Manatee-Sarasota Group Boca - Sierra Club · 2015-04-17 · March 20 3 Manatee-Sarasota Group Boca...
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www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota March 203 Manatee-Sarasota Group Boca Not blind opposition to progress, but opposition to blind progress Can we save scrub-jays from extinction? What: Manatee-Sarasota Group General Meeting When: Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m Where: Sarasota Garden Club,3 Blvd. of the Arts O f the hundreds of native bird species living in Florida, only one – the Florida scrub-jay – is found nowhere else. At our March meeting, Wendell Vaught, Florida Park Service specialist at Oscar Scherer State Park, will talk about these true Floridians. Scrub-jays live in a very specific environment called “scrub habitat” that is almost gone because of develop- ment and the citrus industry. Sarasota County used to have more than 10,000 acres of scrub habitat and now has less than 800. Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey was once the place everyone visited to spot the friendly scrub-jays. But now their numbers in the park have dropped to only 28. With their numbers dwindling across Florida, they are at risk for extinction despite efforts to preserve their habitat. Scrub-jays are beloved for their strong social bonds. Juve- nile birds stay with their parents to help feed and protect newly hatched chicks. Vaught came to Florida from Missouri in 1982. He is retired from the Florida Division of Forestry and used to own Eco-Quest Nature Tours specializing in nature tours in the Everglades. He is a Florida Master Naturalist program instructor. As a Park Service specialist at Oscar Scherer, he is in charge of events, programs and the vol- unteer program. Come and learn about the scrub-jays and the “adoption program,” and bring a snack to share at the social aſter- ward. -Linda Jones, Group Chair E ating lower on the food chain is probably the single most important thing you can do to help the environ- ment. If the whole world stopped driving cars and SUVs, shipping goods in tractor trailers, flying planes, sending freighters across the ocean and all other transportation activity, it wouldn’t do as much as if we all just stopped eating beef. Livestock accounts for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. at includes clearing land for grazing, raising grains for feed and the not insignificant gas emissions of cows. All the fertilizer and pesticides used to grow grain, the antibiotics and hormones used to speed up livestock growth on feed lots and the copious manure all add to the environmental impact of raising livestock. Most grain grown in the U.S. is fed to animals instead of people. e huge amount of land, water, fertilizer and fuel used to raise these animals displaces wildlife, puts a strain on water supplies and makes us more dependent on oil. e process of turning animals into food contributes to global warming more than all forms of transporta- tion combined, according to “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” a recent U.N. report. In addition, the crowded, stressful conditions in most animal farms spread disease that can lead to epidemics. Ranching, the report adds, is “the major driver of defor- estation” worldwide, and overgrazing is turning a fiſth of all pastures and ranges into desert. Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 quarts of water to produce one quart of milk. Wastes from feedlots and fertilizers used to grow their feed pour excess nutrients into water, causing algae growth and weeds to choke all other life. And the pesticides, an- tibiotics and hormones used to treat the animals get into drinking water and endanger human health. e pollution washes down to the sea, killing coral reefs and creating massive dead zones. One is in the Gulf of Mexico, where much of the waste from U.S. beef produc- tion is carried down the Mississippi. If we each cut the equivalent of one hamburger from our daily diet it would be like taking a half million cars off the road. Better yet, go vegetarian (no meat) or vegan (no meat, eggs, dairy or any animal products). It would help Eat less meat and help the environment Eat less meat continued on page 2 Florida scrub-jay.
Transcript of Manatee-Sarasota Group Boca - Sierra Club · 2015-04-17 · March 20 3 Manatee-Sarasota Group Boca...
www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota �
March 20�3
Manatee-Sarasota Group
BocaNot blind opposition to progress, but opposition to blind progress
Can we save scrub-jays from extinction?
What: Manatee-Sarasota Group General MeetingWhen: Thursday, March �4, 7 p.m Where: Sarasota Garden Club,��3� Blvd. of the Arts
Of the hundreds of native bird species living in Florida, only one – the Florida scrub-jay – is found
nowhere else. At our March meeting, Wendell Vaught, Florida Park Service specialist at Oscar Scherer State Park, will talk about these true Floridians.
Scrub-jays live in a very specific environment called “scrub habitat” that is almost gone because of develop-ment and the citrus industry. Sarasota County used to have more than 10,000 acres of scrub habitat and now has less than 800.
Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey was once the place everyone visited to spot the friendly scrub-jays. But now their numbers in the park have dropped to only 28. With their numbers dwindling across Florida, they are at risk for extinction despite efforts to preserve their habitat. Scrub-jays are beloved for their strong social bonds. Juve-nile birds stay with their parents to help feed and protect newly hatched chicks.
