Monthly Archives: February 2015

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Rainbow over the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon or Atlantic Ocean? (Jensen Beach, 2-8-15, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch) — Rainbow over the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon or is it the Atlantic Ocean? (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, Jensen Beach, 2-8-15.)

Somewhere over the rainbow,  Way up high , There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby… Somewhere over the rainbow, Skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true…. Someday I’ll wish upon a star,  And wake up where the clouds are far behind me,  Where troubles melt like lemon drops,  Away above the chimney tops,  That’s where you’ll find me…. Somewhere over the rainbow, Blue birds fly, Birds fly over the rainbow, Why then, oh why can’t I? If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow,  Why oh why can’t I?” —Judy Garland

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HRa4X07jdE)

Rainbows are symbolic of dreams and of promises….

This amazing rainbow and perfectly timed sailboat were photographed on February 8th, 2015. Many other people from many different locations along the Indian River Lagoon region also photographed the rainbow that day.

This rainbow post has been so popular on Facebook that I thought I’d write about it and share some more photos of it today. It keeps popping back up!

I witnessed this incredible natural phenomenon while walking with my childhood friend, Eric Potsdam, who is now a professor of Linguistics at University of Florida. It was a double rainbow and at times, appeared to be with in 30 feet of where we were standing.

As stated in HOW THINGS WORK, “a rainbow does not actually exist at a location in the sky, but rather is an optical phenomenon whose apparent position depends on the observer’s location;” of course this is why some people photographed the rainbow over the rivers, and others over the ocean, and still others over the land….

This is also why when you’re chasing the “pot of gold,” you never quite get there, but you really do! 🙂

Eric and I as taken by a walker by... — Eric and I as taken by a walker by…

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon...(Photo Jensen Beach Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch) — 1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon…(Photo Jensen Beach Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch)

7. Rainbow over the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon or Atlantic Ocean? (Jensen Beach, 2-8-15, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch) — 7.

How Does a Rainbow Work?” (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061201145943AA9SHCB)

____________________

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch Facebook page since Feb 8th, 2015
Miraculous rainbow at Jensen Beach this afternoon.

Elaine D. Clark, Carol Barron-Cross, Toni Rummo and 183 others like this.
105 shares

Rebecca Fatzinger love this with the sailboat in it!
February 8 at 6:25pm · Unlike · 1

Cecilia Beaux Gorgeous.
February 8 at 6:46pm · Unlike · 1

Stefani Campo Hughes Serreal
February 8 at 7:01pm · Unlike · 1

Jerry McComas Postcard picture.
February 8 at 7:09pm · Unlike · 1

Alexis Tolis Stone Amazing picture!
February 8 at 7:13pm · Unlike · 1

Michelle Richey Little piece of heaven in our backyard!
February 8 at 7:15pm · Unlike · 1

Cindy Sanchelli-Capwell I’m speechless. Gods gifts at its finest!
February 8 at 7:26pm · Unlike · 1

Cabot Lord Over Sewalls Point as well this late afternoon.
Cabot Lord’s photo.
February 8 at 7:30pm · Unlike · 2

Lynda Heemsath South Sewalls pt rd!
Lynda Heemsath’s photo.
February 8 at 7:36pm · Unlike · 2

As seen by Lynda Heemsath, south Sewall's Point- 2-8-15. — As seen by Lynda Heemsath, south Sewall’s Point- 2-8-15.

Patty Duquette Beautiful!
February 8 at 7:45pm · Unlike · 1

Tracy Chase Barnes Miraculous is definitely the word. When we saw it I said to Doug that I understand how it works with reflective light and all, but to have those perfect 7 colors come out like that every time is absolutely a miracle
February 8 at 8:54pm · Unlike · 4

Patti Strait It was truly a gorgeous sight!!
February 8 at 10:02pm · Unlike · 2

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch beautiful shots!
February 9 at 12:07am · Like · 1

Lynda Heemsath time for bed Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch!!!!
February 9 at 12:12am · Unlike · 1

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch Lynda Heemsath I KNOW! I have got to GO TO BED! U 2
February 9 at 12:31am · Like · 1

Marguerite Krute So beautiful for all of us to enjoy. It made the television news.
February 9 at 7:12am · Unlike · 1

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch cool!
February 9 at 8:14am · Like

Dinah V Pulver Gorgeous!
February 9 at 8:44am · Unlike · 1

Sunni Kittrell Ashforth So beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
February 9 at 9:00am · Unlike · 1

Patricia Haney Just takes your Breath away!
February 9 at 11:14am · Unlike · 1

Patrick Stracuzzi Amazing thank you
February 25 at 6:44am · Unlike · 1

Karen Christy Beautiful
February 25 at 8:51pm · Unlike · 1

Elsie Scheuerlein Long Incredible!
16 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch It really was. A miracle of creation.
15 hours ago · Like

Elsie Scheuerlein Long The sailboat really adds to it too.
15 hours ago · Unlike · 2

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch
15 hours ago · Like

Keri West Promises from heaven. We need some answered prayers for our lagoon
15 hours ago · Unlike · 2

Patti Kennedy I knew there had to be a beautiful rainbow somewhere. I was looking for it when the sun came out after this cloudy day. What a great photo
11 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Debra Duvall Amazing shot of our beautiful area
10 hours ago · Unlike · 2

Paige Lyons Wow!!!!
10 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Patti Kennedy The sailboat is perfectly placed!
9 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch I was pure chance and perfect timing. I waited just for that ideal moment. Such a rare moment!
9 hours ago · Like · 1

Valli B. Seidle Great Picture.,,,thanks…
4 hours ago · Like
Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch

Write a comment…

Understanding Why Sometimes Some Things Don’t Make Sense, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Waters in St Lucie River on west side of Sewall's Point, (Photo Ed Lippisch) — Lake O water and some area canal water flowing through SLR after ACOE opened S-308 on 1-16-15. (Waters in St Lucie River east of Roosevelt Bridge) Photo taken 1-25-15 by Ed Lippisch)

One thing to remember is that the St Lucie River and many parts of the Indian River Lagoon are “impaired,” as determined by the state of Florida at least by 2002 and 2008:

SLR impairment: (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/southeast/ecosum/ecosums/SLE_Impairment_Narrative_ver_3.7.pdf)

IRL impairment: (http://waterwebprod.dep.state.fl.us/basin411/indianriver/assessment/G5AS-IRL_Low-Res-Merge.pdf)

This basically means any number of things, but mostly, that there is too much “nutrient” (phosphorus and nitrogen) in the water. This comes from many sources and all of the sources should be addressed. These nutrients encourage algae blooms, sometimes toxic, destroying seagrasses, water clarity, and other “life.”

So no matter how “good” today’s water quality reports may be, or how good the water looks, or whether the Martin County Health Department reports “acceptable” levels of bacteria in the water, the waters of our area are “impaired.” This is especially true, “under the water” where one really can’t see unless you dive in with a mask and flippers.

The state saw this “impairment” status coming for decades due mostly to Florida’s development boom and the gigantic and historic role of agriculture, but…..

Yes, the key word is “but,” it happened any way…

More recently, on January 16th of 2015, the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) started dumping from Lake Okeechobee into the SLR/IRL again. This is early in the year to start dumping and historically this foreshadows a bad summer—-BUT Lake O. was high and the ACOE and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) like to have 3 to 4 feet of “freeboard” in the lake so if a hurricane comes in summer and the diked lake fills with 3-4 feet of water, the Herbert Hoover Dike doesn’t break. They don’t like the lake to be over 15.5 feet or so. It is “best” if the lake is around 12 feet by summer–BUT they will never tell you that——something to do with “water supply…”

Chart releases 2-15-14 by the SFWMD showing releases from Lake O since January into SLR/IRL. — Chart releases 2-24-14 by the SFWMD showing releases from Lake O since January into SLR/IRL.

The above chart provided by the SFWMD shows all releases since January into the SLR/IRL. Blue is Lake O. The ACOE stopped for one week starting February 17th so Martin County could complete a bacteria study.

During this time I went up in the plane with my husband; the water looked great in the Crossroads by Sewall’s Point and the St Lucie Inlet as it was an incoming tide and releases had been halted.

One might think: “Oh the water is healthy again!”

Remember, it is not.

SLR/IRL convergence waters between Sewall's Point and Sailfish Point 2-22-15. (JTL) — SLR/IRL convergence waters between Sewall’s Point and Sailfish Point 2-22-15. (JTL)

Another factor in all of this is—— if you look at the SLR/IRL reports from Florida Oceanographic (http://www.floridaocean.org) over the entire time of the recent releases, measuring salinity; visibility; and dissolved oxygen, the reports are quite good. And they are good, but this does not remove the “impaired status” of the river.

I apologize they are out-of-order below, but I could not achieve better with out great time and effort.

You can click on the images to enlarge the reports. These charts basically show a consistent grading of “B to A” water quality in the SLR/IRL since January 8, 2015—- other than the South Fork which of course is where the water from Lake Okeechobee is coming into the St Lucie River through C-44!

Anyway, to repeat again, one must remember that at all times and in all places right now no matter how pretty or how good a chart looks, our St Lucie River and parts of the Indian River are “impaired.”

We must work to improve the status of our rivers by lessening area freshwater canal runoff; our own “personal pollution” though fertilizer, septic and other stuff we put on our yards and down the sink; from roads/cars–Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) canals are everywhere and have no “cleaning;” and most of all, we must work to one day redirect as much water away from Lake Okeechobee as possible.

The purchase of land in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of the lake is about the only place this can be achieved.

It is all so confusing sometimes, BUT one thing is for sure, the more we learn, the more we can help and inspire others to clean up our rivers!

FOS charts out of order showing water quality.

A Simpler Time and Place? Hutchinson Island, SLR/Indian River Lagoon

1949 aerial photo of the Peter Klive house on Hutchison Island. Near this area became "Bathtub Tub Beach" and the exclusive development of Sailfish Point. (Photo Thurlow Archives/Ruhnke Collection.) — 1949 aerial photo. Atlantic on left, Indian River Lagoon on right. Photo shows the “Peter Clive House” on Hutchison Island. Just south of this area became “Bathtub Reef Beach” through the Save Our Beaches Campaign of MC. The land furthest south became the exclusive development of Sailfish Point. (Photo Thurlow Archives/Ruhnke Collection.)

I always enjoy looking at old photographs, and fortunately my mother and father have acquired hundreds through their history work. Many of them spawn memories of what for me was a “simpler time and place” in Martin County history—as I was a child.

My mother probably took me to the “Bathtub Beach,” with family and friends, for the very first time, when I was an infant, but in my first memories of the place I was probably four or five years old.

Somewhere down from Bathtub Beach ca 1969- Lynda Nelson, Cindy Luce, and me. (Photo Thurlow Family Album)

I can remember my mother parking along the road and all of us walking– carrying all of our towels, buckets, and nets to catch tropical fish in the reef (to be returned) and my looking down and seeing bright, yellow beach-sunflowers— the sand was SO hot, you wouldn’t believe it, and there were stickers. Hundreds of stickers that stuck in your feet and you had to stop and pull them out as the sun beat down on you like a flashlight.

I remember, it became a game with me to see if I could walk in the burning sand from the road, along the path, to the beach without any shoes. I remember jumping in the cool water and swimming to the reef and sticking my homemade net into a hole to catch a little fish and a moray eel came right out and put its scary face up to my mask!

