The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) and Audubon Florida are partnering on a large project coming up on St. George Island Causeway in Franklin County. This causeway is one of the most important nesting sites in the Panhandle for terns, skimmers, oystercatchers and laughing gulls. We will be removing vegetation (mostly grass) to keep the gulls from encroaching on the nesting terns, and we will be erecting chick fencing to keep the chicks from falling from the seawalls into the water. The first stage of the project will be done on March 16th by ANERR staff. They will use a tractor to remove much of the vegetation. Then, during the first week of April, I will need volunteers to assist ANERR staff to remove vegetation where the tractor couldn’t reach and to put up the chick fencing. It will be a one day commitment, but I don’t know the exact day as of yet. It will be sometime between April 2nd and 6th, depending on weather and availability of ANERR boat transportation and staff assistance. If you would like to help with this project, please let me know.
Our most urgent need for help: Before any of the work above can be done, we would like to survey the causeway for nesting American Oystercatchers. Then we would mark the nests so they are not disturbed during the project. This needs to be completed before March 16th. I may already have a volunteer that can use his boat to transport people to the island, but I am waiting for confirmation. If you have a boat and can provide transportation, please let me know as soon as possible. Also, if you would like to help survey for the oystercatcher nests (training will be provided), please let me know as soon as possible.
Thanks, Alan
NW Florida Coastal Bird Conservation Coordinator
Audubon Florida
Stay connected; subscribe to our eNewsletters or follow us on Facebook &Twitter.
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
No comments:
Post a Comment