“A year to be proud of” I - Lemon Bay Conservancylemonbayconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lbc_fall2013_elo.pdfcommunity friends, observe first hand Wildflower’s many

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT“A year to be proud of”

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 • VO L U M E 4 3 • I S S U E 2

From the President 1 Wildflower Preserve Update 3

Get to Know Your Wildflower Guides 5

Dear Fellow Members 6 Tarpon Committee 7

Toast to the Coast 2014 7 First Year Juvenile Tarpon Study 8 When is Forever Not Forever 9

Get Involved 10New Board Members Named 10Contribute/Join 11Nature Walk Schedule 12

am pleased to report 2013 has been a monumentally successful year for LBC & Wildflower Preserve. Teamwork has been our ally. The LBC board’s leadership and planning, our superb volunteer efforts

and your generous financial support have all combined to allow LBC to truly “Make a Difference” in our community. At Wildflower Preserve, now in our 3rd year of ownership: we improved our many successful programs & tours and made significant trail & landscaping improvements only possible via grants and our incredibly committed volunteers. Lastly, we proudly met our 2013 membership expansion goal by increasing LBC’s membership by 91% from 326 to 622. This is a milestone achievement. Sincere thanks to all!

LBC is proud to welcome 2 new Board Members: Vickie Keidel, Cape Haze & Lew Hastings, Boca

Grande. Please take time to meet them & read their bios in this Newsletter. We are interested in expanding our Board and committees. Please let us know if you have a strong interest in helping LBC “make a difference.”

Now, as we approach 2014, there are many more wonderful LBC projects on the horizon, involving Wildflower and other coastal lands, all of which will require additional planning, hard work and donations:• LBC is presently upgrading and expanding our Web Site and our

Facebook page to provide better real time progress updates and photos of our many exciting projects via electronic media to our members. continued on page 2

I

In This Issue

LBC President Jim Cooper looking forward

to another exciting year.

COPYRIGHT © 2013 LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

for the preservation, protection and acquisition of natural areas important in maintaining the ecological balance of Lemon Bay and adjacent waters

LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY | Winter 2013

OFFICERSJim Cooper

President941.830.8922

[email protected]

Percy AngeloVice President941.830.8922

[email protected]

Hillary DahmsSecretary

[email protected]

Walter MeanwellTreasurer

[email protected]

DIRECTORSMatt DePalma, Eva Furner,

Lew Hastings and Vickie Keidel

NEWSLETTERLew Hastings / Committee Chair

Norman S. Hotz / Lakeside StudioCreative Services941.408.7923

[email protected]

©2013 Lemon Bay ConservancyNo portion of the content may be

reproduced without the express permission of the Lemon Bay Conservancy and/or

Lakeside Studio

Lemon Bay Conservancy, Inc. 2980 Placida Rd., Suite 201 Englewood, Florida 34224

[email protected]

Stay In Touch at our Websitewww.lemonbayconservancy.org

2

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

• LBC has expanded our Tarpon Committee’s focus to identify key natural essential fish habitat nursery areas for protection in Charlotte Harbor and to identify potential partners for their land trust acquisition.

• Another Eagle Scout project at Wildflower and more necessary exotic removal on the horizon.

• August 2013 LBC partnered with Fiddler’s II and the State Forest Service to successfully cut and create a 75 foot wide Firewise grant program “safety buffer zone” around all units bordering Wildfire Preserve.

• Our Wildflower trails & educational signs keep improving thanks to Jelks Trust & CHNEP grants.

• This year at Wildflower we are initiating our first community educational nature theme Safari Tours.

• This year at Wildflower we are pioneering our first series of school children’s hands-on environmental educational nature events with the both L.A. Ainger Middle School and Lemon Bay High School.

• Audubon magazine national recognition for LBC’s successful conversion of the overgrown abandoned Wildflower golf course to Wildflower Preserve a vibrant nature conservation area for birds and critters.

• This year marks year 2 of our exciting, historical, first in the U.S. Juvenile Tarpon Nursery data sampling partnership with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, led by U. of FL intern, JoEllen King. This first year we sampled

& released about 900 baby tarpon and we now have two tracking antennas installed.

