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| CCA FLORIDA HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS |
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CENTRAL FLORIDA MEMBERS COMPLETE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR OF MANGROVE
HABITAT RESTORATION ALONG THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON |
| [Return to Habitat Restoration Main Page] |
(from Seawatch Newsletter December 2003)
Central Florida members of CCA Florida have marked another successful year in restoring shoreline habitat along the Indian River Lagoon. Led by the Orlando Chapter, members and other volunteers have planted tens of thousands of mangroves along the lagoon’s shoreline the past few years. The annual restoration effort has grown each year with the support of the FishAmerica Foundation, the Canaveral Port Authority, Boeing Management Association, the Backcountry Fly Fishing Association, NOAA and Rockledge High School.
This year’s project was completed in September and included six separate plantings at five different locations along the Indian River Lagoon near Cape Canaveral. All together, 20,040 red mangroves, 200 black mangroves and 4,065 sprigs of smooth cord grass were planted along 3,000 linear feet of shoreline. The project is part of the Canaveral Port Authority’s Tidal Pool Park Project.
Students under the direction of Tom Stewart at Rockledge High School collect and sprout the wild mangrove propagules in a greenhouse facility that was renovated as part of an earlier project. Students at Rockledge and Titusville high schools also grow the cord grass sprigs in two saltmarsh nurseries that were also funded through an earlier project.
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Every mangrove sprig and sprout of cord grass is then transported to the sites and hand-planted under the watchful eye of Bob Epperson, the project’s science advisor.
“More than just restoration, these events provide an excellent
educational opportunity,” said Mark Carter, CCA Florida Vice President.
“At every planting, Doug Blanton provides an introduction on the
importance of mangroves and saltmarshes to the ecosystem. Plus, the
hands-on activity instills both young and old volunteers with an idea
of stewardship of our natural resources.”
Blanton and Carter have long spearheaded the lagoon restoration project
and are the driving forces behind its success.
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State Office: P.O. Box 568886 • Orlando, FL 32856
Phone: (407) 854-7002 • Fax: (407) 854-1766
e-mail: Marcia Dunfee |
Advocacy Office: 905 East Park Avenue • Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 224-3474 • Fax: (850) 224-5199
e-mail: Amy Harllee |
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