From time-to-time Refuge staff members hear from visitors about something that made the visitor concerned when they were hiking, biking, hunting, or otherwise enjoying the Refuge's peacefulness and beauty. Refuge managers have a mechanism for reporting incidents that might require a refuge law enforcement officer to check them out. The National Wildlife Refuge System has a relatively small number of law enforcement officers nationwide, while only a few refuges have a dedicated officer. Reports of visitor concerns on a refuge weigh heavily in determining the assignment of an officer to come and review possible or documented illegal activity.
Friends ask visitors to help gather and report data. These are ways we can all do that: Illegal activity or other incidents (list of illegal refuge activities)
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Friends board members met in January for a strategic planning meeting at the Plantation on Crystal River. Refuge Manager Andrew Gude and Assistant Refuge Manager John Stark also attended. Though not all board members could attend, the majority did. The itinerary included a stop at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and Friends Nature Store. We wanted to get an idea of what other Friends groups are doing for outreach. Well this facility is over the top and includes dioramas, interactive activities, and merchandise for sale all with the ever popular manatee themes. Friends staff exchanged information about our two chapters and board member Boyd Kimball took copious notes about the merchandising operations at the Nature Store. Next stop was the Plantation on Crystal River for a guided river cruise in search of living and breathing manatees. The weather was kind and as we cruised along the entertaining guides pointed out several manatees to the delight of all. Amazingly gentle giants. After the cruise, it was check-in time, preparation exercise for next day's meeting, an enjoyable social hour and then a nice dinner at the hotel. In the morning, it was time to get down to business, and boy did we. The meeting was kicked off by Friends President Ginessa Mahar. The agenda included revisiting our Friends mission statement to ensure we were spending our resources, time and effort on the key elements including providing advocacy, awareness, and physical support to the Refuges. We thought of it as a three-legged stool - that being a symbol of stability that brings balance to the user - if one leg's removed the stool fails. Following the introduction, Refuge Manager Andrew Gude summarized his priorities for the coming two years. Key items included completing a volunteer camper's infrastructure on the Vista Camp site, law enforcement guidance to staff and volunteers, more interpretive signage, ADA compliance, and trail repair and enhancements. Next came hashing out the nuts and bolts. An exercise called SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) was conducted to flush out how our Friends programs, projects and activities mesh with the mission. Examples of strengths included robust communications (website, newsbrief, brochures); weaknesses (not tapping into involvement of broader membership), opportunities (partnerships with UF, native plant society, and others), and threats (volunteer burnout). After a break, we divided into three groups (advocacy, awareness, and physical support) to come up with lists of actionable items. Finally, we wrapped up the meeting with a comprehensive list of actions that are considered priorities to both Friends and the Refuges, and are also achievable. These include:
I believe the participants in this meeting will agree it was time well spent. Friends budget covered the cost of the meeting room and board members paid for their own room and board including the river cruise. We're tired of referring to it as the Friends Outreach and Education Welcome Concession Trailer–what a mouthful!
Look for our soon-to-be-named outreach and education trailer at the Manatee Springs State Park Birthday Celebration on Saturday, January 20 from 10a-2p. If you miss us at Manatee, in the coming months we will be popping-up at various locations around the Refuge and in Cedar Key including the Cedar Key Museum near Rye Key. Maps and information about the Refuges can also be found on many Saturdays at our table location on the Cedar Key Welcome Center's front porch. Friends would love to have a few more folks come along and help greet visitors to the trailer. If you are interested, please email us.
Friends had to move its traditional Winter Solstice celebration from Shell Mound, where Hurricane Idalia damage and pier reconstruction made for too much disruption, to Cedar Key. Friends' president Dr. Ginessa Mahar welcomed many visitors who joined us at the park for hot tea, cookies, and a memorable presentation by Dr. Ken Sassaman, the Hyatt and Cici Brown Professor of Florida Archaeology at the University of Florida. It was warmer and less windy than the 2022 celebration!
Important, but Not Pretty, Work coming on the Grass Roads Lower Suwannee NWR roadside and overhead clearing is expected to begin in 2024. The Refuge received funding to reclaim roads, clear roadsides, and overhead trees on 70 miles of our grass roads ("behind the locked yellow gates"). After 44 years of ecological succession the forest has regrown with a vengeance. We need to reclaim the right-of-ways primarily for ease of access with equipment, for prescribed fire safety, but also to increase grasses and flowering shrubs for pollinators.