I remember the simplicity of these times, and the beauty of this place that is no longer wild like it was then, but is still equally remarkable.

This photo is labeled as "bathtub washout" no year but from the same era as above photo ca 1950. (Thurlow Archives) — This photo is labeled as “bathtub washout” no year but from the same era as above photo ca 1950. (Thurlow Archives)

The photo above shows Seminole Shores, that became “Sailfish Point” and a formalized county beach–“Bathtub Reef Beach.” Even at the time of this photograph there were “issues:” the photo is labeled “Washout.” As we all know, today, this area is still eroding away and the county must spend substantial amounts of monies in partnerships with the state of Florida to “re-nourish” this area. See chart below for all Martin County, provided for me by Martin County.

Beach Re-nourishment Costs. — Beach Re-nourishment Costs Ten Year History, 2015.

When I really think about it, every era of history has its difficulties. It is never simple.

The aerial photos I am sharing today were taken not long after the atrocities of World War II. I was born in the social and political unrest of the 1960s…Today has its own set of problems whether it be the possibility of terrorists training in Treasure Coast airports; our eroding beaches; the “tipping point” that has occurred with releases from Lake Okeechobee and the area canals into our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon; our struggles with the US Sugar option land purchase; or the next population explosion that our state is counting on….

Nonetheless, it is rather amusing to me, that after all these years, some things remain the same: it is still beautiful here; I still love the fish; and somehow sometimes I still feel like I am running on the hot sands to see how long I can stand it, having to stop to pull out those irritating stickers; and every once in a while, I stick my net into a hole, and out pops a moray eel…. 🙂

__________________________________________________________

Martin County Beaches: (http://www.martin.fl.us/portal/page?_pageid=354%2C1238847&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)

TreasureCoast.com news piece HISTORY/SAVE OUR BEACHES, JTL: (http://www.treasurecoast.com/index.cfm/on-the-water/fishing-news/e2809csave-our-beaches-campaign-e2809cinstilled-activism-1974-2014-indian-river-lagoon/)

Helping the SFWMD Catch a Fish–Solidarity, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Kevin Powers, SFWMD Vice Chair; Janeen Mason, Solidarity Arts, Marsha Powers, MC School Board. (Photos Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, 2-12-15.) — Colorful and skeleton “Solidarity Fish”….Kevin Powers, vice-chair SFWMD; Janeen Mason, Solidarity Arts; Marsha Powers, Marin County School Board. (Photo, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, 2-21-15.)

Close up of solidarity fish on Florida's Capitol steps, Clean Water/Amd. 1 Rally 2-17-15.) (JTL) — Close up of solidarity fish on Florida’s Capitol steps, Clean Water/Amd. 1 Rally 2-17-15, photo JTL.)

Recently, Kevin Powers, vice-chair of the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District, called me asking about the “solidarity fish,” so I went even a little further and arranged for a meeting with Kevin, his wife, (Martin County School Board Member), Marsha Powers, and artist/writer extraordinaire, —Janeen Mason.

(http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/powers_bio.pdf),

(http://www.solidarityarts.com)

Sometimes in my world, it is best not to ask questions. It is best just to “do.” Knowing this timing and following my intuition is an important part of my mission in trying to save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon…

Janeen Mason was a sport, and we met with my giving her little notice— she brought some of her beautiful, colorful, skeleton fish that have come to symbolize the river movement along the Indian River Lagoon. In fact, her idea is spreading across the state as she is called by others seeking advice on how to start such a “school,” (http://www.solidarityarts.com) as so many others across Florida have water issues too.

Janeen Mason with her fish for Kevin Powers, SFWMD. (Photo JTL.)

When Janeen met the Powers at their home, it was a wonderful thing for me, as I was able to learn her story which I had never really heard. (http://www.janeenmason.com)

Janeen told of being a young person, seeing the tropical fish in the Florida Keys for the very first time, and the powerful impression they made upon her young mind. She has carried this image with her through out her life, and most recently transposed it into the river movement in response to our “Lost Summer” of 2013 when the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) dumped polluted Lake Okeechobee water for five months (on top of area canal runoff) into the St Lucie River, causing horrific, toxic conditions in our and the Calooshatchee estuary.

Since this era, the solidarity fish have been associated with the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon “river movement,” the River Warriors, and many others. Even Martin County used the symbol to decorate their holiday tree. There are bumper stickers and T-shirts you will see just about everywhere displaying the fish, colorful on one side, and a skeleton on the other….

These fish, you see in the photos on the Capitol steps, have been hand painted by hundreds of children and concerned adults; displayed at the Elliott Museum; on the River Warriors’ Christmas/Holiday float in the City of Stuart parade; and even last year Washington DC!

Solidarity Christmas Tree in Washington DC, 2014. (Photo borrowed from Facebook.)

The fish are art in its purest form: “transformative and inspirational…”

So when Kevin Powers asked about the fish, I asked no questions. I saw an opportunity to help the District “catch a fish,” our fish, the solidity fish of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.

I believe, soon they will be swimming their way into some very powerful waters….. 🙂

Maggie Hurchalla with fish on pole juxtaposed to colorful and skeleton fish on steps of Capitol. All fish are individually hand painted by children, adults and artists Janeen Mason. (Photo 2-17-15, JTL) — Famed environmentalist and former Martin County Commissioner, Maggie Hurchalla, with holds fish on pole juxtaposed to colorful and skeleton fish on steps of Capitol. All fish are individually hand painted by children, adults and artists Janeen Mason. (Photo 2-17-15, Clean Water/Amd 1 Rally, JTL)

River Kidz surrounded by solidarity fish on steps of Florida’s Capitol. Quite a sight! (Photo 2-17-15, JTL)

All colorful fish.....(Photo JTL.) — All colorful fish…..(Photo JTL.)

__________________________

South Florida Water Management District: (http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/sfwmdmain/home%20page)

“War–” US Sugar and The Everglades Trust, SLR/IRL

File photo, WWII bomber. (Public photo.) — File photo, WWII bomber, “flying over fields”. (Public photo.)

I must begin by saying that my recent blogging has been somewhat “uncomfortable” for me, as I was raised to act like a “lady,” and recently I feel more like a fighter pilot.

Politics sometimes makes “being a lady” a difficult goal, so I do apologize to anyone, such as my mother, who may be offended by my relentless “fighting” blog posts recently regarding the importance of state purchase of the 46,800 acres of option lands for sale by US Sugar Corporation.

As a warning, mom and others, today’s blog post will be more of the same, as a “type of war” has started.

—-A war of information. A war to influence our governor and legislature….a war over how to use Florida’s Amendment 1 monies….a war to save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, Caloosahatchee, Everglades, and drinking water for South Florida, or just to keep the “status-quo…”

In order to explain this, I will share what has happened over the past few days…

Option Lands Map SFWMD River of Grass, Option 1 is 46,800 acres and shown in brown. (SFWMD map, 2010) — Option Lands Map SFWMD River of Grass, Option 1 is 46,800 acres and shown in brown. US Sugar and the state are resisting the purchase of these lands with Amd. 1 monies…(SFWMD map, 2010.)

On Wednesday, February 18th, Eric Draper, the Executive Director of Florida Audubon, (http://fl.audubon.org) was quoted in a “Sunshine State News” piece as saying (regarding the flow way south) “—it will never happen, it’s pie in the sky…”

Knowing Mr Draper and knowing that words in news articles often are twisted for effect, I wrote Audubon immediately asking about the situation. Mr Draper replied with an apologetic email and a letter he had written that day to Governor Scott in support of purchasing the option lands. See below:

Eric Draper, Executive Director of Florida Audubon. (http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-06-26/news/sfl-about-eric-draper-south-florida-100_1_land-conservation-florida-house-florida-legislature)

Dear Ed and Jacqui, (Commissioner, Ed Fielding not my husband Ed!) 🙂

In my effort to promote the idea of an EAA reservoir and distinguish that from the hard to explain Plan Six I unwittingly played into a storyline not my own. I found the story confusing and somewhat unrelated to what I was trying to say. Nevertheless, I am sure that folks are disappointed to hear me discount the flow way and that was not my word or intent. As an 30 year advocate for the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee I feel strongly about moving water south. Audubon will continue to work on getting the US Sugar land purchased for the purpose of establishing a CERP reservoir.

I apologize to both of you and to all the supporters of the idea of Plan Six and a flow way.

Eric Draper
Executive Director

Audubon FLORIDA

Email from Eric Draper regarding article and quote. (2-18-15)

Eric Draper, Florida Audubon's, letter to Governor Scott. (2-18-15) — Eric Draper, Florida Audubon’s, letter to Governor Scott. (2-18-15.)

I believe Mr Draper did not mean for his words as they were reported. Speaking with the media is sometimes tricky business and anyone who speaks to them long enough will feel that he or she has been “misquoted.” Mr Draper’s work is one of the main reasons Amendment 1 passed in the first place, and you can see by his letter above to Governor Scott he supports buying the option lands.

OK, one bomb down…Two to go….

So then on Saturday, Feb 21st, I get an email from my Florida League of Cities colleague, Teresa Heitman, who is a councilwoman for the City of Naples. She simply forwarded me an email she had received from US Sugar Corporation. You can click on the image below to read it, but basically it says: “Send the Water South?” “Not so fast”…and gives three articles supporting why the option lands should not be purchased, why the “enviros”are nuts, and one of the articles quoted is the one quoting Eric Draper that I mentioned above!

As an aside, and as an elected official myself, I must say that I find it in poor taste that this email was sent from US Sugar Corporation directly to an elected official. Maybe Council- woman Heitman is on a “mailing list” for US Sugar, but this seems doubtful to me.

How many other elected officials were sent this email and why is US Sugar sending it out?

On the other hand, it kind of made me feel good when I saw it–like they were threatened by the grassroots river movement here along the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon and the Everglades in general. Kind of ironic to think that US Sugar would need to influence elected officials with direct emails; seems like they already do that with everything else they do like spending millions of dollars on lobbying politicians…….sending this “tiny” email makes them look kind of desperate….

—obviously we have more influence than we realize….

Hmmm?

Also, the thought of a “David and Goliath” fight is very appealing to me, as in that story, as we all know, David wins…

US Sugar email 2-21-15. — US Sugar email forwarded to me 2-22-15.

US Sugar Corperation — US Sugar Corporation heading on email.

Below is part of the email from US Sugar, just so you can see it. I also made sure the hyperlinks worked in case you want to read the “email bombs” being sent out.

Buy the land? Send the water south? Not so fast…

Dear Teresa,

In case you missed it, please find below highlights from a few recent articles discussing the constraints, risks and concerns with purchasing the U.S. Sugar land option to create a flow-way to send water south to the Everglades:

You can access the articles in their entirety by clicking on the hyperlinked titles.
1. Officials to enviros: Buying land, moving lake water south has risks

By: Christine Stapleton, Palm Beach Post
February 12, 2015

South Florida Water Management District officials made no commitments to several dozen environmental activists who begged them Thursday to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee for Everglades restoration, and for the first time they laid out the hurdles and risks they face in making such a buy. (http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/frustrated-enviros-buy-land-to-clean-everglades-be/nj82R/)

2. Speaker Crisafulli: Don’t buy land south of Lake O

By: Christine Stapleton, Palm Beach Post
February 18, 2015

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, says he opposes the controversial land deal that would enable the South Florida Water Management District to purchase 46,800 acres of land south of the lake at fair market value. (http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/02/18/speaker-crisafulli-dont-buy-land-south-of-lake-o/)

3. Eric Draper: Lake Okeechobee to Everglades Flowway ‘Will Never Happen’
By: Nancy Smith, Sunshine State News
February 18, 2015

Sending water south from Lake Okeechobee to meander naturally through the Everglades — the “flowway” endorsed by the Everglades Foundation as the only way — “will never happen, it’s pie in the sky,” admitted one of Florida’s leading voices on environmental policy. (http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/environmentalist-lake-okeechobee-everglades-flowway-will-never-happen)

——–From an email from US Sugar Corporation sent out 2-22-15.

