Dear Friends,
Aaaah, the end of summer…warm, brisk autumn breezes, warm ocean currents, wait a minute, this doesn’t sound like fall! Well, it does for us in Florida because hurricane season is still with us, and we know that from experience, we aren’t out of the woods until the water and breeze cools down A LOT! So, prepare accordingly, stay safe and leave some water on the shelf for your neighbor.
Thanks to all that assisted with the International Coastal Cleanup and all the projects and programs over the summer. The Friends and the seashore have a busy rest of the year with lots of fun ways to participate and join in the fun.
Thank you to all the Friends and Volunteers-In-Parks for all you do. We couldn’t do it without you!
See you at the beach!
Laura Henning
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Walter Wells - 1948 - 2022 |
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Seeing Walter Wells was always one of my favorite parts of the Eldora holiday festivities. I got to know Walter when in 2000, we were filming the video produced by Friends of Canaveral and his mother, Helen Wells, and he were interviewed for the piece. Walter was quiet and funny in an unassuming way that made people very comfortable. He loved to tell stories about living in Eldora and returning there with his wife Carolyn and children, Austin and Elizabeth. I can still hear him whisper to me that he and Austin were going to sneak away from the party and pick the last remaining navel oranges from the one good tree by the Leeper house. Walter and Carolyn supported Canaveral National Seashore and Friends of Canaveral with words and deeds and always showed up for whatever events we held that showcased Eldora and shared stories from his time there. Later, I got to know his sister Nancy and they became the Eldora celebrities known as “the little boy and girl in the wheelbarrow” the photo of them is displayed in Eldora. I could always see a little glimpse of Walter’s smile in that photo, and now when I see it, I will think of the stories about Eldora and how much that place meant to him.
Laura Henning, Chief of Interpretation & Visitors Services
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Canaveral National Seashore Volunteers-in-Parks Program will host a variety of trainings in
October and November.
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VIP Jobs focuses on training volunteers for various service roles throughout the park. VOL (Volunteer Operational Leadership) gives current volunteers a chance to grow their personal and professional skills to safely promote the complex mission of Canaveral National Seashore. If you are interested in any of the trainings below or have questions, please reach out to Valerie Stanley @ 386-428-3384 ext 0 or ext 222.
(RSVPs are kindly requested for planning and communication purposes.)
VIP Jobs:
Friday, Oct 21 - 10AM - noon
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Title: Canoe Guides and Sweeps
Location: VC/Pavilion
Description: Do you enjoy the outdoors? Want to help visitors appreciate the lagoon? If you are interested in leading (or being the tail-end) on a two-hour canoe tour for visitors, this is your opportunity to learn about it! The role typically serves 1-2x/month. Weather dependent. Semi-strenuous.
Friday, Oct 28 - 10AM - noon
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Title: HQ Reception Desk Clerk
Location: Headquarters in Titusville (212 S. Washington Ave, Titusville, FL 32796)
Description: Assist at Headquarters by answering the phone, greeting visitors, and giving information and referrals. Excellent customer service skills are a must. The role typically serves a three-hour shift 1-2 times/week. Choose your days. Great opportunity for folks in the Titusville area, people with limited mobility, and those who prefer a/c to work outdoors.
VOL (Volunteer Operational Leadership)
Friday, Nov 4 - 10AM - noon
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Title: Effective Leadership (rescheduled from 9/30/22)
Location: VC
Description: Explore the NPS system of Operational Leadership (Safety) from the lens of the VIP program. This is a deep-dive, facilitated class for those volunteers who want to hone their skills of leadership, and communication, get better connected with other VIPs, and more.
Friday, Nov 18 - 10AM - noon
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Title: Environmental Education (School Groups/Field Trips)
Location: VC/Turtle Mound
Description: Impact the next generation by helping school groups learn about the biodiversity of Mosquito Lagoon. School groups are starting to schedule field trips for the 2022/23 school year. We host groups of 20+ students and seine the lagoon. It’s such a fun and memorable day for the kids and the VIPs! Roles serve sporadically, according to demand. Outdoors. Kid-friendly. Mildly-strenuous.
