Ghost Forests: How Rising Seas Are Killing Southern U.S. Woodlands

Posted on by

Author Roger Drouin recently toured the Preserve guided by David Kaplan and Katie Glodzik from the University of Florida Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. Using information from his visit he discusses the effects of rising sea levels on Gulf coastal forests in this article in Yale Environment 360.

E360 REPORT – Ghost Forests: How Rising Seas Are Killing Southern U.S. Woodlands

A steady increase in sea levels is pushing saltwater into U.S. wetlands, killing trees from Florida to as far north as New Jersey. But with sea level projected to rise by as much as six feet this century, the destruction of coastal forests is expected to become a worsening problem worldwide.

Yale Environment 360 is a publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Monofilament Recycle Bins

Posted on by

monofiliment_recycleThe Inglis / Yankeetown Lions Club, in cooperation with the UF / IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station have installed two Monofilament Recycle Bins in Yankeetown. One bin is located at Yankeetown’s boat basin park and the second is at the boat ramp at the end of Hwy 40. The Lions Club will collect and send the line to a monofilament recycle center.

The Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program is dedicated to reducing the environmental damage caused by discarded fishing line. Improperly discarded monofilament fishing line causes devastating problems for marine life and the environment. Marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and birds can be injured from entanglements, or might ingest the line, often resulting in death. Human divers and swimmers are also at risk from entanglements. Monofilament fishing line can last up to 600 years in the environment.

Help keep waterways tangle free by recycling fishing line responsibly!

Duck Race History and Sponsorship Menu

Posted on by

duck

The Friends of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve annual Rubber Duck Race takes place during the Yankeetown Seafood Festival on the Withlacoochee River. The Seafood Festival happens the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Each year as our floaters take to the Withlacoochee, they are inspired by their yellow brethren from the container ship Ever Laurel. In 1992 while en route from Hong Kong to Washington State a container of 28,000 Friendly Floatees was lost in the mid-Pacific. These intrepid rubber ducks have braved the oceans of the world for decades. From their landfalls we have learned more about ocean currents!

360px-friendly_floatees

You can honor their legacy and support your community by sponsoring your own floaters (Sponsorships: One Duck, Six Quack, Quackers Dozen, Whole Flock). Whole Flock sponsors also receive a Friends of the WGP membership. Sponsorships can be purchased online via PayPal.


Sponsor Ducks Here


You can observe the race from in front of the Izaak Walton Lodge, home to the Black Water Grill and Bar. The sponsor of the fastest duck will receive $200. And in keeping with those of us with a more relaxed view of life, the sponsor of the last duck is awarded $50.

The annual duck race is a major source of funding for the Friends of the Preserve. Come out and support the Preserve and have some fun.

NOTE: Sponsorship of a Flock of Ducks at $100 includes annual membership as a Friend of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve.

Successful Controlled Burn

Posted on by

The Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve underwent a controlled (prescribed) burn on April 20, 2016. The Yankeetown management plan for the Preserve includes the use of periodic controlled burns. Frequent low-intensity fires are natural phenomena. Fire suppression by man is not. The health of many ecosystems depends on fire. Low-intensity fire promotes new growth and prevents the build up of fuel that could cause a devastating, all consuming, wildfire.

The town of Yankeetown, the WGP Board, and the Friends of the WGP want to thank the Florida Forest Service for a job well done. The result of this successful burn will be a healthier Preserve and a safer Yankeetown community. If you would like to learn more about the burn please watch this video.

Gopher Tortoises

Posted on by

gopher-torstoiseGopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are long-lived reptiles native to the southeastern United States. They occupy upland habitat throughout Florida including forests and pastures. Gopher tortoises are herbivore scavengers and consume a variety of plants, including grasses and terrestrial legumes. (Photo by FWC Research)

In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as threatened and both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law. A keystone species plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community. The gopher tortoise is a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for more than 350 other animal species. The decline of a keystone species is especially hard on a wildlife ecosystem.

Protected habitat like the Preserve is very important to the long term survival of the gopher tortoise. Periodic gopher tortoise surveys are done at the Preserve and the results reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Conservation of the gopher tortoise depends not only on the efforts of FWC and other conservation groups, but also on Florida’s citizens. For more information on Gopher Tortoises, see:

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/gopher-tortoise/

Want to become a citizen scientist and help the FWC? There’s an app (Android and iOS) for that

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/gopher-tortoise/app/

WGP Dock

Posted on by

dock

The Preserve Dock is accessible from the Withlacoochee Bay via Helverson Creek. Its GPS location is N29.02468, W82.73412. A toilet, picnic area, and the Observation Tower are a short walk from the Dock.

The Dock is approximately a one hour paddle from Bird Creek Park at the end of Hwy 40. Note, this route can be very shallow at low tide.

Bioblitz at the WGP

Posted on by

The Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Bioblitz on March 15th & 16th, 2014 was a major success, and a fun, hands on learning experience. The goals of the Bioblitz were to identify flora & fauna and provide a program of expert-led nature walks, kayaking, and presentations. The program included:

Flora and Fauna of the Big Bend
by Dr. Linda Tyson (Santa Fe College)

Plant Lore: the History of Florida’s Coastal Flora
by Lars Andersen (Adventure Outpost)

Paddle the Estuary
by Lars Andersen (Adventure Outpost) and UF Students

Birds of the WGP
led by Mary Keith (Tampa Audubon Society/Hillsborough County Extension)

Intro to Plant ID and Plant Walk
by Amy Langston (UF)

Mapping Sea-Level Rise
by Nicholas Digruttolo (UF)

Herpetofauna and Invertebrate Surveys
by Paul Moler (FL FWC)

Botanical Inventory
by Dr. Colette Jacono (UF)

Tidal Creek Seine
by Tom Ankersen (UF), Richard Hamann (UF) and Leroy Creswell (Florida SeaGrant)

WGP Bird Inventory
by Adam and Gina Kent (Avian Research and Conservation Institute)

Intertidal Invertebrate Species Inventory
by Rebecca Squibb and Elliot Hart (UF)

Island Tree Survey
by Dr. David Kaplan (UF)

The WGP BioBlitz was organized by University of Florida Environmental Engineering Professor David Kaplan’s Watershed Ecology Lab. We want to thank them and all who participated in this great two day event.

Coastal Forests Retreat As Sea Levels Rise

Posted on by

In this article in The Palmetto — Florida Native Plant Society, Francis E. “Jack” Putz discusses the effects of rising sea levels on Gulf coastal forests. The Palmetto · Winter 2012

“The effects of sea level rise are often difficult to differentiate from the myriad of other drivers of coastal change, but the expanses of dead trees looming over Gulf Coast marshes is compelling evidence. The story unfolds very clearly in Yankeetown’s Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve…”