Summer 2015 - Florida Master Naturalist Program

Summer 2015
www.MasterNaturalist.org
In This Issue:

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
FMNP Success Story: St. Lucie County’s CoyoteWatch Team
Congratulations to St Lucie County’s CoyoteWatch Team! The National Association 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. Endangered Species List. These beaches have been identified as critical nesting
habitat for these animals. Unfortunately, populations of non-native coyotes
Photo by Per-Olof Forsberg
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 volunteers 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 program, 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 management 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
Photo Courtesy of US Geological Survey
Sherry Burroughs, Director, St Lucie County Mosquito
Control and Coastal Management Dept.
This article was submitted by Ken Gioeli, an FMNP Lead Instructor.
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 Manatee County. She also is an FMNP Lead Instructor.
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 participated 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, invertebrates, vascular and non-vascular plants. Additional landscape species were also added to the
total.” wrote Kate.
Their effort was rewarded; they won the Global Challenge! 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
South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals and
the Southeast FMNP Chapter Adopt Islands in Biscayne Bay
On April 16th, the South Florida Association
of Environmental Professionals (SFAEP) and
the Southeast FMNP Chapter adopted Sandspur Island and Little Sandspur Island
through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Biscayne Bay Aquatic
Preserve, Adopt-an-Island Program. As a
condition of the adoption, SFAEP and the
Southeast FMNP Chapter will conduct quarterly cleanups on the islands. These cleanups are open to public participation and include 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- Photo Courtesy of Erik Neugaard
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.
The Central West FMNP Chapter Workshop Weedon Island: A Stroll Through Time with Naturalists
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 counties. 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 photography 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 Island 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
Photo courtesy of Irina Marvel
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 interpretive guiding or the particular energy created by so many naturalists enjoying the day, but Weedon’s Photo courtesy of Jim Caldwell
creatures were out in force! We enjoyed a Green Anole, a Gopher Tortoise that appeared on cue with sand on its head and carapace, a Roseate 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
Photo courtesy of Jim Caldwell
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 initially, 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,
Photo by Joan Landis
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 Naturalist 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.
FMNP Announces New Space Coast Chapter!
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 spacecoastmasternaturalists@gmail.com .
FMNP Meet Up in Key Largo! - and - Fun for a Cause!
Remember the new
Southeast Region
FMNP Chapters mentioned in the last newsletter? They are teaming 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 Discovery Center’s
flyer and mark
your calendar!
Volunteer Opportunities for FMNP Graduates
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 assist 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
Seahorse Key; photos provided by Maria Sgambati may become available over time.
They welcome inquiries from Master Naturalists,
with a preference towards those who have completed training in the Coastal Systems and Environmental Interpretation and who can make recurring commitments. For more information
contact Maria Sgambati, msgambati@ufl.edu;
Touch tank at Seahorse
352.543.1085.
Coleman Sheehy III with UF students
Key Marine Lab
The Friends of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in Everglades City is
searching for volunteers with FMNP training! The Park has expanded their interpretive offerings with swamp walks and tram, moonlit, and boardwalk tours.
There also are opportunities for field work supporting research, exotic plant removal and trail maintenance. Their needs are growing as they embark on a major boardwalk expansion project at Big Cypress Bend which includes a new Visitor
Center!
Ghost Orchid by David
McAdoo
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 commit 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 dePhoto by Timothy Wildley
manding as it involves long periods of standing, 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 projects.
How to Apply: Email or call Lisa Andrews, Outreach/Education Coordinator,
lisa_andrews@nps.gov; (239)695-1164. A resume and references are required. 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
CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!
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.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FMNP Instructor Recognition
Brandon Smith received the Florida Marine Science Educators Association Service Award. The FMSEA Service Award began in 1993 and is given each year to a member who has exhibited dedicated service to the
organization. He also received the Keep Brevard Beautiful's Annual Education Award for his contribution to environmental education in Brevard County. Brandon is the Environmental Program Supervisor at the
Photo provided by Brandon Smith Riverwalk Nature center under Brevard County Parks and Recreation.
He also is an FMNP Lead Instructor.
Likeable Links and Citizen Science Opportunities
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 presented 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. Photo by Eric Kilby
Photo by Eric Kilby
Photo by William Warby
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 dragonflies, and help map the location of milkweed plants for monarch
butterfly populations. Another site to visit to learn about Bumblebees 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 biological 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.
Photos by Dr. Steve A. Johnson (UF)
Cane toads were accidentally introduced by a pet trader in Miami in the 1950s, and are now commonly 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 following 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 information from the database, the FWC will be able to
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
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 documenting 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
Marine Discovery Center Summer Adventure Camps
What would a summer newsletter be without pictures of kids splashing in the water? Here are images provided by Chad Truxall at the Marine Discovery Center. It doesn’t get any better than this!
Marine Discovery Center campers on top of the
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
Marine Discovery Center campers enjoying a
day on the Indian River Lagoon
Marine Discovery Center campers exploring
a plethora of plankton
Chad Truxall is the Executive Director
of the Marine Discovery Center in New
Smyrna Beach. He also is an FMNP
Marine Discovery Center camper hanging with a juvenile Horseshoe Crab
Lead Instructor.
Upcoming Core and Special Topics Courses
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!!

Coastal Systems

Conservation Science

Freshwater Systems

Environmental Interpretation

Habitat Evaluation

Wildlife Monitoring
Contact
Remove