Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Vistas
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Valentine House Opens at Robinson Preserve
Read the story inside on page 3
Photo by Dotty Motta
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Vistas Image of the Quarter:
Scrub Jays by Lauren Deaner
This issue’s Image of the Quarter was captured
by Lauren Deaner and features a pair of scrub
jays. These curious birds can be recognized by
their characteristic gray body and brilliant
turquoise or gray blue head, wing and tail
markings.
Lauren Deaner is a biologist with Quest Ecology,
Inc. and works throughout Manatee County
studying scrub jay populations and wetland
habitats. Lauren has been monitoring Manatee
County’s scrub jays, along with biologist David
Gordon, and regularly tracks the jay families
living in Duette Preserve, as well as those in the
Mosaic restoration properties to the south. An
avid photographer, Lauren captures unique
images while working in Manatee County’s wild
areas. Her work can be seen at
www.LaurenDeanerPhotography.com.
Photo by
Lauren Deaner
Want to see more shots of the preserves and
their wild inhabitants? Please visit our FLICKR
gallery at http://www.flickr.com/photos/
manateeconservationlands/
First Annual Jay Watch at Duette Preserve
This June marked the first of a series of annual scrub jay surveys at Duette Preserve.
One of North America’s most endangered birds, the Florida scrub jay makes its
home in the scrub oak habitat found throughout Florida, and Duette is no exception.
This summer Natural Resources has partnered with The Nature Conservancy for
their Jay Watch Program in hopes of assessing the scrub jay population.
The first Jay Watch at Duette Preserve was a huge success! Held over a three-day
period, five volunteers in some serious sunhats, including biologist Lauren Deaner from
Quest Ecology, Merrie Lynn and Chick Parker, Ski Prophet, and Claire Miller joined naturalist
Melissa Cain Nell to seek out the birds. A total of four birds were sighted, two of which were a pair nesting in
the survey zone.
Scrub jays live in family groups consisting of a breeding pair and up to six helpers. These birds are
omnivores, subsisting on a wide variety of foods ranging from insects to small snakes, but during the fall and
winter their diet consists primarily of acorns. A single scrub jay will bury between 6,500 and 8,000 acorns in a
year and recover nearly 75%. They are also very particular about their habitat, preferring to nest in areas of
scrub oak between one and two meters in height. If the scrub is too high or too dense, the jays will not nest,
so prescribed fire is necessary to keep the scrub maintained. With the amount of available habitat smaller
than ever, it is important to institute monitoring and management plans for threatened and endangered
species such as the Florida scrub jay.
- Article contributed by Aedan Stockdale, Intern III
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Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Grand Opening Draws Eager Visitors
The first day of May has, throughout history, served as a day
to celebrate the onset of warm spring weather and all of the
excitement of approaching summer months. But on May 1st,
2010, Manatee County residents and visitors had a whole new
reason to celebrate. The first date of May in 2010 marked the
grand opening of the Valentine House, Robinson Preserve’s
brand new Visitors’ Center. Over 500 people attended the
event and were treated to presentations and remarks from
County Commissioners, staff, and members of the Valentine
family, guided tours of the home, and refreshments.
Educational displays were set up on the home’s sprawling
lawn, with representatives from Wildlife Inc., Pooches for the
Planet, and the Natural Resources Department with a mobile
marine life touch tank.
While Robinson Preserve opened July 19, 2008, the Visitors’
Center required a great deal of remodeling before it would be
ready for public perusal. This circa late 1800’s home, the
original residence of the Valentine family, was donated by
Whiting Preston of the Manatee Fruit Company. The
acquisition of this beautiful home meant the salvation of a
piece of history, but the aged building would require a modern
day facelift to complete its transformation from private
residence into public structure.