• On Thanksgiving Day 2013, LBC’s pioneering Juvenile Tarpon nursery habitat conservation, protection and data sampling program success will be featured in a World Fishing Network documentary video as LBC was the Conservation Sponsor at the May 2013 Boca Grande - Kids Tarpon Fishing Tournament.

• We are tremendously excited that the Water Management District’s $200,000 design grant should soon be in place to help us design lasting improvements in functionality to our wetlands areas and the surface water flows to our 6 freshwater ponds and to our 3 Lemon Creek ponds at Wildflower Preserve.

You, our valued members are the heart and lifeblood of Lemon Bay Conservancy. Without your annual membership, donations and volunteer activities, there is no Conservancy, and there would be no Wildflower Preserve, no educational activities and no group to advocate for the preservation of our magnificent Southwest Florida lands. So, we continue to need your help again this year! Especially as the State seems dedicated to selling off some Florida Forever Program currently preserved Conservation Lands in our region that contain essential tarpon and snook fish habitat. Indeed, we truly need your annual membership

Winter 2013 | LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

ww

w.lem

onbayconservancy.org

support, now to win this battle and protect our essential game fish. Please (1) encourage your friends to join and (2) consider raising your membership level, if you can, and join our active team. It makes a big difference when we deal with conservation issues that our organization represents hundreds of voices with whom we stay in close touch via our newsletters, our web site and e-mails (Please be sure we have yours!). Plan ahead to learn more & enjoy the natural splendor of nature this year with LBC and “volunteer.” Make new community friends, observe first hand Wildflower’s many wildlife, bird and natural treasures and join in the fun. The folks volunteering at Wildflower are having a ball, making great “legacy” things happen. If cutting brush or planting a butterfly garden is not for you, volunteer in the office or help man a booth for us at an event. Our teamwork, working together to make good things happen, is what makes us great!

INVITATION: Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy several of LBC’s scheduled activities this season: • Sat, Jan 25, 2014: “LBC

Nature Safari & Open House at Wildflower Preserve” for the Public.

• Fri, Feb 21, 2014: Meet wonderful new friends at LBC’s Annual Toast to the Coast – fun fundraiser at the scenic

sunset view Boca Grande Pass Club with a relaxing band & silent auction featuring dinner, an open bar and fun activities. Reserve Tickets Now: $125. Call Vanessa; 941-830-8922: (see article, page 5)

• March 25-27, 2014: “CHNEP Water Summit” in Punta Gorda at the Events Center” – JoEllen King & Dr. Aaron Adams present a summary of our 1st year Juvenile Tarpon Study results at Wildflower.

Remember: Your annual donations are our life blood. Yes, we stretch our dollars and we have applied for and received

hanks to community and corporate donations and to the remarkable efforts of T

Wildflower Preserve Update

our volunteers, we continue to improve both the quality of the natural habitats

several grants. However, it’s your generous donations that make all of our wonderful conservation successes possible. Let’s all work on expanding LBC’s membership to 800 or more this year!

We thank you for all of your valued past support. Best wishes for the holiday season and a very happy and rewarding New Year.

Sincerely,

Jim CooperPresident

Volunteers installing a floating island at Duckweed Pond. Pictured (L to R): Bob Fowler, Tim Siegner, Bob Cooper.

PHO

TO ©

EVA

FU

RN

ER

3

continued on page 4

By Eva Furner

LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY | Winter 2013

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

within Wildflower Preserve and the environmental education opportunities that we offer.

The Home Depot Foundation provided a grant and volunteers to work with our LBC volunteer team on expanding and improving the butterfly habitat. Grant funding was used to bring in soil and plants for a new nectar garden area, to purchase a portable irrigation system, to build two new benches, and to add a trellis and a bird bath. Cape Haze resident Byron Crowe arranged a donation of several hundred feet of rope that our volunteers have used to install a post and rope system to better delineate the various sections of the habitat. Through the hot summer months, volunteers Maura Qualls, Ruth Wilson, and Jane Wallace have continued to spend their Monday mornings nurturing the plantings and adding to the variety of plants growing there. Ruth even found time to paint a butterfly scene on the rain barrel! Visitors to the preserve can see the results of all these efforts in a beautiful display of flowers and regular visits by a variety of butterfly species.

