Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Vistas
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
The Year of the Volunteer!
We are excited to announce that in 2011 more than 2100 volunteers donated over 7,500
hours of time to renovate and maintain our preserves for future generations. Their efforts
throughout the year amounted to $135,000 worth of work! We want to continue to grow our
volunteer team through 2012. As a Manatee County Natural Resources Department volunteer
you can work during regularly scheduled ‘Group Volunteer Workdays’ or join us as a
‘Preserve Partner,’ individually setting your own schedule. Some of our many opportunities
include maintaining trails, planting trees, repairing and maintaining our preserve buildings, or
removing exotic plants that threaten to overgrown the native plants in the preserves. If you
would like to help protect and restore our beautiful preserves, please volunteer today! You
can join our team by contacting Sherry at 941-748-4501 ext. 4613.
Story by Sherry Kessel
Volunteer & Education Specialist
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Seed Savers Replenish the Preserve
Thursday, November 3rd, a group of volunteers met at Robinson Preserve and did their part to
distribute seeds for future beautification of the area. The goal was to collect seeds native to the salt
marsh and distribute them in predefined areas throughout the preserve.
The five different varieties of seeds collected were the Beach Sunflower, Seaside Goldenrod, Sea
Oxeye Daisy, Indian Blanket, and Buttonwood. The group was briefed on the proper methods for
collecting and distributing the seeds by Melisa Nell, who is the volunteer and education manager. After
the seeds were collected, they were distributed alongside a few walkways in the preserve for aesthetic
purposes.
The new growth should encourage the spread of these native plants throughout the preserve and
possibly discourage the growth of invasive species. One invasive species found and removed during
the session was a small Brazilian pepper tree.
As an added bonus, the group encountered a variety of wildlife at the preserve. One volunteer pointed
out an osprey flying over head that had just caught its morning meal. Other animals encountered at
the preserve were spoonbills, herons, and ibis. There is said to be a bald eagle nesting in the area,
but it was not spotted during the volunteer session. Thursday’s weather could not have been more
perfect, and it made for a comfortable day to volunteer.
- Contributed by
Josh Berdux
NRD Volunteer
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Vistas Image of the Quarter: Artist Jonathan Sabin at Robinson Preserve
Photo by Jonathan Sabin
You’ve probably seen photographer Jonathan
Sabin’s work and didn’t even realize it. His work has
been featured in many of the County’s publications,
including several of the annual calendars, and he
regularly shoots shots for the County’s library
system.
Jonathan also has a knack for natural shots, as he
shows here in this beautiful landscape at Robinson
Preserve. This one was shot with a Nikon D200 DSLR
camera with a 18-200 Nikkor lens. Jonathan used
special software to combine three different images in
order to make this one shot. This results in a HDR
image, or High Dynamic Range photo.
County Calendars Feature Preserves
Did you know that each year Manatee County Government provides a
free calendar to the community? The annual calendar is a fantastic way
to see new views of your neighborhood throughout the upcoming year.
And this year’s offering is extra special because the focus of the
calendar is the County’s beautiful preserve lands. This year each
month will feature an image from one of YOUR conservation properties
giving you an inside glimpse of the County’s incredible natural
resources.
Calendars will be available in mid December and can be picked up
throughout the County, including the Visitor’s Center at Emerson Point
and the Valentine House at Robinson Preserve. You can also stop by
our downtown NRD office and the lobby of the County Administration
Building to grab a calendar, or several to share with friends.
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Volunteers Assist NRD Scientists With Seagrass Assessment
Three lucky NRD volunteers were invited to “get wet” and
assist our professional staff with their annual seagrass
assessment in Manatee County’s coastal waters. This effort is
coordinated regionally by the Tampa Bay Watch Program to supplement
regional seagrass coverage estimates by aerial photography with
“on-the-ground” observations of characteristics that cannot be determined by
aerial photography – species, condition and growing depth. Our field work is synchronized with the
fall peak in seagrass growth.
Seagrasses are not algae, they are a grouping of several plant families that share the tendency
to grow in continuous meadows like a lawn. Seagrasses are the only group of marine plants that
produce a flower. Why are seagrasses so important?
Seagrass meadows provide shelter for juveniles of
many important marine organisms; seagrass roots
and rhizomes stabilize bottom sediments where they
occur; and the structure provided by seagrass blades
supports a wide variety of commensal plants and
animals and expands the food web of the meadow.
The tried-and-true method for accessing a seagrass
meadow is an adaptation of a technique used by
terrestrial plant ecologists: stretch a line called a
“transect” through a seagrass meadow and assess
the characteristics of interest (species, density) at
measured intervals within a measured area with the
aid of a square frame called a “quadrant.” In our
case, we have eighteen permanently located
transects through northern Sarasota Bay and
southern Tampa Bay. Of course, these transects are
underwater, so you have to be a good swimmer!