Vaught came to Florida from Missouri in 1982. He is retired from the Florida Division of Forestry and used to own Eco-Quest Nature Tours specializing in nature tours in the Everglades. He is a Florida Master Naturalist program instructor. As a Park Service specialist at Oscar Scherer, he is in charge of events, programs and the vol-unteer program.
Come and learn about the scrub-jays and the “adoption program,” and bring a snack to share at the social after-ward. -Linda Jones, Group Chair
Eating lower on the food chain is probably the single most important thing you can do to help the environ-
ment. If the whole world stopped driving cars and SUVs, shipping goods in tractor trailers, flying planes, sending freighters across the ocean and all other transportation activity, it wouldn’t do as much as if we all just stopped eating beef.
Livestock accounts for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. That includes clearing land for grazing, raising grains for feed and the not insignificant gas emissions of cows. All the fertilizer and pesticides used to grow grain, the antibiotics and hormones used to speed up livestock growth on feed lots and the copious manure all add to the environmental impact of raising livestock.
Most grain grown in the U.S. is fed to animals instead of people. The huge amount of land, water, fertilizer and fuel used to raise these animals displaces wildlife, puts a strain on water supplies and makes us more dependent on oil. The process of turning animals into food contributes to global warming more than all forms of transporta-tion combined, according to “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” a recent U.N. report. In addition, the crowded, stressful conditions in most animal farms spread disease that can lead to epidemics.
Ranching, the report adds, is “the major driver of defor-estation” worldwide, and overgrazing is turning a fifth of all pastures and ranges into desert. Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 quarts of water to produce one quart of milk.
Wastes from feedlots and fertilizers used to grow their feed pour excess nutrients into water, causing algae growth and weeds to choke all other life. And the pesticides, an-tibiotics and hormones used to treat the animals get into drinking water and endanger human health.
The pollution washes down to the sea, killing coral reefs and creating massive dead zones. One is in the Gulf of Mexico, where much of the waste from U.S. beef produc-tion is carried down the Mississippi.
If we each cut the equivalent of one hamburger from our daily diet it would be like taking a half million cars off the road. Better yet, go vegetarian (no meat) or vegan (no meat, eggs, dairy or any animal products). It would help
Eat less meat and help the environment
Eat less meat continued on page 2
Florida scrub-jay.
� www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota
Boca Sierra Vol. XLI Issue 3This newsletter is published monthly by the Manatee-Sarasota Group of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. The intent is to inform members and interested individuals of local activities and national environmen-tal issues. Members of the Sierra Club subscribe to Boca Sierra through their annual dues. Non-member subscriptions are available for $6 annually.
2013 Executive CommitteeGroup Chair: Linda T. Jones, 941-358-3249, [email protected]
Vice Chair: / Treasurer Bob Fellman, 973-689-5556, [email protected]
Secretary: Cathy Page, 941-795-8973, [email protected]
Treasurer: Bob Fellman
Conservation ChairsSarasota County: Dixie Stevens859-466-9572, [email protected] County: Sandra Ripberger, 941-794-3878, [email protected]
Fundraising: Gerry Swormstedt, 941-366-9596, [email protected]
Inner City Outings: Sarah Mitchell, 941-721-7132, [email protected]
Membership: Mary Sheppard,941-752-3200, [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Judy Johnson, 941-755-6110, [email protected]
Outings: Jim Spencer, 941-586-7463, [email protected].
Political: Lynn Nilssen, 941-284-2158, [email protected]
Publications/Tabling: John Myers, 941-961-7095; [email protected]
Publicity: Gerlinde Kohl, 941-474-4712, [email protected]
Group CommunicationsManatee-Sarasota Sierra Group Website www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota
Sierra Club Office (New Location): 2815 Proctor Road, Sarasota FL 34231, 941-922-2900; mailing address: P.O. Box 3485, Sarasota FL 34236-3485
Webmaster: Joseph Rufo, [email protected]
Boca Design and Production: Barry Zack,[email protected]
Mailout: Freda Perrotta, 941-383-6261, [email protected]
Executive Committee meetings are held once a month. For details about date and time, contact Linda T. Jones, Chair.