Funding provided by the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) has allowed LBC volunteers to implement three water quality initiatives at the pond we refer to as “Duckweed Pond”. This pond has extremely high nutrient levels

(phosphorous and nitrogen.) The first water quality initiative involves harvesting the floating duckweed plants from the pond using nets and a diaphragm pump. Removing the duckweed periodically allows us to remove the nutrients absorbed by the plants. This work is very labor intensive and we are continuing to look for ideas to improve our efficiency in the ongoing removal efforts.

The second water-quality initiative is the installation of floating plant islands in the pond. These islands are made from closed cell foam with openings for plants that grow hydroponically. In the spring, we will remove the plants that have been growing in the islands, removing excess

nutrients with them. The islands will be replanted with new seedlings. In addition to removing nutrients, the islands serve as resting spots for birds and turtles, allowing visitors to more readily see these preserve residents. The third water-quality initiative is the installation of a solar aeration system in the pond. This system adds oxygen to the water column, improving pond health.

Funding from another CHNEP grant literally provided “seed” money. Grant funds were used to buy 20 varieties of wildflower seeds that LBC volunteers and students from the Lemon Bay High School Environmental Club used to start a new Wildflower Meadow adjacent to the Butterfly Habitat.

4

Englewood Home Depot and Lemon Bay Conservancy volunteers stop for a break during the Team Depot project day at the Wildflower Preserve Butterfly Habitat. Pictured (L to R): Standing: Ken Frisbie, Sue Murphy. Linda Kirchoff, Ruth Wilson (partially hidden), Maura Qualls, Bob Cooper, Tom Managhan, Colleen Horan, Jennifer Taylor. Seated: Eva Furner, Sharron Kusiar, Sondra Buchner, Bob Fowler. Relaxing: Bob Hildebrand.

PHO

TO ©

EVA

FU

RN

ER

WILDFLOWER continued from page 3

Winter 2013 | LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

ww

w.lem

onbayconservancy.org

s we emphasize again and

again, LBC is a volunteer organization which accomplishes amazing things with the help of talented members of the community. LBC members and other visitors to Wildflower have probably taken a tour shepherded by one of the Wildflower guides. In addition to Professor Bill Dunson, one of our first guides (and trailbreaker and all around science guy), Dave Clayton and Bob “Coop” Cooper are frequent guides as well, and each brings a wealth of experience to the task.

Coop Cooper spent 27 years at the Rochester (NY) Museum and

Science Center as an instructor of natural science and curator of zoology, and 8 years as Head Naturalist at the RMSC Cumming Nature Center. He has an undergraduate degree in forest biology and an masters in secondary science education. On behalf of an eco-tourism company called Nature Discoveries he

A

Get to know your Wildflower Guides

The Jelks Family Foundation provided funds that are being used for many of our ongoing needs, including maintaining equipment, buying supplies, and adding new signage. Community leaders Tom Dignam and Jack Landis heard we wanted electricity in the parking lot area for special projects and took on the task of making that happen. Residents at The Hammocks Cape Haze donated two picnic tables that we have placed under the oaks near the meeting meadow. Thank you to all the individuals and groups who are supporting preserve improvements!

And, our volunteers are truly amazing! Through their efforts, we continue to work on improving the trails within the preserve, adding interpretive signs, removing Brazilian Pepper and other invasive plants, building benches, maintaining the bird observation area, creating basking rafts for turtles, conducting monthly bird surveys, implementing monthly water sampling, adding educational videos to the Lemon Bay Conservancy channel on YouTube and many more projects! A special “shout out” to Bob Fowler and Roy Ault for working thru the summer months on mowing and trail maintenance. With all the rain this year, keeping the trails open was a big challenge.

If you’d like to join the Wildflower volunteer team, we

5

continued on page 6

can always use more help! Stop by the preserve on Monday or Wednesday mornings at 8:00 am, or call the office at 941-830-8922 to discuss how you can help!

Wildflower Preserve is open to Lemon Bay Conservancy members daily and to the public during regularly scheduled events. Our winter nature walk

series will resume in December. Visitors are also invited to observe the monthly juvenile tarpon research at Lemon Creek. And, a special Open House event is being planned for January. Please see the schedule of activities published in this newsletter and mark your calendars to come out and enjoy the preserve! ■

Wildflower guides Coop Cooper (left) and Professor Bill Dunson.