Two bombs down, one more to go!

OK, so tonight, Sunday, February 22nd, a friend contacted me asking: “Jacqui, did you see the commercial? The “buy the land” commercial!” I said I had not, and read the link he sent.

Commercial for Saving Florida's Waters, purchase the US Sugar option lands. (2-22-15.) — Commercial for Saving Florida’s Waters, purchase the US Sugar option lands. (2-22-15.)

See commercial here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HmRTY2OI0)

Wow. What a commercial! A very big bomb!

The 60-second TV spot starts airing 2-22-15 and sponsored by the Everglades Trust (http://www.evergladestrust.org) is running on cable and broadcast stations in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and Tallahassee.

The scrip reads:

“Decades of uncontrolled pollution in the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee is endangering our health, killing our wildlife and threatening our drinking water.

Four years ago, the sugar industry signed a binding written contract to sell us land to clean up their pollution, and for a reservoir to protect our water.

It’s been called the most critical piece of land ever for Everglades restoration. Last November, 75% of Floridians voted YES to Amendment 1, making vital land purchases for the Everglades a part of the Florida Constitution.

Now, it’s up to the Governor to back it and the Legislature to fund it.

Call the Governor, call your legislator, and tell them to buy the land. Build the reservoir. And save Florida’s drinking water. Now, while there’s still time.

Sign the petition here SAVING FLORIDA WATER: (http://savingflwater.com)

Article Tampa Bay Blog: (http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/a-new-tv-campaign-presses-for-purchase-of-us-sugar-land/2218650)

So I think that this is a war of sorts. Between US Sugar and the Everglades Trust. For most readers of my blog interested in saving the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, our ideology is that of the Everglades Trust….

In closing, when you have some extra time, please write to Governor Scott below, and sign the petition above, asking to support the purchase of option lands. And feel good about the influence you are already having in the war to save the Indian River Lagoon!

Write Governor Scott here: (http://www.flgov.com/contact-governor/)

Colorized version of file photo, bomber WWII. (Public .) — Colorized version of file photo, bomber over farm lands, WWII. (Public .)

Breaking Down the Wall, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Me standing in front of the Berlin Wall and "Noman's Land" 1990. Berlin Germany. (Photo by Christian Koch.) — Me standing in front of the Berlin Wall and “No-man’s Land” 1990. Berlin Germany. Alexander Platz in the distance. (Photo by Christian Koch.)

The Berlin Wall came down on November 10th, 1989. Many believed this wall would never come down….

Yesterday, I referred to our plight of trying to influence our state legislature and governor to purchase option lands in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)– in order to save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, as “breaking down a wall…”

To quote:

—–all this pushing IS having effect. I also know it may push the “powers that be” faster into what-ever-it-is that breaks this wall of historical government/agriculture “self-interest,” because water and the flood gates of the people will in time bring this wall down.”

This got me thinking about another wall I have seen come down in my lifetime, and why I remain optimistic in about our journey. If you were alive 1989, you “saw” the Berlin Wall come down in Germany. Many believed this wall of communism would “never come down,” but it did. I was in Germany just months after the wall actually broke open on November 10, 1989 and lived there teaching for two years. I think this is one reason I believe we can achieve our goals. Stranger things have happened…

I think President Reagan’s said it best in his speech. His words remain an inspiration to us today.

“THIS WALL WILL FALL. BELIEFS BECOME REALITY.”

YES…THIS WALL WILL FALL. FOR IT CANNOT WITHSTAND FAITH. IT CANNOT WITHSTAND TRUTH. THE WALL CANNOT WITHSTAND FREEDOM.——Ronald Reagan, 1987

Caption words of Ronal Reagan, 1990. — Words of Ronal Reagan from his historic speech.

The EAA is a wall of sorts. A symbolic wall. It is time to break down this wall. I have faith we will do just that…..and really, we already are!

Berlin Wall, as it looked in Germany prior to 1990.(Public image)

This satellite photo shows water on lands in 2005. One can see the lands in the EAA are devoid of water. This water has been pumped off the lands into the Water Conservation Areas, sometimes back pumped into the lake, and also stored in other canals. (Captiva Conservation 2005.) — This image shows a figuarative “wall” surrounding the EAA. (Captiva Conservation 2005.)

South Florida's southern Everglades, 1950 vs. 2003. (Map courtesy of SFWMD.) — South Florida’s southern Everglades, 1950 vs. 2003. A wall has been created separating Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades at the expense of the estuaries.(Map courtesy of SFWMD.)

Berlin Wall1990. (Photo public domain.) — Berlin Wall 1990. (Photo public domain.)

Maggy Hurchalla... — Maggy Hurchalla…and other River Warriors on the steps of the state capitol trying to break down a wall. (Photo JTL, 2-18-15.)

Bernauer Strausee, Berlin Wall in background. (JTL 1990.) — Bernauer Strausse, Berlin Wall in background. (JTL 1990.)

Wall with "East Germany" feet away...(JTL 1990.) — Wall with “East Germany” feet away…(JTL 1990.)

In front of the wall....1990. (Photo Christina Koch.) — In front of the wall….1990. (Photo Christinan Koch.)

Crane taking down the Berlin Wall near 1990. (Public photo) — Crane taking down the Berlin Wall near Brandenburg Gate 1990. (Public photo.)

Wall surrounding stadium. stadium. (JTL ) — Wall surrounding stadium. (JTL )

River Kidz’ Feedback–“Clean Water/Amd. 1 Rally,” SLR/IRL

Katy Lewey of St Lucie River Kidz leads way at the "Clean Water/Amendment 1 Rally," Tallahassee, Florida 2015. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.) — Katy Lewey and her daughter Hannah of St Lucie River Kidz lead the way at the “Clean Water/Amendment 1 Rally,” Tallahassee, Florida 2015. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.)

River Kidz member, Keile Mader, 10, speaks at the Clean Water/Amendment 1 Rally, Tallahassee, 2-18-15: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvE3-dJjp0Q)

Naia Mader and Olivia Siegel give feedback on rally experience: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG_t_uG9Zko)

Question posed to River Kid: “So do you think you’ll become a politician?”

“Ummm..no…but I think I’ll be a better public speaker….:)”

This blog post is a follow-up to yesterday’s: “Tallahassee or Bust! River Kidz and the Clean Water Rally, Tallahassee, 2015.”

Yesterday, River Mom, Nic Mader, dropped off Naia, Olivia, Keile and I in front of the state capitol building for the Clean Water/Amendment 1 Rally…The sounds of speakers and music filled the air; the bright colors and black skeletons of Janeen Mason’s Solidarity Fish project could be seen in the distance….(http://www.solidarityarts.com); various members of the RIVER WARRIORS, and others, came up to say “hello;” it was a cool, bright, sunny day and a sense of history exuded from every giant oak tree draped with spanish moss….

“Girls stop.” I said.

Naia, 14, Olivia, 13, and Keile, 10 turned around and looked at me inquisitively.

“River Kidz, I want you to look around you for a minute. I want to share something with you that you may not think too much about… “THIS is part of the First Amendment, of the United States of America: “the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government”…not all countries of the world allow this. My friend Aletha Jones teaching in China in 1989 when their government brought tanks into Tiananmen Square opening fire. Our country and our form of government, have many failures…but our “right to assemble” is key to what is “good” in our democracy….Participate today and know, you too, are a part of this great history of our country ….”

The girls nodded their heads in partial understanding, used to my occasional rants, and we walked to the steps of the Florida capitol to be a part of the “Clean Water and Amendment 1 Rally” for the State of Florida’s historic 75% passage of the “Water and Land Conservation Initiative, Amendment 1, 2014.” (http://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Water_and_Land_Conservation_Initiative,_Amendment_1_%282014%29)

The rally was a message to the governor and the legislature to spend those monies as is intended within the language of the bill. For those of us coming from the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon Region, this means spending some of this money to purchase option lands south of Lake Okeechobee to store, clean and convey water south to the Everglades, in time, saving the dying estuaries of St Lucie/IRL and Caloosahatchee rivers.

Before the capitol and on its stairs, were people from all over the state; we even saw Dr Bob Knight, a legend in the springs movement. Most of Florida’s springs have been equally deviated by poor “water” decisions by state, federal and local governments.

River Kidz speaking before the Senatae committee. Watch here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLFWWEtiwig)

It was a whirlwind of a day. The River Kidz were able speak at the rally; write short speeches, and to present them before Representative Larry Lee, Senator Joe Negron, and then, again, at the Senate Natural Resources Committee. They passed out their new River Kidz Second Edition Workbook, “Marty the Manatee” inspired by Mr Marty Baum, the Treasure Coast Indian Riverkeeper.

It was a good day.

Did we feel “warm and fuzzy feedback” regarding our request for option land purchase in the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) south of Lake Okeechobee?

“No.”

Did I hear such things as “Steve Crisafulli, the House Speaker may want to be the Commissioner of Agriculture, and Adam Putnam does want to be governor.”….”agriculture/sugar does not want to sell the land now”—“and believe you me they are 20 years ahead the rest of you investing millions, if not billions of dollars, on a state and national level—–to influence politicians”…..”but its not all doom and gloom—things are moving”—–“and the subsiding EAA lands”—-“oh yes, and the future of Cuba,” “you never know—- maybe”…..”it’s changing so fast…”the advocacy along the Treasure Coast is noticed and making a difference…”

YES. I did hear such things….

🙂 (I will never reveal my sources but I can tell you I have good ones and spoke to many people…..)

Did we, the River Kidz: did I Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, and River Mom , Nichole Mader find “this” discouraging?

“Yes, and No.”

Yes, because coming up against any wall is never fun when one is looking to go forward…

Nonetheless, I also know, and have been told, all this pushing IS having effect. I also know it may push the “powers that be” faster into what-ever-it-is that breaks this wall of historical government/agriculture “self-interest,” because water and the flood gates of the people will in time bring it down.

Of that I am certain.

Thank you River Kidz! Thank you all! For securing a better water future!

Mark Perry before the Senate Natural Resources Committee. (JTL) — Mark Perry before the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

Kidz with aide in Senator Simmon's Office, delivering their workbook. — Kidz with aide in Senator Simmon’s Office, delivering their workbook.

Senator Dean's office, chair of the Nat'l Resouces Senate Committee. — Senator Dean’s office, chair of the Nat’l Resources Senate Committee.

Bill McCullum and others in background during Senate meeting. — Former Attorney General, and House of Representatives, Bill McCollum and others in background during Senate meeting.

Senator Negron's office. — Senator Negron’s office.

Representative Lee's office. — Representative Lee’s office.

Olivia Siegle's speech. — Olivia Siegle’s speech.

Keile Mader's speech. — Keile Mader’s speech.

Naia Mader's speech. — Naia Mader’s speech.

