Red tide returns to Sarasota County beaches

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130227/ARTICLE/130229630/2416/NEWS?Title=Red-tide-returns-to-Sarasota-County-beaches
- Sarasota Herald Tribune

Red-necked pelican from California spotted by John Sarkozy.

(Thanks to Heather Booth for photo) 

Sarasita Bay Estuary Program 2013 GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 1

SARASOTA, FL – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is accepting applications for the 2013 Bay Partner Grants Program with a deadline of March 1. The purpose of the annual program is to promote environmental education, community involvement and stewardship to improve the overall quality of Sarasota Bay and its tributaries. Organizations can receive up to $3,000 for projects that benefit Sarasota Bay. SBEP has awarded $213,000 in grants to more than 100 organizations since 2002.

Schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, churches, and civic groups in Sarasota and Manatee counties are eligible. The watershed boundaries are from Anna Maria Sound to the Venice Inlet as well as all of the barrier islands. Some of the prior projects have included wildlife gardens and landscaping featuring Florida native plants, micro-irrigation projects, land contouring to create bioswales, signs that promote Bay-stewardship, and education programs.    

Bay Partner Grant applications must be received at the SBEP offices by 4pm on Friday, March 1 to be eligible. Applications can be emailed as a Word document or PDF file to Sara Kane at sara@sarasotabay.org. You can learn more about the grant program online by visiting the Get Involved page on the SBEP website at sarasotabay.org. The website also lists the eight grant projects that were funded for 2012. Inquires are welcome at 941-955-8085 or sara@sarasotabay.org.

This just in from the Audubon Society....

Stay Engaged to the Gulf Restoration Process in Florida

Help make conservation a priority, sign-up for this eNewsletter right now.

Fiddler Crabs by RJ Wiley

Welcome to the inaugural edition of RESTORE Florida’s Gulf – the eNewsletter dedicated to tracking the Gulf restoration process in Florida in the wake of the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster.
You are receiving this eNewsletter as an introduction, but you will need to SIGN UP to continue to receive regular updates in the future. Please click here and add your name to RESTORE Florida’s Gulf.

What is the RESTORE Act?

The RESTORE Act dedicates 80 percent of all administrative and civil penalties related to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster to a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and outlines a structure by which the funds can be utilized to restore and protect the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast region.
Three major “pots” of funds are addressed in the RESTORE Act: the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council pot (30%), the equal-share state pot (35%), and the impact-based state pot (30%).
For more information on trust fund resources, please click here.

Why is the restoration process so important?

Oil on a Pensacola Beach, June 2010.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster had major impacts on the environment and wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. Through the RESTORE Act, Floridians have the opportunity of a lifetime to restore the health of the Gulf's water, beaches, and marshes and the shorebirds and sea life make this ecosystem their home.
The signing of the RESTORE Act in July 2012 set the framework for what is anticipated to be the largest environmental restoration trust fund in history. Restoration of the Gulf of Mexico will be financed by funds from court cases and settlements related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Audubon Advocates, nature-lovers, and concerned citizens will have a variety of ways to influence how the funds are spent. Sign-up for this eNewsletter right now to receive information on how you can participate in breaking advocacy issues and local events.

What's the latest information?

On January 29, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released The Path Forward to Restoring the Gulf: A Proposed Comprehensive Plan.
This is the Council’s first step in developing a comprehensive plan to ensure the long-term health, prosperity and resilience of the Gulf Coast. The Council knows that collaboration with the residents of the Gulf is essential to restoring the Gulf of Mexico. Public hearings are anticipated for all Gulf States, probably in late February and again in April-May.
You will be able to participate in many of these hearings; dates and locations will be announced on our website RESTOREFloridasGulf.org. 
The Path Forward incorporates the findings and recommendations of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, including 5 restoration goals:

1. Restore and conserve habitat;
2. Restore water quality;
3. Replenish and protect living coastal and marine resources; 
4. Enhance community resilience; and
5. Restore and revitalize the Gulf economy. 

The plan will include a three-year list of projects based on criteria in the RESTORE Act. Your voice, at the local and regional levels, is important to help guide which projects will be included on the list.
Make sure you are subscribed to this eNewsletter to receive information on how you can participate in breaking advocacy issues and local events. Together we will make a difference!

