The Oil Spill: What to Do Locally and What NOT to Do

With the growing oil spill disaster close at heart to residents of Sarasota County, Sarasota Audubon is making several recommendations.

• Most importantly, do not attempt to clean the beaches by removing natural debris from the shoreline. This time of year our beaches provide the nesting sites for many different species of birds whose nests are often camouflaged. Eggs can blend in perfectly with the sand, are hard to see and are easily stepped on and can be inadvertently crushed. Moving beach litter from the shoreline into dunes and areas above the high water line will lead to impacts to nesting birds and could result in damage to the dunes.
• Connect with Save Our Seabirds to volunteer your time locally. This agency’s leadership is certified for work with birds and wildlife directly impacted by oil.
• Follow alerts issued by Audubon of Florida, coordinating funding and volunteer activities statewide that will help with oil spill impacts to our wildlife. You can also volunteer with them to help with the effort outside of Sarasota County.
• Consider making a donation to Save our Seabirds (http://www.savourseabirds.org/; telephone number 388-3010) or Wildlife Center of Venice (http://www.wildlifecenterofvenice.org/; telephone number: 484-9657) for wildlife rehabilitation

Thanks, Sarasota County. Great Move for Wildlife

Sarasota County Environmental Lands Are Growing by 7,700 more acres east of Myakka River State Park.

Just in case you missed the news, on April 14 our County Commission approved purchasing the 3,808 acre Walton Ranch, one of the largest tracts thus far added to the County’s voter-approved Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program.

Commission approval to purchase a conservation easement for an equivalent-sized portion of the Longino Ranch is anticipated by the time this Brown Pelican is received. While both of these purchases must also be approved by the Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which along with other State sources will supply well over half the funds, the District has participated in the negotiations and no problems are foreseen. Cattle ranching will continue on both tracts, but trails for birding, wildlife viewing and picnic or camping areas will be developed by the County for public access.

Probably more environmentally important than the size of the acquisitions is their location, completing a broad wildlife corridor connecting the Myakka River State Park and adjacent preserves with a preserve in DeSoto County extending to the Peace River. That should allow such wide-ranging animals as black bears and Florida panthers to establish themselves in the eastern part of Sarasota County. Young male panthers already occasionally wander north from their normal range south of the Caloosahatchee River and one may be in the Myakka area now.



-Wade Matthews, Conservation Chair