Views from the Boat on a Beautiful Fall Morning
nature coast
Nature Coast of Florida
National Estuaries Day
Rain. Rain. And more Rain. Streets are flooded. The roof is leaking–first time ever. This strange weather has been going on since we returned about 2 weeks ago. And we hear that it rained the entire six weeks that we were gone.
Last week was “Save our Water” week. There were several events–all outdoors–I would have liked to have attended but the forecast for rain put me off. Very disappointed.
The Three Sisters Spring presentation I posted about yesterday was indoors and we ran in with our umbrellas unfurled and kept our eyes down to miss the numerous puddles. There were only about twenty people attending and several of those were volunteers from the park in their uniforms. I’m blaming the low attendance on the damp weather.
Saturday was National Estuaries Day at the Crystal River Preserve State Park–another event I wanted to attend but didn’t think was possible since it was outdoors and even included a boat ride to the Marine Science Station. We woke up Saturday morning to a gray and cloudy sky but no rain. So we jumped in the Camaro and headed north.
There were several tents set up at the Crystal River Preserve State Park, many of them for children to enjoy. While waiting for our boat ride, we chatted with a ranger from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She was very informative and happy to talk about the refuge. She even invited us in to shelter from the sprinkles that started shortly after we arrived.
Our boat captain was volunteering for this event and during the ride told us about the Crystal River and the Salt River plus identified the birds we saw. We even saw two manatees on our way back. He was especially knowledgeable about the Academy of Environmental Science–right across the river from the Marine Science Station–because his own two children attend the school.
According to their website, The Academy is a Citrus County School Board–initiated charter school open to all students in the county from 9 – 12 grade that meet the requirements and it provides the necessary basic skills for careers in the environmental science.
We were met at the dock by our own tour guide, Paisley. She is a student in AP Biology at Crystal River High School. Paisley led us around the compound and explained what each building was for. At several stops we were met by other young people, either AP Biology pupils or students at the Academy of Environmental Science. All of the student volunteers were eager to explain their station and very informative.
Call me crazy, but I’ve always like teenagers. Even the surly ones. It was so much fun to spend the day with these young people that really appreciated the opportunities that the Marine Science Station and the Academy of Environmental Sciences offered them.
While we were waiting for our return boat ride, two of the instructors asked me how we liked the tour. I told them how impressed I was with all of the kids and how happy I was to see what was available for them in Citrus County. I said something about everyone being so old here which probably made for a miserable life for the young people. They both laughed–but it’s true. The average age is 65 in Citrus County. Seriously.
All 4th grade, 7th grade, and high school science students in Citrus County students spend educational time at the Marine Science Station. Plus there are two summer camps available–one for Middle School and one for High School students–both for five days and four nights. Paisley told us that attending the camp was the best time in her life.
It was great and educational day and I urge anyone interested in learning more about our estuaries to take advantage of future tours.
Three Sisters Springs Update
Terry and I first met Andrew Gude, US Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager, last January when we went to an open house at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River. It was a chilly day and we were one of the first attendees that morning. Several booths were set up and the first one we stopped at was sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife. The guide that we talked to spoke passionately about the springs and the obstacles that had to be overcome before the park was open full time to the public. We didn’t realize that it was Andrew Gude, then the acting refuge manager until we attended the Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge annual meeting a few weeks later. And shortly after that it was announced that Mr. Gude was the Refuge Manager with responsibility from the Tampa Bay to the Suwanee River.
Last week Terry and I attended Mr. Gude’s presentation on Three Sisters Springs at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park’s Visitor Center. Mr. Gude and Ivan Vicente, also with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, presented and patiently answered numerous questions. They definitely have quite a challenge. Visitation to the spring has doubled from 2010 to 2014. The major issue is how many people can the spring accommodate plus protect the manatee and the habitat.
Progress is being made. The park will be open to public access from November 15th until March, 7 days a week, access will be provided by a concessionaire. Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) is currently working on wetland treatment and after that is completed a new road will be put in. In the Summer of 2015 US Fish and Wildlife Service and SWFMD will begin a bank stabilization that will start in May and end in November. Textile bags will be placed under the banks with limestone rocks lining the water side. The trees will eventually root into the textile bags.
Mr Gude meets with the regional directors in Atlanta on September 30th with a followup meeting with the city of Crystal River sometime in October. It will be interesting to hear how they plan to protect the springs.
There will be two open houses in 2014 at Three Sisters Springs. The first is on October 25th from 9 am to 3 pm. We plan to be there! Early!
