We are Bringing the Wild to You!

April 1, 2020     0    27

FLORIDA WILDLIFE FEDERATION is Bringing the Wild to You! During this time of uncertainty and social distancing due to the COVID-19 virus, we want to wish all FWF members and supporters the best of health. Please be safe, wash your hands and stay at least six feet from others. While working remotely, FWF staff continues to fight for programs and projects to ensure protections for Florida’s unique habitats and wildlife. As many Floridians are at home, FWF will be bringing the wild to you in a twice-weekly email series. Be on the lookout for FWF’s Creature Feature each Monday and Nature at Home each Thursday. The impact of COVID-19 has reminded us that we are all in this together. Through these difficult times, FWF remains committed to keeping the Wild in Florida and we look forward to helping you stay connected to the natural world by Bringing the Wild to You.                     Photo by Raymond Kent Douglas

Call for 2020 Board Director Nominations

April 1, 2020     0    24

Call for 2020 Board Director Nominations Interested in joining the Board of Directors of the Florida Wildlife Federation or nominating someone else? If interested, please write to the Florida Wildlife Federation Nominating Committee, P.O. Box 6870, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6870 or email Michelle Forman at [email protected] Nominations must be submitted by April 25, 2020.  To be eligible, a candidate must be a resident of Florida and a member in good standing of the Florida Wildlife Federation. District and Regional Directors must reside in the region or district for which they would serve. Officers and At-Large Directors may reside anywhere within the state.  FWF Directors are expected to regularly attend Federation meetings, participate in Federation activities, assist in building Federation membership, be actively involved in fund-raising efforts, attend public workshops, act as a liaison with other conservation organizations, and generally promote and lead state-wide conservation activities through the Florida Wildlife Federation. Being an FWF Director requires a substantial commitment of time and resources but will give the individual an opportunity to be a conservation leader in Florida. 

Lost Springs

February 24, 2020     0    288

Put the Brakes on the Toll Roads

January 30, 2020     1    427

Put the Brakes on the Toll Roads At the end of the 2019 Legislative Session, legislators passed a law that will create three new massive toll roads in what remains of rural parts of the Florida peninsula. These roads were not part of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plans but were mainly supported by road builders and potential developers. The three roadways, totaling 330 miles, have been fast-tracked for completion even as existing routes need refurbishing. Indeed, Florida’s present transportation infrastructure is ranked 40th in the nation as to overall effectiveness and condition. Shouldn’t we focus on these needs? One rationale for these roads is to assist in hurricane evacuations, but this makes little sense. Florida emergency management directs Floridians to shelter in place or go to a safe location in your own county. Being on the road during a hurricane is a bad idea. What are the actual costs for these toll roads? The existing Suncoast Parkway toll road does not get enough use to pay for itself and is subsidized by users of the Florida Turnpike. It is a ...

NO TOLL ROADS!

January 18, 2020     0    489

NO TOLL ROADS! The 2020 Legislative Session is in progress. Now is the time to get involved. Tell our elected leaders not to waste money on three unneeded massive toll roads proposed to be built through the last remaining rural parts of the Florida Peninsula. These toll roads will bring sprawl and further degrade water quality and habitats and may well spell the end for the Florida panther. Please call or email the following: Governor Ron Desantis 850 717-9337 Senate President Bill Galvano 850 487-5021 [email protected] Senate President-Elect Wilton Simpson 850 487- 5010 [email protected] House Speaker Jose Oliva 850 717-5110 [email protected] House Speaker-Elect Chris Sprowls 850 717-5065 [email protected] Minority Leader Audrey Gibson 850 487-5833 [email protected]   Thank You!

Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Corals Need Treats Not Tricks This Halloween

November 8, 2019     0    793

In the pitch-black, bone-crushing depths of the Gulf of Mexico is a cast of creatures fit for a Halloween costume party. Vampire squid, headless chicken monsters, catsharks, sea spiders, and grouper dance with and dine on one another thanks to the deep-sea coral habitat that hosts such rare, vibrant gatherings. Dangerous as they may seem, these deep-sea dwellers have far more to fear from humans. Harmful fishing gear and energy extraction activities can permanently damage ancient corals, which could take decades to recover, if they do at all. However, a new rule being considered by the federal government could safeguard these precious habitats. In June 2018, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council approved Coral Amendment 9 to protect 484 square miles of deep-sea coral habitat. Now it is up to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the fishery management council, to approve the final rulemaking. The public has the opportunity to comment at this link until November 25 by going to https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0146-0034 Link to video of headless chicken monster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUx4G19ZIpw   Please let Secretary Ross know to save the corals.   Preston Robertson Florida Wildlife Federation (850) ...

