Dear Friends,
Join us in Playalinda or Apollo Districts on September 15, 2018 for the
International Coastal Cleanup
. The sign-in at both districts begins a 8:00 am, fees are waived for the morning and there are free ICC t-shirts for the first 100 people in either district. This is a great time to get out and take walk, pick up some trash and enjoy a morning with friends helping out the seashore. Bring your hat and sunscreen and a refillable water bottle (we don’t want to make more trash), we’ll give you the bags.
And just a reminder that this is Hurricane Season, don’t wait until there is a storm to buy your supplies. Make your plans early and hopefully you won’t need to implement. But better to be prepared!
Thank you to all of the Friends and Volunteers-In-Parks for all you do.
See You at the Seashore,
Laura Henning,
Chief of Interpretation & Visitors Services
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Sea Turtle & Shorebird Nest Counts
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2018 Sea Turtle Nest Counts (8-24-18)
• Loggerhead (Caretta caretta):
Apollo ( 1474 ) .......... Playalinda ( 2713 )
• Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas):
Apollo ( 91 ) .......... Playalinda ( 115 )
• Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea):
Apollo ( 6 ) .......... Playalinda ( 9 )
• Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii):
Apollo ( 0 ) .......... Playalinda ( 0 )
TOTAL NEST COUNTS: 4,408
2018 Shorebird Nest Counts (7-2-18)
Wilson's plover (
Charadrius wilsonia
)
:
Apollo ( 29 ) .......... Playalinda ( 5 )
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End of August 2017 TOTAL NEST COUNT:
6,938
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Feel Free to Share this Newsletter:
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SKIP THE STRAW
A Message From
Our President
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At a recent gathering, I was surprised to find an old fashioned paper straw in my iced tea. The local NSB restaurant took a stand against plastic and switched plastic straws for paper. At another local NSB hangout, straws are optional and you have to ask the server for one. YES!
It seems some members of this coastal community are on board with Ocean Conservancy and the war against plastic pollution. Ocean Conservancy has been leading the charge against marine debris for more than 30 years through the International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers from all over the United States and 100 countries around the world work together to collect and document trash littering the coastline. In 2017, volunteers collected over 3 million pounds of trash from our coastlines; in Florida over 173 thousand pounds were collected and documented.
So, what was collected most? Cigarette butts, plastic bottles, caps and straws; rope, plastic bags, food wrappers, and “tiny trash,” which are items smaller than 2.5 cm.
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Why is this important? Marine debris is deadly to marine life as it is ingested or serves to entangle them and they drown or starve to death. This marine debris is caused by human negligence; a day at the beach leaves plastic bottles, used diapers, food containers and bags, all of which will be blown or washed into the ocean.
Humans cause this plastic pollution, we must work together to stop the growing amount or ocean trash. How can you get involved? How can you be part of a solution? Here at Canaveral National Seashore we support the International Coastal Cleanup and invite all volunteers, their family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to the park to collect and document marine debris on Saturday, September 15. I will be there. Wear gloves, hat, and sunscreen and know that your good work is part of a global action.
Skip the Straw & take the Pledge by clicking on the
link below.
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is promoting a “Skip the Straw” initiative, which challenges individuals, schools and businesses to help reduce pollution from plastic in Florida. If every person in Florida took this pledge, we could together reduce pollution from plastic straws by approximately 2.35 million.
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Terry Bledsoe, President
Friends of Canaveral
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National Public Lands Day
September 22, 2018
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Ways to Participate
- You can visit a national park for free.
- You can take part in a volunteer work project. If you volunteer on this day, you will receive a fee-free day coupon to be used on a future date.
- You can share your favorite outdoor activity on social media channel with the hashtag #NPSVolunteer, #FindYourPark and #NPLD!
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SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON
MAY 1 - OCTOBER 31
Threats from Beach Activities
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Threats from
Beach Activities
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Human use of nesting beaches can result in negative impacts to nesting turtles, incubating egg clutches and hatchlings. The most serious threat caused by
increased human presence on the beach
is the disturbance to nesting females.
Night-time human activity
can prevent sea turtles from emerging on the beach or even cause females to stop nesting and return to the ocean.
Beach Furniture
and other recreational equipment (e.g., cabanas, umbrellas, hobie cats, canoes, small boats and beach cycles) can reduce nesting success and increase false crawls on nesting beaches. There is also increasing documentation of nesting females becoming entrapped in beach furniture.
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Beach Driving
, either at night or during the daytime, can negatively impact sea turtles. Night time driving can disturb nesting females, disorient emerging hatchlings, and crush hatchlings attempting to reach the ocean. Tire ruts left by vehicles can extend the time it takes a hatchling to reach the ocean and increase their chance of being caught by a predator. Driving during the day can cause sand compaction above nests resulting in lower nest success. Additionally, beach driving contributes to erosion, especially during high tides or on narrow beaches.
Learn more…
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THINGS TO DO - SEPTEMBER 2018
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Don't forget International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 15th at Apollo District from 8:30 - 11:30 am. (Playalinda from 8:00 - 11:00 am). Bring water, sunscreen, bug repellant and a hat. We provide trash bags and keep a record of what you collect. No park entrance fee for cleanup volunteers.
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What Venomous Spiders Live in Florida?
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Three species of widow spiders are native to Florida, and a fourth species has been introduced. No species of recluse spiders are native to Florida, but three species have been intercepted and occasionally have established populations in single buildings at scattered locations.
Both types of spiders tend to be found in similar places, which is in or under objects where their presence is not necessarily obvious. In the interest of safety, it is recommended that people engaged in activities in which they cannot see where their hands are being placed (such as lifting boards or firewood, or reaching into storage boxes) should wear gloves to prevent being bitten by a hidden spider.
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Shown Below: Loxosceles reclusa, the brown recluse
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Latrodectus mactans, the southern black widow
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Latrodectus geometricus, the brown widow
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Latrodectus bishopi, the
red widow
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Statistically, about 10% of men and 60% of women have several phobias for spiders and their webs. However, do you know that these spiders have some benefits they offer to man? Here are the 7 interesting facts you probably don’t know about spiders.
7 Interesting Facts About Spiders:
- A Spider has 4 pairs (8 in total) of walking legs, and no antenna
- Spider protects your house from some insects
- Spiders' venom may be poisonous to common pests
- Spiders' venom can be used for medical purposes
- Spiders' webs are stronger than steel
- Spider is a good source of protein (YUMMMY)
- Some spiders are harmful to man
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