The Marker

August 2020

Happy Shark Week!

Did you know that the Indian River Lagoon is one of the most important nursery habitats for Bull Sharks along the Atlantic East Coast? These sharks are amazing! They have the ability to survive in a wide range of salinity and have even been spotted as far inland as Lake Okeechobee. They also have the strongest bite out of all sharks - the 6th strongest bite out of all animals in the world!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Summer Camp Shout Outs!

We had a fantastic month of summer camp this July and were even featured in the Viera Voice! We had over 30 mask-wearing campers over the course of three weeks. Activities included squid dissections, specimen investigations, water quality testing, nature walks, animal observations, and exploration! The campers' favorite day was always our field trip to the Spoil Islands! This fun-filled day could not have been possible without our amazing volunteers and generous donors, including Aguadrone and Saltfly Pioneer who provided their time and boats. We would also like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Palm Bay Marina who donated time and boats for each of the THREE weeks of camp!

We want to hear from YOU!

What drives your environmental values? We are conducting a study to better understand the motivation to participate in lagoon research and restoration activities. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief questionnaire to help us better understand the environmental values shared by supporters.

Participate Here!

Saturday, August 29th, 2020

1pm-2pm

Zoom Webinar Workshop

Want to learn what you can do to help the Lagoon while maintaining social distancing? Then join us on August 29th for our first ever VIRTUAL Rain Barrel Workshop! We will provide an update on the health of the Indian River Lagoon, how rain barrels help reduce stormwater runoff, and how to install and maintain your rain barrel.

This virtual workshop is free to attend and you can earn 15 Lagoon Loyal points by installing a rain barrel! Swap your Lagoon Loyal points for local business rewards! Learn more about the Brevard County Lagoon Loyal program at https://lagoonloyal.com/actions/install-rain-barrel/

City of Melbourne and Cocoa Utility customers residents may also qualify for a rain barrel rebate! Click here for more information on Melbourne's program and here for Cocoa Utility's program.

The above picture is one side of a brochure created by a 5th grader that participated in our Virtual Learning Programs!

MRC's Virtual Learning Programs!

As the school year quickly approaches, we just wanted to remind parents and educators that we offer FREE Virtual Learning Programs that support Florida state standards! Our four STEM-focused mini programs are great for grades 3rd - 6th, provide a pre/post worksheet or activity for each topic, and can be done from school or home!

Topics covered by our programs include:

Stormwater and the Indian River Lagoon
Food Chains and Food Webs
Mangrove Identification and Restoration
How you can help the Lagoon!

Please spread the word and share this link with any elementary school teachers you know! https://savetheirl.org/education/virtual-learning/

We are more than happy to schedule LIVE Zoom presentations, as well as schedule in-person programming for the spring semester!

September Lunch & Learn Webinar

Featuring - Recycle Brevard: Putting the 3Rs into Practice

with Marcia Booth

Tuesday, September 1st, 2020

12pm - 1pm

Zoom Webinar

Registration required

Join us for our Lunch & Learn Webinar, "Recycle Brevard: Putting the 3Rs into Practice" with Marcia Booth! Recycle Brevard is an independent non-profit, 100% run by volunteers, created to be a resource for the community in the practice of the 3Rs. Get ready to learn what options Recycle Brevard offers to amplify your impact in diverting waste from our landfills through educational programs, the Reuse Room, and recycling services and programs for hard-to-recycle materials.

The seminar will end with a live Q&A session, but we recommend that participants email their questions in advance to the MRC's Nicole Broquet at [email protected] by August 31st.

The Lunch & Learn Webinar will be at the same time as always, from 12-1pm, but will be held through the virtual platform Zoom. To attend this webinar, you must pre-register as space is limited, but we will live stream the program on the MRC's Facebook page.

Saturday, September 12th, 2020

1pm-2pm

Zoom Webinar

Mangroves are an incredibly unique and important species, found all across the world. These plants help remove excess nutrients from the environment, stabilize shorelines, reduce the impacts of storms, and provide critical habitat for a variety of species.

Join us to learn about Florida’s mangrove species, their importance to our shorelines, and how to grow mangroves from home to help restore the Indian River Lagoon!

This virtual workshop is free to attend, so register today! If you are interested in purchasing potted mangroves for restoration purposes, please email our Director of Science and Restoration, Caity Savoia, at [email protected].

Saturday, September 19th, 2020

8am-12pm

Melbourne Causeway

Eau Gallie Causeway

Pineda Causeway

Are you ready to help clean up the Lagoon? The MRC is taking on not one, not two, but THREE causeways and we challenge you to join us during the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 19th! Mask-wearing and social distancing are required.

Please click here to Register to RSVP or call 321-725-7775. The supplies for this event are allocated for each site based on these registration numbers.

The International Coastal Cleanup began more than 30 years ago when communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline. The Marine Resources Council in collaboration with Keep Brevard Beautiful and the Ocean Conservancy, invite you to join in for this year's cleanup.

Participate in MRC's 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament and win a new car!

Saturday, October 10th, 2020

9am Tee Off

Aquarina Beach and Country Club

Registration is now open for the 2020 MRC Charity Golf Tournament hosted at Aquarina Beach and Country Club. This event, scheduled for Saturday, October 10th, will feature a Honda CR-V Hole in One Prize, Chipping Challenge, box lunch, and so much more. Teams filled up quickly last year, so be sure to reserve your spot for a great day out on the course all to benefit the Indian River Lagoon!