PHO

TO ©

EVA

FR

UN

ER

LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY | Winter 2013

6

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

the work of its volunteers. So, thank you to all of our members for your time, effort and financial support. We couldn’t do it without you!! Our mission of saving land, environmental advocacy and education are the hallmarks of LBC and we will continue to flourish with your ongoing help. We have big plans and need your help to make them happen!!

Like any all volunteer organization, we rely heavily on the generosity our members and this is the time of year we ask that you please renew your membership in LBC. The next best thing you can do for Lemon Bay Conservancy is to help

y name is Vickie Keidel and I was recently named to the LBC board of

directors. I became involved with LBC because a friend I walk with kept telling me all about Wildflower Preserve and all that was taking place there. Her contagious enthusiasm prompted me to have a look for myself and I have been hooked ever since. After seeing Wildflower Preserve and learning the history of LBC, it was easy to understand why LBC membership has recently grown to over 600.

Speaking of membership, since its founding in 1971, LBC has been totally supported by donations and

M

Dear fellow Lemon Bay Conservancy (LBC) Members

has led over 30 tours, with trips to Africa, the Canadian Rockies, the southwest deserts, the Galapagos, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Virgins, Alaska and Hawaii. Coop describes himself as a naturalist rather than a specialist as he likes to weave the information about living organisms together to help people understand the complexities of the natural world.  He likes to use the Greek and Latin binomial naming system for plants and animals, as well as the common names, because the formal names often describe an attribute of the species. He says he is a jack of all trades and master of none, though participants on his walks might beg to disagree with his modesty. Coop is a snowbird, buying his condo in the Sanctuary the year before the Wildflower golf course closed.  He walks or rides his bike to “work” at Wildflower.

Dave Clayton describes himself as a “biologist who went bad.”  He has an undergraduate major in zoology with graduate study in plant physiology, but  he spent his career running a “skunk works” in academic computing at the University of Rhode Island.  Natural science has been an ever present avocation; since the mid-90s Dave has volunteered as a naturalist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rhode Island SWR Complex, leading nature walks, developing nature trails and designing educational materials. He also served on the

Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.  Concerned about the anti-science attitude which has developed in the country, Dave uses Wildflower walks as an opportunity to focus on a general scientific outlook on the natural world, including plant and animal adaptations and evolution. Dave is a snowbird also, beginning his Florida migrations in 1958, and settling in our area in 2008. 

In the coming year LBC plans to offer more specialized walks at Wildflower, focusing separate walks, for example, on terrestrial

and fresh and estuarine aquatic systems. Bill, Coop and Dave will be helping design these walks, which will respond to our conviction that we are always finding something new to intrigue and excite us at Wildflower.

Our science experts and walk leaders demonstrate as well the enormous amount of talent in the community and the generosity of spirit which motivates our volunteers and members. We are grateful every day for their skills and dedication. ■

Winter 2013 | LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

ww

w.lem

onbayconservancy.org

will establish best practices to maintain a sustainable tarpon fishery.

This in mind the Lemon Bay Conservancy has developed a Tarpon Committee in 2013 which meets once a month and has carefully chosen the guidance of some of the most respected and knowledgeable fishing guides, conservationists and scientists available on the Gulf Coast.

The goal of the committee is to direct the research towardsbuilding a model of tarpon habitat identification, conservation and management that can be replicated around the world in the hopes that

7

!!! SAVE THE DATE !!!FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Toast to The Coast2014It’s never too early to plan for fun! Lemon Bay Conservancy’s TOAST TO THE COAST 2014 promises to be a great evening of music, food and friends celebrating the enduring magic of our coastal home.

The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Boca Bay Pass Club. There will be exiting auction items and fun prizes. The cost is $125 per person and includes an open bar. All proceeds go toward LBC conservation projects. You can help us continue our important work in habitat preservation and have a great time doing so! The TOAST TO THE COAST is the Conservancy’s only fundraiser of the season, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of our ongoing efforts to preserve our wonderful and unique environment.

