Photo Credit: Amber Scheuer |
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Please send only landscape orientation (horizontal) photos that are uncropped/unedited.
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Remember - the fertilizer ban remains in effect until September 30 in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, Brevard, and Volusia Counties. Here are some tips to keep your yard looking fresh without fertilizer:
- Apply macronutrients such as iron, potassium and magnesium.
- Choose to plant natives, which require less water and fertilizer than their nonnative counterparts.
- Replace a corner of your lawn with other plants such as shrubs, small trees, or an easy-to-maintain groundcover.
- Start a compost pile to enrich your lawn - for free!
- Ask your water provider if your area is eligible to receive reclaimed water, which contains nutrients that may meet your lawn's needs.
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Indian River Lagoon (and MRC) mentioned in National Geographic! |
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Have you witnessed our lagoon's beautiful bioluminescence? In July, it made it into National Geographic! This phenemenon, though beautiful, is a sign of an imbalanced ecosystem. The overload of nutrients into the lagoon could potentially fuel this algae to produce a neurotoxin called saxitoxin, harmful to shellfish and shellfish-eating humans.
National Geographic highlighted the citizen's decision to tax themselves, raising money to restore and protect our lagoon, as well as a resource on how to reduce lagoon pollution, written by MRC!
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Considering Naming a Charity as a Beneficiary? |
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Did you know that it is possible to name a charity as a beneficiary to your life insurance policy? In this article, Thrivent details how to help a charity while lowering your income taxes. |
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Lagoon Castaway Camp Recap |
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As we enter our last week of Lagoon Castaway Camp 2022, MRC would like to thank the children who attended and their families, our major sponsor Ron Jon Surf Shop, and all those who donated to providing scholarships!
With your support, six students from Title One schools were able to experience MRC's awesome summer camp, building STEM skills while exploring the lagoon. MRC is committed to making the lagoon and STEM education accessible to everyone. Funding from the Community Foundation for Brevard and Northrop Grumman will help us provide more opportunities for marginalized youth this year, while we continue to work with the City of Palm Bay to make our Lagoon House campus fully accessible.
If you are interested in funding a sponsorship position for next year's summer camp you can make a donation on our website, select the program as "Youth Education Programs", and mention in the comment section that your donation is for summer camp scholarships.
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Legends of the IRL and Awards Nominations Celebration |
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After a short (covid-related) reprieve, MRC is holding our annual awards celebration this year at the Hilton on the Beach in Melbourne on November 4. In addition to our regular annual conservation awards, this year MRC is initiating a new category of Lagoon Legends who will be inducted into the of the Indian River Lagoon Hall of Fame. Please nominate someone who you think has done exceptional work for the lagoon. Click on the button blow to nominate someone or click here to register for the event.
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A Clean Water Success Story from Iowa |
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Though it took nearly two decades of work, this past Spring the residents and farmers of Jackson County, Iowa celebrated getting their watershed off of the EPA's "Impaired" list. Farmer's Creek was estimated to be receiving 14,000 tons of sediment from neighboring farmland each year, causing fish kills and the decreased diversity of invertebrates. This success story proves that the restoration of polluted waterways is achievable through patience and dedication. Read how they accomplished this goal below. |
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Join Us for International Coastal Cleanup Day - 9/17/2022 |
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Join MRC on Saturday, September 17th for International Coastal Cleanup Day. At this annual event, volunteers help remove thousands of pounds of trash from shorelines along the lagoon. Last year, over 500 volunteers removed nearly 5,000 pounds of trash from causeways along the lagoon in Brevard County. This year, MRC is hosting cleanup sites at the 520 Causeway, Pineda Causeway, Eau Gallie Causeway and the Melbourne Causeway. Join us and make a difference for the lagoon, click the button below! |
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Michelle is a Florida native who has fond childhood memories of boating, water skiing and fishing with her family in the lagoon. Today, she still loves being in or near the water, especially if she's kayaking with friends. Michelle wants to see a healthy lagoon for future generations, and thus started volunteering with MRC at International Coastal Cleanup Day in 2020.
Michelle gets her hands dirty (literally) in just about every type of volunteer opportunity MRC offers. She's maintained our mangrove nursery and dug up invasive/non-native plants, but most enjoys picking up trash and creating concrete restoration tools. She finds growing trash piles to be incredibly satisfying, and is passionate about building things to create a better future for the lagoon. Thank you, Michelle, for all that you do for MRC and our lagoon!
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Fertilizer Fast Facts - Share the Science! |
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- It is estimated that the amount of excess fertilizer not taken up by lawns that enters the lagoon watershed annually is 81,700 pounds of nitrogen and 3,200 pounds of phosphorus per year.
- Not only is slow release fertilizer more environmentally friendly than rapid release, it helps plants grow at a more uniform rate. This promotes the development of stronger root systems and more tolerance to stress. Make sure your lawn fertilizer has a minimum of 50% slow release nitrogen! Its the law!
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One study found that reducing nitrogen application rates in line with official recommendations not only saves fertilizer cost and reduces environmental Nitrogen pollution, but actually increases crop yield.
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The Lagoon House is open to the public by appointment only
Call us at 321-725-7775 to schedule an appointment
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August 1 - Summer Camp week 8 - Earth to Sky - Final week!
August 2 - Lunch & Learn - Green Infrastructure
August 6 - Mangrove workshop
August 17 - National Nonprofit Day
September 17 - International Coastal Cleanup
October 20-21 - MRCs 2nd Low Impact Development/Green Infrastructure Conference
Nov 4 - MRC Conservation and Lagoon Legends Award Celebration
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Marine Resources Council
3275 Dixie Hwy NE, Palm Bay, FL 3905 | (321) 725-7775 | www.SaveTheIRL.org
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