Fred George Basin cleanup in support of Florida Forever a huge success!

Note: WPS would like to thank everyone who participated Saturday, and especially our friends at FSU Environmental Service Program, The Nature Conservancy, and Save Our Shores. Special thanks as well to WPS intern Rick Ulrich.

Take A Hike, Florida
By Alexis Diao
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
February 22, 2010
Related link: Support Florida Forever Coalition

Some local environmentalists spent their Saturday morning picking up trash in the Fred George Basin, a sources for Tallahassee's drinking wells. The basin's clean-up is one of ten events throughout the state collectively called "Take a Hike, Florida." It was hosted by the Florida Forever Coalition.

North Florida is peppered with sinkholes, and for the most part they're all connected. The same water in the Fred George Basin, for example, can be found an hour away in Wakulla Springs.

There's a lot of connectivity here in terms of keeping the groundwater clean. The entire environment supports a tremendous number of threatened and endangered species, including the Woodstork, which is a federally endangered species.

Misty Penton is an environmental activist and founder of the Wildwood Preservation Society. She helped organize this event with the Florida State Environmental Service Program.

"Right now, there aren't any trash traps to keep the trash from draining into the sinkhole area. That means that for 34-square miles, all of the runoff garbage is going down into that sinkhole."

The basin was recently purchased as public land through Florida Forever. Eventually, it will have trash traps, which are large strainers set in the water to catch floating debris.

Until these strainers are put in place to clean the basin water, volunteers are left to do the job. Thomas University student Rick Ulrich showed off black trash bag full of finds.

"Glass bottles, aluminum bottles, some balls, tennis balls, baseballs, that sort of thing."

The Fred George Basin clean-up wasn't your everyday walk in the woods. A month after the Federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed setting tougher standards for Florida's water quality, and about a week ahead of the legislative session, the statewide campaign was sort of a pep rally for environmentalists.

One of them is volunteer and director of Government Affairs for the Florida chapter of Nature Conservancy, Andy McLeod.

"We are participating today in part to call on the Legislature to provide sufficient funding to see that Florida Forever exists next year."

One cooler, thirteen car tires, and countless glass and plastic bottles later, the volunteers call it a day.


Endangered wood stork nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.

Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"

Take A Hike Florida!

Florida Forever Presents: Take A Hike, Florida!

Events Set Across Florida on February 20

On February 20, the Florida Forever Coalition and Floridians across the state will take a hike!

In support of the Florida Forever program, the Coalition will partner with local supporters to take part in a day of hiking designed to celebrate Florida’s natural treasures and raise awareness of the Florida Forever program. The hikes will take place across the state and will be open to the public. “Take A Hike, Florida!” has planned hikes in Seminole, Pinellas, Alachua and Nassau counties, to name only a few.

In Leon County, supporters of Florida Forever will join with FSU’s Environmental Service Program, the Wildwood Preservation Society and Thomasville University students to clean up the Fred George Basin. The Basin was purchased in part by an FCT grant, part of the Florida Forever program. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, work gloves and a willingness to get dirty! Participants should meet at the gates of the Fred George Basin Greenway, located ½ mile east of Capital Circle. For directions please contact Misty Penton at 850-559-9661.

The Coalition is celebrating 20 years of successful public land conservation under Florida Forever and its predecessor, Preservation 2000. The combined programs have protected more than 2.4 million acres of land. The land has many uses, from recreation to water quality preservation to protecting our military. Florida Forever has touched nearly every county in Florida and greatly improved our state’s quality of life.

Last week, Gov. Charlie Crist included funding for Florida Forever in his 2010-11 proposed state budget. The Florida Forever Coalition is urging the Legislature to follow the Governor’s example and provide funding for the program, despite the current economic climate. The recent economic downturn has provided unprecedented opportunities for the state to purchase critical environmental lands for bargain prices. This makes funding essential to the integrity of the program’s ability to negotiate future deals.

Successful Florida Forever projects include Pinhook Swamp, Annutteliga Hammock, Kissimmee River/Chain of Lakes, Pumpkin Hill, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Green Swamp, Fisheating Creek Ecosystem, the Archie Carr Sea Turtle Refuge, Yellow River Ravines, Seven Runs Creek, and Pier Park, to name a few.

Details on the Fred George Basin cleanup, including information on carpooling from FSU, is available here.

Fledgling egrets nesting in Fred George Basin, May 2009.

Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"

Florida environmental and wildlife news for the week ending 3-6-09

FEATURED STORIES

Environment Provides Florida Huge Economic Benefits
Press Release
The Nature Conservancy
View the report here.
The tremendous financial benefits Florida receives from its beautiful natural habitats and protected conservation lands are documented and compiled in a new report released today by The Nature Conservancy.

Florida lawmakers seek to streamline environmental, growth regulations
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Two lobbying heavyweights will square off over the Florida's controversial Big Sugar land buy, but another battle in the legislative session opening Tuesday could have broader impacts.

Wading birds vanishing in Everglades National Park
By Whitney Sessa
Miami Herald
It seems even Mother Nature is going through a recession.



MORE GREEN NEWS

State completes $3.4M purchase of Natural Bridge Battlefield
By Gerald Ensley
Tallahassee Democrat
The long effort to preserve the most important Civil War site in the Big Bend climaxed Thursday with the state purchase of 55 acres of the Natural Bridge Battlefield in southern Leon County.

Egmont Key, 18 Other State Parks Get Reprieve
By Mike Salinero
Tampa Tribune
Egmont Key and 18 other parks the state threatened to close in a cost-cutting move will remain open, a member of Gov. Charlie Crist's policy team said Thursday.

Climate forum: Water, wind and fire bombard Earth
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
Related: Car cramped, but gets 100 mpg
Stronger but maybe fewer hurricanes. Larger storm surges from ever-rising seas. More fires from intense lightning bolts.

Groups give state C grade on oceans protection
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Environmental News
Florida's efforts to reverse the decline of coastal and ocean resources earned only a C grade today from a coalition of environmental groups who want the state to show more national leadership on ocean issues.

State May Tax Bottlers For Springs' Water
By Mary Ellen Klas and Geoff Fox
Tampa Tribune
In a rural North Florida town where the water tower bears the motto "Tiny but Proud," residents have a big secret: They give the cold, clear spring water that bubbles up from the aquifer below their soil to the nation's largest bottled-water company - for free.

On the prowl: Burmese pythons expand their reach in South Florida
By David Fleshler and Erika Pesantes
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Armed with hooks, tongs and a snake bag, biologists at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge spent Thursday learning how to catch Burmese pythons.

Take Falcon Off the Endangered List?
FWC Press Release
WCTV CBS Tallahassee
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requests public comment on Florida’s draft peregrine falcon management plan.

Inglis reacts to proposed nuclear plant
By Chris Van Ormer
Chiefland Citizen
The debate about Progress Energy’s new nuclear energy plant still is lively, as proved at a Feb. 26 public testimony session in Inglis.

UCF students protest coal
By Amanda Welch
Central Florida Future
UCF student environmentalists joined thousands of young people in Washington D.C. Monday for the largest act of civil disobedience on climate change in U.S. history.

Obama veers from Bush's environmental course
By Traci Watson
USA Today
Even before George W. Bush can settle into his new house in Dallas, his legacy on the environment is being dismantled by his replacement in the White House.

Florida's coral reefs: A plan to protect them
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A few miles from the southeast Florida coast, at a depth of crushing pressure and frigid temperatures, lies an eerie world of snowy coral, undiscovered forms of life and rock towers thrusting through ink-dark water.

Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"