Birds, Boats and Beach – A Winning Combination

Keewaydin Island is one of Florida’s longest unbridged barrier islands. It provides valuable habitat for coastal wildlife including the gopher tortoise, ghost crab, Florida panther and bald eagle. Each spring, sea turtles and coastal birds flock to the island to nest.

The southern tip of Keewaydin Island is also recognized as a boater’s paradise. On a “normal” weekend this time of year a few hundred people lose themselves along the island’s sandy shallows and gentle lapping waves. A few times a year, however, the shoreline transforms into a floating celebration for thousands of boaters, which is what occurred on the day of the annual Great Dock Canoe Race this month. More than 600 boats and thousands of visitors showed up to enjoy the half-mile stretch of beach following the race.

Earlier in the month, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve staff posted signs on six acres of nesting habitat on the interior of the island’s tip in an effort to protect least tern and plover nests from being trampled by unwary beach goers. Educational posters informing potential island visitors of the importance of good stewardship were distributed at rental companies and ramps throughout the area. Law enforcement officers representing Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Naples Police, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, DEP Park Patrol and the United States Coast Guard patrolled the area to ensure visitors enjoyed the island while respecting the neighboring wildlife.

Their combined efforts undoubtedly attributed to the fact that no major impacts to the island’s habitat were recorded following the event, despite the enormous attendance. Thanks to the Collier Marine Industry Association members who scoured the island for trash, everything was back to normal the following morning.

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Important Note: Hurricane season begins in nine days.
To promote awareness, Governor Charlie Crist has proclaimed May 25 – 31, 2008, as Florida Hurricane Preparedness Week. Learn more about how to stay safe this hurricane season; visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml.

Geocache Update: Referencing the Post's Volume 8, Issue 18 edition, Hotsauce the Oystercatcher travel bug, the Northwest District's first trackable item placed in the GreenShores’ Geocache, has found its way to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, more than 750 miles from its origin.