Photos by Greg Blanchard
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Did you know that there are seven different species of seagrass in Florida? Four of these are common in
Manatee County’s coastal waters. They can be easily distinguished by differences in leaf size and
shape. The distribution and abundance of all seagrass species is affected by water clarity since they
need adequate amounts of light to survive. But each species differs in their specific requirements. Some
seem to prefer dim light; another one can complete its entire life cycle in freshwater. Seagrasses make
excellent environmental quality indicators because you can measure meadow growth and changes
relatively easily.
We appreciated the help we received by our NRD volunteers John, Chris, and Rhyan. In return, the
volunteers received a good, practical introduction into the realities of scientific field work. And even met
a few sea creatures along the way, like volunteer John’s experience of brushing up against a bonnethead shark while working on Transect 1. This exciting opportunity is just one example of how volunteers
can become citizen scientists working alongside NRD’s professionals in the field.
-
Contributed by Greg Blanchard
Environmental Programs Manager
Online References:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Seagrasses.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/seagrass/
Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation, A. W. D. Larkum, Robert Joseph Orth, Carlos M.
Duarte, Springer, 2006, The Netherlands.
.http://books.google.com/books?id=emkDvfazY2UC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
vz
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Home for the Holidays
Tis the season for some changes at the Valentine
House! Our helping volunteer hands have been hard
at work transforming the welcome center into a home
filled with delightful holiday touches. From December
until early January, you can stop by with your family
in order to view the decorations. We’ve even hung
special stockings to celebrate some of the preserve’s
most famous residents. And if you roll by the
preserve once the gates have closed you’ll be treated
to a lighted sight!
The Valentine House is open weekends, but from
Tuesday, December 27, until Friday, December 30,
the home will be open for all to visit as a special
holiday treat. Stop by at 10 am and 2 pm for special
Naturalist-led activities too! From surprise hikes to
hands-on activities, you never know what type of
holiday magic might occur that week.
And be sure to check back in January for a new
exhibit - more changes are coming!
Getting Ready for 2012
Have you noticed the many volunteer and “Sneak Peek”
opportunities available at our new, not yet opened, Neal
Preserve? In September we held a trash clean-up with over three
dozen volunteers collecting more than 19 bags of trash and an
assortment of tires, broken appliances, carpet and tile. October
was the time for planting. Attending this event sponsored by the
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program with Around the Bend Nature
Tours were over 100 volunteers of all ages. Over 1000 native
plants were introduced into the preserve that weekend.
November’s volunteer workday at Neal was sponsored by
Cooperative Invasive Plant Management Association (CISMA) for
Southwest Florida for the removal of exotic invasive plants.
Thank you sponsors, collaborators, and volunteers, both
individuals and groups! Look for more opportunities in the near
future. Don’t miss out on the chance to share in being a part of
this restoration work.
- Contributed by
Sherry Kessel
zz
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Manatee County’s Conservation Lands and YOU!
You never know who you might see in Manatee County’s preserves. Check out the
images below to see the exciting happenings within your conservation lands:
Photos top counter-clockwise:
1. Naturalists provide a light show for
participants to photograph during the
October 2011 Rye Preserve
Spooktacular Shutter Stroll.
Photo by Cheryl Matheson
2. Volunteer Beverly teaches a
participant how to crochet during the
November 2011 Coral Reef Crochet
workshop at Emerson Point Preserve.
3. The wagon tours roll through
Duette Preserve in October and
December thanks to the Manatee
Sarasota Fish and Game Association
and Around the Bend Nature Tours.
v
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
Issue 18: Oct/Nov/Dec 2011
Manatee County Natural Resources Department
th
415 10 Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
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Natural Resources Department
Administration
Charlie Hunsicker
Director
Max Dersch
Manager, Resource Management Division
Rob Brown
Manager, Environmental Protection
Division
Melissa Cain Nell
Manager, Vol/Edu Division,Vistas Editor
Sherry Kessel
Volunteer & Education Specialist
Alan Lai Hipp
Marine Resources Coordinator
Johnny McLeod
East County Ranger Supervisor
Marcus Campion
West County Ranger Supervisor
Jayne Sounders
Fiscal Management Coordinator
Pat Hennen
Administrative Coordinator
FREE Monthly Eco-Events!
Be a part of our newsletter! We’re looking
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!
PLEASE NOTE: Manatee County cannot return any
photographs submitted to it. Submission of
photographs or other images constitutes
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.
FREE Paddle Manatee Guide
This FREE publication features maps of
the County’s blueways, GPS coordinates,
paddle tips, and much more. For a FREE
copy, please call 941-748-4501 ext. 4613.
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!