Newsletter #59 July 2008 Founded 1976 www.calusalandtrust.org

President’s Message by Harold Bruner (464.2436)

100th Anniversary of Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge

008 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Pine Island

and Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). The fact that they even exist is a surprise to many! The details are not yet finalized, but mark your calendar for Saturday, September 27. The CLT board is working with staff members of the Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel to celebrate this important event. There will be displays, booths and a speaker or two. We’re hoping to offer free boat tours out of the Pineland area to visit the islands that comprise this 600+ acre refuge. For more information on these sites, including a link to an aerial photo, go to www.fws.gov/pineisland.

Picnic Island

Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau. This aerial photo of Picnic Island was used on a recent edition of Boat US magazine.

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If the address label on this Newsletter is GREEN it is time to renew your membership. Use the enclosed envelope and the form

on the last page to renew.

4th of July parade Photos included.

New pine trees planted at Norm Gowan Trailhead Vista!

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Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival by Brenda Anderson (283.1878) Pine Island Segment November 1 & 2, 2008

nce again, the Calusa Land Trust plans to participate in the Pine Island segment

of this year’s Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2, 2008. The Pine Island segment of the festival includes kayak fishing tournaments in Matlacha on Saturday & Sunday as well as the Paddle of the Pass kayak race in Matlacha on Sunday. In addition, there will be vendor booths with lots of boats, demonstrations, and paddling gear as well as interesting displays from local organizations on Sunday in Matlacha. We will have a display of our paddling and hiking trail maps (currently available on our website) and other CLT information at the event on Sunday. We have scheduled the following guided tours for the festival:

• Saturday, November 1, 10:00 AM -

Kayak trip to Calusa Island, departing from Jug Creek Cottages in Bokeelia. Kayaks will be available on site for rent from the Tropic Star for this trip.

• Saturday, November 1, 4:00 PM –

Sunset cruise kayak trip to Pine Island Sound, departing from the Lee County’s Pine Island Commercial Marina boat ramp on Maria Lane near Pine Island Center. We have some kayaks available for this trip.

• Sunday, November 2, 12:00 Noon - Walking tour of the Saint Jude Trail in Saint James City.

You can obtain additional information about the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival by logging onto their website http://calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com. To reserve a place on one of the guided tours, obtain directions to the launch site, and other details, please E-mail me at Brenda1040@Hotmail.com or call me at 239-283-1878. Space is limited, so please contact me as soon as possible. Fund Raising by Ron Wesorick (283.7249)

CHOCOLATE SUNDAYS A DELICIOUS FUNDRAISER

ast fall Peggy McTeague, owner of the Wildchild Art Gallery in Matlacha,

organized a songwriters gathering to be held the afternoon of the first Sunday of each month. Our Fundraising Chairman, Norm Gowan, and members Alex and Jan Alexander, working with Peggy, arranged the event to focus attention on the Calusa Land Trust. On “Chocolate Sunday” a table was set up offering attendees sodas, wine and an assortment of chocolate goodies at no charge. Donations to the Land Trust were encouraged and information disseminated. Talking to those attending about our organization, we were successful in signing up new members, as well as raising the awareness of our goals and purposes. Jan and Alex organized the event each month, calling upon other members of the Land Trust to man the table, or handle the job themselves. During the week, and at the event, the Gallery sold raffle tickets for fish measuring boards donated from the Nautical Mile and painted by Jan Alexander and other Wildchild artists. In addition, attendees were directed to sit on a beautiful bench in the Wildchild courtyard that was carved and donated by Rusty Bell to be auctioned. Each time someone sat on the bench they filled out an entry. An anonymous donor promised to give 25 cents for each entry up to a total of $2000. The Land Trust received

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the monies from both the fish boards and the bench. This event was a wonderful tribute to Norm Gowan and a job well done by Alex and Jan Alexander. Membership by Sonny Koutsoutis (283.4980)

e currently have 530 paid up memberships. There are 390 members who have not made a contribution to

the Land Trust in more than a year. If your address label is “GREEN” it is time to consider renewing your membership. An envelope is included and the back page of the Newsletter is a renewal form. Remember that besides contributing money, all members are welcome to contribute time and energy to the Land Trust. We have work parties at our many preserves and fund raising events all year round. We appreciate help on any of these activities.

by Ed Chapin (392.0090) Chief Calusa Land Trust Ranger and Gracie, the Ghost Writing Gopher Tortoise Tree Planting at St. James Creek Preserve

s part of our major restoration project at the St. James Creek Preserve, in St. James City, we are beginning

Phase 2. This is the planting of a wide range of native plant materials to restore, as closely as possible, the original natural environment of south Pine Island. On Saturday, July 5th, seventeen volunteers representing the Calusa Land Trust, the Native Plant Society, the Pine Island Garden Club and the St. Jude Harbor Association showed up early in the morning to plant 87 slash pines ( Pinus elliottii) and 30 red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle). It was a happy event seeing the 3 foot tall pines going into the ground, in clusters of about five trees, forming future pine groves. The groves were spread far apart throughout the Preserve to attract eagles to nest in the future. The cluster of pines planted at the entrance to the St. Jude Trail will be named "The Bud House Grove" in memory of Bud House. Bud himself had collected seedlings, potted up young pines and we were able to plant these nicely grown trees in his honor. Red mangrove plants, donated by Bill Mantis of Bokeelia, were planted along the ponds near the Norm Gowan Trailhead Vista. The CLT received a great deal on the purchase of slash pine trees thanks to the generosity of John Sibley of All Native Garden Center in Ft. Myers and he included the delivery of the trees on July 4th at no charge. We especially want to thank all the volunteers who showed up on a hot July day to take part in this important restoration project. The satisfaction of seeing these trees grow and mature will be even more special for those who planted them. There is more to come so stay tuned for the next event. July 5th tree planting photos on the next page.

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Mangrove seedlings.

A hole is dug.

A pine tree is planted.

Some water for the trees.

Some of the volunteers. CLT Work Parties (We call them parties 'cause they're fun!) Saturday, May 3rd We had a work party at the Norm Gowan Trailhead Vista at our St. James Preserve in St. James City. We worked hard on eradicating the emerging exotic invasive plants trying to come back after Phase 1 of our massive removal project last year. We pulled up at least a couple thousand (that's right two thousand) seedlings of Australian Pines, Carrotwood, the dreaded Earleaf Acacia, and the unfortunately, ever-present, Brazilian Pepper and Melaleuca trees. Eight hard working volunteers accomplished a great amount of emergent invasive plant control in preparation for native planting. Saturday, June 7th. We had a work party at our Big Jim Creek Preserve in Bokeelia. A small but hearty turnout of four volunteers went out in canoes armed with a good attitude and chain saws to re-open the "loop"canoe/kayak trail going into Big Jim Creek from Fritts Park. With this small, enthusiastic group we were able to accomplish our goal of opening up the trail so you can paddle the entire length of the loop. This part of the loop trail had been blocked with fallen limbs since our friend Charlie paid us that unexpected and unappreciated visit back in 2004.

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August No Work Party! We are taking our usual month off, trying to stay cool and dry. After this brief vacation we will be right back at it in September and have the next work party scheduled for September 6th. Depending on the number of volunteers who show up, we will be going out to Picnic Island, Sister Keys and working at our Back Bay Preserve all in St. James City. The meeting place and details will be announced in late August. Watch for the CLT e-mails. Peter Ordway Mangrove Adventures. The Adventures will be starting back up in October or November. Again watch for your e-mails. Thanks as always to all our hard working, dedicated volunteers and an extra thank you to the Bokeelia Boat Club for their ongoing hard work in cleaning up Calusa Island. They are a good example of a "group" taking a special interest in one of our Preserves. Acquisition News by Harold Bruner (464.2436) Conservation 20/20 Adds a Key Parcel

n important purchase of 34 acres was made on June 12 to connect

two large pieces of the Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve (PIFP). The purchase was facilitated in part by a donation of $10,000 from the CLT and an offer of co-management. This strategic acquisition will enhance the wildlife benefits, allow for greater public use opportunities, and greatly facilitate management of the whole preserve, which includes periodic prescribed burning.

This acquisition brings the total size of the PIFP to over 660 contiguous acres. When you consider the other preserved lands that it adjoins on the west side toward Pine Island Sound there are well over 1000 acres of adjoining preserves. Thanks again to the Lee County 20/20 staff and to the Lee County Board of Commissioners for their continued attempts to preserve environmentally sensitive lands on Pine Island. Additions to the CLT St James Creek Preserve Even at today’s lower real estate prices it’s not often that the CLT can afford an outright purchase. But on July 1 we closed on two parcels that represented “inholdings” to our St James Creek Preserve. An “inholding” is like a missing piece of a large puzzle. The larger parcel of 1.36 acres is in the far northwest corner. It contains both uplands and wetlands and is bordered on the west side by a freshwater canal. The smaller parcel is all wetlands. These acquisitions will ensure the preservation of these lands in perpetuity without the fear of an attempt to build a home in the middle of our preserve.

The Wish List by Harold Bruner (464.2436)

Donors Step Up for Fritts Park Shed Request

any thanks to those who responded. Betsy Dunn and Eric

Zeisloft each offered to donate a shed. Rachi Farrow made a nice contribution to cover the cost of moving the shed and preparing the site. These thoughtful donations are greatly appreciated.

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What to Plant by Harold Bruner (464.2436) Native Plant Focus – Wild Cotton:

ative plants are great. Once established they don’t need water or

fertilizer. Since they have adapted to this area over long periods of time they have fewer pest problems than non-natives. My wife and I have over 40 species of native trees, shrubs, vines and wildlflowers in our yard. Planting Florida natives is an interesting hobby and it’s great for the environment. An excellent online source of information on Florida natives is the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) website at www.fnps.org. Information about the local Cocoloba chapter of the FNPS is found at www.fnps-coccolobachapter.org.

If space permits I will focus on a different native plant in each issue. I’ll only recommend species I have found from personal experience to be easy to establish and maintain. Let’s start with an interesting one – Wild Cotton (Gossypirum hirsutum). It has attractive foliage, grows quickly, and flowers profusely. From a small plant in a 4-inch pot ours grew to 3+ feet tall in one season. It drops its leaves in the winter and exposes the attractive, though somewhat brownish, cotton balls until spring. There are several sources of native plants. Watch for newspaper ads from local native plant nurseries, and for special native plant sales. Or, drive to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) native plant nursery on Sanibel.

Wild Cotton

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CLT has float in Pine Island 4th of July Parade

Work Party Schedule - 2008 August – Vacation Sept. 6th - Picnic Island, Back Bay, and Sister Keys Preserves Oct. 4th - Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve Nov.1st - Dean Easement Dec. 6th - Cayo Pelau 20/20 Send an E-Mail to ecalusaed@aol.com and ask to be added to the work party notification list.

_____ $ 15 Individual Member _____ $100 Contributor _____ $ 25 Family Member _____ $500 Patron _____ $ 50 Donor _____ $1000 Benefactor _____ $ 50 Plunk–a–Plank (fill in lettering) ________________________

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EXPIRES: _________/____________ Your Name: ______________________________________ Sponsor: _________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________ Phone: __________________ Alt Phone ______________________ Second Address: ________________________________________________ Second City, State, Zip: ___________________________________________ E-mail address ____________________________________________ A COPY OF THE CALUSA LAND TRUST’S OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA’S DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-435-7352 (TOLL-FREE FROM WITHIN FLORIDA). OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER IS SC-03439. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA. FULL FINANCIAL DETAILS, INCLUDING FEDERAL TAX RETURNS, CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE LAND TRUST’S TREASURER AT 239-334-8866 DURING WORKING HOURS. THE CALUSA LAND TRUST NEVER EMPLOYS PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISERS; 100% OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE RETAINED BY THE CALUSA LAND TRUST. Calusa Land Trust & Nature Preserve of Pine Island, Inc. P.O. Box 216 Bokeelia, Florida 33922