(from Seawatch Newsletter July 2003)

by Rick Farren

The CCA Florida Orlando Chapter is launching into another year of mangrove restoration efforts along the Indian River Lagoon. The restoration program is supported by a substantial grant from the FishAmerica Foundation (FAF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-istration’s (NOAA) Community Based Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program

This is the second year in a row that FishAmerica and NOAA have funded the major restoration project. This year’s grant was supplemented by matching funds from the Canaveral Port Authority.
“The restoration funding will enable our chapter members and other concerned citizens to continue the effort begun in 2002 with the initial grant,” said Doug Blanton, a member of the Orlando Chapter. “That program resulted in the successful planting of 23,000 mangrove seedlings at the Cana-veral Tidal Pool Park in Brevard County.”

The mangroves were planted during a number of organized “planting days” by volunteers from CCA Florida, Boeing Aerospace, the Backcountry Flyfishing Association of Central Florida, students from Rockledge and Titusville High Schools and citizens of all ages.

This year’s effort will include selected saltmarsh vegetation plantings to complement the mangrove restoration projects.

For the past decade, hundreds of CCA Florida members have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to help restore Florida’s marine habitat. For example, in the Tampa Bay Ecosystem, with support from the Duckwall Foundation and FAF, volunteers have worked for years with Tampa BayWatch to build oyster bars and plant literally hundreds of acres of saltmarsh.

“With support from foundations and local chapters we’ve been able to do more than just talk about habitat restoration,” said Mark Carter, CCA Florida Vice President. “We’ve been able to get out there and do something about it.”

Plantings on TV
In March, one of the restoration plantings was taped by the Outdoor Channel for the cable channel’s program “Focus Outdoors.” The show recorded volunteers planting mangroves and cord grass raised by the students of Rockledge High School. Chapter members were also interviewed about the restoration project. The show aired four times during the month of June.

Following the planting, Capt. Doug Blanton took Johanna DeGroff of the Fish-America Foundation near an area previously planted with mangroves. She caught her first ever redfish, a 13-pounder on 8-pound test.