Paving of Marsh Trail
Parking Lot
Paving of the Marsh Trail parking lot is
expected to begin Monday, May 6. The Marsh Trail parking lot and the roads
leading to it will be closed for approximately two months while the work is
performed. There will also be increased traffic and construction activity on Lee Road. Visitors or groups wishing to use the Marsh Trail will need to go to the C-6
pavilion parking lot (site of the old admin building) and walk toward the LILA
impoundments, entering the Marsh Trail from the west side as shown in this map:
http://loxahatcheefriends.com/upload/LoxMarshTrailTempParking.jpg
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS May 2013
Guided Canoe Trips
Saturday, May 11, 8:00 a.m. - 10:15
a.m.
Saturday, May 25, 8:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Meet at the Headquarters Boat Ramp to
enjoy a beautiful canoe tour through a portion of the Refuge interior.
You may rent a canoe for $32 from Loxahatchee
Canoeing or bring your own. (One canoe seats 2 to 3 people.)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Call
the Visitor Center at 561-734-8303.
Enjoy this 3-minute video made on the canoe trail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW49VXaOvGU&feature=related
Full Moon Guided Canoe Trips
Friday, May 24, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00
p.m.
Saturday, June 22, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 20, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 17, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Meet at the Headquarters Boat Ramp to
enjoy a guided moonlight canoe tour through a portion of the Refuge
interior. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants and bring a flashlight
and bug spray.
Canoe rental from Loxahatchee Canoeing is
$32; you may not bring your own. (One canoe seats 2 to 3 people.)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED - PLEASE CALL
LOXAHATCHEE CANOEING at 561-733-0192.
Guided Bird, Butterfly and
Wildflower Walks - Meet at C-6 Pavilion
Every Friday and Sunday, 7:45 a.m.
- 9:15 a.m.
Join our volunteer naturalist for an early morning nature walk and see how many
birds and and other critters you can spot. Learn about our migratory and
year-round residents of the Refuge and their habitat. Your guide will
discuss the marsh ecology, answer your questions and identify the birds,
butterflies, plants, reptiles and anything else you might find along the way. Meet
at the pavilion next to the C-6 impoundment (site of the old admin building).
Roving Naturalist on Cypress Swamp Boardwalk
Tuesday, May 14, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 28, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
A volunteer naturalist will be strolling around
the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, answering questions and discussing flora and fauna
of the swamp.
***Programs subject to change, for more
information on any of the activities and programs, please call the Visitor Center at (561) 734-8303 or the Administration Office at (561) 732-3684.
Check the Refuge event calendar online
at:
http://www.my.calendars.net/marchloxahatchee/marchloxahatcheeGrid20135.html
The calendar can also be viewed by going
to http://www.fws.gov/loxahatchee
and selecting “Calendar of Events” on the right side.
"Florida Hawksbill
Project" by Lawrence (Larry) D. Wood
Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, 6301 W. Summit Blvd, West
Palm Beach
More than 8 years ago, Larry
Wood initiated the first in-water study of hawksbills in Florida right here in
the Palm Beaches! Join the Audubon Society of the Everglades for
their monthly meeting to learn more. Larry currently directs the Comprehensive
Florida Hawksbill Research and Conservation Program at the Palm Beach Zoo. An
opportunity to work at Loggerhead Marinelife Center brought Larry to Florida in 1988 where he established nesting surveys in northern Palm Beach County. At that time the center was in a small building in Juno Beach with just a few tanks
outside for turtle rehab. His enthusiasm fostered community and volunteer
interest for turtle nesting along Juno Beach and rehabilitation of injured
turtles. This led to construction of a new facility designed for rehabilitation
and education. Thousands visit each year.
A lifelong interest in herpetology took Larry to Miami University of Ohio,
where he pursued a degree in zoology. At Florida Atlantic University he
completed the undergraduate and Master’s programs and is currently pursuing a
Ph.D. in the Integrative Biology Doctoral Program. He published "A Field
Guide for Sea Turtle Nesting Surveys", a full-color comprehensive guide to
conducting sea turtle nesting beach research.
The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information visit: http://www.auduboneverglades.org
The
Northern Everglades Watershed and its Impact on South Florida
Saturday, May 11, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00
noon
Location: Refuge Visitor Center Auditorium
Join the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group at the Refuge for a light breakfast and
a stunning DVD about the newly designated Northern Everglades Preserve. Travel
with filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus along the Kissimmee River and surrounding
regions. Meet the “Keepers of the Land” and experience a sense of place in the
vast open spaces in the cattle country of Florida's private and public lands. Although
many stories have been told about the Everglades – from drainage to restoration
– few have been told about where it all begins: the Kissimmee River Basin.
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/evergladesheadwaters/quotes.html
Late addition – Charlie Pelizza, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
Project Leader for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation
Area will be with us to provide the details and latest update on this momentous
project. He has the inside info!
Sierra Club meetings are FREE and open to the public, bring a friend.
*The entrance fee for the Refuge has been waived, just say you are there for
the Sierra Club meeting. Reservations not required.
Questions or concerns contact KayGates@bellsouth.net
or 561-742-9219.
Summer in the Everglades for Young
People
Friday, June 28, 9:00
a.m. - 12:00 noon Water and Water Activities (slogging)
Friday, July 12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Wildlife Animals and Plants (art
project)
Friday, July 19, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Scavenger Hunt in the Everglades
The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation
is offering a Summer in the Everglades experience for young people ages 7 - 12,
free of charge, with field trips, hands-on activities, crafts and games. Space
is limited, so please register early by contacting Diana Wilson at
education@artmarshall.com or (561)233-9004.