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

http://www.fws.gov/cedarkeys/

Governor to consider springs restoration money

http://www.cedarkeybeacon.com/content/governor-consider-springs-restoration-money
- Cedar Key Beacon

SE American Littoral Society Field Trips and Events

Quiet Water Kayak Trips

Enjoy leisurely paddling and observation at a variety of sites difficult to visit by any other means. Kayak, paddles, life vest, etc. supplied. If you haven’t used a kayak before, a short training session before the trip will get you going. Members who bring their own kayak and life vests can participate for a $5 donation to the Society. Otherwise, cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members unless noted. State parks require an additional entrance fee.
Call John at 941-966-7308 for info and reservations.
Red Font = Schedule change since original post.
January
 5 Little Sarasota Bay/Palmer Point Park, 10 am - 1 pm
 9 Waterways of Nokomis, 10 am - 1 pm
10 Myakka River/Snook Haven, 10 am - 1 pm
12 Little Sarasota Bay/Palmer Point Park, 10 am - 1 pm
13 Myakka River/Snook Haven; 10 am - 1 pm 
15 South Lido Park/Bird Key, 10 am - 1 pm 24 Little Sarasota Bay/Palmer Point Park, 10 am - 1 pm
26 Myakka River State Park, 11 am - 2 pm
31 Apollo Beach/Kitchen Preserve warm water sanctuary  $30/members; $35 non-members
     plus $5 boat launch fee; 10 am - 2 pm
February
 2 Little Sarasota Bay/Palmer Point Park, 10 am - 1 pm 
 3 South Lido Park/Bird Key, 10 am - 1 pm
 5 Shell Key Preserve/Pinellas County; 10 am - 2 pm; $30/members; $35 non-members
10 Blackburn Pt. Oscar Scherer State Park; 10 am - 1:30 pm
12 Historic Cortez/Kitchen Preserve; 10 am - 1 pm; $25/member; $30/non-member
14 Don Pedro State Park/Lemon Bay; 10 am - 1:30 pm; $25/member; $30/non-member
20 Waterways of Nokomis; 10 am - 1 pm
23 Myakka River at Snook Haven/Palmer Pt. Park; 8:30 am - 11:30 am
24 Little Sarasota Bay/Palmer Point Beach; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
26 Apollo Beach/Kitchen Preserve warm water sanctuary  $30/members; $35 non-members
     plus $5 boat launch fee; 10 am - 2 pm
28 Edwards Islands/Roberts Bay Rookery; 10 am - 1:30 pm; $25/member; $30/non-member

Upcoming Marine Life Explorations
Explore the sea life near our shores with American Littoral Society biologists.  Using hand and seine nets, we will be searching shallow waters and sea grass beds, observing, collecting, and discussing the natural history of some of the many interesting fishes and other animals that inhabit Sarasota Bay.  Trips run on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. Wading shoes suggested. Call  for reservations.  Call  Chuck at  941-488-8998 Sept 8- Lemon Bay Park
Oct 13- Lemon Bay Park
Dec 8-  Lemon Bay Park
Jan 12- Bird Key
Feb 9- Lemon Bay Park
Mar 9- Blackburn Point Park
Apr 13- Lemon Bay Park



Eco-Tour with Us Aboard the Carefree Learner (January - May)Get hands-on fun and learn up close about the critters of the Bay with our expert naturalists and educators. Also see amazing nesting bird life. The boat is small and provides a great experience for students of all ages. The Carefree Learner are on Wednesdays at 1 to 3 pm departing from Bayfront Park next to Le Barge, near the Ringling circle. Members $15, Non-members $20, kids (12 and under) $10.
January 30, Contact Linda at 607-423-9027
February 13, Contact Linda at 607-423-9027
February 27, Contact Loyola at 206-484-7092
March 6, 20, 27, Contact Bobbi at 941-927-3409
April 6*, 17, 24, Contact Loyola at 206-484-7092
*Note, our April 6 trip is the only Saturday trip

SBEP RECEIVES EDEXPLORE NEXT GRANT TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

SARASOTA, FL – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) received an EdExploreNEXT Grant to support environmental education benefiting local students. The $25,000 grant was awarded by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County to support the SBEP PIER Education Program. PIER stands for Protection, Involvement, Education and Restoration. More than 40,000 students from public and private schools have participated in the program since 2003.

SBEP partners for the grant include Sarasota County Natural Resources and Around the Bend Nature Tours. The grant will be used to purchase equipment that teachers can use in their classroom to enhance student activities. PIER includes field trips and curriculum lesson plans benefiting students of all ages. 

