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Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries:
Ways You Can Help
Project ColonyWatch
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| Yellow-crowned night heron ©
RJ Wiley |
Download the ColonyWatch
Handbook What do birdwatchers
do best? Watch birds, of course! Project ColonyWatch uses
volunteer birders to adopt and protect local bird colonies.
Because a bird colony is a small site where many birds come
to nest, it is extremely vulnerable to disturbance during
nesting by humans, dogs, and natural predators. A badly timed
intrusion can cause the loss of an entire colony's nesting
efforts. Fortunately, for the same reason, well-designed protective
measures can safeguard hundreds or thousands of nests. By
recruiting and training volunteers to become the local "wardens",
biologists, and advocates for a nesting colony, we can increase
the effectiveness of our colony protection efforts across
Florida.
To date, volunteers from Sarasota, St.
Petersburg, Tampa, Venice Area, Indian River, Apalachee, Kissimmee
Valley, Manatee County, and Citrus County Audubon Societies
have participated in Project ColonyWatch, with important and
significant wildlife protection results. A Project ColonyWatch
Handbook to instruct volunteers on colony protection needs,
census techniques, agency outreach, media tips, etc. is available,
published in cooperation with the Sarasota Bay National Estuary
Program.
If you would like to establish a ColonyWatch
project in your area, contact Ann Paul at 813/623-6826 or
via email.
Alafia River Watershed Area Restoration Effort (AWARE)
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| Volunteers plant mangroves to help
restore a sanctuary island. |
AWARE is an environmental education and habitat restoration
program focusing on the area surrounding the Alafia Bank Sanctuary.
This colony, our flagship sanctuary, is listed by the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as the most important
colony in Florida and is among the largest and most diverse
"mixed-species" colonies in the continental United
States. Between 8,000-18,000 pairs of birds nest there each
year, of 16-20 species. AWARE recognizes that, while the nesting
colony is secure, the birds’ foraging areas are not. Successful
nesting depends on the availability of prey for birds to feed
their young. AWARE identifies habitat
restoration opportunities, presents them to appropriate agencies,
finds funding for restoration, habitat enhancement and land
acquisition, and improves habitat protection permanently in
the Alafia River watershed. Insodoing we hope to benefit fisheries,
water quality, upland habitats, seagrasses, and freshwater
inflows to the estuary. To date, over 500 acres near the Alafia
Bank Bird Colony have been acquired and more than $1 million
funneled toward restoration of these acres through the efforts
of the AWARE program. Recent publications
relating to habitat and wildlife issues produced by the AWARE
program include:
AWARE also works with local citizens organizations
and volunteers to build public awareness of and support for
these projects, and for the protection of wildlife habitat
in their communities. AWARE Outreach involves talks to local
community groups, conservation organizations, civic committees,
social clubs, and the creation of the Alafia River Basin Stewardship
Council, a river landowners activist organization. Volunteers
have collected trash, eradicated non-native plants from upland
habitats, conducted wildlife and vegetation surveys, and developed
restoration and habitat enhancement project suggestions. All
these activities increase local understanding of land management
needs to foster a healthy environment.
If you would like to get involved in AWARE,
either in Tampa Bay or in your community through AWARE Outreach,
contact Ann Paul at 813/623-6826 or via email.
Monofilament Cleanup
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| Monofilament clean-ups seek to remove discarded fishing line from the environment where it can kill birds like these. |
Seasonally, in October, when the birds
are not nesting, Coastal Islands Sanctuary volunteers coordinate
in cooperation with Tampa BayWatch and visit over 50 colony
islands in Tampa Bay, Clearwater Harbor, and Sarasota Bay
to remove fishing line and other materials which could trap
birds and wildlife. Fishing line has been identified by the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as the predominant
mortality factor for adult Brown Pelicans. Persisting in the
colony, a piece of fishing line can kill one bird after another.
Removal of the line aids the survival of healthy wild birds,
especially breeding adults. We estimate that this project
saves the lives of 200-300 adult birds each year. The most
vulnerable species, and therefore the most likely beneficiaries
of removal of monofilament from nesting islands, are pelicans,
cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls, terns, and skimmers.
If you would like to join the next monofilament
cleanup, contact Ann Paul at 813/623-6826 or via email.
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