For reservations, call Vanessa at 941-830-8922 or email [email protected]. Space is limited, so contact us today!Tarpon

Committeet the time we discovered juvenile tarpon in our ponds at Wildflower

preserve, no one involved could possibly have imagined the ramifications of such a discovery and certainly never dreamed that groundbreaking research would develop and command not only a regional stage but also one that is slowly getting attention nationwide.

The resulting data gleaned will quite possibly lead to not only a better understanding of the magnificent species megalops atlanticus but will hopefully guide us in critical decision making that

A

generate new members. Our goal this year is to increase our membership by 25% (180 new members). We ask that you not only continue to be a member but introduce new members as well. Take a minute to remember what got you involved with LBC and talk it up with your friends and associates.

I look forward to meeting you at one of our many functions during the upcoming year and again want to thank you for everything you have done for Lemon Bay Conservancy.

Sincerely,Vickie Keidel

Membership Committee Co-Chair

someday tarpon will no longer be identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, as vulnerable when assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Our tarpon committee includes Lemon Bay Conservancy President Jim Cooper, Walter Meanwell, Mick Aslin, Thor Johnson, Captain Phil O’Bannon from Mote Marine Laboratory, Dr. Aaron Adams from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lew Hastings. ■

By Lew Hastings Tarpon Committee Chair

LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY | Winter 2013

8

To date we have 15 physical recaptures (caught in the net again) of the 154 previously tagged fish and only 1 of which was caught in a different pond than first tagged. In short, it looks like they prefer the same pond. A 10% recapture rate is high for this type of study (typically ~3-5%) which leads us to believe that our entire population size is not substantial.

Growth in the winter months seems to be stunted and it's not unusual to catch a fish with no growth between a January capture and a February recapture. However, we are seeing fish that have grown 10 centimeters (4 inches) from February to September. We take a fin clip from each tarpon which allows us to identify a recaptured fish without a tag by matching its genetic material. Once we have

these results back from FWC we can draw more conclusions from recaptures.

Aside from physical recaptures we can also glean information from a stationary antenna located at the 15th tee of the Lemon Bay Golf Club. As each fish exits and enters the Wildflower system, their unique tag number, the date and time are saved by a computer attached to the antenna. It seems that most of the tarpon are travelling in and out of the system around the same time. Although we are not sure why, this could be due to abiotic cues such as temperature, time of day (light), or salinity. To better monitor these cues, we purchased a YSI Pro 2030 water probe with funds donated by Percy & Marvin Angelo. We are also in the process of installing a second antenna at

Wildflower Preserve which will give us more accurate movement data and particularly direction of the tarpon movement patterns.

Many thanks to Lemon Bay Conservancy, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, our donors and volunteers, without which the Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Program would not be possible. ■

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

First Year JuvenileTarpon StudyBy JoEllen King

Researcher JoEllen King and LBC boardmember Lew Hastings (above) measure a tarpon.

LBC volunteer Mark (left) prepares to return a tarpon.

s our first year of sampling comes to a close, we have successfully captured 844

juvenile tarpon - 154 of which were large enough to be tagged - in a single estuarine habitat, Wildflower Preserve. Our objectives are to study the Wildflower Preserve tarpon population to determine survival, abundance, growth rates, movement between the ponds and movement out of the system.

A

Winter 2013 | LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

9

State moves to “surplus” and sell conservation lands-

By Percy Angelo

he State of Florida is going through a series of processes designed to

identify as “surplus” and then sell previously preserved conservation lands, many purchased through the Florida Forever preservation program. The Southwest Florida Water Management District went through that exercise last year with properties it controls. After vehement objection from conservationists, including LBC, the SWFWMD list was significantly limited. Now the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is currently reviewing its property holdings for possible sale. Lands in the LBC area proposed for surplus by FDEP originally included parcels on the Cayo Costa beaches, the Charlotte Harbor Preserve, Gasparilla Island, and parcels in Yucca Pens in eastern Charlotte and Lee Counties. LBC filed objections to these surplus designations, citing the opinions of Dr. Aaron Adams of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust who has been the catalyst behind LBC’s tarpon program. Based on Dr. Adams’ opinion LBC pointed out that loss of lands in the Charlotte Harbor estuary system would be devastating for the estuary’s fisheries. Cayo Costa has the

