Outdoor classes focus on freshwater habitats
By SCCF - | Jan 20, 2021
SCCF
SCCF
The Sanibel School’s fourth-grade classes recently visited the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Pick Preserve located across the street for a Habitat Study Field Trip. Led by SCCF Educator Richard Finkel, students in Julie Wappes’ and Daryl Peters’ classes observed and recorded the defining plant life within the interior of Sanibel. Finkel reported: “Discovering the diversity of life found within the ecosystem clearly revealed the importance of freshwater habitats for the students. Students enjoyed the outdoor classroom and writing about their observations and excitement into descriptive narratives in the Pick Preserve’s gazebo.”
A different journey: Hiking during wet conditions
By SCCF - | Jan 20, 2021
SCCF
Otter
SCCF
Erick Lindblad Preserve
The winter months invite increased visitation to the island and more frequent use of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s hiking trails. In recent years the trails, such as the Erick Lindblad Preserve trails, were either dry or drying out by January. However, as a result of the active wet season, most of them are currently impassable without waterproof boots and expectations of getting muddy.
“Many people aren’t aware that hiking through shallow puddles or muddy trails during non-dry times can be quite enjoyable with the proper footwear and clothing,” SCCF Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz said. “Not only is it less crowded, but there are often different and increased opportunities to see wildlife, especially species that you may not see otherwise, such as river otters, freshwater fish, frogs and aquatic reptiles.”
Rick Bartleson gets asked every year: Will red tide ruin my Southwest Florida stay?
Would-be vacationers from up north on the verge of a week on the Gulf Coast start seeing headlines about red tide and panic – understandably. So they call the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation research scientist for the inside scoop. Few are as close to the daily details as Bartleson, who regularly samples the region s saltwater for harmful algal blooms like Karenia brevis and other water-fouling microorganisms.
Bartleson can t offer any guarantees, especially lately.
For more than a month, red tide has been lingering in patches along the Southwest Florida coastline from Marco Island to Captiva and beyond. In high enough concentrations, it can make a day – or a week – at the beach miserable. In some places, it s killing fish.
SCCF provides update on today’s red tide respiratory irritation
By SCCF - | Jan 6, 2021
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Marine Lab is continuing to monitor a red tide bloom to the south of Sanibel, officials reported today. Part of that monitoring includes providing counts of Karenia brevis, the dinoflagellate that blooms into red tide, from water samples collected at beaches on Sanibel.
The counts are uploaded to a Red Tide Respiratory Forecast tool that the public can visit online to plan their beach time along the coast. Today’s forecast is low to very low respiratory irritation based on current wind forecasts produced by the National Weather Service that are combined with K. brevis cell counts.
Sullivan to share experiences as ‘Most Vertical Person on Earth’
By SCCF - | Jan 6, 2021
PHOTO PROVIDED
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation announced that Dr. Kathryn Sullivan will talk about her career as “the most vertical person on Earth” at the 3rd Annual Paul McCarthy Memorial Lecture Series via Zoom. The 45-minute lecture will be offered live on Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
“We are honored to have Dr. Sullivan share her fascinating story of being the first person to both orbit the planet and reach its deepest point,” SCCF Chief Executive Officer Ryan Orgera said.
Aside from her amazing experiences of spending more than 500 hours in space and plunging seven miles down into the depths of the ocean, Sullivan has held a variety of senior executive positions.