_________________________________

River Kidz is a division of the Rivers Coalition: (http://riverscoalition.org)

River Kidz Martin County: (https://www.facebook.com/pages/River-Kidz/237123116309196)

River Kidz St Lucie County: (https://www.facebook.com/riverkidzslc)

Tallahassee or Bust! River Kidz and the Clean Water Rally, SLR/IRL

It’s been a long time since I was in a car full of kids for eight hours!

Three members of the River Kidz, River Mom, Nic Mader, and I took off from Martin County yesterday to make certain these kids had a voice—and an experience of a lifetime.

Today starting a 11:30 the steps of the Florida capitol will be filled with hundreds of people from across our state for Florida’s Clean Water and Amendment 1 Rally. Multiple organization will take part with the Sierra Club leading the way. Founding member, John Muir, must be smiling in his California grave, at the thought of Americans continuing to fight for the beauty and wonder of nature and it’s most precious resource, clean water!

(http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=354298.0&dlv_id=311281)

The ride was fun and the Kidz reviewed their new workbooks to share with the Senate Natural Resources Committee. We created videos off our iPhones and posted them to the River Kidz Facebook Page.

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/River-Kidz/237123116309196)

It was awesome. The kids truly get it and are fulfilling their created mission statement: “to speak out, get involved and raise awareness, because we believe kids should have a voice in the future of our rivers.”

We talked about the state of our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon; Amendment 1 and how it works; we talked about the goal for a land purchase in the Everglades Agricultural Area; we talked about the power and history of the sugar industry and then we stopped at Diary Queen and got a “blizzard!” I had an lemon-lime slush….

Caught in traffic for a solid two and a half hours outside of Gainesville, Naia, Kiele, and Olivia made the best of it while Nic and I wondered if we were going to run out gas!

Arriving at our hotel room at 8:00 PM, after showing the girls the Capitol and the campus of FSU, (Nic and I are both Gators!) we had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. I told Nic we had to go somewhere where I could get a beer!

Nic and I were exhausted. The kids ate by themselves in a separate booth. I looked at Nic saying: Nic, you are a really good mom. She is. She was incredible yesterday pulling snacks out of secret compartments and having the patience of a saint……She smiled. ” Jacqui, they’ll remember this this rest of their lives and most important, it will help save our river….”

Teaching in the car..... — Teaching in the car…..

River Kidz is a division of the Rivers Coalition: (http://riverscoalition.org)

Abandoned in Everglades’ Sugarcane Fields, Mastiff Finds Love Along the Indian River Lagoon

Oliver is a mastiff that was found in the sugarcane fields near Clewiston, Florida. Today, happy and healthy when rescued, he was emaciated and fearful. (Photo Drs Greg and Susan Braunstein, ca 2015.) — “Oliver,” a mastiff, not too long ago was found in the sugarcane fields near Clewiston, Florida. Today he is happy and healthy. When rescued, he was emaciated and fearful. (Photo Drs. Greg and Susan Braunstein, ca 2015.)

I recently met Oliver, the mastiff, during a family walk, at Indian RiverSide Park. You can’t miss him! He is enormous, stunning and regal. Walking along the sidewalk with his sister Abigail (another mastiff breed,) and his devoted parents, doctors Greg and Susan Braunstein, one would never know Oliver’s horrific story, unless one stopped to ask….

Greg Braunstein walks Oliver at Indian River Side Park, 2015. (Photo Jacqui THurlow-Lippisch.) — Greg Braunstein walks Oliver at Indian River Side Park, 2015. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.)

Indian River Side Park along the Indian River Lagoon. (Photo JTL) — Indian River Side Park along the Indian River Lagoon. (Photo JTL.)

Another view of Oliver! (JTL)Mastiffs of course are one of the largest dogs of recorded history. These remarkable canines can weigh between 120 and 250 pounds.(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff). — Another view of Oliver! (JTL.) Mastiffs of course are one of the largest dogs of recorded history. These remarkable canines can weigh between 120 and 250 pounds.(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff).

Greg and Susan Braunstein are well-known along the Treasure Coast for their tireless work with all animals in need, especially at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast (http://www.hstc1.org), but their greatest love is the large dogs known as “mastiffs.” (http://mastiffrescuefl.org)

Doctors Susan and Greg Braunstein, public photo, ca. 2013.)

Unfortunately in the dog rescue world, it is well-known that the expansive “Everglades area,” including the Everglades Agricultural Area, the surrounding Glades and cities around the Everglades, is a region where dogs are often abandoned—this includes dogs of the very largest of breeds…

According to Everglades Dog Rescue: “These dogs may be starving, dehydrated, alone, snake bit, frightened, sick, injured, pregnant, missing limbs or with ears cut off. They may be covered in ticks and fleas, in sweltering heat or cold weather, old or young, purebred or mutts, abandoned and forlorn….and yet, amazingly, THEIR TAILS WAG when they see their rescuers…”

There are many, but a couple of the organizations working to save the “literally thousands of dogs” that are dumped and abandoned in the Florida Everglades as noted by the Braunsteins are:

Mira Malters: Friends of the Clewiston Animal Shelter: (https://www.facebook.com/mirta.maltes?fref=ts)

Everglades Rescue: (http://evergladesdogrescue.com)

After running into Susan and Greg at the park a few months ago, I asked Susan to share Oliver’s story and how he came to live along the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. Susan did such a remarkable job telling his story that I will not edit it, and will share it fully with you today:

Today we signed Oliver’s adoption papers. He is identified on the paperwork as Oliver – the Everglades Dog.

Many people dump unwanted dogs in the Glades, and most live short, miserable lives in the wild or go to small rural high-kill shelters for a brief time before they are euthanized.
Animal Control had seen a mastiff for three months near Clewiston, Florida. He was spotted near a school, in sugarcane fields, in the Glades, and by canals. They could never catch him although several times they came close. They had tried to trap him, but he was so wary he successfully eluded them time after time. They watched him grow more and more emaciated Finally, they darted him with a tranquilizer, captured him, carried him to their truck and took him to their small, rural shelter. One of the two staff members remembering hearing about Mastiff Rescue and emailed.

Greg was doing transports that week, and he offered to go to Clewiston, do a dog evaluation, and transport the dog back to Mastiff Central. He prepared for the event by stocking up on hot dogs and turkey, two items we find almost irresistible to mastiffs.

Oliver was in a fenced area, and Greg sat quietly holding out treats. Oliver approached and retreated, approached and retreated in a classic approach/avoidance dance. When frightened by a movement inside or outside the enclosure, he slinked so low he became one with the ground. Eventually he took the treats, and later still he allowed Greg to put him in the van. On the two-hour drive back to Mastiff Central, he took tastes of hot dog and turkey as they continually appeared in Greg’s hand. Somewhere on the drive, Greg and Oliver fell in love.

Oliver went to the vet where he was found to have no micro-chip. He had a parasite-borne disease, and he was emaciated. He could not be neutered until his disease was gone and he gained enough weight.

Oliver became Greg’s foster dog in a family of two humans and one other mastiff, Abigail. Abigail is a former puppy mill breeder who had been chained to a tree her whole life. Oliver and Abigail became instant friends. He was wary, slinky, and silent. During the time his family waited for his good health and weight gain, many people worked with Oliver so he would regain his confidence. He slowly began accepting treats from some people. He re-learned walking on a leash near other people and dogs. He began to willingly enter rooms where strangers sat.

He began to bark. It is a big, deep, and joyous sound. He barks when his van approaches his favorite parks and places to walk. He barks when he sees his special friends approaching. He barks and dances when Greg re-enters the house after a short time away. He is still wary. He still does not willingly approach strangers. When a person he normally likes picked up a stick-like device to throw a tennis ball, he cringed and ran away. However, he becomes more confident every day. He now rolls over for tummy rubs from his parents, sleeps touching his sister Abigail, and allows a few special friends to pat his head.

Many people collaborated so we could rescue Oliver, and, in turn, he could help rescue Abigail from the behaviors forced upon her by a cruel past. Both of these dogs are a testament to the nobility and infinite forgiveness of the breed. —–Susan Braunstein

What a story…

What an inspiration…

Look for Oliver if you visit Indian RiverSide Park!

Kudos to doctors Greg and Susan Braunstein for their rescue work in the Everglades, as well as our along our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon!

And Oliver, “welcome to our SLR/IRL family!” 🙂

Agriculture, the Governor, the Florida State Legislature, “Blood is Thicker than Water,” St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Historic photo, Ca. 1800s, courtesy of Sandra Henderson Thurlow, Thurlow Archives.) — Historic photo, ca. 1850s, Martin County, courtesy of Sandra Henderson Thurlow, Thurlow Archives.)

I come from a historic agricultural background, on both sides of my family, so I feel like I can criticize it.

My Thurlow great-great grandparents grew thistles in New York, and my Henderson great-grandparents, from a long farming line, settled in Madison, Florida. My grandfather, Russell Henderson, was a well-respected soli-scientist and taught in the Agriculture Department at the University of Florida, even getting a mural painted including him by citrus legend, Ben Hill Griffen…

I ate boiled peanuts while learning about different crops and cows during my summer vacations as a kid while visiting Gainesville. I understand the connection and importance of agriculture to the success of both my family and to our country.

Gov Broward for which Broward County is named, led in draining the Everglades. (Public photo.) — Florida’s Gov Broward for which Broward County is named, led in leadership to “drain the Everglades,” for agriculture and development. (Public photo.)

Nonetheless, as a product of the Florida Indian River Lagoon region since 1965, I have chosen to focus my energies on “natural preservation.” This is often at odds with agriculture and development’s values.

Again, I respect agriculture; it feeds us….

I just think some aspects of the industry have gone “too far,” and are too coddled by our state, especially regarding the pollution and water resources destruction caused by their now “agribusiness giant-ness.”

Although Agriculture is a “giant,” today the number one income for the state of Florida is tourism. (http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=95)

Nonetheless, agriculture has a stronghold on our state government beyond comprehension, beyond tourism, or “quality of life or quality for tourists.” Agriculture/sugar brags that agriculture “feeds the world,” not just the state. I guess this is good, but why should my state and local area be “raped and polluted” to feed the world?

Money…

Power…

Greed…

History…

No where is this more evident than the in Everglades Agricultural Area where the sugar industry “reigns king.” As of late, the sugar industry is not supporting the purchase of option lands that are FOR SALE. They have been able to convince the governor, and so far the state legislature, that is it unwise to purchase these option lands to start creating an EAA reservoir to store, clean and convey more water south to the Everglades to begin the journey of saving the Everglades as well as the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon and also the Caloosahatchee River. These estuaries and the people and businesses that live along them sufferer from the 1920 redirection of Lake Okeechobee’s waters east and west for the creation of the Everglades Agricultural Area or EAA.

Honestly, I am not sure why sugar is so against this land purchase. Their land is for sale! Is because they are making money now and not going broke as they were in 2008 when the option lands deal was legally arranged? Or they do just want to hold out for more money on those lands in the future? In any case, they are doing everything they can NOT to allow the option land purchase to occur as part of the 2015 legislatures’ ability to use Amendment 1 monies while the “environmentalist” community begs….and lake O is getting higher every day.

We all know that the sugar industry gives millions of dollars a years to government officials to secure their interests. This is important, but it is not most important.

What is important for all of us to realize is that the influence of the sugar industry and agriculture in general is much deeper than money. It is blood. And this why our fight for the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon requires new blood. A revolution of sorts. Don’t get scared by these words. Nothing is more “American.”