The staff of Manatee County’s Property Management
Department painstakingly worked to recreate the home’s
historical features, including era-appropriate picture rails, fire
places, and “gingerbread” details on the porch. During the
opening, special recognition was given to these fine artisans,
including Debra Levenworth, Jay Fortney, Alan Maronek and
Art Waldron. With the refurbishing complete, staff from the
Natural Resources Department began transforming each of
the downstairs rooms into an educational experience. Visitors
to the Valentine House can explore three different rooms,
each of which has a unique theme. In the History Room,
visitors can see a photographic display showcasing pioneering
life in the Palma Sola area. In the Welcome Room, visitors are
greeted by a volunteer and can watch a live view from the
observation tower’s camera. The third and final room to
explore is the Discovery Room, modeled after a 19th Century
naturalist’s study. Here visitors will find a 300 gallon mangrove
habitat with live creatures, a touch-screen kiosk featuring
information about Robinson’s resident creatures, and much
more.
The Center is staffed by volunteers and open Friday through
Sunday (staff availability permitting). If you would like to learn
more or become a Valentine House volunteer, please call
941-748-4501 ext. 4605.
Photos by Dotty Motta (top) and Sue Wait (middle, bottom)
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Volunteers Give a Day In Order to
Get a Disney Day
In the last issue of Vistas, we reported about an exciting new
partnership between the Natural Resources Department,
Volunteer Manatee, and Walt Disney World. In order to
encourage community service, Disney launched the “Give a
Day, Get a Disney Day” program in January of 2010.
Volunteer organizations across the nation partnered with
Disney in order to offer opportunities for people to volunteer.
Each participant, after completing his or her volunteer hours,
received a voucher to visit a Walt Disney World or Disneyland
theme park free of charge.
As one might imagine, this program was a huge success. Initially,
staff had only planned three events, but due to the overwhelming
demand, had to open up a number of additional offerings. Volunteer
events were held at Emerson Point Preserve, Rye Preserve, Perico
Preserve, and Robinson Preserve throughout the months of
January, February, and March. Unfortunately, as there were only
one million tickets worldwide to distribute the program ended early,
but not before the County’s preserves received lots of help.
Events in Manatee County’s preserves were kicked off with Tampa Bay Estuary
Program’s Give a Day for the Bay, the first time the event was held in Manatee
County. At this event alone, over 50 people donated hours, resulting in more than
150 hours of volunteer work spent planting pine trees and removing trash.
Additional events were held throughout the County, with volunteers helping to
remove exotic invasive Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, collect trash, and remove
Brazilian peppertrees. A total of eight events were held with volunteers donating
more than 1300 hours. Our thanks go out to the volunteers who helped make this
program such a huge success!
Did you miss it? Plans are currently being made to renew the program for
2011, once again offering volunteers the opportunity to “Give a Day” and
“Get a Disney Day.”
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Summer of Service Program Piloted
In Manatee County’s Preserves
For most teens, the summer months offer an opportunity to relax
and enjoy a break from busy lives. The idea of heading out into the
blazing hot Florida sun to work is not just daunting, but probably
something most would not even consider doing on the coolest of
summer days.
But the teens who participated in Volunteer Manatee’s inaugural
Summer of Service Program were certainly not “most” teens.
These children volunteered to take part in the nationallysponsored service learning, agreeing to spend their time working
during the summer. In addition to the benefits of having the
opportunity to work outdoors to help improve the community,
students who completed the program would receive a $500
scholarship to put toward their future learning endeavors. In order
to satisfy the program requirements, each individual was required
to complete 100 hours of service and 25 hours of training.
Beginning in June 2010 program participants had the opportunity to
visit the preserves, providing volunteer assistance at Leffis Key, Rye,
Emerson Point, and Robinson preserves. Throughout June, July, and
August the students worked, donating over 520 hours of volunteer time. Each
week, 2-3 volunteer events were held with approximately 30 students in
attendance. The students participated in a variety of projects, including harvesting
and transplanting marsh hay and sand cordgrass, collecting and then spreading
native seeds, removing exotic invasive plants, and collecting trash. The students
who participated in this program are all incoming 6th to 9th graders, representing
various middle and high schools in Manatee County.