The EdExploreNEXT Grants are part of a larger focus by The Patterson Foundation to support community education. The initiative includes EDExploreSRQ.com, a public website hosted by the Sarasota School District that’s designed to give teachers access to learning opportunities. All of the content supports Florida’s Subject Area Benchmarks. Local partners for the initiative include the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, the Science and Environmental Council of Southwest Florida, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, and Sarasota County Schools. 

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring the area's greatest natural asset—Sarasota Bay. Its unique program strives to improve water quality, increase habitat and enhance the natural resources of the area for use and enjoyment by the public. Sarasota Bay is one of 28 protected estuaries in the U.S. The SBEP was founded in 1989 and its partners include Sarasota County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, City of Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Warm Weather Question

Hey you, READER, what are the effects of the current exceptionally warm weather on Sarasota's Shoreline?

Email: marinell3@comcast.net

Massive shark off Florida coast

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/bestoftv/2013/01/09/exp-early-fischer-shark.cnn
- CNN.com

Mote finds oil dispersant is toxic to coral

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130109/ARTICLE/130109609/2416/NEWS?Title=Mote-finds-oil-dispersant-is-toxic-to-coral
-Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Bay Guardians Invasive Removal Feb. 23rd

  The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program invites you to a Bay Guardian volunteer Air Potato Round-up and Debris Removal event on February 23rd at Bay Walk Creek.  What is an air potato?  An air potato is an invasive vine that covers and shades out beneficial native plants.  The vine grows large tubers that resemble hanging potatoes.  There will be a contest with prizes for the smallest, biggest, and weirdest-looking air potato collected!   

The Bay Walk Creek restoration site is located on what was the Charles Ringling Mansion grounds and is now owned by New College.  This beautiful, bay front location has stretches of mangroves and estuarine beach.    

This event is suitable for ages 6 and up. 

Participants must wear closed-toed shoes (old tennis shoes work great), and preferably long-sleeved shirts and pants.  Please wear hat, sunscreen, clothes that can get dirty and work gloves. Also, please bring a reusable water bottle if you have one to reduce our plastic pollution.  Bring a folding chair for lunch.

WHAT:   Bay Guardians Air Potato Round-up 
WHERE:   Uplands Blvd, Sarasota, FL, 34243 
WHEN:   Saturday, Feb. 23rd, 2013, 9:00am-12:00pm 
HOW: In closed-toe shoes ONLY, we also recommend long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect from potentially irritating plants amongst the air potato.   

Bay Guardians shirts will be available for all volunteers! If you already have one please wear your shirt to the event.  Please carpool if you can!

Lunch will be provided for all volunteers after the removal is done!

Registration Required: Click here to register! 

Questions? Contact Sara Kane at sara@sarasotabay.org or 941-955-8085 

Eco-Tours Aboard the Carefree Learner

Get hands-on fun and learn up close about the critters of Sarasota Bay with our expert naturalists and educators. Also see amazing nesting bird life. The boat is small and provides a great experience for people of all ages. The Carefree Learner tours are on Wednesdays at 1 to 3 pm departing from Bayfront Park next to Le Barge, near the Ringling circle. Members $15, Non-members $20, kids (12 and under) $10.

Seine Sarasota Bay - Hands-on Marine Life Exploration

Explore the sea life near our shores with American Littoral Society biologists. Using hand and seine nets, we will be searching shallow waters and sea grass beds, observing, collecting, and discussing the natural history of some of the many interesting fishes and other animals that inhabit Sarasota Bay. Trips run on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. Wading shoes suggested. 

Sewage spills again in Hudson Bayou neighborhood

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130103/ARTICLE/130109889/2416/NEWS?Title=Sewage-spills-again-in-Hudson-Bayou-neighborhood
-Sarasota Herald Tribune

Free Guided Bay Wise Kayak Tours Available Through April; February Trips Set for Lido Mangrove Tunnels

  

There are still openings for the free kayak tours to the Lido Mangrove Tunnels in February and Blind Pass in March. The tours to Leffis and Jewfish Key on January 5 and January 19 are already booked, but please email info@sarasotabay.org if you are interested in being added to the waiting list. Bay Wise Kayak Tour Schedule. Brad Tanner leads the free kayak tours. He's a professional kayak guide, School Program Coordinator for Mote Marine Laboratory and a member of the SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The guided trips require online registration.

