It’s snowy plover nesting season! Learn more about the species and threats to them here.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had a busy week, prohibiting 16 species of reptiles; adding two new species (vermilion snapper and saltwater catfish) to their Catch a Florida Memory Saltwater Reel Big Fish Program; protecting spawning near the Western Dry Docks; and further limiting the importation of deer or elk with the potential to carry chronic wasting disease. And, FWC wants your input on snook, spotted seatrout, and redfish in SW Florida.
As we reported last week, manatees on Florida's Atlantic coast are struggling, with more than 300 deaths since December. The News-Press has more.
Nestlé. You might know them for their hot chocolate and “Pure Life” bottled water, or from controversy in Michigan for paying $200 a year for hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water while the people of Flint pay hundreds of dollars a year for that same resource. To drill down into the math: Nestle's sweetheart deal in Michigan nets them 576,000 gallons a day, or more than 210 million gallons a year. For $200. That's $.oooooo95 per gallon they're paying. Each gallon goes into eight 16 oz. bottles which sell for about $.30 cents each from discount grocers. So they'll gross $2.40 from water for which they paid a fraction of a cent. Of course, there's the value-add of plastic bottling and cargo transport. Well, here's what the multinational corporation is doing in Florida.
Some of our snow bird friends might be shocked to learn their Midwestern soil… isn’t that healthy. The observation might give new definition to the term “fly-over country”.
Vietnam veterans may be interested to know that Congress has added three more “conditions” caused by herbicide Agent Orange exposure, including bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism. The VA is awaiting rules to expedite disability claims for these conditions.
Like to eat mackerel? So do a lot of other people, and the small, often canned fish has created a bit of a disagreement in the North Atlantic--as climate change sends them further North--over how much each country gets to harvest. It’s a richer, fattier, juicier issue than it sounds. Read all about it at The Atlantic.
Speaking of the effects just one fish is having as it changes with the climate, ocean currents that make the weather across the Atlantic are weakening too, creating changes not seen in at least 1,000 years.
Who doesn’t love a good bat story? “Bats walk a tightrope because a one-degree change can make a difference as to whether they live or die,” says Cori Lausen, a bat biologist, in a recent article on bats and climate change in the Guardian.
Read all of WGCU’s environmental coverage here.
Do & Learn
- CROW Virtual Speaker Series “The Story of Ospreys” March 2, 4pm.
- Guided Walks at CREW Flint Pen Strand; Thursdays in March 9:00am.
- Centennial Fishing Derby Awards Festival March 6, 10am.
- National Shell Museum, March 25, Shells and Bad Water: Ocean Acidification and its Effects on Mollusks
Scholarship
Do you know a young adult interested in nature? Applications are now being accepted for adventure scholarships for Collier County high school Juniors, Seniors, and recent graduates between the ages of 16-21. The foundation will award select students up to $5,500 to go on a structured adventure through one of three programs: Outward Bound, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), or the Alaska Mountaineering School. Applications must be submitted by March 12, 2021. www.genedoyle.org/applications.
Want to influence your local environment? There’s probably a public meeting for that.
Charlotte County has *several* committee vacancies to fill--and many have something to do with the environment. Learn more at https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/news/charlotte-county-committee-vacancies.stml
The Lee Board of County Commissioners will Tuesday, March 2, in the Old County Courthouse Commission Chambers located at 2120 Main St., Fort Myers, FL 33901 at 9:30am. The agenda is available to the public by clicking here. Agenda items include issues of bald eagle management, land acquisition, and waste water management. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment on an agenda item, you may submit an eComment before 11am on Monday, March 1. Every meeting is broadcast live on LeeTV (available online and most televisions), YouTube, and Facebook.
South Florida Water Management Upcoming Meetings
What: Governing Board Business Meeting When: March 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Click here
U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board Spring Meetings will be held online:
- Tuesday, April 20, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Thursday, April 22, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Wednesday, April 28, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Thursday, April 29, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Friday, April 30, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
The agenda, public comment registration links, and other resources will be added to the NOSB Spring 2021 Meeting webpage. All speakers making public comments must sign-up in advance.
Got an environment story or tip to share? Email Valerie Vande Panne at Vvandepanne @ wgcu.org.