Forum to discuss election reformSarasota community radio station WSLR 96.5 and the League of Women Voters will co-host a Community Conversation on election reform 6-8 p.m. March 28 at WSLR. Organizers for the event are Gayle Reynolds and Tom Walker and it will be moderated by Cooper Levey-Baker. The panel will include Pam Iorio, the former two-term mayor of Tampa, and others to be announced. The focus of the forum will be on local and state elec-tions and voting irregularities, voter suppression and the influence of mil-lions of special interest dollars in the 2012 elections. WSLR, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota, 941-894-6467.Newsletter mailout — need helpThursday, March 21, 6 p.m. Help prepare the Boca for mailing. Meet at the Sierra Club office, 2815 Proctor Road, corner of Proctor and Swift roads (Riverview Plaza). For details or directions, contact Freda Perrotta at 941-383-6261 or [email protected]. We may have to eliminate the print newsletter soon unless we get more volunteers to help put address la-bels and closure stickers on newsletters to prepare them for mailing. Please contact Freda (details above) if you can help.Sarasota Conservation CommitteeWednesday, March 6, 6:30 p.m. (Meeting on Wednesday this month.) We’ll meet at the Sierra Club office at 2815 Proctor Road (Riverview Plaza) to discuss Sarasota environmental issues. For details, contact Dixie Ste-vens, 859-466-9572 or [email protected].
Manatee Conservation CommitteeMonday, March 18, 1 p.m. Upstairs conference room, Bradenton CentralLibrary, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. Get involved in Manatee County conser-vation plans. Join us and/or contact Sandra Ripberger, 941-794-3878 or [email protected]. Everyone is welcome! No previous experience required.Express your views on Sarasota County’s futureTo learn more about involvement in the Sarasota 2050 plan review, contact Dixie Stevens, 859-466-9572, [email protected] See scgov.net/plan-ningservices for details and dates of upcoming meetings.
Newsletter by emailHave your Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Group’s monthly
newsletter sent by email rather than snail mail. It helps us save trees and money, and you get all your local hap-penings faster and in full color. To receive the newsletter online, contact Lynn Nilssen at [email protected].
stop the needless slaughter of animals and the ravaging effects of animal farming. If you choose to eat meat, look for ethically and locally raised animals on natural diets whenever possible.
–Dixie Stevens, Sarasota Conservation Chair, and material from
The Daily Green and The Independent
Eat less meat continued from page 1
Courtesy celestialhealing.net
www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota 3
March 20�3
Myakka River State Park walk Saturday, March 2, 8:30 a.m. 4-6 miles. Three hours. Wear sturdy shoes, and bring water, sunscreen and lunch. Reserve with Sally, 941-484-4113.
Shell Creek paddle Thursday, March 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Paddle enchanting Shell Creek with Florida Master Naturalist Rick Fried. Participants must provide PFD and watercraft, and be able to swim. Reservations required. Call 941-637-8805.Marshes to Mangroves: Deer Prairie hike Saturday, March 9. We will explore the Myakka River area with a hike in the north section of Deer Prairie Slough preserve. The carpool will leave Sarasota at 7:30 a.m. The hike will be 6-8 miles. We plan on being back before noon. Reserve with Bill Lewis, 941-355-2156.Venetian Waterway Trail bike hike Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m. Starting from Caspersen Beach, we’ll bike up to downtown Venice Avenue (and the Farmers’ Market), then back to Caspersen Beach, where we’ll take a 4-mile hike along the beach, returning to the pavilions at Caspersen for lunch. About 12 miles, maxi-mum, 10 mph, about half on bike trails. Helmet required. Call Bob Fellman, 973-689-5556, for details.Little Manatee River hike Saturday, March 16, 8:30 a.m. Enjoy spring flowers in a variety of ecosystems along the Little Manatee River. Hike either a 3-mile or 6-mile loop. Wear wettable shoes, and bring sunscreen and a snack. Meet at the canoe launch/restrooms inside the park at 8:30 a.m. Reserve with Cathy Page, 941-795-8973, or Mary Sheppard, 941-752-3200, by March 14.Caspersen walk between the waters Saturday, March 23, 8 a.m. A 3- to 4-mile walk down to the ferry landing but not via the beach. Wear sturdy shoes, and bring water, sunscreen and lunch. Reserve with Sally, 941-484-4113.Lower Peace River paddle Thursday, March 28, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rick Fried will lead a paddle past phosphate dock ruins and through alligator habitat, with lunch at the Nav-A-Gator Restaurant and return by a different route. Participants must provide a PFD and watercraft, and be able to swim. Call 941-637-8805.Prairie Creek paddle Saturday, March 30, 8:30 to noon. Paddle cypress wet-lands with Master Naturalist Jamie Reynolds. Participants must provide a PFD and watercraft, and be able to swim. Call 941-637-8284.Cayo Costa kayak and camping Friday-Sunday, April 26-28. Join us for a great weekend at one of our premier island state parks. We’ll paddle out on Friday morning with a stop at legendary Cabbage Key restaurant for lunch, and paddle back on Sunday. Primitive cabins and tents sites available. For those who wish to take it easy, there is a ferryboat (Tropic Star (239-283-0015; tropicstarcruises.com).