Let’s study the history of sugar and the state of Florida’s pact:

In a 1911 Washington DC publication, of the 62nd Congress, document no. 89, entitled:

“Everglades of Florida.” —-Acts, Reports, and other Papers, State and National, Relating to the Everglades of the State of Florida and Their Reclamation,”

—we see that even in is the first documents of the publication produced in 1845, the year of Florida’s statehood, there was a resolution “recommending the adoption of measures for reclaiming the Everglade land in that state.” (By 1847 in a letter from Washington DC’s Honorable James D Westcott, Jr. to the Secretary of the Treasury and shared with the Florida legislature….)

It reads in response to the idea of draining the lands south of Lake Okeechobee…

“What would be the value of the now subaqueous lands, reclaimed by such work, I will not pretend to say….all of those (military men) who have resided in this vicinity, and who have repeatedly informed my that many of these lands would be the best sugar and richest lands in the United States.”

This publication reprinted as SOUTH FLORIDA IN PERIL, can be purchased at Florida Classic Library in Hobe Sound. (http://www.floridaclassicslibrary.com) It documents the early days of the 130 year tie between the federal, and state government as they all organized together with the agriculture industry to create the state of Florida, a sugar haven, that reached its true peak in the 1960 and 1970, with the exclusion of Cuba’s goods…

Here we are today, almost fifty years later and Cuba is perhaps reopening…and our state water issues in south Florida are out of control.

Agriculture's UF UFAS sites to help with research for agriculture improvement. ( Source, UF/IFAS.) — Today’s agriculture UF IFAS sites to help with research for agriculture improvement. Note sugarcane research center in EAA.(Source, UF/IFAS.)

Anyway, the book goes on for 203 pages documenting the state and federal governments’ support for agriculture in the Everglades and “how rich they would all become…”

That they were successful, I am happy; however; they OVER DID it, over-drained it, and refuse to see their own destruction, and their unfair advantage.

Blood is thicker than water….but “blood can’t be blood” without water…time for a change.

Stats of Sugar in Florida, 1991, Source Hazen and Sawyer, 1993) — Stats of Sugar in Florida, 1991, Source Hazen and Sawyer, 1993.)

__________________________________________

Governor Broward ca. 1911: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_B._Broward)

Florida Dept of Agriculture: (http://www.freshfromflorida.com)

Fresh From Florida/Agriculture is the cornerstone of Florida’s 500 Year History: (http://www.freshfromflorida.com/News-Events/Hot-Topics/Agriculture-is-the-Cornerstone-of-Florida-s-500-Year-History)

IFAS Everglades Sugar Research Center, Bell Glade: (http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/about/mission_statement.shtml)

IFAS/UF: (http://ifas.ufl.edu/about-IFAS.shtml)

Department of the Interiors (DOIs) report on EAA and historical destruction of Everglades: (http://www.doi.gov/pmb/oepc/wetlands2/v2ch7.cfm)

Florida’s Agricultural Museum: (http://www.myagmuseum.com/floridaagriculture.html)

“Florida’s major field crop is sugarcane (mostly grown near Lake Okeechobee), which enjoyed a sizable production increase in the 1960s and 1970s, following the cutoff of imports from Cuba.” (http://www.city-data.com/states/Florida-Agriculture.html)

Francis La Baron’s 1885 Map-“the Mouth of the Indian River Lagoon,” SLR/IRL

Portion of 1885 Francis LaBaron Map of IRL/SLR. Courtesy of Todd Thurlow and Sandra Thurlow correspondence, 2015.) — Portion of 1885 Francis La Baron Map of IRL/SLR. Courtesy of Todd Thurlow, Sandra Thurlow, and Rick Langdon correspondence, 2015.)

On Friday, I like to post something of beauty or interest regarding the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. Old maps are about as cool as things get for me. They take my mind off my idea that things “are permanent.” For instance, the “mouth of the Indian River Lagoon” or its inlet/s, vary in “time and place,” as we can see from this hand drawn map of our area in the 1885 map above where the “inlet” is north of Ft Pierce and there is none in Stuart.

The St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon is dynamic, and we too, although we may not realize it, are a huge part of that constant flux.

I wonder what people will think of our old satellite maps when they look at them in the next 130 years? Where will the IRL’s “mouth” be? Will some “mouths” have closed? Will there be others we have never even thought of?

My historian mother, Sandra Thurlow, shared this map with me and referred to it as the “Francis La Baron Map.” This portion posted above is just a section of it.

Francis La Baron, among other things, was the head of the Army Corp of Engineers.

Francis La Baron (http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/person?personId=19587320&targetid=profile)

La Baron’s map is incredible to study. How wonderful that our area was documented and that this documentation has been saved in Washington DC’s Library of Congress! Thank you to my brother Todd and my mother for bringing it to my attention. I think Todd will be using it in another one of his magic carpet videos in the future like the previous one he did of Peck’s Lake: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO650JyADwQ)

In closing, one of the historian friends my mother corresponds with is Mr Rick Langdon of Indian River Drive. I am including some of his thoughts on the map below that my mother shared with me. Very interesting! Hope you’ll share your thoughts too.

—–This “historically shoaling natural inlet” location is a bit further north… (of Ft Pierce); it’s almost a mile and a half North of the Ft. Capron location at the junction of (perhaps) 4 man-made “cuts” – the Bluehole Cut, the Garfield Cut, the Negro Cut, and the Ft. Pierce Cut.

It’s interesting too that this map shows only one natural outlet from the Savannas and that’s the one which leads to the Creek at the Beacon 21 Condo’s in Rio – (Warner Creek) …Rick Langdon

🙂

Kudos SFWMD; “Water Year” or “Calendar Year”–Sending Even More Water South in 2015! SLR/IRL

Satalite image of south Florida, 1980, NASA. Public photo.) (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/wetland_freeze.html) — Satellite image of south Florida. From top to bottom, one can see the Kissimmee chain of lakes, Kissimmee River/canal; Lake Okeechobee; the Everglades Agricultural Area (in red) ; the Water Conservation areas below that; and finally Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. (Public photo NASA, 1980.(http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/wetland_freeze.html)

The number one thing I learned as a teacher was that I had to do my best, at all times, and with all students, to be “fair.” This required calling students out when they did something inappropriate, as well as praising them when they did something great.

Today, besides explaining the difference between a WATER YEAR and a CALENDAR YEAR, I must recognize the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)(http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/sfwmdmain/home%20page) for doing something “great.”

Two days ago, our friend, Dr Gary Goforth, (http://garygoforth.net),”architect of the STAs,” reported that so far, the SFWMD has sent more water south from Lake Okeechobee, through the Storm Water Treatment Areas, (STAs) than even in 2014, which itself was a “record year.”

This will help save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon….

You may recall prior to 2014, comparatively “little” water had been “sent south,” for a long, long time…meaning more of it went into our estuaries.

Let’s learn:

Below, are summary notes from Dr Goforth that I have edited for simplicity of communication:

Attached is a snapshot of the current flows into and out of Lake Okeechobee for WATER YEARS 2015 (May 1 – January 2015).

Dr Goforth, 1: current flows into and out of Lake Okeechobee for Water Year 2015 (May 1 – January 2015). — Current flows into and out of Lake Okeechobee for Water Year 2015 (May 1 – January 2015). (Chart, Dr Gary Goforth.)

Highlights:

Water years chart showing Lake O water sent to STAs 1995-2105. (Chart Dr Gary Goforth, 2015.)

The District continues to send large volumes of Lake water to the STAs and WCAs: over 416,000 acre feet (136 billion gallons)! which coincidently is the volume of the Lake releases made to the St. Lucie River/Estuary in 2013. During the 3 months of the current dry season (November-January) they have sent over 207,000 AF to the STAs. They are on pace to greatly exceed my target of 250,000 acre feet during the dry season! And they said it couldn’t be done. On a side note – STA performance continues to improve in association with the additional flows.

“Water Year” 2015 now is in the record books for the most Lake water ever sent to the STAs

Also, “Water Year 2015” now is in the record books for the most Lake water ever sent to the Everglades since 1994.

The obvious bad news is that Lake discharges continue to the St. Lucie River/Estuary – at a rate that has practically no effect on reducing the stage of lake Okeechobee (less than 0.1 of an inch per day – less than evaporation).

*Jacqui-please feel free to share this information, with the caveat: “Estimates are preliminary and subject to revision.”

Thank you Dr Goforth for sharing the above good news and kudos to the SFWMD!

___________________

Now as a side bar—I don’t want to confuse anybody, but I do want to share, in case you have noticed too, that sometimes these charts are reported in WATER YEARS and sometimes in ANNUAL YEARS.

For instance, the chart below that I shared in a blog reporting 2014 flows last year shows the report in CALENDAR YEARS. Dr Goforth’s chart above is in WATER YEARS and that is why 2014 in his above chart does not look as high as one would expect it to–as 2014 was also a “record year,” (above 250,000 acre feet sent south.)

Water Sent South report Dr Goforth, 2014 in ANNUAL YEARS. This shows 2014’s water south above 250,000 acre feet reported in CALENDAR YEARS whereas the chart above shows in WATER YEARS.

So what’s the difference? A WATER YEAR is May through April over a two-year period; whereas a CALENDAR YEAR is just that, a calendar year….

I guess the scientists people usually use WATER YEARS…

But sometimes it gets reported in CALENDAR YEARS. Sometimes they don’t specify….Ag!

So anyway, it can be is confusing interpreting these charts. I wanted to make sure that everybody knew both: that in 2014 the SFWMD district sent over 270,000 acre feet south; and in 2015 they have already sent 416,000 acres south! Two great record years after the public outcry following the “lost summer” of 2013.

Although all this water going south is fantastic news, it must be noted as Dr Goforth did, that this is not enough water to “save” the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. This is why the river movement is advocating for the state legislature to purchase option lands south of Lake Okeechobee in order to create an eventual reservoir to store, clean, and convey –closer to the 150,000 acre feet that is necessary to go south so as not to destroy the estuaries…..

But today we focusing on praising good work….

Thank you to all of the hard-working members of the SFWMD who try to balance politics with science, a very difficult classroom! We recognize your good work; we commend you, we thank you. Please keep raising that bar!

____________________________________________________

SFWMD website: Sending Water South:(http://sfwmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=a9072c94b5c144d8a8af14996ce23bca&webmap=d8e767997b0d494494243ffbc7f6f861)

Building Bridges, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

"Bridges to the Sea," Stuart to Sewall's Point to Hurchinson Island and the Atlantic Ocean, 1965, Rhunke Collection, Thurlow Archives. — “Bridges to the Sea,” Stuart, to Sewall’s Point, to Hutchinson Island and the Atlantic Ocean, 1965. Rhunke Collection, Thurlow Archives.

Since the 1960s, I have seen many bridges destroyed and rebuilt, right here in Martin County. They are symbolic of our history, our accomplishments, and our struggles.

I may be making this up in my memory, but I think I recall my parents driving me over the Palm City bridge when I was a kid and it was made of wood. The clunk of slow-moving, heavy car, over the uneven planks was somehow comforting, like the rhythm of a familiar horse. But times change, and bigger and “better” bridges are built…

The best bridge summary of Martin County I have ever read was written by local historian, Alice Luckhart. You can read it here: (http://www.tcpalm.com/news/historical-vignettes-martin-county-bridges-and-bri)

The “bridges to the sea,” from Stuart, to Sewall’s Point, to Hutchinson Island–over the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon were built in 1958. Sandra Henderson Thurlow, in her book, Sewall’s Point, The History of a Peninsular Community of Florida’s Treasure Coast, discusses how the relative isolation of Sewall’s Point ended in 1958 when, two “bridges to the sea opened.” For 10 cents, one could come to Sewall’s Point, and for 25 cents, one could go all the way to the ocean. The tolls were removed in 1961 and the bridges formally named in 1965: “Evans Crary Sr,” and “Ernst F. Lyons”– going west to east.

