Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ways to Be More Sustainable in Everyday Life

This theme of “Being the Change” is important to us here at Sawgrass Nature Center because we are focused on being sustainable and working to increase the ways we help the planet. By doing this, we are ensuring a future planet for the animals that we care for and the children we teach. Not only do we try and help contribute to that ourselves, but we focus on teaching and demonstrating that to others through our educational programs. Below I have provided a list of some of the ways you can “Be the Change”.

Reusable Water Bottles

This may seem self-explanatory, but reusable water bottles are one of the easiest ways to decrease your plastic consumption. There are plenty of water fountains and water bottle fill stations around where you can easily fill up your water bottle. Not to mention, stores such as Starbucks will offer discounts for individuals who bring in their own reusable mugs and water bottles. You can save money in addition to helping the planet.

Reusable Grocery Bags

Like above, this may seem like a no-brainer. But, it is important to note that there are still millions of plastic grocery bags that get thrown away every year. This can be very damaging to the wildlife that lives in the oceans and in countries where our waste is disposed of. Not to mention the fact that in states where you pay for plastic bags at the grocery store, it saves you money to bring in your own grocery bags compared to getting plastic bags at the store.

Reusable Tupperware/Silverware

As someone who brings in their lunch every day, it is important to note the importance of reusable containers and silverware. Disposable containers such as plastic, Styrofoam, or cardboard have contributed a lot to waste through either not being disposed of properly or not being able to be recycled in the first place. And the nice thing is that you don’t need to go out and buy a fancy container either- a good, sturdy plastic reusable container will work just as well.

Laundry

This one may get complicated, but you can save energy and reduce your energy bill simply by washing your clothes in a slightly different way. By washing your clothes in cold water rather than warm water, you can help reduce your energy output. This also helps to prevent stains and bleeding of clothes so less loads of laundry are done in the long run (reducing water usage and the water bill) and reduces shrinkage as well ensuring the longevity of your clothes as well.

Sustainable Toothbrushes/Razors

Some items certain people use daily include toothbrushes and razors. These (like other items in this list) are continuing to be disposed of improperly causing them to contaminate and contribute to waste production. Recently (within the last 10 years or so) people have worked to solve this problem through producing more sustainable products and methods for these items. These include bamboo toothbrushes which can be composted, electric razors and toothbrushes, and toothbrushes and razors with interchangeable heads which both reduce plastic production and waste.

These are just some of the ways you as a global citizen can help to reduce waste in your everyday life and help become more mindful of the world around you. I encourage you to continue to research ways you can help and build more sustainable habits in your life. We can work together to help protect the planet and ensure that this planet continues to flourish for future generations.

Hi everyone! Here at Sawgrass Nature Center, we have plenty of reptiles both as permanent residents and as educational ambassadors. To celebrate National Reptile Day we are introducing you to some of our reptiles that we have here, why they are here with us today, and letting you get to know more about the species itself. Reptiles in general share 3 common features: they all have either scales or scoots along their body, they are cold-blooded meaning they require outside sources (the environment) to regulate their body temperature, and they lay eggs on land.

Leonidas, Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps   

Leonidas is our resident bearded dragon. He is a resident here because he is a non-native species here in the US meaning he does not normally live here. Bearded dragons are native to Australia and normally live in a more desert-like environment. He was a surrendered pet that we adopted and has been here with us as an educational ambassador ever since. This is quite common with animals like bearded dragons as they have become common house pets and sometimes their owners do not provide the right living conditions for these animals or they become too much responsibility. Leonidas is an omnivore meaning he eats both plants and animals. In the wild, they normally eat small insects such as cockroaches or beetles in addition to local plants and foliage.

Red, Red Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta spiloides   

Red is one of our many snake residents here at Sawgrass Nature Center. He is a red rat snake and is a native species in the US with a range as far north as New Jersey and as far west as Texas. Red was a surrendered pet we adopted after Red’s owner was unable to care for it anymore.  The red rat snake prefers to live in tall cornfields, brush, abandoned buildings, and even trees as they are very good climbers. The red rat snake is carnivorous meaning it eats meat exclusively. Their diet mainly consists of small mammals and rodents, small birds, and different kinds of frogs and fish. These snakes are known as ambush predators meaning they stalk their prey and wait for the right moment to attack their prey.

Wally, American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis 

Wally came to us from a local alligator farm as a baby and has been with us since she became so dependent on humans that she was no longer able to be released into the wild. The American alligator is a native species in the US and can be found in the Everglades among other places. Alligators in general live in freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, etc. Alligators are carnivores and will primarily eat meat in their diets. This includes various types of fish and aquatic prey in addition to prey that lurk around the edge of the water in which they live. American alligators are known as apex predators meaning they are top hunters in the ecosystem in which they live and do not have many natural predators.