highest abundance of spawning snook in the area. Charlotte Harbor Preserve lands protect freshwater flows into wetlands which are important nursery habitat for snook and tarpon as well as striped mullet and blue crabs. Dr. Adams raised similar concerns that the Yucca Pens parcels could also impact freshwater flows into the estuary.LBC further pointed out that the FDEP standards for declaring a property surplus gave undue

significance to its potential commercial value (properties within 2 miles of “impending development” scored high for surplus) and insufficient recognition to environmental values, such as the protection of estuaries. The

proposal appears designed to serve development rather than to fairly evaluate environmental function. Further, the idea of selling, for possible development, a parcel on Gasparilla Island which already faces extended evacuation times, or beach parcels on Cayo Costa, a bridgeless barrier island, is contrary to all planning principles designed to limit and reduce hurricane risk. The FDEP contends that it is selling less desirable lands in order to raise money to purchase lands of greater value. Many question that motive since the potential commercial value of the property, and its presence in the path of development, is given such importance in the FDEP ranking. Others have noted that the process has the effect of transferring conservation acres from areas like the southwest coast to northern parts of the state, with the intention to use the funds raised, in part, for purchases of “buffers” around military installations.

After the comments of LBC and others, including the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement

T

Based on Dr. Adams’ opinion LBC pointed out that loss of lands in the Charlotte Harbor estuary system would be devastating for the estuary’s fisheries.

When is Forever not Forever.

continued on page 10

LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY | Winter 2013

10

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g

From the stunning beauty of our coastal waters to neighboring forests and fields, and in your own backyard, your simple actions will make a world of difference. Lemon Bay Conservancy volunteers, members and supporters know how good it feels to get involved.

Our pioneering programs, the restoration of ecosystems at Wild Flower Preserve and the Tarpon Habitat Preservation program are exciting examples of what volunteers can accomplish. Do you have time and talents to share?

Lemon Bay Conservancy is always looking for new volunteers to help us achieve our mission SEA: Saving Land, Environmental education, Advocacy for sustainable environmental policies. Please consider joining us. We have volunteer opportunities available on several committees for grant

writers, website and newsletter reporters, special event coordinators, trail guides, forestry and garden workers, and public speakers to take our informative and educational programs to the community at large. These are exciting times for LBC. Come and be a part of it! Call us at 941-830-8922 to make a difference in your world.

GET INVOLVED!

white

Association (GICIA) which forcefully objected to the surplus designation for the Gasparilla

Island parcel, the FDEP amended its surplus list to eliminate the Gasparilla Island parcel and one of the Charlotte Harbor

Preserve parcels (on the north side of the Harbor). As of the time of writing the Yucca Pens and Cayo Costa parcels were still on the potential surplus list.

While the State announced that November 15 would be the final date for objection and comment, members can check the state website, http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/assessment/default.htm, for further information on the status of State action. If the comment period is extended comments can be made to [email protected]. (Note there is a _ between ARC and mailing list in this email address).

Percy Angelo

LBC Welcomes Two New Board MembersLew  Has(ngs  (2013)  Boca  Grande

Lew attended Rutgers University where he studied Anthropolgy/Archaeology and performed Research and

Fieldwork at the Center for Archaeological Studies. Lew is currently the Executive Director

for Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce and has been since 2011. He has been fostering the development and prosperity of the member businesses and the economic growth of the Boca

Grande Area, positively affecting

For updates on all the Conservancy’s Projects, Activities and Nature Walks visit us on the web @www.lemonbayconservancy.org

11

ww

w.lem

onbayconservancy.org

MY CONTRIBUTION TO LEMON BAY CONSERVANCYWe invite you to support the Lemon Bay Conservancy’s efforts to protect the inherent beauty of southwest Florida by becoming a member or

making a donation to our Land Acquisition Fund. Thanks for your consideration and for your concern for the preservation of our natural heritage.Lemon Bay Conservancy, Inc.