Like many of you, we are sorry to see how bare this necessary clearing makes the right of ways, but we know that, like prescribed burning, the clearing work will make the forest healthier and better for wildlife and visitors. While we encourage the contractors not to work during hunt seasons, they do have the prerogative to do so. Any questions or concerns, call/text/email me at [email protected] or 703.622.3896. The 4th grade class from Anderson Elementary in Cross City headed to the Refuge on December 8 and enjoyed an exciting schedule provided by our amazing partners and volunteers. Every event is different, depending on the availability of station leaders, but they're always a blast. Stationed next to the Refuge bat house, Shari Blissett-Clark of the Florida Bat Conservancy captivated the students with her live amBatsadors and bat knowledge. The pollinator station with Jon Bremer and Cameron Zuck from the Florida Department of Agriculture's Division of Plant Industry, and Emily Kazan from FWS had a wide variety of pollinators to talk about. Hungry live caterpillars munched away on a variety of host plants while the experts described the variety of pollinator life from butterflies to flies. To complement Ranger Vic's prescribed burn station, Ranger Jason Coates brought the Tiger Cat. Its huge masticating blades are used to cut fire breaks and manage understory growth on the Refuge. Jeremy Geiger from the UF Nature Coast Biological Station returned with his popular collection of turtle shells, skulls, and two adorable live turtles. Refuge volunteers, Robin Gallup and Mike Caulking, along with Friends volunteers John McPherson and Carol Lang led nature walks with observation bingo and leaf tracing. Cristina Oliveria and Domenique Sorresso from UF had a hands-on archaeology station where the kids could touch all the artifacts. Deputy Manager John Stark and Friends volunteer Sandra Milliner sparked the kids' imaginations at the carnivorous plant station. Scented stickers and crayons were available to create imaginary plants that lure insects for food. French fry traps sound like a winner to us!
Enjoy beautiful weather and make a difference on the Refuge. We have ideas for one-time and short-term work projects, all we lack is a leader and a few volunteers. If you would like to take one of these ideas and make it happen, please contact us.
UPDATE: Construction work has begun on the Shell Mound pier so this year only we are decamping our Winter Solstice Celebration and holding it at the Cedar Key City Park, 2nd Street and A Street, instead. On Thursday, December 21 from 4pm - 6pm Ginessa Mahar and Ken Sassaman will give fascinating archaeological talks while we await sunset. Look for our new Friends' trailer with sale shirts and holiday merch. See you in Cedar Key!
Another amazing Junior Ranger Day was conducted last week at the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Friends Past-President Debbie Meeks and Refuge Deputy Manager John Stark, and many other staff and volunteers, coordinated the event that included eight-nine (89) 4th graders from Old Town Elementary. The students worked to become Junior Rangers by participating in activities at eight stations set up throughout the Refuge headquarter's property.
The swearing-in ceremony conducted by Refuge Manager Andrew Gude was especially moving as Andrew explained to the children how at their age he knew he wanted a career that would protect wild lands and animals. Together they recited the Junior Ranger Pledge, and the coveted Junior Ranger badges were distributed. Thanks to the Friends volunteers who helped make this happen including Debbie Meeks, John McPherson, Denise Feiber, Sandra Milliner, Pete Tirrell, Jay Bushnell, and John Douglass. Refuge volunteers included Michael Caulking, Robin Gallup, and Rick Gallup.
More Junior Rangers will attempt certification December 8, 2023. The Community Foundation of North Central Florida helps potential donors find nonprofit organizations with whom they can partner to make the world a better place for all of us. One of their tools is The Philanthropy Hub, a website providing information on more than 100 nonprofits working in our region. You can see the entry for Friends of Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys NWRs here.
According to a new study, Florida At-Risk Species Surveys: Final Performance Report, the distribution of the Duke's (Calhoun’s) Skipper, the only endemic Florida butterfly taxon outside of south Florida, has declined dramatically during the last 20 years. Much of this range contraction appears to be tied to altered hydrologic regimes (lowered groundwater table levels) in high quality hydric hammock or mixed wetland hardwood, its primary habitats. Butterfly expert and Friends' board member Barbara Woodmansee has been surveying the butterflies of the Refuge for years. Her data is included in the new study. Here's hoping that the Refuge's multi-year project to restore natural hydrologic flow within and across the Lower Suwannee NWR will further increase the habitat range of the butterfly.
The new trailer was a huge hit at the October 21 Cedar Key Seafood Festival, its roll-out event. Friends did not yet have the storage units or steps installed inside because it had only been "home" from being "wrapped" in photos for a few days. However, the inside walls and floors were painted and all the visitors had appropriate praise for its beauty.
Its second big event was the November 11 Junior Ranger Day, where it stood proud again. Expect to see it around more often in the future. Many thanks to all the volunteers who staffed the Friends booth at the Cedar Key Seafood Festival -- Ann Kamzelski, Jeri Treat, Peg Hall, Debbie Meeks, Denise Feiber, Jay Bushnell, Carol Lang, Judy Johnson, Ron Kamzelski, and Ginessa Mahar. More than 500 visitors came by to admire the new Community Outreach Trailer and learn more about how the Refuges are doing after the destruction of Hurricane Idalia. Even the folks from FEMA came to visit Friends. The volunteers shared maps and brochures with many Refuge newcomers and sold lots of Friends awareness-building tee shirts, hats, and earrings. Much fun was had by all.
USDA's Wildlife Services, in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System, will conduct feral swine control, outside of scheduled hunt seasons, on the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge and sample for African swine fever. They will be using many methods including thermal imaging, helicopters, trapping, and traditional shooting. Feral swine are considered invasive species that present a clear harm to native plants and wildlife. African swine fever is a deadly pig disease that spreads rapidly and affects domestic and wild swine. While not a threat to human health, the virus could devastate America’s swine, pork industry, and food supply.
Fortunately, it does not affect Swamp or Skunk Apes! Read Dan Chapman's Hunting and Swamp Ape story here. Friends will update this information when the program begins. |
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June 2024
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![]() Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532 Cedar Key, FL 32625 [email protected] We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. |
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