I am almost sure, I also remember, my mother, or some history person, telling me “they” did not name the bridges right away as it was a political “hot potato.” Perhaps in the beginning there had been controversy regarding building the bridges and certain people did not want their names associated with them until the political fumes dissipated and settled upon something else? Perhaps I am making this up? Like my fuzzy romanticized memory of wooden bridge in Palm City?

I don’t know. But what I do know, is that bridges allow us to cross over, to get to the other side.

I am trying to build bridges to send water south to the Everglades and save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. This means working with the sugar industry; the South Florida Water Management District; the Governor; the state and federal Legislature; the Army Corp of Engineers; the County; and most of all the people who live along the Treasure Coast.

I must admit, jokingly, sometimes I feel like “jumping off the bridge.” But I won’t. With your help, I will rebuild it; make it higher, more beautiful, and less damaging to the environment. And hopefully, in the end, we will all be inspired!

Dr Van Lent–Why an EAA Reservoir Will Help to Save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Slide 1. (Dr Thomas Van Lent, Everglades Foundation, 2015) — Slide 1. Everglades Foundation, 2015.)

Today, I am going to try to simplify and share the idea of an “EAA reservoir.” You probably have been hearing a lot about this, but you may not know how it fits into a an option lands purchase and the “sending more water south” concept that will help save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, and the Everglades.

This is not fully understood by me either, so I contacted Dr Thomas Van Lent of the Everglades Foundation; he sent me some information that today will share with you.

For me all of this is part of a “flow way concept,” though some may disagree.

Dr Tom Van Lent, Everglades Foundation, (EF). (Photo 2015.)

(http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/about/staff/)

First things first.

LAND PURCHASE: In order to do anything that will actually take a significant amount of water off of Lake Okeechobee, so the ACOE doesn’t have to discharge to the SLR/IRL and Caloosahatchee, there needs to be land to “store, clean and convey that water south.”

Because over the past 95 years, the EAA took up all the southerly land to create their Everglades Agricultural Area, 700,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee, we are “forced” to purchase lands in the EAA to move any water south. Thankfully, land is for sale; although US Sugar rather not sell it. (Long drama….let’s just leave it at that–the land is for sale; I believe the state should buy it with Amendment 1 monies and /or “bond it.”) This Option 1, the brown lands below, runs out in October of 2015.

So after getting the land purchase necessity out-of-the-way, let’s look at Dr Van Lent’s write-up and slides:

Jacqui, I’ve attached a graphic that I hope will help explain.

I think everyone can agree that the best solution to the estuaries’ problems is to send more water south. But the major limitation to doing that today is (1) the water is polluted and would irreparably damage the Everglades and (2) the dams in the Everglades prevent you from getting the water out, so adding more water would drown tree islands and other habitats. So, the bottleneck to flow is actually further south, in the Everglades, and not in the EAA.

The solution is to clean the water and then remove the dams. But if you just pull out the dams so water flows when it’s wet, then the Everglades will dry up and burn when it’s dry. So an essential step to pulling out the dams is to add water supply reservoir so that you can keep the Everglades wet during droughts.

The Central Everglades Plan started to open up the dams in the Everglades, but was limited because it did not build any storage. With storage, you can open up the Everglades even more, sending more water south.—–Dr Van Lent

—-I have to say I don’t know much about the dams in the Everglades, but that’s OK, let’s move on….

(Refer to above slide.) Discharges to the Everglades are limited because the STA’s (Storm Water Treatment Areas) (1.) are too small and cannot clean enough water. Also, dams in the Everglades (2) limit the flow through the Everglades. This leaves the St Lucie/S IRL and Caloosahatchee (3) as the primary outlets for Lake Okeechobee.

Slide 2. (EF, 2015) — Slide 2. (EF, 2015.)

(Refer to above slide.) The “*Restoration Strategies” expansions to STAs (1) and water quality features in *CEPP (2) expanded the ability to treat Lake water going to the Everglades. Moreover, CEPP and Tamiami Trail (3) bridging opened up the Everglades to take more flow, improving conditions in the national park and Florida Bay. The means that significantly less water could be discharged to the St Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries (4). The EAA Reservoir (5) supplies water during dry periods so the Everglades remains set seven when the dams are removed. That is why a reservoir is critical to sending water south; it allows the dams in the Everglades to be breached.

Thank you Dr Van Lent!

__________________________________________

In case you are wondering, I have added the following below, to explain Dr Van Lent’s slide explanation.

*Restoration Strategies is basically making the STAs larger due to a long going law suit of the federal government against Florida that was finalized in the past few years under Gov, Scott. The lawsuit occurred because of the dirty water from Lake O polluting the Everglades: This IS happening and the state has to pay for it, 880 million.(http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/rs_waterquality_plan_042712_final.pdf)

*CEPP the Central Everglades Planning Project of part of CERP (the Central Everglades Restoration Project.)(http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Portals/44/docs/FactSheets/CEPP_FS_September2013_508.pdf) This is a project that was “fast tracked,” by the ACOE and SFWMD. Congressman Patrick Murphy helped a lot with this. It was not taken on as part of WRDA the Water Resources Development Act that funds projects so it is still on the burner really and will have to be approved the next time a WRDA bill is passed by the US Congress. So right now it is NOT happening but hopefully will in the future…

___________________________________________________

Whew!

In closing, I hope these slides, and the explanation from Dr Van Lent helped you in your journey of understand all this. I believe all these things are part of a greater whole. I am very appreciative to Dr Van Lent for sending the slides. What an honor to correspond with him.

When one looks at such, one certainly realizes we are planning for a far off future…and nothing is guaranteed. This can be discouraging, but don’t let it be!

It is our responsibility to the children of the future.

Please write a short email to the Florida Senate in support of purchasing Option Lands this 2015 Legislative Session: (http://www.flsenate.gov/media/topics/wlc) Thank you!

____________________________________________

Everglades Foundation: (http://www.evergladesfoundation.org)

Cultural Shift, Yet SFWMD/WRAC Still Focusing on “Constraints” not “Possibilities?” SLR/IRL

Burning sugarcane fields in the EAA. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, 2012.) — Burning sugarcane fields in the Everglades Agricultural Area near Palm Beach County. This area south of Lake O used to be the Everglades and today is the EAA. This area is a constraint to moving water south. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, 2014.)

The St Lucie and the Caloosahatechee estuaries are part of the Everglades as was the Everglades Agricultural Area….

A sugar refinery in the Everglades Agricultural Area. (Public photo.) — A sugar refinery in the Everglades Agricultural Area, (EAA). Refineries are a constraint to moving water south. (Public photo.)

Black Gold, the muck soils south of Lake Okeechobee. (Photo JTL, 2014.) — Black Gold; the muck soils south of Lake Okeechobee that make the sugar industry wealthy. These soils are a constraint to moving water south. (Photo JTL, 2014.)

Sugar fields burning near Clewiston. (Photo JTL, 2014.) — Refinery near Clewiston– a historical town built of the sugar industry located south of Lake Okeechobee. This city and others are a constraint to moving water south but could benefit from ecotourism economy along with agricultulre. (Photo JTL, 2014.)

Gail M. Hollender, begins her book, “Raising Cane in the ‘Glades, The Global Sugar Trade and the Transformation of Florida,” by stating in Chapter 1:

“…at a point in time usually unspecified, the Everglades made the transition from “worthless swamp” to “cherished wetland.”

Nothing has affected to flow of water south to the Everglades more than the creation of the EAA south of Lake O. (Map Everglades Foundation.) — Nothing has affected to flow of water south to the Everglades more than the creation of the EAA south of Lake O. The EAA is a constraint. (Map SFWMD.)

In the 1970s there was a “cultural shift” regarding the importance of “environmental protection.” America recognized the destruction it has promoted in building the country, especially in terms of agriculture and development.

“Cultural shifts” are powerful, and drive the evolution of our world. I believe the “Everglades shift” will eventually drive the restoration of the Everglades as well as the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. It is what the people want…often the broad knowledge of history becomes an enemy to itself. So is it with sugar and the Everglades Agricultural Area. Just look at the photos above.

Nonetheless, sometime the “powers that be,” and their most important stake holders prefer to concentrate on why history should remain as it is, and has been, even if destructive, focusing on “constraints” rather than “possibilities” of the system.

This happened this past Thursday.

I was unable to attend the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) Water Resources Advisory Commission, (WRAC), (http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20about%20us/wrac) because I had a board commitment to attend FAU/Harbor Branch’s Indian River Lagoon Symposium.

I was somewhat taken aback when I returned from a long day at the symposium, looked at my computer, and saw an email from the SFWMD addressed to me, and all members of the WRAC entitled:

“System Constraints Follow-up Details – January and February WRAC”–“…a follow-up to your request to provide specific details associated with the constraints to moving water south through the system– with a professionally created 19 slide power point presentation.

“My request?”

NOT.

Slide 1 of the SFWMD power point presentation "Constraints to Sending Water South, 2015.) — Slide 1 of the SFWMD power point presentation “Constraints to Sending Water South,” 2015.

Let me explain..

At the January WRAC meeting, (http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20about%20us/gb%20application) I sat in as an alternate for Mr Joe Capra, and in the course of that meeting, a few members of the agriculture industry, as well as a couple of others who often support the agriculture industry, I will not state names but they are important, big players. I like and respect these people, but still— I must call them on this.

They asked the SFWMD to create a presentation showing the “constraints” for sending water south so that people would understand (why it can’t be done…) In other words, why those people along the estuaries should “shut-up.” Why we should preserve a destructive history.

I got my nerve up saying: “Where I come from, we don’t want to talk about constraints; we want to talk about possibilities; we want to talk about change….” implying the District should “show that too.”

Upon seeing the email, I realized the SFWMD did not honor my request, but did show the “constraints” asked to be shown by the agriculture industry. Oh well…usually when government suppresses people, their motivation actually increases.

So is it with me, and I imagine it is so with you…

Dear, SFWMD district, please remember: your core mission is to “manage and protect the water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems, and water supply.” I don’t see anywhere in here where it says we must keep things the same and focus on constraints.

Let’s build a new future! Thank you!

SFWMD: (http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20about%20us/history1)(http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/sfwmdmain/home%20page)

Sugar Cane historic postcard, ca. 1906. (Thurlow Collection.) — Sugar Cane historic postcard, ca. 1906 glorifying and “romanticizing”the sugar industry. (Thurlow Collection.)

Cartoon Sugar/IRL, 2014. (Public) — Cartoon postcard showing a modern-day perspective–the cultural shift apparent–mocking the sugar industry and its effects on environmental protection of the SLR/IRL/Everglades. (Public, D. Goldstein, 2014.)

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE:

“It is time we stopped viewing our environment through prisms of profit, politics, geography, or local and personal pride. It is time for us to work together—to accept the truth about our problems in south Florida, and to set about solving them. It is time for us to do all of these things—because you know as well as I that the alternative will be disastrous to our economy as well as to our environment.”

——Florida Gov. Rubin Askew, (served 1971-1979) Rubin included, by law, the mission of Florida’s water districts to envelop “environmental protection.”

Mark Perry “Loves His Lagoon,” FAU/Harbor Branch Honors His Life and Work, SLR/IRL

Mark Perry with his father Clifton Perry (right) and another Gentleman, (left), (Year unmarked, Tides of Time, Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Florida Oceanographic Society, 1964-2014-puiblication, FOS.) — Mark Perry (middle) with his father, Clifton Perry, (right) and another Gentleman, (left). Clifton Perry was on the original board with James H. Rand, for FOS that Mark took over and has led to greatness. (Photo from “Tides of Time,” Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Florida Oceanographic Society, 1964-2014, publication, FOS.)

Brothers, Chris and Mark Perry sit on the bench along Hutchinson Island that is in honor of their father, Clifton Perry. (Photo Sandra Thurlow, ca. 2000.)

1970 Martin County High School, funeral for the SLR/IRL. Mark was one of the students who participated in this Earth Day event. (Thurlow Archives) — 1970 Martin County High School, funeral for the SLR/IRL. Mark was one of the students who participated in this iconic Earth Day event. This event had a huge impact on me as a kid…(Thurlow Archives.)

Budding Florida Oceanographic Society, ca. 1970s (Tides of Time, FOS.) — A budding Florida Oceanographic Society, ca. 1970s (Tides of Time, FOS.)

A young Mark Perry, ca. 1980s. (Tides of Time, FOS.) — A young Mark Perry, ca. 1970s/1980s. (Tides of Time, FOS.)

Photo by Thomas Winter of Mark Perry from Tom's blog about Lake O. releases 2012: (http://thomaswinter.com/blog/?p=432) — Mark Perry today, always teaching, always leading. Photo by photographer, Thomas Winter from Tom’s blog about Lake O. releases 2012: (http://thomaswinter.com/blog/?p=432)

One of the great things about living in the town you grew up in is watching people you know “grow-up,” and be recognized for their contributions to the Treasure Coast community.

One of these people, for me, is Mark Perry, who I have known since my earliest memories. Today, Mark is the Executive Director for Florida Oceanographic Society, (http://www.floridaocean.org), the epicenter in Martin County for education, protection, and advocacy for the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. He has been leading the organization for 35 years…

Mark is older than me. I was born in 1964, and I believe Mark is about ten years my senior. When you’re a kid, that’s “a lot.” But it’s just enough to for constant admiration “from younger to older.” I have been admiring Mark Perry my entire life…

Mark, his brother Chris, and his parents Clifton and Mimi Perry attended St Mary’s Church as my family did and does today. I first met Mark at St Mary’s…I was probably 3 or 4 years old.

Me as a kid with my cat Misty, ca. 1968,. (Photo from Thurlow Family album.) — Me as a kid, with my cat, Misty, ca. 1968,. This is about how old I was when I met Mark Perry… 🙂 (Photo from Thurlow Family album.)

As I grew up, I remember my parents talking about the “older kids” in the youth group getting to go on a canoe trip down the Peace River, chaperones, sleeping bags, marshmallows, etc….It was the 1970s….I wanted so badly to be older and get to do the “cool” things the older kids did, but I was just a “kid,” and had to stay home…

Over the years, my parents kept me abreast of the Perry family and what was always most interesting to me was Mark’s journey with Florida Oceanographic, an organization his father helped found in 1964 that was originally located in my childhood neighborhood of St Lucie Estates, along Kruegar Creek, in Stuart. I often visited there on my bicycle.

Early FOS, Kreugar Creek, ca. 1970s. (Tides of Time) — Early FOS, Kruegar Creek, ca. 1970s. (Tides of Time)

Over the years I grew up, moved away, attended University of Florida, lived and worked in California, Germany, and Pensacola, and when I came home in 1997 to Stuart, to continue my teaching career, Florida Oceanographic had expanded from that neat place I saw on my bicycle to become the showcase institution it is today–-An organization that symbolizes the love and fight for the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon-and the life of Mark Perry.

Mark Perry today, FOS. — Mark Perry today, photo, FOS, 2015.)

Tonight at FAU/Harbor Branchs’, “Love Your Lagoon” gala, (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/Love-Your-Lagoon-Dinner-.html) Mark Perry will be honored for his St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon work. It is the foundations’ fourth annual, and those who preceded Mark in being honored are: 2012, Nathaniel Reed; 2013, Bud Adams; 2014, Alma Lee Loy.

Mark follows in big footsteps, and he has filled them, “completely.” Thank you Mark Perry for a lifetime of admiration, respect, and guidance in our love and fight to save the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon!

LYL honoring Mark Perry — LYL 2015, honoring Mark Perry, invitation.

FAU Harbor Branch, Love Your Lagoon, 2015 honing Mark Perry.(STD Cover)

Mark and hi swift Nancy at FOS 50th anniversary. (Photo from event.) — Mark and his wife, Nancy at FOS’ 50th anniversary. (Photo from event.)

LYL 20014. With Mark Perry and others. (Photo HBOI, Brian S.) — LYL 20014. With Mark Perry and others. (L to R to L: Comr. Doug Smith, Mark Perry, Joe Duke, JTL, Sen. Joe Negron, Sherri Plymale.) (Photo HBOIF, Brian S.)

(These are excellent resources):

View Mark Perry’s FOS Presentation Library power point’s on the SLR/IRL here: (http://www.floridaocean.org/p/177/presentation-library#.VNTBDFriuR8)

Palm Beach Post article: (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/florida-oceanographic-society-head-marks-35-years-/nWnzC/)

HBOI’s Indian River Lagoon Symposium, Great Minds Collaborating to Save Our Greatest Resource, SLR/IRL

Central Indian River Lagoon (Photo Ed Lippisch, 2013) — Central Indian River Lagoon. The entire lagoon spans 156 miles from Volusia to Palm Beach county. (Photo Ed Lippisch, 2013)

Today, at the FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is the “Indian River Lagoon Symposium.” (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/Symposium.html) that is part of “Love Your Lagoon,” sponsored by the Harbor Branch Foundation (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/Love-Your-Lagoon-Dinner-.html).

This symposium consist of one full day of presentations, and poster displays, and is then followed by a day including “public meeting and interaction” going forward. The symposium is a collaboration of many, but is led by beloved, Dr Dennis Hannisak of Harbor Branch, who specializes in seagrasses and has written many valuable publications on the subject. (http://www.fau.edu/hboi/meh/mb.php)

I would be remiss if I called the HBOI Symposium, the “4th annual,” as Harbor Branch (http://www.fau.edu/hboi/) has a very long history of ocean, and thus estuarine research, here on the Treasure Coast, and has had a number of important symposiums over the past 40 plus years. (http://www.hboifoundation.org/p/28/history)

Nonetheless, the past four have been consistent and coincide with the recent crisis and super-bloom “crash” of the Indian River Lagoon’s northern and central seagrass health, and the 2013 “lost summer,” from devastating polluted releases from Lake Okeechobee on top of canals C-23, C-24 , C-44 and C-25 in the southern lagoon.

Since that time, there has been a public outcry for research, funding, and understanding. These symposiums provide an incredible opportunity for the scientific community, government agencies, youth, budding scientists, and the public to collaborate sharing knowledge and questions regarding our treasured and ailing Indian River Lagoon. Harbor Branch, founded by Steward Johnson and Edwin Link in 1971 is the perfect place.

Sunset , Indian River Lagoon. (Photo Jacqui Thurlow Lippisch, 2014.)

The overview for the symposium states:

“The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Symposium is the result of a multi-institutional, multi-agency effort to provide a forum for discussing IRL science and its application to management of the lagoon. The symposium is open to scientists, decision makers, students, education and outreach professionals, and the interested public. The intent is to help facilitate better communication among these groups so that the gaps between research and its application can be narrowed.”

Here is a summary over the past four years:

2102, “Looking Forward:” (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/IRLS_2012_Program.pdf)

2013, “Health of the Lagoon:”(http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/IRLS_2013_Abstracts_of_Presentations.pdf)

2014, “Lagoon Bio-diverstiy:” (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/IRLS_2014_Abstracts_of_Presentations_Final_copy.pdf)

2015, “Lessons, Challenges, Opportunities:” (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/IRLS_2015_Abstracts_of_Presentations_Final.pdf)

SEE THIS LINK TO VIEW programs, and technical abstracts and more: (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/Symposium.html)

Kudos to the Harbor Branch and to the steering committee and to the public. Together, may we inspire each other, and our government to “Save our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon!”

•Jeff Beal – Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission
•Patti Gorman – South Florida Water Management District
•Dennis Hanisak – Florida Atlantic University
•Chuck Jacoby – IRL National Estuary Program/St. Johns River Water Management District
•Sea McKeon – Smithsonian Institution
•Mark Perry – Florida Oceanographic Society
•Chris Wilson – University of Florida
•John Windsor – Florida Institute of Technology

To attend the public form, this year entitled: “Engaging the Public: Citizen Science, “please see link: (http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/IRLS_2015_Forum_Program.pdf)(http://www.indianriverlagoon.org/Symposium.html)

Keeping America Beautiful, Keeping Martin Beautiful–River Kidz Member, Veronica Dalton, SLR/IRL

River Kidz member, Veronica Dalton, speaks, protest for SLR/IRL, St Lucie Locks, and Dam, 2013. At this event she spoke before more than 5000 people. (Photo Sevin Bullwinkle) — River Kidz member, Veronica Dalton, 10, speaks at the protest for SLR/IRL, St Lucie Locks, and Dam, 2013. At this event she spoke before more than 5000 people. She wrote her own speech with no help from any adult. (Photo Sevin Bullwinkle.)

“Keep Martin Beautiful,” will be recognizing environmental “heroes” tonight, and one of them is longtime River Kidz member, Veronica Dalton. Veronica was nominated and is therefore being recognized at the “Environmental Stewardship Awards” for her public speaking work on behalf of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.

You may or may not know, that “Keep Martin Beautiful” is affiliated with “Keep America Beautiful.”

Keep America Beautiful was founded in 1969, inspiring such things as the famous “crying Indian commercial,” and Earth Day. Keep Martin Beautiful was founded in Martin County in 1994. (http://www.keepmartinbeautiful.org/history.html)

Veronica Dalton with Leon Abood, Chair, Rivers Coalition, 2013. (Photo Sevin Bullwinkle.)

it is estimated that over 5000 people were there at the locks that day. (Sevin Bullwinkle.)

Veronica’s journey for beauty and the river started in 2011/2012 when she was 9/10, with the founding of River Kidz. She was always a leader and the organization gave her an opportunity to showcase her speaking and writing skills. She enjoys writing and speaking about something she cares about: the river.

Even before the “lost summer” of 2013, at a River Kidz and Martin County welcoming of state paddle boarder icon, Justin Riney, under the bridge in Sewall’ Point, little Veronica politely pushed her way up to the front of the group, looked up at me and the other River Momz asking: “May I speak? I wrote something and I have it with me….”

Before Senator, Joe Negron's Senate Committee on the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin, 2013. (Photo JTL) — Before Senator, Joe Negron’s Senate Committee on the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin, 2013. (Photo JTL)

I knew at this moment, Veronica had a future and would utilize the River Kidz’ mission: “to speak out, get involved, and raise awareness, because we believe kids should have a voice in the future of our rivers.”

Her speech was heartfelt. And the crowd responded with cheers and a standing ovation. Justin smiled his handsome smile and never forgot the kids!