Boat Dock and Bank Closed to
Fishing
The Headquarters Area Lee Road boat dock and bank are closed to fishing.
The 200-foot fishing pier remains open to fishing. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is closing the boat dock floating platform, the smaller
concrete fishing platform and bank in an effort to reduce the interaction that
is occurring between anglers and alligators as a result of people feeding the
alligators.
L-40 Levee and Canal Partially Closed - Site 1 Impoundment Project Has Resumed
Construction has resumed on
the Site 1 Impoundment project!
The L-40 Levee and Canal is closed from Loxahatchee Road north for three miles
to boating, hiking, bicycling, and all other public use. The closure is
due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction of a reservoir southeast
of the Refuge. This project, known as the Site 1 Impoundment Project,
will capture and store storm water that would otherwise be lost to tide during
dry times and preserve clean water in the Refuge.
Loxahatchee Road itself remains open. Only the L-40 dike and canal is closed from
around the gate area. Hunters and other visitors can still access the
parking area and the marsh except for the canal and levee going north.
For a map of the closed portions of the L-40 Levee go to:
http://www.fws.gov/loxahatchee/PDF_files/TemporaryClosure.pdf
Alligator Hunt Delayed
The alligator hunt planned to begin in August of this year is expected to be
delayed because of a settlement agreement resulting from a 2003 lawsuit (Fund
for Animals v. Williams) that requires the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to combine all new and expanded proposed hunts on National Wildlife Refuges
into one annual National Hunt Package.
The Service is combining more than two dozen new and expanded hunts nationwide
into a comprehensive package with limited staff because of a recent hiring
freeze. This is a complex process requiring the Service to ensure
cumulative impacts of these proposed new hunts nationwide do not adversely
affect a species. Once the effects of these national hunts are assessed,
the National Hunt Package will be released for a 30-day public comment
period. The Service will review, evaluate, and address comments before
making a final determination on the hunts that will be published in the Federal
Register later this calendar year.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-04-17/news/fl-loxahatchee-hunt-delay-20130417_1_alligator-hunt-rolf-olson-newton-cook
Bird Feeding Frenzy!
Conditions must have been just
right in the pond behind the Visitor Center a couple of weeks ago, because the
birds had a party and invited all their friends! Here are Kay Larche's photos…
https://picasaweb.google.com/107617606974045296321/LOXThursFF3?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyFhNaa7eTZ_AE&feat=email
And it even made the news!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/blogs/green-south-florida/sfl-wading-birds-loxahatchee-refuge-ponds-20130412,0,4926909.story
6-Month Bird Count Summary
Rick Schofield, who has been
leading the early morning bird walks on Wednesdays, has been reporting monthly
counts of all the species they've found on eBird. Here's what they found here
from November, 2012 through April, 2013:
http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/upload/LoxBirdYearlyReport2012-2013.pdf
For some of the more commonly-sighted species an "X" appears in the
report due to the difficulty of keeping track of the actual counts.
A big thanks are due to Rick for taking responsibility for the Wednesday bird
walks after the retirement of long-time bird walker Fred Test, and to Kristen
Murtaugh for taking over the Saturday bird walks after the retirement of even
longer-time bird walker Pat Canning. Thanks to Rick especially for filling in
while Kristen was on vacation after the Palm Beach Post advertised bird walks
for Saturdays that would otherwise not have been covered!
Views from a Kayak
A kayaking blogger shares his experiences
on the Refuge's 5.5-mile canoe trail last weekend…
http://viewfrommykayak.blogspot.com/2013/04/arthur-r-marshall-national-wildlife.html
One lesson learned is to check on the conditions at the Visitor Center before attempting the entire 5.5 mile circuit, as parts of it can be tough going when
the water is low and the vegetation is thick.
Successful Lee Road Cleanup
Sun Sentinel reporter Jan Engoren
was on hand for the Lee Road cleanup on April 13 and got us some great press,
with quotes from Friends board members Kay Larche and Steve Horowitz…
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-04-15/community/sfl-volunteers-join-forces-to-clean-up-palm-beach-county-20130415_1_americorps-volunteers-plant-trees-great-american-cleanup#.UW_GHEdXRB8.email
New Interior Secretary Sally
Jewell Visits Refuge
The new Secretary of the
Department of the Interior Sally Jewell honored us by choosing ours as the
first National Wildlife Refuge she has visited since being sworn in on April 12
of this year. She was treated to an airboat ride into the interior of the
Refuge with staff, followed by a question and answer session and light
breakfast on the pavilion behind the Visitor Center. She is listening and learning
all she can to understand which issues are the most urgent and which issues she
can realistically hope to address during her tenure. She is quite committed to
Everglades restoration, and hopes also someday to be able to upgrade the staff
uniforms to something more lightweight and quick drying. Coming from the
outdoor gear retailer Recreational Equipment Inc., where she was most recently
CEO, she knows just the thing! Sadly, she was nearly eaten up with bugs when
she exchanged the bug-resistant shirt she was wearing for the shirt staff
presented her as a gift.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-05-01/news/fl-interior-secretary-everglades-20130501_1_obama-administration-sally-jewell-everglades-national-park
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/01/3374092/new-us-interior-secretary-will.html
http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/secretary-jewell-tours-everglades-affirms-administrations-unprecedented-commitment-to-restoration-efforts-in-south-florida.cfm
http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/sally-jewell-gets-to-work-as-secretary-of-the-interior.cfm
We got a few seconds of air time 45
seconds into this weekly video from the Department of Interior…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NER3piWeiYI
