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.

By Amber Prinkey

Next week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week and here in Florida we have over 500 of them. An invasive species is one that doesn’t belong AND causes problems for our native species. It’s important to remember that every animal has its place but when we start adding animals that don’t belong, it upsets the natural balance of our ecosystems. Invasive animals take resources from our native species such as the Burmese Python eating many of the small mammals that alligators and panthers need in the Everglades. What can we do? First, don’t release your unwanted pets into the wild. Second, report any sightings of invasive species to FWC at 1-888-Ivegot1 or on the mobile app so scientists can monitor them. Third, visit nature centers like SNC that help to educate the public and rescue the native species that need our help.

Curious about where these invasive animals have been spotted? Go to https://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/.

#NISAW

 #invasivespecies

Adorable but invasive – European Starling

By Amber Prinkey

In celebration of this week of love, please enjoy some pictures of our animals eating what THEY love!
Warning: sometimes animals eat gross things

By Natalia Astaiza

Great Blue Herons are fascinating, majestic animals that are always a treat to see, whether they are soaring the coastline or standing in the shallow water looking for fish. Here are some fun facts about these creatures:

• Great Blue Herons are very tall and stand 3 to 4.5 feet high. In flight, the bird looks huge with its six-foot wingspan.
• Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for 4 weeks.
• In flight, a Great Blue Heron usually holds its head close to its body with the neck bent.
• The young can first fly at about 60 days old.
• Even though Great Blue Herons seem like a big bird, they weigh only 5-6 pounds. Like other flying birds, their bones are hollow.
• A male heron collects the sticks used for nesting material, which he then presents to the waiting female.  She will weave the sticks into a platform which will be lined with soft materials. It might take 2 weeks to build their nest.
• Great Blue Herons hunt from shallow water, moving slowly and searching the water under the surface. They will eat whatever they can catch including frogs, snakes, crayfish, fish, small mammals and even other birds.
• There is a pure white species of Great Blue Heron that lives here in southern coastal Florida. One is currently on display at the Sawgrass Nature Center. Her name is Blue!
• They can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats.
• For such large birds, herons are speedy, flying as fast as 30 mph. They usually fly with their necks in an S-shape and their legs trailing behind them.
• The Great Blue Heron does not have a beautiful call. The rough squawk has a guttural almost prehistoric sound to it.

By Amber Prinkey

In honor of World Wetlands Day on February 2, let’s learn a little bit about the wetlands in our backyard. Did you know there are several different ecosystems that make up the Everglades? Here are a few:

Pinelands 

Slash pine is named after the “slashes” – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes. Pinelands need fire to exist, it clears out fast-growing hardwoods that would block light to pine seedlings. Many plants here are adapted to fire

Animals seen here are gopher tortoises, box turtles, swallowtail kites

Plants are pond apple, elderberry

Cypress Swamps

Dominated by cypress trees that are deciduous conifers, meaning they have needles like pine trees but lose their leaves in the winter like an oak tree. These trees have a unique adaptation, a “Cypress Knee” which may help anchor the tree

Animals seen are barred owl, river otter, wood stork, screech owl

Plants here are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) like Spanish moss, cocoplum

Sawgrass Prairie

Known as the River of Grass, this is covered in water during the wet season, but water levels drop during the dry season. Sawgrass gets its name from the saw-like teeth along with the blades

Animals are alligators, snail kites, and wading birds

Plants include bladderwort, spatterdock

Hammock  

Because of their slight elevation, hammocks rarely flood. Acids from decaying plants dissolve the limestone around each tree island, creating a natural moat that protects the plants from fire.

Plants are tropical Hardwoods like Mahogany, Gumbo limbo

Animals include snakes, bobcats, tree snails

Mangroves 

Mangroves are very important, they provide a nursery for shrimp and fish, a nesting area for birds, they filter water, and prevent erosion during storms

Animals here are raccoons, osprey, fish

Plants are wax myrtle, hibiscus

An easy way to help our wetlands is to conserve water. Taking shorter showers, running full dishwasher loads, and turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth are all ways to reduce our use of this valuable resource.

Did you know we have an apiary on our property? An apiary is a place where bees are kept (don’t worry, it’s safe!). Ours is maintained by Dr. Leo Gosser who collects the honey and combines it with several local apiaries which we then sell onsite.

You can help bees by planting native plants they like:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/gardening-with-wildlife/bee-plants.html

https://www.pollinator.org/guides