Pass, acting as an ambassador for the Refuge. Please join us, whether to enjoy the rare wildness of St. Vincent, or to work and advocate on her behalf. Read on! Susan Cerulean, President
Is your membership in the Friends of St. Vincent NWR up-to-date? Your contribution will go far to help protect the threatened and endangered species on our Refuge. Thank you!
|
|
Wildlife on the Refuge: Update
Red Wolves: We do have a 2019 litter of red wolf pups this season resulting in a multigenerational pack of American red wolves. Turtles: As of the 4th of July, we have 54 loggerhead sea turtle nests and 3 green sea turtle nests. More to come! Birds: The wading bird rookery on Lake 5 is doing very well after the Hurricane with Snowy and Great Egrets, Tricolor and Little Blue Herons, Anhinga, and Glossy Ibis nesting among others. This season we have already documented Snowy Plover nesting on Refuge beaches (3 fledged chicks so far), two American Oystercatcher nests, two Least Tern ground nesting colonies, and for the very first time, Black Skimmer nesting on the Refuge south of Thom's Pond. Bats: A survey was conducted on July 28th using an Anabat recorder, and after our data is analyzed we will have a greater understanding of which bat species are present on the island.  Fishing: Fishing is open in Refuge lakes following state license and limits. Hunts: Permits for the October 31-November 2 public archery hunt go on sale online on July 11 at myfwc.com/hunting. Plants: We're continuing to work on removing invasive plants, and any interest in volunteering to eliminate nuisance species would be both extremely helpful and appreciated. We have reports of several areas sporting new growth Gulf Coast Lupine (Lupianus Westianus), a FWC red listed plant. Bradley Smith
Biological Science Technician, USFWS
|
|
In Search of Giants
 What’s hiding in the forest, among the trees at St. Vincent NWR? A giant Slash Pine has been discovered by Board member and forestry specialist, Jim Floyd, on St. Vincent. The tree is so large that it is in contention for runner-up to the National Champion Slash Pine. Unfortunately, it will not replace the national champion even though it has a much larger girth because it is not as tall. It now falls just 8 points short of becoming the runner up. We have ordered a device from Forestry Suppliers to take a more accurate height measure. The current height estimate is 72 feet tall. If it accurately measures 80 feet tall, we will register it with the American Forestry Association ‘Big Tree Register’ and it will become the Florida runner-up as a champion slash pine. Jim Floyd
|
|
Shoreline Erosion Study: Research Update
Florida State University researchers have been working to quantifying rates of shoreline retreat at geo-referenced points around the island.
Erosion was proceeding at a steady pace prior to Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018, but the storm caused a large pulse of retreat. Erosion is particularly severe on the Gulf side of the island between roads 3 and 4, where we observed that a large dune ridge was completely washed away.
- The photo from October 7, 2019 (Figure 1) three days before the storm shows an eroded dune that was about 8 feet tall.
- The photo from July 5, 2019 shows the same site and it is clear that the dune has been completely washed away (Figure 2). The position of the red flag in Figure 2 was five feet back from the lip of the dune in Figure 1 prior to the storm, and you’ll notice that there is no dune at all in the picture. Both photographs were taken from the shoreline looking inland (north).
- In Figure 3, taken July 5, 2019, three things should catch your interest. First, the turtle nest is on flat beach that used to be a dune. Notice all the twisted wood poking up from the sand? Those are the roots of trees that formerly sat atop the sand dune at much higher elevation. You can see the trees in Figure 1. These roots may present a problem to nesting turtles.
- Finally, towards the background of the picture is a wall of wood, the trunks of the trees that formerly sat atop the dune. As elsewhere, the trees really suffered from the storm. As pictured, many were knocked down.
- In addition, the storm surge left ponded salt water on the island and it sat there for weeks, as there was little rain after Michael. Trees growing in those low areas died, and continued to ail because of this unhealthy salt exposure (Figure 4). Future controlled burns on the refuge are going to have to take all this deadwood into account, fire will ramp up standing dead trees and burn the crowns of some of the live ones.
- Dune and tree loss was severe all along the southern coast of the island. We’ll be continuing to monitor and report on the situation.
Jeff Chanton, Ph.D
Florida State University |
|
Spring FUNdraising!
At a fun-filled, community-based fundraiser on April 28 in Apalachicola, the Friends--and our friends--raised more than $8600 for Refuge educational and interpretive projects. Top of our thank you list: Matt and Lisa of the Bowery Station who planned, hosted and fully embraced our cause. Oyster City Brewing Company created a special Wildlife lager just for the day. 13 Mile Seafood donated delicious dinners, Jenny Odom painted a gorgeous creation on site that she donated for auction, and the Parrotheads of St. George Island made the day festive and lively. Cornhole competitions, costume contest, sea turtle adoptions and a live band--if you weren't there, you should have been. Lisa Johnston and Nancy Stuart power led us to this great success on behalf of the Refuge's wildlife.
|
|
|
Editorial:
Who is missing from this picture? Could it be YOU?
 There are over 200 Friends organizations throughout the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge system. Members and volunteers provide over 28% of the work hours performed on Refuges. Friends groups make possible the continued existence of many of the 566 Refuges throughout the country, including St. Vincent NWR.
The Friends of St. Vincent NWR has grown over the last ten plus years, and the need for people to support the Refuge has increased as we work to expand the reach of the Refuge to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all the interest and monetary contributions that all of you have made. The Friends now need your skills as well.
As we grow, we need YOU to step forward and volunteer so that the Friends can show through our commitment to St. Vincent NWR that its continued viability is important and critical to all of us.
What do we need? How can YOU contribute?