Shortly thereafter, with her parents, Tammy and John Dalton, Veronica sat in through Senator Joe Negron’s Senate Hearing on the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin, taking her turn to speak, showing the committee pictures she took of fighting conchs that had died at the sandbar due to the polluted freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee as well as C-24, C-23, C-25 and C-44. I’ll never forget the secret service type gentleman at the podium holding up Veronica’s sign for the Senate Committee to see!

Dead conchs. (Photo Veronica Dalton, 2013.)

Dear Fighting Conchs, 2013.(Photo Veronica Dalton.) — Dead Fighting Conchs, 2013.(Photo Veronica Dalton.)

Clean Water Rally, 2014. (Photo — Clean Water Rally, 2014.

I believe Veronica’s words had a tremendous effect on the Senate Committee and many of the “out of town” Senators expressed that they were amazed by our active and eloquent youth. I smiled saying, “Welcome to Martin County.”

Veronica has spoken most recently at the Clean Water Rally in 2014 at Phipps Park, and this year in 2015, has already shown me some of her speeches she wrote at Anderson Middle School, in Stuart. She is regular speaker and writer of St Lucie/Indian River Lagoon issues at her school. She is now 12 years old.

The legacy of environmental stewardship continues; let’s all give Veronica a big hand for keeping Martin beautiful and for keeping America beautiful…

And watch out America, here these kids come!

________________________________________________________

Keep America Beautiful/history: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_America_Beautiful)

Keep Martin Beautiful:(http://www.keepmartinbeautiful.org)(http://www.keepmartinbeautiful.org/history.html)

River Kidz is a division of the Rivers Coalition. Go to (http://riverscoalition.org), and then River Kidz tab for details.

A Whale of a Lesson, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

High school student and fire rescue volunteer, Chase Franco and I sponge sea water onto the whale to keep its skin moist in the hot sun. (Photo used with permission from Ginny Beagan, Scripps Newspapers, 2015.) — High school student and fire rescue volunteer, Chase Franco, Ed, and I sponge sea water onto the whale to keep its skin moist in the hot sun. (Photo used with permission from Ginny Beagan, Scripps Newspapers, 2015.)

Thank you to Scripps Newspaper, reporter and Facebook friend, Ginny Beagan, who contacted me encouraging me to write about this experience in my blog—giving me permission to use her photos.

________________________________________________________________

Last Sunday, I had wanted to go to church, but there was a different lesson in store for me that day…

At 8:01, Steve Burton, the head of FAU’s Harbor Branch Marine Mammal Rescue Team, sent out a call to its trained volunteers: “A kogia (pygmy sperm whale) had beached itself at Stuart Beach, less than five minutes from where I live in Sewall’s Point. I texted that I would be there, and the morning took on that surreal experience that goes along with meeting on land, our deep water friends from the sea.

“Ed, let’s go!” I called to my husband down the stairwell. We put on warm clothes, grabbed every bucket in the house, and in silence, drove the jeep over the bridge on the other side of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.

Ed and I had been through whale stranding before, most memorably, in 2012. (I have been a trained volunteer with Harbor Branch since 2011.) (http://www.fau.edu/hboi/marine_mammals/)

In 2012, a call like the one this morning came in. Not one, but twenty-two pilot whales had beached themselves along Avalon Beach in north Ft Pierce. Like a war scene, their bodies flailing in the breaking waves, Harbor Branch, NOAA, St Lucie County Fire Rescue and police, the Florida Wildlife Commission, and concerned members of the public, did all they could to save these protected marine mammals. Five calves were saved; the rest did not make it off the beach being humanly euthanized, moved, and studied for disease giving clues to their stranding.

Apparently these creatures have such strong social bonds, they will follow their sick family leader to shore, even to their deaths. A bond that serves them in nature most of the time…..

The whale this day was a pygmy sperm whale, not a pilot whale, but both are deep divers and rare to see.

Within minutes Ed and I arrived: it was very windy, and the surf was kicked up. Florida Wildlife Commission officers, and Martin County fire rescue and lifeguards were at the scene waiting for Harbor Branch, NOAA and a veterinarian to arrive. (People come as far as Vero and Boca to assist in such rescues.)

On the beach, I nodded at the officers—–they saw my Harbor Branch shirt.

I immediately filled a bucket with ocean water and slowly poured it over the whale to keep its skin moist in the hot sun. The whale was about 10 or 12 feet long; female: a thousand or so pounds; with a pink belly, and grey-black “smooth as plastic” skin; her head was blunt and beautifully shaped—I remembered how I’d read that the US Government studied deep-sea whales to derive the shapes of World War II submarines….Her blow-hole was off centered on the top of her head, an adapted nostril; her eyes were low on her body and small; barely open…Originally, she was on her side, breathing heavily. These whales can dive more than 1000 feet.

I leaned down, slowly…

Looking in the eye of a whale is something that is a lesson in and of itself. They are intelligent, and look back at you, like a dog, or a person. They know you are there. I sensed no fear in this whale, only total exhaustion.

She had scrapes and abrasions all over her body from coming in the harsh surf. Usually these whales are seen alone or in groups of five or six in the deep ocean. Scientists don’t know for certain, but it is believed they dive over a thousand feet to catch squid and they even sequester the ink in their own bodies using it too as a way to escape and confuse predators…sometimes they just float like logs in the ocean, and as a boat approaches, they submerge. A lot is not known about them.

Over the next few minutes, Ed and I met some of the others already there. The press arrived. Throngs of people gathered.

The couple that had found the whale at 7AM, while walking the beach, the Sopkos, were visiting from Cleveland. He, a steelworker; she a caretaker. They were so interested and wanted to do all they could to help. Making a 911 call to save a whale was not what they had expected that morning…They stayed the entire time, helping in any way they could.

Once all of the authorities and the veterinarian had arrived, it was decided to take the whale into the Harbor Branch ambulance, but she was too uncomfortable, and would not be carried, so the work up was done right there on the beach. It took hours. The veterinarian was excellent– Dr Kilpatrick, from Vero. His compassion showed as he determined the whales’ vital signs. She was not well and her breathing had become stalled and labored. The vet explained that heart problems are commonly seen in these whales. This is being studied…

He also explained that, pygmy sperm whales do not have a good record of survival once beached. In a majority of instances when they have been put back out to sea, they beach again, and again, and again, sometimes with sharks waiting in the waves.

Their bodies, usually “weightless” in sea water, feel the full force of gravity once on land. Their internal organs are under tremendous pressure. The animals are literally collapsing under their own weight.

Another hour passed……..

During the scene, Chase Franco, 14, was next to me, a student at Jensen Beach High School. Chase is affiliated with the fire rescue team. They allowed him to take part.

Over time, all had been done that could be done for the ailing whale. The call was made to euthanize her to put her out of her agony.

On my knees, there next to Chase, whom I know from him being a bag boy at Publix… The tension was thick. Having been through this before in Ft Pierce that awful day, I braced myself.

Others took the position to hold the whale; long time marine mammal volunteer, Jim Moir, held her tail; he encouraged us to softly speak to the whale and warned us they sometimes fight.

I looked at Chase. Although he is an avid fisherman, this was different. To see him now faced with the whale’s impeding death was unsettling. We held tight.

“Help me.” I said, to myself….”Help me find something to say to this young person….”

Chase looked at me, his big blue eyes questioning…

I started speaking….

“Chase, as you know the whale is going to be euthanized. It is sick. This is always difficult. This is what I try to do and maybe you can do? Concentrate, give the whale part of your energy, and know you are receiving some of hers…think about all of those wonderful years under the sea, blue light, and friends… Happiness, hunting, and survival. She had a good life; now it’s time to let go….but she will be with you, always….”

Chase closed his eyes. He concentrated….

No one spoke….

The whale had not taken a breath for minutes; her eyes were closed in peaceful repose; she did not fight.

Chase finally looked at me, glassy blue eyes reflecting blue ocean and blue sky…He understood.

We carried the whale to the Harbor Branch ambulance. Some people fought back tears. It was another whale of a lesson…a lesson that only our friends from the sea can give…

Whale is taken to ambulance. (Ginny Beagan, 2015.)

________________________________________

Harbor Branch: (http://www.fau.edu/hboi/)

NOAA: (http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nmfs.noaa.gov%2Fpr%2Fspecies%2Fmammals%2Fwhales%2Fpygmy-sperm-whale.html&h=_AQHjYsC5)

The Future of Oranges, Sugarcane, and Drainage Gates, National Geographic, SLR/IRL

National Geographic magazine's February 2015 issue article "Treading Water," discusses among other things, the loss/threat to sugarcane south of Lake Okeechobee. (NG, photo of page 119.) — National Geographic’s February 2015 issue has an article entitled “Treading Water,” which discusses among other things, sea level rise and the future loss/threat to sugarcane and oranges south and around Lake Okeechobee in Florida. (NG, photo of page 119.)

My husband Ed was out of town on Friday, so I thought I would get some reading done on something other than the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. That evening, with the dogs at my feet, I began reading the February issue of National Geographic magazine, a publication my parents filled our family home with, and I have kept subscribing to as a window to the outside wonders of our world.

After reading articles on the terrible trauma of “blast force” to US soldiers that served in Iraq and Afghanistan; Hawaiian identity and the sea; and the amazing microscopic revelations of mites; —–at the very end of the magazine, there was an article entitled: TREADING WATER about climate change, seal level rise, and South Florida.

The article focused quite a bit on a Dutch company that sees “profit rather than loss” in floating houses in trendy Miami, but also mentioned a few things that had little silver lining such as an insert on page 112, entitled, “Home on the Water.” This insert briefly noted the 2,100 miles of canals, (that we are all so familiar with), that have been built over the past century to drain the Everglades and empty the state’s water mostly into the Atlantic Ocean. (FOS, 1.7 billion gallon a day on average….)

According to the article, if there is two feet of sea level rise, conservatively predicted by 2060, the gates draining the lands around lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, “will no longer work…”

I’ll be 95 in 2060….hope I can get out of the nursing home to see….

National Geographic page 112. "Given two feet of sea level rise, more than 80 % of the gates will no longer work." — National Geographic page 112. “Given two feet of sea level rise, more than 80 % of the gates will no longer work.”

The article also notes “two key” very threatened and very profitable agricultural industries: sugarcane and oranges.

Food for thought….

Sea level rise is a factor I deal with as a commissioner in the Town of Sewall’s Point and have been exposed to through the Florida League of Cities. The sea has risen before and it is rising again. Too bad humanity is speeding things up, but we are…

After listening to many state agencies and scientists speak on the issue, I personally do not believe Florida will be abandoned or”sink.” I think it will rise in new form, adapting to change as humanity has done for thousands if not millions of years.

Nonetheless, if I owned sugar groves in the Everglades Agriculture Area, I’d have an exit strategy; if I worked for the Army Corp of Engineers, or South Florida Water Management District, I would reexamine the plumbing; and if I were Florida’s governor, or legislature, I would be talking to scientists about the advantage of fresh water on the land south of lake, pushing back salt water coming up from below and providing drinking water in the future to all those people living on floating houses in Miami…

So much for reading about the “rest of the world”…our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon/ Everglades issues are inescapable!

________________________________________________

National Geographic Magazine: (http://www.nationalgeographic.com)

FOS: (http://www.floridaocean.org)

Town of Sewall’s Point: (http://sewallspoint.org )—FEMA houses being lifted, flood map changes are just a few of the things the town is dealing with in regard to sea level rise.