Valerie Stanley
Volunteer/Youth Coordinator
Canaveral National Seashore
386-428-3384 ext. 0
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National Hispanic American Heritage Month |
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Cape Canaveral was one of the earliest sites on the North American continent to be recognized and depicted by early explorers. A nautical chart made by Alberto Cantino in 1502 for his Portuguese patron may be the earliest certain portrayal of Cape Canaveral. Debate continues as to whether it was Cape Canaveral that Spain’s Juan Ponce de León named “Cabo de los Corrientes”—Cape of Currents— when he reconnoitered the Atlantic coast in 1513, as claimed by Spain’s official historian, Antonio de Herrera, in 1601. Learning the history of the place and location of the original landing of Christopher Columbus can affect the subsequent history of other places. |
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OCTOBER ACTIVITIES AT THE SEASHORE |
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Playalinda - Saturday, Oct. 15th will pose an opportunity for the Jr. Rangers to work on their badge.
To learn more, click the link below:
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DID YOU KNOW?
ABOUT GRASSHOPPERS?
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(Photos: V. Stanley/NPS. Location: Apollo Beach Visitor Center) |
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What is this crazy, colorful grasshopper in my backyard? Does it bite? Is it dangerous? Is it male or female? (How would I even know?) Should I run away and hide? All good questions. Before you flee – or worse yet, squish it... take a deep breath and relax. Linger for a moment. Carefully observe it. Try to appreciate it.
So much of the insect world is misunderstood and often overlooked. But did you know that according to the Smithsonian Institution, the number of different living insect species is estimated to be between 2 to 30 million? Think about it... That’s a huge discrepancy... 2 to 30 million species! There are more “undescribed” species of Class Insecta than there are “described” species. In other words, we don’t know how many species of insects exist. Isn’t that crazy? Since insects comprise the largest biomass of terrestrial animals on the planet and proportionately, such little is known about them, let’s get more curious and observant and begin asking questions.
What is this guy? (Yes, it’s a male). It is an eastern lubber grasshopper, sp. Romalea micoptera/Romalea guttatta is one of the largest grasshoppers in the United States. They are clumsy, awkward hoppers, preferring to walk and climb instead. Although they have wings, don’t be fooled. The wings are too small to accommodate flight. Their lifespan is about a year as they transition from egg through five nymphal stages (instars) to adulthood. Abundant in the southeast, they can be found as far north as North Carolina and as far west as Texas.
Does it bite? Sort of. Things with mouths generally do bite... but will it bite a human? Not likely. Its complex mouthparts are made for slicing and chewing leaves – not skin. They can inflict economic damage on citrus trees, vegetable crops, and a wide variety of landscape ornamentals. Most gardeners don’t want them around.
Are they dangerous? Not to us. However, if they are eaten by a predator, gagging and regurgitation usually follow. The exception is the little bird known as a loggerhead shrike. These birds capture and impale the lubbers on thorns or spikes of barbed wire, then return to eat them after a few days, when the internal toxins have sufficiently degraded.
Impress your friends with these weird, wonderful facts: The sex of eastern lubbers can be determined by looking at the very end segment of the body on the underside. If it is rounded upwards, it is a male. If it’s sharply pointed and angled downward, it’s a female. (The “pointed” organ is her ovipositor for laying eggs in holes in the soil.) Do they make noise? Yes! They stridulate (make noise) by rubbing their wings together. They also hiss when threatened and may emit a foul-smelling secretion to deter enemies.
So, the next time you see a curious insect in your yard - small or large, colorful or bland, noisy or quietly nosey - take some time to appreciate it. Look at the colors, the antennae, the wings. Check out the way it moves. Take a picture of it. Listen to it. Ask some questions and explore answers from reliable sources. Who knows... If millions of insect species are still yet to be identified and described, maybe you will discover a new one!
By: Valerie Stanley, Ranger, Canaveral National Seashore
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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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