Conservation

Cleared land and construction sites are commonplace in Southwest Florida. According to U.S. Census data, Lee County is the second fastest-growing county in the state. The increase in population leads to the need for more development, which raises the question of how to preserve the wildlife that makes this region so unique.

Burrowing owls and gopher tortoises have been either discovered on, or been brought to, one of 48 residential lots where nothing will ever be built. These plots of land have been purchased by members of a wildlife group establishing a patchwork sanctuary for the animals throughout the northwestern part of town. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife has spent about $450,000 total purchasing four dozen plot and are negotiating to buy five more. The 300-member group has amassed the citizen sanctuary since 2002 and focus on burrowing owls and gopher tortoises because they both dig into the ground for protection. Most of the lots are easy-to-dig-in sandy spoil dredged up from the bay bottom when the city was created in the 1950s.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast the next few months will be both warmer and drier than average in Florida. Since the state’s winter months are typically dry, the combination has Southwest Florida water managers asking people to conserve water. Activities such as washing clothes, hosing down the car, and topping off the pool use plenty of water and should be curtailed when possible, according to officials with the South Florida Water Management District. Conserving water at home can help keep wells from running dry, save money, and reduce the stress on the Floridan aquifer.

Manatees vocalize while feeding, resting, or playing using high-pitched squeaks, squeals, squeak-squeals, and chirps. Learn about innovative research being conducted at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota exploring how and why manatees vocalize.

Welcome to this week’s Environmental Roundup! Here’s what happened in the environment this week that might have missed your radar.

This Fall, voters in Collier County will decide whether to reestablish funding for Conservation Collier by levying a nominal property tax in order to enable the program to purchase and protect sensitive lands.

Manatee County Voters will have their say on whether to create a fund dedicated to land and water conservation.

If the stay-at-home order has allowed you to get to know your local birds better, you can contribute what you’re seeing to a worldwide scientific effort.…

A plastic bag or a six pack ring floating by in the ocean would cause someone to cringe. Large pieces of plastics are easy to spot, campaign around and…