Membership Application / Donation Form

Name______________________________________ Address __________________________________________

City________________________ State______ Zip Code_________ Telephone (______) ____________________

e-mail address_______________________________________ ! Check this box to allow us to send future correspondence by e-mail

! New Member ! Renewal

Yes, I would like to contribute toward preserving native wildlife habitat and open lands, as well as help protectFlorida’s threatened and endangered animal and plant life.

! $35 Individual Member ! $50 Family Member ! $100 Patron Member ! $250 Small Business Member ! $500 Corporate Member ! $750 Trustee of the Land ! $1,000 Keeper of the Land

! $2,500 Guardian of the Land ! $5,000 Steward of the Land ! Other $______________. Donation$_______________

Charge My Credit Card #______________________________ Exp. Date__________Signature____________________________! Master Card ! Visa

Please remember to include a matching gift form from your company, if applicable Please make checks payable to: Lemon Bay Conservancy, Inc. and mail to: 2980 Placida Road, Suite 201 Englewood, FL 34224

You can also join and/or make your contribution on-line at www.lemonbayconservancy.org or by calling our office at 941-830-8922

Thank you for your support. It is greatly appreciated!

LBC is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit.  Contributions are, in general, tax deductible.  Please consult your tax professional if you have questions.

the quality of life for all area residents. Lew is currently host and executive producer of the radio show "Gulf Coast Business Spotlight" on WENG 1530 AM/107.5FM of Englewood, Florida. His show is a one hour LIVE program every Friday from 3 to 4pm that features SW Florida businesses and interviews the personalities that make them so successful.  He is also a member of Florida Film Commission- Liaison Southwest Region, Public Relations Society of America, Archaeological Institute of America, and serves on the boards of Okiciyapi Tipi (Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation) and The Lemon Bay Conservancy.

Vicki  Keidel  (2013)  Cape  Haze,  CharloAe  County

Vickie retired in 2009 and decided to spend her winters in Florida. After living on the East coast and in Central Florida, she settled in Placida. Vickie has a Bachelor of Science in Design from Buffalo State College and continues to spend her summers in Western New York.Vickie worked most of her career in sales and marketing for two New Jersey based Fortune 500 Companies, and most recently

served as the Executive Director of the National Kidney Foundation of Western New York. She was on the speakers

bureau for the University of Buffalo Medical School, Amgen and Schien Pharmaceuticals, as well as holding various board positions for local Western New York and New York State nonprofit organizations. Vickie

is currently active in Cape Haze Women’s Club and serves on several committees at Lemon Bay Conservancy. ■

Winter 2013 | LEMON BAY CONSERVANCY

SEA

- S

avin

g la

nd .

Educ

atin

g . A

dvoc

atin

g  Date/Day  Time  Star-ng  Loca-on  Topic  Leader(s)

 Dec.  28/Sat  9am-­‐12  pm  Wildflower  Preserve  /S  Border

 South  of  the  border  hike  to  Amberjack      Coop  &  Bill

           Jan.  11/Sat  9-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  Ecology  of  Wildflower  Dave  &  Coop  Jan.  25/Sat  8:30-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  OPEN  HOUSE:  Tarpon  ecology  &  3  habitats  Coop,  Dave  &  Bill

           Feb.  8/Sat  8:30-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  Tarpon  &  Estuarine  Ecology  Dave  &  Coop  Feb.  21/Fri  9am-­‐12  pm  Wildflower  Preserve/  S  

Border  South  of  the  border  hike  to  Amberjack  Coop  &  Dave

           Mar.  1/Sat  9-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  Ecology  of  Wildflower  Dave  &  Coop  Mar.  15/Sat  8:30-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  Tarpon  ecology  &  3  habitats  Coop,    Dave  &  Bill

           Apr.  5/Sat  9-­‐11  am  Wildflower  Preserve  Ecology  of  Wildflower  Coop

Nature Walks at Wildflower Preserve Fall 2013 - Spring 2014  

For  informa(on  contact  Bill  Dunson  at  276-­‐233-­‐6364  or  [email protected]

 Meet  at  Wildflower  parking  lot  at  3120  Gasparilla  Pines  Blvd.  just  east  of  Placida  Rd  (Rt  775  south  of  Englewood)

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #884

MANASOTA, FL

2980 Placida RoadSuite 201Englewood, Florida 34224www.lemonbayconservancy.org