Photos
courtesy
Volunteer
Manatee
Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department was selected to be a key
partner in this initial pilot run of the Summer of Service Program due to its longstanding relationship with Volunteer Manatee. The program participants did a
fantastic job and staff is looking forward to renewing this partnership and hosting
the program again next year.
vz
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Species Spotlight:
Florida Strangler Fig
The Florida Strangler Fig, or Ficus aurea, is a
keystone species. A keystone species is one that is
vital to its native habitat. It provides food to many
local fruit-eating animals, including mockingbirds,
woodpeckers, grackles, and blue jays.
The Strangler Fig is a hemiepiphyte, which means
that it starts growing out of a different plant, but as it
matures, its roots descend and place themselves in
the ground. It usually grows out of cabbage palm
trees, so if you see a palm tree with a woody plant
growing out of the trunk, it is likely to be a Strangler
Fig.
There are also a few invasive Strangler Fig species,
including F. microcarpa or F. benghalensis. While
not much is known about how harmful these could
be to the natural Florida environment, some
scientists speculate that they are actually unlikely to
compete with the native Florida Strangler Fig.
- Article contributed by
Allegra Buyer, Intern III
Florida Strangler Fig
Ficus aurea
Species Spotlight
How can you tell if a plant is a Strangler Fig? The
main clue is its placement – it will be wrapped around
another tree, growing roots and branches to twine about
the other plant’s trunk. What appears to be the trunk of
the Strangler Fig is often structured with strong bands of
material and lots of nooks and crannies. The leaves are
a shiny to dull green and fruits are small spheres.
The Strangler Figs can be seen in many
of Manatee County’s preserves, especially
in the coastal properties of Emerson Point
and Robinson Preserve. At Robinson,
there is a giant tree located at the
intersection of Tern Trail an Osprey Loop;
at Emerson Point a strangler fig draped around a palm
can be found before the Portavant Temple mound on the left side of the trail.
z
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Manatee County’s Conservation Lands and YOU!
What’s happening in Manatee County’s
preserves (clockwise L to R):
•
Volunteers participate in the “Give a
Day Get a Disney Day” program at
Emerson Point and remove exotic
Mother-in-Law's Tongue (Sanseveria
trifasciata) from around the temple
mound.
•
Participants at February’s Sunset
Shutter Stroll bundle up against the
blustery weather to photograph the
sunset from Robinson’s observation
tower.
•
An eastern diamondback rattlesnake at
Duette Preserve.
•
A school group from Palmetto Christian
School searches for trash along the
shoreline at Emerson Point during a
special educational field trip.
v
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 15: Apr/May/June 2010
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
th
415 10 Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
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Natural Resources Department
Administration
Charlie Hunsicker
Director
Johnny McLeod
Acting Manager, Resource Management
Division
Rob Brown
Manager, Environmental Protection
Division
Melissa Cain Nell
Manager, Vol/Edu Division,Vistas Editor
Alan Lai Hipp
Marine Resources Coordinator
Max Dersch
West County Ranger Supervisor
Jayne Sounders
Fiscal Management Coordinator
Pat Hennen
Administrative Coordinator
Suwanna Blakey
Greenways and Trails Coordinator
FREE Monthly Eco-Events!
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for photos that illustrate the spirit of our
preserves. Submit a photo in JPG format to
[email protected] and your
photograph might be featured in an
upcoming issue of Vistas!
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representation that the person making the submission
has the legal authority to make the submission, and
that Manatee County is granted permission to use the
photographs or images without compensation in any
of its print or web-based productions, including image
databases and marketing materials. The County will
make every effort to credit the artist, owner or
photographer in such materials. Manatee County will
not sell or market any individual image to the general
public.
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Wildlife
Issues
Please report
any sightings
of injured or
deceased
wildlife!
For Emerson
Point, Leffis Key,
Robinson, and
Riverview Pointe
preserves call:
941-745-3723
For Rye Preserve
call:
941-745-3723
For Duette
Preserve call:
941-776-2295
Please leave
a message if
you are not
able to reach
a Ranger.
Thank you!