Many of our projects need outside funding. Currently our 2019 ‘Protect the Point’ projecthas made possible the retention of a Summer intern. The intern works on visitor education and data collection at the western point of the island where rare and endangered migratory birds rest and nest. For the 2020 summer season, there is a grant program that the Friends can apply to receive funding for this valuable effort. We very much need a grant writer to help us apply. Even if you do not live in the Panhandle, YOU can volunteer to complete a grant application for the Friends. For more information and to volunteerstvincentislandfriends@gmail.com (ATTN: Sue in the header)
One of our on-going projects is staffing and facilitating the guided wagon tours and walking tours of the Refuge from October through the first week in May. These tours are one of the primary ways the Friends can assist the Refuge by providing evidence of visitor numbers and providing environmental education to visitors and residents. In 2018, Hurricane Michael severely damaged the Refuge, necessitating a change of direction, including instituting walking tours. These have proved wildly popular and now have exceeded the number of volunteers who lead the tours. If YOU would like a chance to be on the island and share your love of the island with others, we need both walking and wagon tour guides. Contact us at stvincentislandfriends@gmail.com (ATTN: Carol Brown in the header) to get more information and volunteer. Fun mandatory. No experience necessary, we provide training and support.
Carol Brown |
|
|
Sea Turtle Festival 2019
 St. Vincent NWR Friends group had a very successful day at this year’s Sea Turtle Festival in Port St. Joe on June 30. The day was sunny and hot with just a bit of breeze off St. Joe Bay. We set up a tent with our red wolf story board, a visual of a sea turtle nest with hatchlings and a sea turtle skull on loan from U.S.Fish and Wildlife.
We also had fun items to sell such as t shirts, book marks, decals and nature guides. The Friends’ intern, Chloë Dubben, manned the booth with assistance from several Friends members and we had a steady stream of visitors all day wanting more information about the Refuge.
We had lots of children stop by as well, entranced with our Red Wolf and turtle displays and interested in our nature coloring books that we handed it out until they were gone. It was a great day for public interaction and education all around, fun day for all!
Nancy Jones |
|
|
Advocacy Update
 One of the activities that the Friends of St. Vincent NWR is able to do as a non-profit 501c3 group is to advocate to elected officials on behalf of the Refuge. USFWS employees cannot engage in any political activity, so it is up to us to inform and educate our elected officials about St. Vincent NWR. We invited representatives from both Senator Rubio’s and Senator Scott’s offices visit our Refuge to see firsthand who we are and what we do. Lauren Corey, student rep on our Friends' Board, took several students to meet personally with the staff in their offices. Finally, FSU's Environmental Service Program, longtime supporters of the Refuge, handwrote letters to the Senators to plead on the Refuge's behalf. Here's one written by our summer intern, Chloë Dubben, regarding passage of the Disaster Relief bill that would provide funds to assist with Hurricane Michael damage to the Refuge. Well done, Chloë. Carol Brown
Dear Senator Rubio,We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our state. The “Forgotten Coast”, originally named for its reputation as an untouched Gulf-front paradise, now has a connotation no one envisioned. While the people in countless communities in this area have been suffering since October, St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge has been hit just as hard. This entire 12,000-acre refuge is only staffed by four workers, four tireless workers, but nonetheless  only four people manage a multitude of threatened and endangered species. I have been volunteering at the refuge for a few months now, and the damage is obvious. Entire buildings were washed away. Stands of trees that defined important nesting grounds were snapped in half or killed by salt water intrusion. This home to red wolves, gopher tortoises, snowy plovers, loggerhead sea turtles, and countless other keystone species is threatened. Your help is needed would be greatly appreciated. By helping to pass the disaster relief bill, you can represent the interest of Floridians by showing that even when places seem forgotten, they are always remembered. Your Tallahassee Constituent,Chloë Dubben
|
|
Spotlight:
Banking On Nature 2017: The Economic Contributions of National Wildlife Refuge Recreational Visitation to Local Communities
|
|
 |
Funding support for the St. Vincent NWR turtle patrol is almost completely dependent on donations from the public. Please help us monitor and protect our sea turtles by adopting a nest this summer.
Our projected expenses are close to $3,000 and include the following:
- Repairs for the vehicle that volunteers use to patrol 9 miles of beach daily
- Fuel for the vehicle and water for the volunteers
- Stakes and cages for marking & protecting nests
- Gloves, flagging tape and batteries
Your tax deductable donation of $25 or more will help us provide these necessary supplies for the program.
If you would like info on how to adopt a nest in 2019, www.stvincentfriends.com
Or email us at stvincentislandfriends@gmail.com |
|
Thank You
Mother Sea Turtle
Adopters! |
|
|
Upcoming: 2019/2020 Tour season Calendar will open later this summer for reservations.
|
|
'October Wild Week'
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
-------------------
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
'Soil Day'
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Sunday
'World Wetlands Day'
Friday
'Valentines Tour'
Wednesday
Saturday
'Leap Day Tour'
Tuesday
'World Wildlife Day'
Wednesday
Saturday
'UN International
Day of Forests'
Wednesday
Monday
'International Plant
Appreciation Day'
Wednesday
'Earth Day'
Friday
'World Migratory Bird
Day'
|
Oct. 15
Oct. 16
Oct. 17
Oct. 18
Nov. 6
Nov. 13
Dec. 5
Dec. 11
Jan. 8
Jan. 22
Jan. 29
Feb. 2
Feb. 14
Feb. 19
Feb. 29
Mar. 3
Mar. 11
Mar. 21
Mar. 25
Apr. 13
Apr. 22
May 1
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment