Summer 2015

In This Issue:

www.MasterNaturalist.org

FMNP Success Story: Building Relationships with Property Acquisition Department

Florida Wetlands habitats have declined to less than 10% of the original acreage in the late 1800’s. Wetlands features like rivers, springs, swamps, wet prairies and lakes influence landscapes; filter rainfall runoff, pesticides, and fertilizers; and provide aesthetic value for tourism. Wetlands are not usually favorable in society and have suffered from man’s effort to drain the land and convert it to livable space. Through the Florida Master Naturalist Program, wetland habitat value is imparted to residents of Florida with hopes to find advocates to teach others the value of wetlands. In April 2015, ten residents graduated from the Manatee County Master Naturalist Wetlands module; one trainee works for the Manatee County Property Acquisition Department.

A testimonial from the trainee, “I took the course so I could identify plants commonly growing in specialized land areas … the course taught invasive plant identification. Control of these plants is very costly for the county annually”. A partnership developed between Extension and the Property Acquisition Department. The goal is to teach staff identification of wetland plants and invasive plant species. By learning wetland plants, the county can purchase the land and conserve it. By learning invasive species, the county can avoid the future costs of exotic removal or know that the purchase of the land would include an annual removal cost for the exotics. Two trainings are planned for the summer of 2015. Each employee (n=15) will receive free training, recognize valuable wetlands land, and potentially avoid the purchase of land covered in exotic plants.

This article was submitted by Lisa Hickey , a UF/IFAS Urban Horticulture Extension Agent for Mana-tee County. She also is an FMNP Lead Instructor.

FMNP Meet Up in Key Largo! - and - Fun for a Cause!

Remember the new Southeast Region FMNP Chapters men-tioned in the last news-letter? They are team-ing up with the Central East Region to have a Meet Up this October! Here’s the flyer! Click on it!

Want an end-of-the-summer smile? Click on the Marine Dis-covery Center’s flyer and mark your calendar!

As an FMNP enthusiast you probably want to share your knowledge of Florida’s natural world! Here are some opportunities to volunteer around the state. Many more opportunities are listed on our website at FMNP Volunteers!

Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory, located off the coast of Cedar Key, is developing a core volunteer base to as-sist with current and developing education and outreach programs. Volunteer work may include assisting with a K-12 program and talking about coastal ecology and marine life with visitors. Other opportunities may become available over time.

They welcome inquiries from Master Naturalists, with a preference towards those who have com-pleted training in the Coastal Systems and Envi-ronmental Interpretation and who can make re-curring commitments. For more information contact Maria Sgambati, msgambati@ufl.edu; 352.543.1085.

The Friends of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in Everglades City is searching for volunteers with FMNP training! The Park has expanded their inter-pretive offerings with swamp walks and tram, moonlit, and boardwalk tours. There also are opportunities for field work supporting research, exotic plant re-moval and trail maintenance. Their needs are growing as they embark on a ma-jor boardwalk expansion project at Big Cypress Bend which includes a new Visitor Center! Big Cypress National Preserve is seeking volunteers from the local Collier County area to work in the Preserve’s busy Environmental Education Program 1 to 3 days per week from 9:30 to 3:30. The program runs October 5th through April 1st and volunteers must be able to com-mit to set days throughout the season.

Duties: Volunteers work with the S.W.A.M.P., Swamp Water and Me Program, a curriculum-based program with 6th grade students and their teachers from Collier County public and private schools.

Volunteers are assistants to the Park Rangers and Interns during the S.W.A.M.P. field trips. During these trips volunteers are the tail of the group helping with group management, safety, assisting students with experiments, data collection and other activeities such as radio telemetry, dip netting and water quality testing.

Field trips involve hiking into a cypress strand, prairie and pineland. While the hiking is not long in distance it can be physically de-manding as it involves long periods of stand-

ing, walking through knee to thigh deep water, heat and humidity, mosquitoes, uneven footing and other swamp creatures besides the 6th graders! On days when no field trips are scheduled the volunteers may assist rangers with other programs including wet walks, canoe trips and special events or work on pro-jects.

How to Apply: Email or call Lisa Andrews, Outreach/Education Coordinator, lisa_andrews@nps.gov; (239)695-1164. A resume and references are required.

Volunteer Opportunities for FMNP Graduates

Seahorse Key; photos provided by Maria Sgambati

Coleman Sheehy III with UF students

Touch tank at Seahorse Key Marine Lab

Ghost Orchid by David McAdoo

Photo by Timothy Wildley

Photo by John Hyun

Thank you Broward County volunteers!!! In 2014, FMNP Graduates posted 32,229 volunteer

hours and produced interpretive projects for three Broward County natural areas, four Broward County regional parks and two Florida State Parks! If you are from Broward County and would like to include your volunteer efforts, please complete a short survey or copy this link into your browser: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RJNJFXQ

FMNP Success Story: BioBlitz Global Challenge Winners!

Kate Borduas Lives at Venice Golf and Country Club, an Audubon International (AI) Community. In April, she co-chaired and participated in AI’s first global Golf Course BioBlitz. To assemble the best possible team, Kate recruited from within the FMNP network. Florida Master Naturalists who partic-ipated were Brenda Curtis, Eileen Teel and Kathy Ann Forsythe. FMNP students on the team were Teddi Bloniarz, Laura Soule, Erica Timmerman and Kate. “My team focused on identifying the native flora and fauna. We worked hard and well as a team gathering and identifying 477 native species: birds (included migrants), wildflowers, vertebrates, in-vertebrates, vascular and non-vascular plants. Additional landscape species were also added to the total.” wrote Kate.

Their effort was rewarded; they won the Global Chal-lenge! Audubon International representatives visited Venice, FL on July 16th to present the award to the club.

“I think it is only right that I use this opportunity to give a big "Shout Out" to UF/IFAS Master Naturalist Program. I absolutely want to give credit to the FMNs who assisted. After all, without the program and the naturalists we probably could not have won this. “

Congratulations to the Venice Team!!! Photo courtesy of the Venice Golf and Country Club

FMNP Success Story: St. Lucie County’s CoyoteWatch Team

Congratulations to St Lucie County’s CoyoteWatch Team! The National As-sociation of Counties (NACo) is pleased to grant St. Lucie County a 2015 Achievement Award for its program titled “CoyoteWatch: A Florida Master Naturalist Wildlife Monitoring Program for Sea Turtle Conservation” in the category of County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy & Sustainability.

The twenty one miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches in St Lucie County, FL are home to three species of marine sea turtles federally listed on the U.S. En-dangered Species List. These beaches have been identified as critical nesting habitat for these animals. Unfortunately, populations of non-native coyotes threaten to encroach on sea turtle nests on St Lucie County’s beaches. The

CoyoteWatch Program was established in 2014 to monitor turtle nesting at strategically chosen beach sites for evidence of coyote predation on sea turtle nests. Florida Master Naturalist volun-teers conducted wildlife monitoring research and educational outreach in an effort to determine if predictions proved correct and coyotes began destroying nests. As a result of the CoyoteWatch pro-gram, it was determined that coyote predation on sea turtle nests occurred for the first time in St Lucie County in 2014. Beachfront land managers were notified so they could adopt a coyote adaptive manage-ment plan with an emphasis on sea turtle nest protection.

Team Members: Marcia Kopp (Project Leader) Florida Master Naturalist Ken Gioeli (Program Leader) UF/IFAS Natural Resources & Environment Extension Agent -St Lucie Co. Jerry Bott, Florida Master Naturalist Luanne Hastings, Florida Master Naturalist Erick Gill, St Lucie County Public Information Officer Sherry Burroughs, Director, St Lucie County Mosquito Control and Coastal Management Dept.

This article was submitted by Ken Gioeli, an FMNP Lead Instructor.

Photo Courtesy of US Geological Survey

Photo by Per-Olof Forsberg

Gorgeous spring weather the last Saturday in March provided a perfect backdrop at Weedon Island Preserve, where almost 60 people gathered to enjoy the Central West Region FMNP Workshop. Hosted by Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists and Weedon Island Preserve with support from UF/IFAS FMNP, the indoor/outdoor event attracted Florida Master Naturalists from 5 surrounding coun-ties. Regional FMNP Workshops are taking the place of a Statewide Conference this year and are designed to offer a venue to network, stay current with the FMNP and to learn new things.

Saturday’s workshop began with a close-up look at Weedon Island Preserve through the macro pho-tography lens, followed by a broader view of Weedon revealed on a stroll through the estuary and the program concluded with a trip back in time to imagine and discover what life was like on the Is-land some 12,000 years ago.

Florida Master Naturalist and award-winning photographer Jim Caldwell, along with nature photography expert and teacher Fred Rodgers kicked off the morning sharing their experiences and offering some tips, tricks and techniques on nature macro photography. Their affable style and funny anecdotes took the edge off of anyone’s inhibitions about F-stops, aspect ratios and blowouts! We then practiced what we learned in the beautiful native plant garden and upland area just outside the Cultural

Center. Jim and Fred were so generous with their expertise and artistry and everyone had the chance for some one-on-one time with these great guys.

After a casual lunch, we split into two groups and followed either Jeanne Murphy or Brian Lane as each led a stroll through the estuary. Jeanne and Brian are both FMNP Instructors and owners of Sensing Nature, LLC, a local Environmental Education and Eco-Tour company. Perhaps it was the gorgeous weather, or maybe it was the expert in-terpretive guiding or the particular energy created by so many natu-

ralists enjoying the day, but Weedon’s creatures were out in force! We enjoyed a Green Anole, a Gopher Tor-toise that appeared on cue with sand on its head and carapace, a Rose-ate Spoonbill, Mangrove Skipper, and Mangrove and Fiddler Crabs. It was great to see such a broad spectrum of healthy flora and fauna on the trail and to enjoy such animated interpretation of the habitats and history of the area.

Dr. Brent Weisman conducted the final presentation on the very first human inhabitants of Weedon Island. Dr. Weisman - Brent - offers his qualification as a Florida Master Naturalist proudly and ini-tially, with his scholarly accomplishments as a PhD and USF Professor of Archaeology secondarily! Using artifacts, renditions of ancient tools and age-old watercolor pictures, Brent led us on a journey through time to experience the Weedon Island of 12,000 years ago. He enticed us to look deep into the eyes of the natives portrayed in watercolor pictures, to understand their world so different from ours today and to imagine their thoughts, their priorities, even their ethics. Brent’s provocative approach to archaeology and history was fascinating and his soulful, compassionate interpretation of Weedon’s ancestors really brought them to life for us.

Before it was all over and much to our surprise and delight, the Father of the Florida Master Natural-ist Program, Dr. Marty Main joined us! With warmth, humility and his signature machete, Marty commented on the amazing growth of the FMNP and offered some updates on new programs that will soon be available. He was gracious enough to stay afterward to chat and to hang out with all of us. We are so fortunate to have such an approachable, knowledgeable and progressive leader for the FMNP as Dr. Main!

A great time was had by all and true to the purpose of the Workshop, we gathered, we networked, we learned new things and we shared a beautiful place on a spectacular day.

Joan Landis contributed this article and is a Florida Master Naturalist.

The Central West FMNP Chapter Workshop -

Weedon Island: A Stroll Through Time with Naturalists

Photo courtesy of Irina Marvel

Photo courtesy of Jim Caldwell

Photo courtesy of Jim Caldwell

Photo by Joan Landis

Attention all FMNP graduates living in Brevard, Indian River, and Volusia Counties! The

newly formed Space Coast FMNP Regional Chapter is looking for members who want to continue their environmental educational activities and outreach with fellow Naturalists! Graduates of one FMNP course module are eligible to become members of the Space Coast Regional Chapter. We are currently seeking members for the following Committees: Chapter Activities and Events, Education and Outreach, Awards and Recognition, Membership, and Fund-Raising. Membership dues are $15.

Attend the Chapter Reception on Thursday, November 5th to learn more about the chapter, how to become a member and meet the officers! Light refreshments will be served at 6 PM and the meeting will run from 6:30 –8:00 PM. The event will take place at the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Office, 3695 Lake Drive, Cocoa FL 32926. Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FMNPspacecoastregionalchapter! If you have any questions feel free to send us an email space-coastmasternaturalists@gmail.com .

FMNP Announces New Space Coast Chapter!

On April 16th, the South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals (SFAEP) and the Southeast FMNP Chapter adopted Sand-spur Island and Little Sandspur Island through the Florida Department of Environ-mental Protection, Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve, Adopt-an-Island Program. As a condition of the adoption, SFAEP and the Southeast FMNP Chapter will conduct quar-terly cleanups on the islands. These clean-ups are open to public participation and in-clude coastal habitat interpretive exercises lead by FMNP Instructors. The first two cleanups were held on April 25th and July 11th. Upcoming cleanups have been sched-uled for September 19th, in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day, and December 12th. Please check the SFAEP website (www.SFAEP.org) for additional information.

This article was submitted by Erik Neugaard, an FMNP Lead Instructor.

South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals and

the Southeast FMNP Chapter Adopt Islands in Biscayne Bay

Photo Courtesy of Erik Neugaard

FMNP Success Stories:

St. Lucie County’s CoyoteWatch Team

Building Relationships with Property Acquisition Department

BioBlitz Global Challenge Winners!

Chapter News:

Southeast Chapter - Adopting Islands in Biscayne Bay

Central West Chapter Workshop at Weedon Island

FMNP Announces New Space Coast Chapter

October’s Meet Up in Key Largo! - and - Fun for a Cause!

Volunteer Opportunities for FMNP Graduates

Calling All Photographers!

FMNP Instructor Recognition

Likeable Links and Citizen Science Opportunities

Marine Discovery Center Summer Adventure Camps

Core and Special Topics Courses Around the State

Check out the free App that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has created for us!! http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

A fun natural history journal Don’s Nature Notes . There’s a lot of fun information pre-sented in a very pleasing format!

Contribute to the mapping and population health monitoring of monarch butterflies by going to the comprehensive website Journey North and reporting your monarch sightings.

Here’s a great website for Invertebrate Conservation! The Citizen Science section of the site Xerces Society website allows you to be a Bumble BeeSpotter, help track the movement of migratory drag-onflies, and help map the location of milkweed plants for monarch butterfly populations. Another site to visit to learn about Bumble-bees is that of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust . Great stuff!

Would you like to assist a master’s student in collecting information for her thesis? Here’s a request from Audrey Wilson:

I am a master’s student at the University of Florida under the advisement of Dr. Steve Johnson. We are studying the distribution and habitat use of cane toads in Florida. I am reaching out to you with a request for any data you have on this species. Cane toads, native to Central and South America, have been introduced around the world as a bio-logical pest control. They failed as a method of pest control, but the toads became established in many of their introduced locations. In Australia they have proliferated and had serious consequences for native predators. Cane toads have large glands on their shoulders that produce toxins which can be dangerous to native animals as well as household pets that attempt to eat them. You can find more information on cane toads in Florida here, including how to identify them: http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/frogs/canetoad.shtml.

Cane toads were accidentally introduced by a pet trader in Miami in the 1950s, and are now com-monly found in residential and other human-modified habitats in central and south Florida. The goal of my thesis is to determine if cane toads have invaded natural areas and update our understanding of distribution. Please report any past or future sightings to audcwilson@ufl.edu, including the fol-lowing information:

Date of observation Observer Exact location (GPS coordinates or street address) Photo voucher Habitat type Thank you for your assistance with this project.

Audrey Wilson, Dept. of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, (732) 977-4494

Morgan Stephenson is serving as a summer intern for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission. He is analyzing gopher tortoise mortality hotspots around the state. Please read the

following letter and use the linked form to contribute to his findings!

Dear Partners in Conservation,

Florida’s Gopher Tortoise Management Plan places

great importance on minimizing the loss of gopher

tortoises by reducing mortality to known causes

such as disease and vehicle-related collisions. The

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

(FWC) has created an online database as part of an

ongoing project to collect data and track gopher

tortoise mortality throughout Florida. With infor-

mation from the database, the FWC will be able to

analyze where “hotspots” are located throughout

the state. This will help inform biologists on how best to address these potential hazards, and as a

result, minimize gopher tortoise mortality.

Mortality records obtained from agency personnel and community organizations are vital to docu-

menting mortality and addressing the cause, specifically in these hotspots. Therefore, FWC is asking

for data to be submitted in one of the following ways:

Email: GTEvents@MyFWC.com U.S. Postal Service: Gopher Tortoise Program, 620 S. Meridian St., MS 2A, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Report the mortality sighting online, using the FWC Gopher Tortoise Mortality Sighting data

form: https://public.myfwc.com/HSC/GopherTortoise/GTMortality.aspx

Likeable Links and Citizen Science Opportunities

Photos by Dr. Steve A. Johnson (UF)

Photo by Eric Kilby

Photo by Eric Kilby

Photo by William Warby

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Remove Contact

Upcoming Core and Special Topics Courses

Coastal Systems

Freshwater Systems

Conservation Science

Environmental Interpretation

Habitat Evaluation

Wildlife Monitoring

Registration deadlines are fast approaching for several courses! Become an Advanced Master Naturalist to

help maximize your ability to connect the citizenry of Florida to the Sunshine State!!

Marine Discovery Center Summer Adventure Camps

What would a summer newsletter be without pictures of kids splashing in the water? Here are im-

ages provided by Chad Truxall at the Marine Discovery Center. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Marine Discovery Center campers enjoying a day on the Indian River Lagoon

Marine Discovery Center campers on top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Marine Discovery Center campers exploring a plethora of plankton

Marine Discovery Center camper hanging with a juvenile Horseshoe Crab

Chad Truxall is the Executive Director of the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach. He also is an FMNP Lead Instructor.

The FMNP State Office at UF in Gainesville is updating almost 150 images in the Upland Systems course manual. We need YOUR help! For a list of images that need replacing, please click here. If you have an EXCELLENT image that we may use, please send it to info@masternaturalist.org. Include your name as you would like it to be cited in the manual and state that we have your permission to use your image in all FMNP curricular materials.

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Brandon Smith received the Florida Marine Science Educators Associa-tion Service Award. The FMSEA Service Award began in 1993 and is giv-en each year to a member who has exhibited dedicated service to the organization. He also received the Keep Brevard Beautiful's Annual Edu-cation Award for his contribution to environmental education in Bre-vard County. Brandon is the Environmental Program Supervisor at the Riverwalk Nature center under Brevard County Parks and Recreation. He also is an FMNP Lead Instructor.

FMNP Instructor Recognition

Photo provided by Brandon Smith