Good and Green News & Updates |
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Manatees Return to South Florida's Warmer Waters |
November 15 through March 31 is officially Manatee Season in Florida. Reminder for boaters to slow down to give manatees a chance, observe all boating regulatory zone signs, and use marked channels.
Learn more about manatees below.
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City of Sunrise Re-Certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat™
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For the 4th year in a row, the City of Sunrise has met the annual re-certification requirements to sustain our Community Wildlife Habitat™ status with the National Wildlife Federation. Some of the initiatives that helped the City meet the annual requirements in 2022 were:
- 10 new wildlife habitats were certified (9 homes and 1 school).
- A Butterfly Mural was installed at Sunrise Sportsplex Park.
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Hosted Gardening for Wildlife and Gardening in a Pot workshops with wildlife-friendly plant giveaways to celebrate Pollinator Month in June 2022.
- Welleby Elementary Garden Expansion with NatureScape Broward.
- Sunrise Earth Day included a wildlife-friendly plant giveaway.
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Apply or Nominate for an Emerald Award by December 31 |
The NatureScape Broward Emerald Awards recognize homeowners, businesses, municipalities, schools and government facilities (excluding Broward County agencies) that have created and maintained model Florida-friendly landscapes or completed exceptional projects that demonstrate visible ecological practices. The City of Sunrise was recognized with an Emerald Award last year for Sawgrass Sanctuary, watch the award video to see why we were selected for a municipal award! Is your yard or landscape a good example of a Florida-friendly yard with native plants, butterfly or bird attracting plants, and sustainable maintenance practices? Then apply today to get recognized for your efforts! If you know a business, or neighbor that should be recognized, you can also nominate them for an award. The application deadline is December 31, 2022.
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Have a Greener Holiday Season |
Friends, family, parties, and presents make the holiday season great. You can make it even better by reducing waste as often as possible during your celebrations this year.
- Gift experiences instead of physical goods - like a Sunset Kayak Tour or Guided Eco Tour at Whiskey Creek Hideout in Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.
- Shop Sunrise - gift your favorite boater a pair of polarized sunglasses, so they can see where manatees are located underwater to avoid them!
- Adopt a Manatee from Save the Manatee Club or support other organizations helping to protect them.
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The Manatees are Coming, and They Need our Help! |
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Photo Credit: Keith Ramos/USFWS |
Everyone Can Help Protect Florida Manatees! |
Report Manatee Activity Using the "I Spy a Manatee" App
Broward County developed an app to allow for residents and visitors to report manatee sightings and their activities to the County's Natural Resources Division. It also allows for the user to view manatee protection and boating safety zones in Broward County.
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Fertilize Less, or not at all, for the Manatees
Excess fertilizer presents a hazard to our waterways and our manatees. Fertilizer that is not taken up by plants runs off your property and into our waterways, creating algal blooms that kill seagrasses and harm manatees. Most established landscapes do not need fertilizer.
Pledge to be Fertilizer-Free for Manatees by:
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Avoiding fertilizer use on your lawn and landscape,
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Conserving water by irrigating your lawn only when necessary,
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Keeping grass clippings out of streets, waterbodies, and swales, and
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Learning about Florida-Friendly Landscaping to protect waterways.
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Practice Manatee-Safe Boating |
- Maintain a slow speed to watch for manatees, waterways have reverted to Manatee Slow Speed Zones.
- Avoid boating in shallow areas to prevent damaging seagrass and to avoid resting and grazing Manatees.
- Don't water or feed the manatees! While they will gladly take a drink from a hose, it encourages them to approach docks and boats. Plus, it's illegal.
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Originally thought to be mermaids by early explorers, Florida manatees are the largest living aquatic, herbivorous mammals. |
The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a sub-species of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Manatees are herbivores. They spend up to eight hours a day grazing on seagrasses and other aquatic plants. A manatee can consume from 4 to 9 percent of its body weight in aquatic vegetation daily. These plants not only provide food to Florida’s manatees, but are also an important component of marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Manatees favor Florida’s warm coastal waters, rivers, and springs. Some Florida manatees are known to travel up the US coastline as far north as Massachusetts during warm months. Manatees cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to cold water (below 68º F), and will migrate to areas of warm water in the winter.
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Threats to Florida Manatees
Manatees are gentle creatures and have no natural predators. Humans are the biggest threat to manatees, via boating collisions and propeller injuries, as well as threats to their habitat and water quality. Manatees feed and rest in shallow waters, which makes them vulnerable to interactions with boats.
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Report Collisions, Sick or Injured Manatees |
- Report any sick, injured, dead, tagged, orphaned, or distressed Manatee to FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline 888-404-3922 or you can also use #FWC or *FWC from your cell phone.
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Manatee Trivia Time!
What animal is a manatee's closest living relative?
a. Elephants
b. Cows
c. Dolphins
What is another name for a manatee?
a. Hydro Hippo
b. Sea Cow
c. River Rhino
What is the heaviest a manatee can weigh?
a. 500 pounds
b. 800 pounds
c. 1300 pounds
True or False: Manatees are protected in the United States.
a. True
b. False
How long can manatees grow to be?
a. 4 feet long
b. 9 feet long
c. 13 feet long
Answer Key: a. Elephants; b. Sea Cow; c. 1300 pounds; a. True; c. 13 feet long
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Photo Credit: Keith Ramos/USFWS |
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