MARCH 2021
Dear Friends,

So, it is said that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” But here’s to hoping that the lion part was the February winter felt across the nation and the rest of spring will be cuddly as a lamb.

We are already seeing Leatherbacks nest to the south of us, and there has been plenty of turtle activity in the seashore, with many releases of rehabbed and cold-stunned turtles. We had a larger release event last week at Playalinda beach. CANA assisted with a release of 38 cold-stunned turtles in a large coordinated effort led by NASA/KSC, Space Florida, NOAA, Turtles Fly Too, and retired astronaut Nicole Stott. The turtle landed at the Space Florida landing and launching strip at Kennedy Space Center and rode in a caravan to be release in the seashore!
See you at the beach!
Laura Henning
A National Park Service staff member prepares to release a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle into the Atlantic Ocean at the Canaveral National Seashore near Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 26, 2021. The rescued and rehabilitated turtles were flown from aquatic centers in Massachusetts and New York to the Launch and Landing Facility, managed by Space Florida. NASA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, Space Florida, and Herndon Solutions Group provided support. The Turtles Fly Too organization provided the flight to Kennedy. All marine turtle footage/images was obtained with the approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles. Footage was acquired while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to: FWC 2021 Consent Permit, MTP-21-005 and MTP-21-114.
SpaceX has been providing direct assistance to help save
cold stunned sea turtles!
SpaceX Provides Power Generator to Save Cold-stunned Sea ...

For the past week, Texas has been struck with a widespread Arctic blast storm produced by a Polar vortex that caused brutal cold temperatures across the state. In the southernmost tip of Texas in South Padre Island, cold-stunned sea turtles were...

Read more
www.tesmanian.com
CASTLE WINDY TRAIL
By: Valerie Stanley
One of the many gems of Canaveral National Seashore is the Castle Windy Trail. This well-maintained, broad path leads from parking lot #3 in the Apollo District westward towards Mosquito Lagoon. It crosses a wide, half-mile section of the barrier island giving hikers a glimpse of various plant zones along the way. This location is both naturally beautiful and historically significant.  READ MORE...

Note Cards & Plants of Canaveral National Seashore
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
Looking for a wonderful gift for any occasion? Look no further than our online gift shop. Our book, "Plants of Canaveral National Seashore" is the perfect guide for the nature lover, and our beautiful note cards are perfect for notes to friends or as a unique gift.
2021 MEMBERSHIP
Our Membership Levels:
  • Individual: $20
  • Family: $30
  • Silver: $40
  • Gold: $50
  • Platinum: $100
You can renew your membership by downloading the form here or by renewing online on our website:
March 3
  • Marine Discovery Center: Living Beaches
March 10
  • Volusia County Beach Safety: Regulations and Conservation
March 17
  • Marine Discovery Center: Living Beaches
March 24
  • Marine Discovery Center: Living Beaches
Invasive Species, National Parks, and You (U.S. National ...

Invasive species are an increasing problem: Exotic invasive plants cover approximately 1.4 million acres of NPS lands and waters. At least 52 parks are either at risk for quagga/zebra mussel contamination or already have infested waters. In...

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www.nps.gov
NOW THIS OCTOPUS HAS A NATURAL NEW HOME WITH MUCH MORE CURB APPEAL THAN ITS PREVIOUS DIGS.
SOURCE: YOUTUBE/PALL SIGURDSSON
DID YOU KNOW?
Why Alligators Don't Make Good Pets?
Alligators are built to be the ultimate killing machines; big, fast, armored, strong, and armed with lethal weaponry.
  • That mouth houses over 80 teeth and is built with muscles that can exert almost 3,000 psi; they have no problem biting through turtle shells.
  • Alligators can, and have, killed their owners, and injuries from pet crocodilians are not uncommon.
  • These guys are all muscle; even a 25 lb gator thrashes enough to be nearly impossible to hold when it is upset; when it reaches even half it's full size, there isn't much a single person could do to restrain one (without a LOT of training and experience).
  • They have an incredible range of motion and can spin very quickly to face their opponent, faster than most people can react. And with a thick, muscular tail and feet armed with sharp claws, there isn't a "safe" part of an alligator to approach. Crocodilians are top predators that see nearly everything as food and don't fear much of anything.
Let's talk about why a pet alligator is not a good idea

So, there's been some talk recently about a certain Florida woman who has kept a pet gator named Rambo the same way you may have kept a pet dog named Fido. In some ways, we get it. Alligators are fascinating creatures. But having a pet alligator...

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blog.wildfloridairboats.com
Florida allows you to own them, but you must be licensed and have a permit to do so. There are only five states that allow you to own an alligator with no permits or licenses required. Those states are Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
You might be asking yourself, where can you buy an alligator? Unfortunately they are all too easy to purchase. We at Friends of Canaveral are appalled at the ease of which they can be purchased and we want to add the disclaimer, "don't try this at home".
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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