Suggested outings contribution $5
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Outings continued on page 4
Happy hikers at a New Year’s Day Sierra outing at Myakka River State Park.
Photo / J.L. Dumaine
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Rated moderate to strenuous because of open water and possible wind conditions. Be sure to reserve early. Contact Don Kirkley at 941-493-3085.Join the Sierra Club in paradise
Stopping for lunch at Cabbage Key Restaurant on the first leg of our annual weekend trip to Cayo Costa State Park is just one highlight of the Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Group’s popular kayak trip.
The restaurant is where it’s said that Jimmy Buffet got the inspiration for his popular song “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and although many bars and restaurants claim the same thing, this one still has great atmosphere (and food other than cheeseburgers!). Cabbage Key Restaurant and the surrounding small island is accessible only by boat and provides a great example of Old Florida dining. The island also has a tower from which to view the surround-ing islands.
The trip itself starts from our launch site at the small town of Pineland on Pine Island west of Fort Myers. After loading our camping gear in our kayaks and launching mid-morning on Friday, we paddle several miles across Pine Island Sound to our first stop at uninhabited Part Island. After a short rest we paddle through a scenic man-
grove trail that bisects the island and then several miles to Cabbage Key. From there, it’s another 3 miles to the park itself on Lacosta Island.
The entire trip is about 7 miles each way, and because of open water and possible wind conditions it is for experi-enced paddlers only. For those who do not wish to paddle, there is a ferry.
The campsites and primitive cabins (wooden, screened structures with a table and padded bunks) are rustic and add to the laidback flavor of the park. There’s no electric-ity, but water, restrooms and showers are provided. After a day in the sun, the cool shower feels great!
The campground and cabins are just steps from the beach, where we laze in the sun, swim and gather to watch the sun go down each night. Scenic hiking trails in the park give a view of an unspoiled Florida. A potluck dinner on Friday night and an optional paddle to a hidden lagoon on Saturday morning round out the activities for the weekend before paddling back on Sunday morning.
Upon returning to our launch site and loading up our gear, we usually stop at a local restaurant for lunch before heading home and relaxing after a busy, fun weekend at a Gulf Coast paradise (cheeseburger and all).
If you want to join in the fun this year (April 26-28), contact Don Kirkley at 941-493-3085.Outings leaders neededBe an active club member and have fun at the same time – become an outings leader. Contact Outings Chair Jim Spencer at 941-586-7463 for details.Chapter outings and e-mail updates See all Florida Chapter outings online at http://florida.sierraclub.org/outings/browse.asp. To get weekly updates by e-mail on upcoming outings planned by the Manatee- Sarasota Group, Suncoast, Tampa Bay and other West Central Sierra Groups, subscribe at www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota.
Outings continued from page 3
The upcoming 2013 legislative session will be a critical juncture in the movement to protect and restore our natural resources. Already, many bills that will define the future of Florida’s environment have been written. State legislators will more likely act to protect our environment if they know that concerned Floridians are paying attention to how they perform and will hold them accountable.
The Florida Conservation Coalition is urging state resi-dents to contact their local legislators to convey their pas-sion and concern for protecting Florida’s environment. Remind them that Florida’s water and natural resources sustain our economy and quality of life and define who we are as Floridians.
“We now face one of the greatest emergencies in
Florida’s modern history,” FCC members Nathaniel Reed and Bob Graham wrote in a guest column in the Tampa Bay Times. “Our prized and supposedly well-protected rivers and springs are ‘sick’ from pollution and in need of restoration and protection by our state agencies and
a Legislature that shares our citizens’ concerns and deter-mination to correct the current abuses of negligence.”
The FCC is composed of more than 50 environmental organizations, including Florida Sierra Club, and more than 1,000 dedicated individuals.
The legislative session starts March 5, so now is the time to act. If you have questions or need assistance, contact Ryan Smart, director of operations, [email protected].
Remind lawmakers to protect natural resources
http://floridaconservationcoalition.org/pages/about-us
Paddling in towards Cabbage Key. Photo / Sierra Club
www.florida.sierraclub.org/sarasota �
Sierra Club intervenes to stop destruction of Oaks bird rookery
The western and eastern islands on a lake within the Oaks Club in Osprey have been home to close to
1,400 birds, including four species of special concern. The islands create an ideal habitat because they are sur-rounded by water, which makes it almost impossible for predators to reach the nests. The Oaks sought a permit to remove the Brazilian pepper trees that shelter the nests.
