2022 Legislative Advocacy Summary |
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Florida's 2022 legislative session, which ran Jan. 11 through March 14, largely demonstrated a lack of commitment to the environment. It was followed by a supercharged post-session period with a record $3.1 billion in vetoes. Click below for a summary of the many bills that SCCF worked to support or oppose.
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Snowy Plover BK Has Successful Nesting Season
2-year-old snowy plover Blue/Black ("BK" for short) — the offspring of Sanibel's oldest documented snowy plover — had his first nest success this year, helping raise two chicks. Explore BK's journeys, trials, and tribulations along the way to parenthood, including losing three eggs to predation in his first nest and surviving Tropical Storm Alex.
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Sea Turtle Hatching Update, Hybrid Turtle Confirmed
Over 770 sea turtle nests have been laid on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and more than 16,600 hatchlings have emerged. In addition to ongoing hatching, SCCF staff recently confirmed that a nesting turtle seen on Sanibel last summer, "Flame Lily," is half loggerhead, half hawksbill.
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No Child Left on Shore Hosts Immokalee Foundation
Last Friday, SCCF's No Child Left on Shore program welcomed two dozen middle schoolers with The Immokalee Foundation for a fun-filled day of environmental education aboard Captiva Cruises' The Santiva. The Immokalee Foundation, which provides educational opportunities to underserved children, was the very first participant of the No Child Left on Shore program in 2010, and SCCF was thrilled to welcome them back. The group's journey through Pine Island Sound included dolphin and seabird sightings, a stop at Cayo Costa State Park, measuring water salinity, a trawl activity, and more.
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Sampling Sanibel's Aquatic Life
Freshwater systems are some of the most vital habitats on Sanibel, providing drinking water and preventing flooding by containing excess rainfall. The SCCF Wildlife and Habitat Management Department recently wrapped up its 18th year conducting annual freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrate samplings at locations across the island. A special thanks this year to Wildlife Biologist Mike Mills and Interns Peyton Niebanck and Jessica Wimmer.
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Meet the Natives: Seven Year Apple
The seven year apple ( Casasia clusiifolia) is a striking native plant for summer. Adapted to back dunes of beachfronts, the rounded shrub or small tree boasts fragrant, tubular white flowers that delight everyone who happens by, including butterflies and moths who sip on the nectar found inside. Learn more about or purchase native plants like the seven year apple at the Native Landscapes and Garden Center, open Mon.-Thurs. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
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Update on Proposed Eden Oak Development
The Hearing Examiner presentation phase for the proposed development of Eden Oak, a coastal wetland area in South Fort Myers, ended on July 12. The Hearing Examiner will consider the staff recommendation and all the testimony and make a final decision. SCCF will post the outcome on our Eden Oak webpage as soon as it is released, as well as share it in E-News.
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Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Draft Environmental Impact Statement Released
SCCF has closely followed and helped guide the development of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' new proposed regulations that will dictate water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River, St. Lucie River, Everglades Environmental Area, and the southern Everglades. SCCF is currently reviewing the draft environmental impact statement, and public comments are due on Sept. 12.
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Save the Date: Inaugural Coastal Watch Party, Sept. 30
SCCF Coastal Watch invites you to The Watch Party, a fundraising event supporting Coastal Watch's local volunteer-driven initiatives, on Friday, Sept. 30. To learn about sponsorship opportunities and attendance, please contact SCCF Development Director Cheryl Giattini at 239-822-6121. Stay tuned for more details.
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In the News: SCCF Marine Lab and Red Tide
WUSF News talks to SCCF Marine Lab Director Eric Milbrandt about the study he recently co-authored with scientists at the University of Florida and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program on the connection between human pollution, water discharges, and red tide blooms in Southwest Florida. READ THE ARTICLE
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Sanibel Sea School Campers Want to Protect the Ocean
ICYMI: We recently asked several of our Sanibel Sea School campers why they want to protect their ocean. Hear their answers in our new Instagram reel. Watch it now >>
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