Seagrass supports ocean life, protects coasts, boosts economy and faces threats

October 20, 2019     0    922

Seagrass supports ocean life, protects coasts, boosts economy and faces threats Seagrass supports ocean life, protects coasts, boosts economy and faces threats It's the world's perfect lawn: lush, green, and doesn't need commercial fertilizer. Seagrass-underwater plants that form dense beds extending for miles-play host to animals ranging from scallops and fish to crabs and shrimp, all of which are vital to marine ecosystems and many coastal businesses. These saltwater grasslands also provide services from erosion control to absorbing pollutants that run off land. Unfortunately, these habitats are disappearing due to threats that include coastal development, pollution, disease, warming waters, trawls, dredges, and careless boaters. Here are nine facts that show why seagrass merits protection: · Humans have used seagrasses for more than 10,000 years to fertilize fields, insulate houses, weave furniture, thatch roofs, make bandages, and fill mattresses and car seats. · More than a billion people live within 31 miles of a seagrass meadow. · Seagrass meadows are believed to be the third-most valuable ecosystem in the world after estuaries and wetlands. About 2½ acres of seagrass (roughly the ...

UPDATE ON CRITICAL LAND CONSERVATION CASE

September 10, 2019     1    1155

UPDATE ON CRITICAL LAND CONSERVATION CASE In November 2014, the overwhelming majority of Florida’s voters approved Amendment 1, the Water and Land Legacy Amendment. This Constitutional Amendment was to fully fund the Florida Forever program and expand conservation efforts and thus protect our water supply, open space, natural habitats and our quality of life, even as 1,000 new residents arrive in the state daily. The Florida Legislature did not follow the will of the people, and not only short-changed land protection efforts, but used money from this fund to pay for expenses with little relationship to land and water conservation. In 2015, owing to the Legislature’s reluctance to abide by Floridians’ wishes, the Florida Wildlife Federation and other conservation organizations sued the Legislature for unconstitutionally spending Amendment 1 dollars. Following months of sparring between the parties, the trial judge in Tallahassee ruled for Florida Wildlife Federation that the money was to be spent solely on land conservation efforts. The judge also ruled that the money could only be spent prospectively from the date of the Amendment. In other words, money could ...

"Firefly Skies"

September 5, 2019     0    960

The Florida Wildlife Federation is proud to offer prints of this imaginative new painting from Wildlife Artist Peter R. Gerbert. "Firefly Skies" is now available as a signed and numbered canvas print, limited to 200. Image size 12 by 18 inches, UV coated, framed (ready to hang) and unframed. Your print will come with a Certificate of Endorsement from FWF. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit wildlife conservation efforts in Florida. To order please visit – www.PeterRGerbert.com or www.PeterRGerbert.com/ fireflyskies.htm   “Fireflies, also known as Lightning Bugs, are not flies or bugs, they are actually beetles (order Coleoptera). The blinking light from a firefly comes from a chemical reaction called bioluminescence. They appear in my backyard every year in the Spring and always fascinate me. Luckily, I was able to temporarily capture a few to be able to study their interesting detail, or I couldn’t have done this painting showing some of them up close! My concept here is that this inquisitive red fox (Vulpes vulpes) runs into them and wonders about their luminescence . . . are ...

America's Wildlife Crisis

August 29, 2019     0    1871

America's Wildlife Crisis Join FWF to help save Nature! Birds - One-third of bird species in North America are in need of urgent conservation action. Fish - More than 40 percent of freshwater fish species are at risk in North America. Amphibians - Approximately 42 percent of amphibian species (frogs, toads, and salamanders) are threatened or declining in the United States. Reptiles - In the United States, 33 percent of turtles are threatened and 5 percent of other reptiles are threatened. Butterflies - Of the roughly 800 butterfly species in the United States, 17 percent are known to be at risk of extinction-but that's likely just the tip of the iceberg, since there isn't enough information on many native butterfly species. Bumblebees - More than one-quarter of North American bumblebee species are facing some degree of extinction risk. Bats - An estimated 18 percent of bat species are at risk of extinction, with an additional 13 percent potentially at risk. This places bats among the most threatened groups of North American vertebrates. Freshwater Mussels - Overall, 70 percent of freshwater mussels in North America are already extinct or imperiled.    One-third of all U.S. wildlife species are ...