Letters from Sierra Club, Audubon and Save our Seabirds provided written recommendations that were reported in the media coverage. The good news is that state Fish and Wildlife officials halted the removal after
receiving a number of complaints. The bad news is work didn’t stop until about half of the trees were removed. The birds aren’t being seen and lakeside wetland growth is also being removed, which means fewer fish in the future for the birds. So it was a partial victory.
To see the latest Channel 7 coverage, go to:http://www.mysuncoast.com/videos/7_south_news-
room/fwc-stops-removal-of-rookery-trees-in-osprey/html_abf22837-e0f2-57de-890e-0fdb4d7345ed.html.
– Dixie Stevens, Sarasota Conservation Chair
Fossils may hold clues to how high sea levels will rise
Three million years ago, there was a warming period in the Pliocene Epoch accompanied by a rise in sea level.
Scientists believe it’s a geologic time most likely to match critical conditions on Earth during this century: 400 ppm of carbon dioxide, and as much as 4 to 5 degrees Fahren-heit warmer than today.
There is a network of scientists currently looking for and finding many inland ancient beaches around the world through the presence of beach fossils. For example, in southern Africa, one beach is 7 miles inland and 64 feet higher than the current coastline.
Besides locating these beaches, the scientists are also dating and measuring them, and using this data to con-struct a new computer-based model. They’re looking for the magic number they call Pliomax, or the maximum global sea level rise during the Pliocene. In so doing, they hope to nail down the maximum sea level rise possible during the next 87 years.
But the Pliomax project won’t be able to tell how fast the rise could happen in a worst-case scenario. The emerging scientific consensus is that the increase in this
century will probably be about 3 feet, perhaps as much as 6 feet, requiring the evacuation of millions of people from coastal regions.
The Earth has cooled and warmed many times in the past. The difference between previous major changes and today’s is the rapidity of the occurrence – just 200 years of fossil fuel burning has been the main driver of the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is a mere nanosecond in geologic time. Nothing like it exists in the fossil record.
Scientists see carbon dioxide as “the master control knob of Earth’s climate.” In most previous warming periods, both poles and Greenland retained some ice. If all of today’s ice melts due to extreme temperature increases, the sea level would rise about 220 feet.
For more information on Pliomax, see the lead scien-tist’s webpage, http://www.moraymo.us, and http://www.pliomax.org.
– From New York Times article of 1/27/13 by Justin Gil-lis, summarized by Peggy Dessaint, Manatee Conservation Committee
Endangered birds in the rookery
From left to right: Little blue heron, photo / allaboutbirds.org, Allesandro Abate; tricolored heron, photo / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; snowy egret, photo / turtletrack.org; and white ibis, photo / allaboutbirds.org.
Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and President Allison Chin were among dozens of people
arrested Feb. 13 after tying themselves to the White House gate to protest the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. It was the first time in the club’s 120-year history that it authorized civil disobedience.
The $7 billion pipeline would carry oil derived from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The protesters want President Obama to reject the pipe-line because the “dirty oil” contributes to global warm-ing, and spills could damage the environment.
Pushing for rejection of the pipeline is just one part of the fight to address climate change. On Feb. 17, thousands of people, including Sierra activists, went to Washington, D.C., for what was billed as the largest climate rally in U.S. history.
Demanding action on climate change issues
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Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
Don’t let EPA back off strong water protection rules
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Concern about clean water brought 153 people from all parts of Florida to a protest organized by the Sierra
Club at an EPA informa-tion session in Tampa in January.
There was a demonstra-tion, press conference and mini-march at the EPA session on numeric nutrient criteria (quanti-tative limits on nitrogen and phosphorous pollu-tion). The EPA had an-nounced it was handing over protection of 15% of Florida’s waterways to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP’s rules are far less strict, and enforcement has been left to friends of big polluters. What’s worse, the EPA is considering handing over the rest of Florida’s water to the DEP as well.
The protest was to tell the EPA loudly and clearly that Floridians demand environmental protection and will not
let the agency weasel out of its own strong rules to protect our water resources.
Demonstrators, in-cluding members of the Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Group, brought post-ers of slime outbreaks, stickers and posters that said “EPA Yes - FDEP No,” and most wore a green T-shirt that said “Ask me about SLIME.” Chanting “Polluters must pay,” they marched
into the EPA session, bringing photos, slime stories and comments to the representatives there.
Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Group members and others demonstrate out-side an EPA session in Tampa.
Photo by Marcia Biggs
