‘Protect and Preserve’ Archives
What was that?
You have seen the movement out of the corner of your eye; you have heard the subtle leaves or fronds twitch; and you have seen the quick, blurry, scurry of a small brown lizard on the pool deck or running up the lanai screen. Every first-time visitor exclaims at some point, “What was that?!” In Florida, it would be unusual not to come [...]
Purple Martins – Housing Needed
So, you want to be a landlord but not pay tourist tax, get headaches from the tenants or maintain landscape, fences or roofs? How about becoming a Purple Martin Landlord? It is only for a few months, creates entertainment year after year, and benefits your yard! Purple Martins (Progne subis) are the largest swallow in North America that migrate [...]
Southwest Florida Wildlife’s “911”
Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to spend the day at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Inc.’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. It gave me a glimpse of the array of impacts to our community’s wildlife from fishing line, vehicles, habitat destruction to illness and diseases. As a few folks on the Island have done, I have brought [...]
Collier Shorebird Stewards: Protecting one chick at a time
To date, we have been so fortunate in avoiding oil and tar balls on our beautiful beaches. Marco Island and its environs is incredibly important nursery ground for many different coastal species. There is an amazing amount of wildlife on our beach that is thriving and reproducing in this window of oil-less opportunity. Abundant bait and game fish [...]
Owl Count: It’s Down
It is late in the year for the final count of the Island’s Burrowing Owl population, but it is better late than never. Typically, for the last ten years of monitoring, nesting behavior of this species is seen as early as November and continues through January. First the pairing up of the adult owls; then new burrows may be dug, and old and even [...]
Florida’s Mascot: The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Averaging ten feet in length and between 800 and 1,200 pounds as an adult, the West Indian Manatee, commonly see in the Marco Island canals, Marco River, the bays, inlets and Gulf of Mexico, is closely related to an elephant. Scientists believe this mammal could have evolved from wading, plant eating mammals. One could almost see that, with the [...]
Shorebird steward volunteers
Many of Florida’s beach-nesting shorebirds and sea birds have experienced decline as a result of habitat loss and excessive disturbance at nests and colonies. In response, locally, a volunteer program has been initiated via Audubon, Rookery Bay and the City of Marco Island, to help protect shorebirds and their vulnerable habitats, both in the [...]
Is the Coast Clear?
The commencement of Hurricane Season and especially an imminent threat of a hurricane have always added an environmental dimension of high anxiety and urgency to protect the coast – its beaches, inlets, and estuaries and all the species that depend on these fragile environments. The southwest coast of Florida is diverse, complicated and dynamic [...]
Sea Turtles return to nest on our beaches
Changes in latitude, changes in attitude: May is typically a month of changes on our Island – reduction in traffic congestion, weather is variable, and many of our busy schedules just slow down. It is also the month the protected Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) will soon begin to return to our beach. Adult female sea turtles will [...]
Temporary Posting of Shorebird Nesting Locations
The City of Marco Island is part of the Florida Shorebird Alliance, a partnership that includes Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), City of Naples, Collier County Government. and Sherriff’s Office, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR), Sea Grant, The Conservancy of SW FL, Inc., Friends of Tigertail and [...]
