Please take a moment to reflect on the reasons for the Memorial Day holiday and remember the many lives sacrificed for our liberty and freedom. According to an 1858 quote from U.S. Representative John A. Logan, also an officer during the Mexican War, “Memorial Day should occur when flowers are in full bloom across the country” and that is why it is commemorated at the end of May. So, take some time even as we swing into summer to enjoy the flowers that are indeed blooming all around the seashore and in your own way remember what this time of year represents.
Friends, thanks for all that you do, we couldn’t do what we do without you.
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Stay safe & see you at the beach!
Laura Henning
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Thanks to all who attended the annual Friends meeting at Arts on Douglas. It was wonderful to get together, hear from Cinda Waldbuesser, Superintendent at Canaveral, get a project/financial update, and enjoy some treats! |
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2022 Sea Turtle Nest Counts - May 27, 2022
• Loggerhead (Caretta caretta):
Apollo ( 499 ) .......... Playalinda ( 566 )
• Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas):
Apollo ( 4 ) .......... Playalinda ( 3 )
• Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea):
Apollo ( 4 ) .......... Playalinda ( 9 )
• Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii):
Apollo ( 0 ) .......... Playalinda ( 1 )
Total Sea Turtle Nest Counts: 1,086
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ADOPT A SEA TURTLE NEST is an opportunity for visitors, friends, and nature lovers to participate in and contribute to sea turtle conservation. Your donation of $40 supports the protection efforts of these threatened and endangered species.
SEA TURTLE NESTS will be available for adoption beginning June 1. All adoptable sea turtle nests will be located within the 24 miles of undeveloped coastline within the boundaries of the Canaveral National Shore.
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MAIL-IN FORM: Fill out the form and return it with our $40 donation to Friends of Canaveral, PO Box 1526, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32170 (Payable to Friends of Canaveral, Inc.
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ONLINE: Fill out the online form and submit it with your $40 donation per credit card.
ONCE WE RECEIVE YOUR ADOPT A SEA TURTLE NEST INFO you will be:
- Assigned a sea turtle nest with an ID number.
- Receive a digital photo of your nest ID stake with your selected name, photo, and information regarding species.
- Receive a custom-designed sea life print buff, a Friends of Canaveral sticker, and a sea turtle ID postcard.
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JR. ANGLER FISHING CLINICS
Reservations Open on June 1, 2022
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Jr. Angler Fishing Clinics
Summer programs are back!
Canaveral National Seashore will host an amazing Jr. Angler program through June and July. This is an opportunity for youths aged 8-15 to learn the art and skill of surf and lagoon fishing. Youths will learn about knot tying, appropriate tackle, and healthy fish habitats, and gain valuable hands-on fishing experience from a team of local environmental students who are committed to sharing their skills in a fun, outdoor atmosphere. All gear and bait will be provided.
Clinics will be offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays through the months of June and July, from 10am-noon. Reservations are required. Parents/guardians must remain with their youths for the duration of the program. This program is free, but standard entrance fees will apply.
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All participants are responsible for bringing their own sun protection, hats, sunglasses, snacks, & beverages. Reservations will open on June 1. For more information or to make reservations, please call the Apollo Beach Visitor Center at 386-428-3384 ext 0.
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JUNE ACTIVITIES AT THE SEASHORE
TURTLE WATCH RESERVATIONS
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Wednesday, June 15th “Turtle Watch Reservations Begin for July
For more activities at the seashore - click the link below:
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DID YOU KNOW?
Climate Change Puts Pressure on Sea Turtles
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Chris Johnson / www.TurtleImages.org |
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Did you know that from the day they're hatched, a sea turtle's life is a struggle for survival?
- For every 1,000 eggs laid, only about one turtle reaches adulthood due to natural predators and other obstacles.
- Those that do survive face threats from humans.
- In some regions, they are hunted for their meat, eggs & shells
- Their beach habitats get developed
- Harmful marine debris and oil spills pollute their waters & beaches.
- Being caught in nets & on hooks from the fishing industry
Now climate change is exposing them to even greater threats.
- Sea level rise will change ocean currents, potentially introducing sea turtles to new predators and harming the coral reefs some of them need to survive.
- Climate change will reshape the ability of hatchling and juvenile turtles to find food and seek safety from predators.
- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the current rate of sea-level rise is 1-2 mm per year. By 2100 we could see the water rising between 90mm (3.54”) and 880mm (34.64”). This rise in sea levels will have a number of impacts including coastal flooding, the destruction of coastal wetlands, and increased erosion of beaches and other coastal lands, not to mention the monetary cost associated.
- Stronger storms increase the erosion of the sand beaches the turtles use to nest.
- Replenishing shrinking beaches with sand dredged from offshore (containing fine clay particles) could suffocate hatchlings as they dry to dig out of the nest.
- The temperature of the beach sand that they nest in influences the gender of their offspring during incubation.
- Our warming climate may be driving them into extinction by creating a shortage of males.
- Scientists agree that temperatures lower than about 84 degrees are likely to produce males, whereas higher temps will produce females.
- Eggs end up "essentially cooking" when a nest becomes too warm.
Sea turtles have survived climate fluctuations during their evolutionary history, but their ability to do so again is uncertain because current rates of climate change are much faster than historic rates.
Scientists aren't sure what would happen if sea turtles disappear, but they suspect that whatever the turtles feed on will proliferate. Leatherbacks, which can weigh up to a ton, eat jellyfish, lots of them. Jellyfish eat the young of fish species consumed by people. If you remove leatherbacks, one of the few jellyfish predators, the outlook for fish, an important source of food for humans, grows grimmer.
Scientists predict that global warming could result in 20-30% of the Earth's plant and animal species going extinct by 2050.
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BECOME A FRIEND - 2022 Membership |
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Friends of Canaveral consists of a small, but a mighty, group of members and volunteers who participate in the tradition of private philanthropy that is designed to enhance Canaveral’s’ federal support. |
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BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP:
- Membership card to Friends of Canaveral to use to receive a discount of 15% at the Canaveral Seashore Park Gift Shop.
- Subscription to the Friends of Canaveral eNewsletter
- Invitation to all fundraising events
- Invitation to our annual membership meeting
- Inclusion in all email announcements
- Volunteer opportunities
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REPORT VIOLATIONS
If you suspect a fish, wildlife, boating, or environmental law violation, report it to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Reward Program: 888-404-FWCC (3922).
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Use Amazon Smile for all your purchases to support the Friends of Canaveral. |
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