Pancake, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Apalone spinifera

Pancake is one of our turtles we have here as a permanent resident. We adopted Pancake from the State of Florida where he was surrendered as an unwanted pet. Although native to Florida, Pancake is unable to be released back into the wild because he has been reliant on humans for most of his life and has lost his natural survival instincts. The spiny softshell turtle is found in many freshwater ecosystems where it likes to burrow in mud and pebbles.  Spiny softshell turtles are omnivores meaning they eat plants and animals. In the wild, these turtles tend to eat vegetation as well as small insects and animals found on the bottom of the bodies of water in which they live.  

September 27^th marked national crush a can day which serves to help raise awareness of recycling and recycling practices around the country. The practice of recycling has been around for ages- converting natural materials into something new or reusing old materials to make something else. Early records of recycling practices date back to Pluto in 4 BC. During this time when resources were scarce, archaeological studies of ancient waste dumps show less household waste (such as ash, broken tools, and pottery), implying that more waste was recycled in place of new material. Since this time, the practice of recycling has been seen and utilized. In pre-industrial times, there is evidence of scrap bronze and other metals being collected in Europe and melted down for continuous reuse. The rise of industrialization around the 19^th century pushed for the demand of affordable materials. By the time of World War I, there were thousands of peddlers roaming around cities in the US taking advantage of markets forced to recycle post-consumer materials into the production of industrial goods.

However, the modern process of recycling has only been around for a few decades. This process helped to decrease energy usage after World War II.  However, in late 2017 and early 2018 changes in the recycling market led to a recycling crisis. China introduced a new policy focused on imported materials for recycling which set new standards giving them permission to deny and ban materials for being too hazardous or dirty. This caused a huge disruption and shift within the global recycling market causing prices of certain materials to decrease. At the same time countries were accepting more materials with no proper way to dispose of them so these countries shipped their waste to third-world countries that had fewer environmental regulations in place (which has been a practice that pre-dated this crisis). The increase in waste materials put pressure on these third-world countries because they did not have a proper way of disposing of these waste products. This often led to an abundance of waste leading to an increase in health-related issues due to poor waste management.

Not all is in vain.  Although some current recycling practices may not be focused on reducing waste, there are ways to improve waste management and decrease waste production. First, make sure you understand the varying recycling practices and management that are in place around your county by investigating what can be recycled and how to do it properly. Secondly, try analyzing the ways you can reduce your waste by reducing one thing at a time.  Finally, be aware of the things you are buying and not getting pulled into “green marketing”. This idea is something that companies use to portray the fact that they are eco-friendly when in fact they are not. This can be done by using cute pictures of nature, fancy awards or certificates on their packaging, or using green or “natural” colors in the marketing or the actual product they sell. These ideas all promote the idea of the company being environmentally friendly when that may not be the case.

Sources Used:

1. Black Dog Publishing (2006). Recycle : a source book. London, UK: Black Dog Publishing. ISBN 978-1-904772-36-1.
2. ^ Wood, J.R. (2022). “Approaches to interrogate the erased histories of recycled archaeological objects”. Archaeometry. 64: 187–205. doi:10.1111/arcm.12756.
3. “The truth about recycling”. The Economist. 7 June 2007.
4. Carl A. Zimring (2005). Cash for Your Trash: Scrap Recycling in America. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-4694-0.
5. ^ Hook, Leslie; Reed, John (24 October 2018). “Why the world’s recycling system stopped working”. Financial Times. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.

Today (September 16th) marks the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer which commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol signed on September 16, 1987. The focus of this meeting was to help limit harmful emissions into the atmosphere which in turn would help improve and ultimately build back the ozone layer. This was monumental because this was a global effort to help prevent the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). This protocol has been instrumental in fostering an age of new technologies devoted to improving the planet.

We have all heard of the ozone layer, but what exactly is it and why should we care about it? Well, here in Florida, it is extremely important if we want to continue being able to enjoy our time outside in the sunshine. The ozone layer acts as a protective layer around the Earth helping to protect the organisms that live on it from the harmful UV rays from the sun. It achieves this by filtering out harmful radiation that tries to enter Earth’s atmosphere. ODSs, when entering the atmosphere, break up ozone molecules in the stratosphere layer which severely deteriorates and compromises the ozone layer leading to an increase in harmful UV rays and allowing more radiation to reach the Earth’s surface.

These UV rays provide heat and warmth to the Earth’s surface as well as provide much-needed nourishment for the organisms that live on the planet. However, these UV rays are also responsible for sunburns and are the reason we wear sunglasses outside on a sunny day. Over-exposure to certain UV rays can lead to many serious health issues such as cataracts, immune system suppression, and genetic damage to name a few. In addition, exposure could lead to more serious health concerns such as skin cancer. While UV rays are important to the survival of life on Earth, it’s also important to have safe health practices in place as well.

