Photo Credit - Coleen Seitter
Have you been enjoying our changing headers? Want to showcase one of your Lagoon photos? Then email the MRC by clicking here!
February 2021
Photo Credit: Robbyn Spratt
Include the Indian River Lagoon in your Valentines Day plans and give the gift of membership to someone you love! Members are the lifeblood of our organization that makes all that we do possible - from mangroves to education to advocacy to citizen science.

Whether it's an annual membership or a monthly one, your generosity makes our valentines' hearts flutter! We love our members!!
2021 IRL Calendars... They're Still Here!!
The 2021 Indian River Lagoon calendars are still here and are available for pickup today! Don't miss out on your chance to get your calendar that has absolutely stunning photographs from around the Indian River Lagoon!

Please give us a call at 321-725-7775 when you are ready to stop by!
Lagoon Castaway Summer Camp Registration is Now Open!
And it's going to be better than ever!!
Get ready because this year, we are adding even more activities, STEM challenges, and FIELD TRIPS! Our camps will be offered in June and July, Monday-Friday, from 9:00am-3:00pm, and are geared towards ages 8-12. Each week will have its own theme and 1-2 field trips that will give the campers the opportunity to delve deeper into the content!

We are ready for the next generation of Lagoon Advocates, so register your camper today!

Camp Dates are Listed Below:

Session 1 - Mini to Macro Animals - June 7-11
Session 2 - Home is Your Habitat - June 14 -18
Session 3 - Earth to Sky - June 21 - 25
Session 4 - Florida Past, Present, Future - June 28 -July 2
Session 5 - Mini to Macro Animals - July 5 - 9
Session 6 - Home is Your Habitat - July 12 - 16
Session 7 - Earth to Sky - July 19 - 23
Session 8 - Florida Past, Present, Future - July 26 - 30
We are beyond excited to introduce the MRC's newest
team member Angie Oswalt!
Angie Oswalt is our new Youth Education and Summer Camp Coordinator! Angie grew up in Indiana, near Chicago, and graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Horticulture. She moved to Florida after graduating to get away from the snow and managed a garden center, until becoming a stay at home mom. Angie spent years volunteering with Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Melbourne Area Junior Woman’s Club. For the past 18 years, she taught middle school science with Brevard Public Schools. Angie loves being outside, gardening, biking, and kayaking and is very excited to be working with the Marine Resources Council!
The 2020 calf of Harmonia was documented traveling south off Melbourne Beach on January 15th. Photo: Joel Cohen, taken under the authority of NOAA scientific research permit #20626.
North Atlantic Right Whale Update
Most Successful Calving Season in 5 Years!
Fifty-six individual right whales and 14 calves have been identified in the SE U.S. this calving season! This year's mothers range in age from 12 years to more than 40 years, and 5 of them are first-time moms! The only right whales that ventured south of Sebastian Inlet were Champagne (Catalog #3904) with her first calf and a yearling born to Harmonia during the 2020 calving season. Champagne and her calf were spotted off Vero Beach on Jan. 25th and Jensen Beach on Jan. 26th. They have since turned around and are headed back north. Harmonia's yearling was spotted off Melbourne Beach on Jan. 15th headed south. That animal has also turned around and started heading north again.

The season started about a month early. Will it also end early? All the whales for which we have current locations are in north Florida. Only time will tell if any will move farther south, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Please report sightings to MRC's hotline at 888-97-WHALE.
Join Us for a Virtual Field Trip - Among the Mangroves!
Get ready to escape the classroom or your home by joining MRC and the City of Melbourne on a virtual field trip to learn about one of Florida's most amazing ecosystems, MANGROVES! The first virtual field trip, "Among the Mangroves" is scheduled for Thursday, 2/18 at 9:30am. The program will introduce you to the mangroves of Florida, explain how to ID each species, and demonstrate why these trees are so terrific! We will showcase our mangrove nursery, discuss restoration, and then plant a mangrove on the MRCs shoreline.

These programs are free and open to the public, but geared towards youth. Sign up today to join us on our mangrove adventure!
photo credit: NOAA Fisheries/Peter Duley
Join MRC's Julie Albert for a Right Whale Presentation aboard the Blue Dolphin Tour Boat!

Hosted by Space Coast River Tours
Enjoy a beautiful tour of Canaveral Harbor as you learn about the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales. Then upon coming to shore, head over to Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill with your free appetizer coupon (some restrictions apply) to round out your day!

Please note this is NOT a whale watch tour

Additional Details
Dates: Saturday, February 20th & Saturday, February 27th
Schedule: 9:30am arrival, 10:00am departure, 11:30am return
Price: $20 for Adults; $10 for Children 12 years and under

Call 321-652-1052 for reservations!
March Lunch & Learn Webinar

Coastal Native Plants for Brevard County
Skip Healy - Owner of Change of Greenery LLC
Are you planning on changing your landscape? Have you considered using Florida native plants? Then join us for our March Lunch & Learn Webinar! This presentation will discuss the coastal native plants that can be used in the landscapes throughout Brevard County. Everything from native trees to native groundcovers that can be used as substitutes for turf grass will be touched on. Native plants can have an incredibly positive impact on our local wildlife and the Indian River Lagoon, so register today to learn more!  

The seminar will end with a live Q&A session, but we also recommend that participants email any relevant questions to MRC's Nicole Broquet at [email protected] by March 1st.

This is a free virtual event, but you must register to receive the zoom link and login information. If you are unable to register, we will be live streaming it through the MRC's Facebook page!
Events
The Lagoon House will remain closed to the public, but we are assessing the COVID-19 situation . We are still here doing the hard work of saving the Lagoon and we can be available by telephone if you need us.
Stay safe Lagoon Lovers!

Call us at 321-725-7775 to schedule an appointment.
February 18th: Virtual Field Trip - Among the Mangroves
March 2nd: Lunch & Learn Webinar - Coastal Native Plants for Brevard County
March 6th: Melbourne Botanical Fest - Rain Barrel Workshops!
March 11th: Virtual Field Trip - Scrub Habitat
April 6th: Lunch & Learn Webinar - Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
April 15th: Virtual Field Trip - Stormwater Pollution Prevention
April 22nd: Earth Day!
May 4th: Lunch & Learn Webinar - Endangered Sawfish of Florida: Past, Present, and Future Look
June 1st: Lunch & Learn Webinar - Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) Water Testing
June 6th: FIRST DAY OF SUMMER CAMP!!!
Visit us at www.SaveTheIRL.org