Association News - May 2010

See the calendar for all the current events.

Did you know that St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge contains a rich history that dates from the prehistoric and includes seineyards, wars, Spanish explorers, powerful storms, three lighthouses and even a ghost town? The Association is nearing completion of the Historic and Cultural Signs Project. Soon visitors will be able to learn the rich history of the Refuge through eleven kiosks set up at significant points. In addition to viewing the images and text on the signs, brochures will be available that contain additional information. The kiosk structures are completed and waiting to be installed. The proofs for the signs that go in the kiosks have been received and are awaiting approval before final production. Brochures are being prepared to be placed in the kiosks. An announcement will be made once everything is in place. A fund to support the Historical Sign project has been set up in Loren Curro's memory. Donations can be sent to St. Marks Refuge Assoc., PO Box 368, St. Marks, FL 32355 an indicate that it is for Loren.

We wish to thank all the children and others who gave to the "Coins for Cranes" project, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their $5000 grant through the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Group Grant Program, the Disney Corporation for a laptop PC and monitor for the Refuge Visitor Center, Network Tallahassee for DSL service, and WAVE 94 FM for sharing their tower and building. We especially thank the many volunteers for giving thousands of hours working for the survival of the endangered Whooping Cranes.

What if St. Marks Refuge Association earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including B & H Photo, Amazon, target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter St. Marks Refuge Association as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

For years, colony-forming bats of St Vincent National Wildlife Refuge have dwelled in the attic of the old hunting cabin, a wooden lodging structure located on the barrier island near Apalachicola, Florida. Their twilight departure patterns the air and guano droppings on the porch provide a distinctive fragrance. A historical renovation of the cabin has now begun, which will displace the wintering occupants, a colony of Brazilian free tail bats. To resolve this problem, Joe Reinman, Wildlife Biologist at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge encouraged them to investigate building a community bat house on St. Vincent Island. [Read more]

President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, setting the start of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

"But maybe the best example of our importance to the American people took place in Florida some weeks ago. The newest class of young whooping cranes completed their first migration from Necedah Refuge in Wisconsin to St. Marks Refuge in Florida, the first time they were taken to that refuge. And there, at 6:30 in the morning, in 25 degree weather – almost unprecedented cold in Florida – more than 2,000 people awaited the whoopers’ arrival. It was wall-to-wall headlights from people who had driven miles to sit in a dark and distant field, to cast their eyes skyward, just to catch a glimpse of the flock, just to feel the wild spirit and be part of the magic.

All of us in the National Wildlife Refuge System help make the magic happen everyday. It is a life’s work that I have found extraordinarily fulfilling, and I thank you for what you do for wildlife and the American people. It is a precious legacy that we are leaving for future generations. So, celebrate the day, and celebrate each other for the successes of 106 years as the National Wildlife Refuge System."

Greg Siekaniec
Chief
National Wildlife Refuge System
USFWS

Saturday, February 21, 2009 - Monday, February 23, 2009. The 2009 Friends Conference will be hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge Association. A forum to energize Friends and build lasting relationships, this conference marks the fifth national gathering for Friends and Fish and Wildlife Service representatives to share new ideas and time-tested strategies with peers from around the country. The St. Marks Refuge Association will be represented by Lou and Betsy Kellenberger.

Refuges have an opportunity of a lifetime to create almost 20,000 new green jobs in local communities. NWRA and our partners in the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) need your help to secure an investment of nearly $1 billion for infrastructure and habitat restoration on national wildlife refuges across the country. [Read more]

Find all your Congressional delegates here: House, Senate

The critically endangered whooping crane arrived at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for the first time this January to spend the winter. With only a few hundred whooping cranes existing in the wild, these young cranes will need to learn to feed and protect themselves away from humans. Although they must remain hidden from us, learning about the amazing whooping cranes and their survival is important for refuge neighbors.

To support the cranes, the St. Marks Refuge Association invites all area civic groups and schools to donate to "Coins for Cranes." This project involves collecting spare change to sponsor a satellite camera with live action feed into the refuge Visitor Center at St. Marks NWR and sponsoring miles along the cranes' winter migration.

The civic group and class that raise the most money will receive a Crane Team certificate, personal visit from the Crane Research Team and a group photo to be displayed in the refuge Visitor Center. To participate, please contact:

Ms. Lori Nicholson
Education Specialist
(850)925-6121

“Those of us in North Florida know how much St. Marks and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuges give back to the public and to our communities,” said Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL). “In Congress, I support improved funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System, so that critical environmental and conservation initiatives, like those in St. Marks and St. Vincent, are able to move forward. I commend the hard work by those dedicated groups and individuals at the local level whose efforts will ensure that these areas are protected. Our state is home to some of the most spectacular environmental areas in this country, and it is our responsibility to protect these natural resources so that our children and grandchildren are able to appreciate them just as we have.”

Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL)
1227 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.5235
202.225.9656 (cell)
www.house.gov/boyd

Find all your Congressional delegates here: House, Senate

On April 12, 2008, the Florida Lighthouse Association held its meeting in Tallahassee, FL. After the meeting, members joined by Representative Matt Hudson visited the St. Marks Lighthouse. Ranger Andy Edel and members of the St. Marks Refuge Photo Club led tours to the top of the tower.

The Florida Lighthouse Association is a nonprofit group of citizen activists dedicated to the preservation of the 30 remaining historic lighthouses that line our state's 1200 mile coastline.

A special Thanks to Gordon Levi for supplying these photos.