Safe Practices:

By Amber Prinkey

Think about all of the times you’ve used water just today. Did you brush your teeth? Flush your toilet? Take a shower? Drink coffee? Water is an incredibly important part of our lives…and the lives of animals, too! So much of the earth is covered in water -71%!  Way more water than land exists today but not all of it is suitable for drinking. In fact, only 3% of all that water is freshwater. Of the freshwater, 68% is locked up in ice and glaciers! We really need to be careful with the water that we do have access to so that all people and animals have enough. That’s where water conservation comes in.

There are very simple ways we can save water and maybe you are already doing many of these. But for World Water Day, why not challenge yourself to do one or two more?

• Take shorter showers

• Run only full loads of dishes and laundry

• Take only the water you need for drinking

• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth

• Upgrade to low-flow faucets and showerheads

• Check for leaks in toilets and faucets

• Water your lawn only when it needs it and do so during the coolest part of the day

• Use a rain barrel to collect water for your plants

One of the rain barrels that sits near our backyard garden

By Amber Prinkey

March 18 is Global Recycling Day and since Coral Springs recently began their recycling program again, we thought we’d pass along some important information to keep this valuable program going. It was put on hold due to a 40% contamination rate which was costing the city too much in fees. Do you recycle correctly? These things do not belong in your recycling bin: 

• Plastic bags

• Foam products

• Aluminum foil/pans

• Shredded paper

• Plastic eating utensils/straws

• Paper towels/napkins

• Coat hangers

• Light bulbs

• Needles

• Greasy pizza boxes

Plastic bags are not recyclable in household bins because they may get caught in the rollers of the sorting machines which costs time and money to remedy. Instead, those can be dropped off at your local grocery or big box store. And plastic straws and foam products are never recyclable so instead, consider reusable or paper straws and containers.

See the rules for Coral Springs here https://www.coralsprings.org/Government/Departments/Public-Works/Garbage-Recycling/Recycling and sign up to have your recycling “audited” for a chance to win a gift card here https://www.coralsprings.org/Government/Departments/Public-Works/Garbage-Recycling/Recycling/Recycling-Rewards?mc_cid=96f52a4fc0 

We know it can be confusing but together we can make a difference!  

By Amber Prinkey

Two special days are coming up – March 12 is National Plant a Flower Day and March 14 is National Learn About Butterflies Day. Since butterflies depend on flowers, why not consider celebrating these two days by planting something our native flutterers will like? Head to your local nursery and pick up a native plant that is a host plant for your favorite butterfly and some native nectar plants as well. The Florida Native Plant Society has a list here: https://www.fnps.org/plants/butterflies. Of course you can always visit our nature center where you could see a wide variety of butterflies, bees, and birds visiting our many different plants. Don’t forget to download the Seek app before you come so you can identify the plants and butterflies that you see!

Some interesting butterfly facts:

• Butterflies are cold-blooded

• They have an exoskeleton

• They taste with their feet!

• Their proboscis (the tube they use for feeding) curls up like a garden hose when not in use 

• Most butterflies don’t live very long – about a month

• Skippers can fly the fastest – 37 mph! Most butterflies fly about 5-12 mph.

A long-tailed skipper rests in our front wetland

By Amber Prinkey

This year’s World Wildlife Day on March 3rd seeks to draw attention to the conservation status of our endangered species. Did you know Florida has over 130 threatened and endangered species? Let’s take a closer look but first some definitions:

Endangered means the species is seriously at risk of extinction. 

Threatened means the species is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.

Vulnerable means the species is susceptible to endangerment.

Here are some of our resident animals (some native, some not) that you may not have realized are in trouble:

Critically Endangered

Sinbad, Fred, and Alice: Yellow Naped Amazons – Due to habitat loss and the pet trade

Endangered

Bubba: African Spurred Tortoise – Due to habitat loss and climate change

Vulnerable

Chip and friends: Box Turtles – Due to habitat loss and the pet trade

Bumper: Greek Tortoise – Due to habitat loss and the pet trade

Carlos: Yellow Footed Tortoise – Due to habitat loss and over-hunting for food

State Designated Threatened

Drumstick and friends: Gopher Tortoises – Due to habitat loss

Spike: Burrowing Owl – Due to habitat loss

Federally Designated Threatened due to similarity of appearance 

Wally: American Alligator – Similar appearance to American Crocodiles

Many of these animals came to us because people no longer wanted them as pets. Please help by doing your research and making absolutely sure you are able to take care of the animal for its entire life before committing to it as a pet. You are always welcome to stop by and see these animals at our center! 

For more information about World Wildlife Day, go to their website at https://wildlifeday.org/

Our newest Gopher Tortoise who was kept illegally as a pet.