Convenient registration links: 

Lido Mangrove Tunnels - February 2 or February 16

Blind Pass - March 2 or March 16

American Littoral Society Year End Appeal

HELP US CARE FOR THE COAST IN 2013

American Littoral Society Year End Appeal 

Volunteers restore oyster reefs in Delaware Bay

 

I wish I could open with my usual "Greetings from Sandy Hook" but Hurricane Sandy has displaced us from our office for the next several months. Sandy also severely damaged our Jamaica Bay office. Even so, we have been at the forefront of the public conversation about how, what, and where we should rebuild after Sandy. This includes working to ensure that protection and restoration of coastal wildlife and habitat and the public's right to access the coast are recovery priorities.

We were asked by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to conduct a "rapid assessment of impacts" to coastal habitats from Delaware Bay to Long Island Sound. We interviewed over 100 environmental professionals, refuge managers and others to get a sense of the damage. We rounded out the picture by working with Rutgers University to use remote sensing technology to assess the changes in beaches, dunes and salt marshes to better understand the implications for our coastal wildlife.

Once completed, we brought our findings to Congress, the administration, and state governments and advocated for funding to restore habitat, repair parks and refuges and bring more resiliency to our communities as they rebuild. And we got results! The President's emergency funding request to Congress included millions for environmental protection efforts. Now, we are working to educate Congress about the importance of that funding, urging them to make it available to help coastal wildlife and communities as soon as possible.

In spite of the storm, 2012 has been rewarding, challenging, and exceptional in so many ways. In New York, New Jersey, and Florida we have engaged thousands of people in  

* Removing thousands of pounds of debris from coastal areas

* Restoring thousands of oysters to Delaware and Barnegat Bay

* Replacing invasive plants with native species in Sarasota Bay's coastal habitats 

* Becoming better coastal stewards through NJ SpillSpotters and NYC Youth Conservation Corps

* Fighting off bad development projects and attacks on important environmental protections

* After school programs, camps, field trips, kayak trips, eco-cruises and fishing clinics

* Tagging thousands of fish to gather much needed conservation data

* Preserving hundreds of acres of prime habitat along the Delaware Bayshore

For all of these reasons, I'm asking you to help us to stay the course, recover from Hurricane Sandy, and make 2013 a year to remember by giving as generously as you are able to this year-end appeal. The Society's trustees, staff, and I congratulate you on our sharede successes and urge you to continue in our fight to protect and preserve the beauty and bounty of our coast for our generation and those to come. 

Sincerely,

Tim Dillingham

Tim Dillingham

Executive Director

Wood storks no longer endangered, federal wildlife managers say

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/18/3147901/wood-storks-no-longer-endangered.html
- Miami Herald

Sarasota Bay Watch continues to be the leader in scallop restoration in Sarasota Bay.

 

Releases To Date 
December 2011 - 4 million
November 10, 2012, - 4 million
November 21, 2012, - 1 million (paid for by a group of local business interests, led by Ed Chiles of the ChilesGroup)
November 13, 2012 - 3 million (paid for by SBEP)

Bud Doyle's Beach Walks

Join Bud for free beach walks at Casperson Beach and Venice Beach

The second Tuesday of each month we will be at Caspersen Beach at the south end of Harbor Drive in Venice.  This is Sarasota County's "rural" beach.  We walk down the beach and return on a trail that winds through the coastal forest behind the beach.  Along the way we beach comb, talk about the Gulf of Mexico, and look at various birds, shells, and plants. 

 

The second Thursday of each month we will be at North Jetty Beach Park at the south end of Casey Key Rd.  This.is one of Florida's great shelling beaches.  We will walk along the beach, Venice Inlet's North Jetty, the Inlet, and the mangroves on the shoreline of Lyon's Bay.

Bud Doyle's Guided Beach Walk Schedule for 2012/2013
(walks are held at Caspersen Beach and North Jetty Beach
Park in the Venice, FL area)
12/11/12:  Caspersen Beach
12/13/12:  North Jetty Beach Park
1/08/13:    Caspersen Beach
1/10/13:    North Jetty Beach Park
2/12/13:    Caspersen Beach
2/14/13:    North Jetty Beach Park
3/12/13:    Caspersen Beach
3/14/13:    North Jetty Beach Park
4/09/13:    Caspersen Beach
4/11/13:    North Jetty Beach Park
The walks are free, open to the general public, are educational, and fun.  We begin at 9am and finish up at 11am.
For information, call Bud at 941 468-1849.