May Sierra Club Meeting--Sea Beans and Other Things That Float Ashore

Want to find out about Sea Beans and other things that float on ocean currents and are cast ashore?  Come to the May 2013 meeting of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club, which will take place on Thursday, May 23, 2013, at the Unitarian Universalist Friendship Hall, 3115 Friendship Place, off Rt 1 just north of Suntree Blvd.  Our speaker will be Edward L Perry IV, Park Services Specialist at  Sebastian Inlet State Park, who is very knowledgeable about sea beans and beachcombing.  The meeting will start at 7:00 PM, with social time from 6:30 to 7:00.
This will be our last meeting before the summer break of June, July and August.  Meetings will resume in September, 2013.

Turtle Walk June 8 at the Barrier Island Center, Sebastian, FL

June 8--Turtle Walk--Sebastian, FL-Join Turtle Coast Sierra Club for a turtle walk starting at the Barrier Island Sanctuary close to Sebastian Inlet. It will begin at 8:45pm with a short presentation and we will then proceed out to the beach to hopefully find some turtles! The event typically goes 2-3 hours. The cost is $15, which will go toward the Archie Carr Refuge/EELS program. These walks fill up very fast! Due to the cost, you must prepay through the mail to reserve your spot.  Call or email Dan and Leslie Maloney to get the mailing address and the outing details. (321-676-6946 or maloneyL731@gmail.com)

Honor Pro-environment Council Members with Palm Bay Democrats May 18

We don't usually promote political events, but the Turtle Coast Sierra Club happily notes that the Palm Bay Democrats will hold a Luncheon on May 18, 2013, honoring Melbourne Councilwoman Molly Tasker, and Rockledge Councilmen Joe Lee Smith and Dick Blake, as well as their own mayor, Guillermo Capote. All three of the Councilpersons from outside Palm Bay have supported and voted for strong Fertilizer Ordinances in their own cities, to help protect the Indian River Lagoon and other Brevard waterways from nutrient pollution.  For their pro-environmental stands, we would like to join in honoring them! 
A $25 donation is requested for a ticket to this luncheon, for any of us who would like to attend and honor these people, also. It will take place at the Unity center, 1771 Agora Circle SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909, and starts at 11:00 AM. Tickets are  available at www.Brevarddems.com.

Florida's Water and Land Conservation Campaign

Florida has a long and proud history of protecting important natural areas for water, wildlife and recreation.  For more than 2 decades, Florida led the nation in protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of lands needed to provide a clean and abundant water supply, habitat for fish and wildlife, and all the spectacular natural areas that make this state a wonderful place to live and to visit.

But in recent years, funding for conservation has been slashed.  Now, for every dollar spent by the state, less than 2/100ths of a penny goes to water and land conservation.  As a result, critical water protection areas, wildlife habitats, and natural areas unique to Florida remain vulnerable to unwise development decisions and deep funding cuts!

We need to act now, to put a Florida constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot, to assure that adequate funding is dedicated to conservation--the Florida Water and Land Conservation amendment.  The funds dedicated by this amendment will go towards

• Protecting our beaches and shores;
• Restoring, managing and acquiring lands needed to protect Florida's drinking water sources and protect the quality of water in our rivers, lakes and streams;
• Protecting and restoring the Everglades and other degraded natural systems and waterways;
• Improving fish and wildlife habitats, protecting forests and wetlands, and restoring conservation lands that are an important part of Florida's natural heritage, economy and quality of life;  and 
• managing existing state and local natural areas, parks and trails for water supply, habitat and recreation.

All this conservation and restoration will NOT cost taxpayers a dime!  And it will not increase state spending.  The amendment allocates a portion of the existing documentary stamp tax--which is paid when real estate is sold, and has been collected since the early 1900s--to water and land conservation, management and restoration.  This is the same funding source that the state has used for water and land conservation for the last twenty years.

  Florida's Water and Land Legacy is a coalition of the state's leading conservation organizations including The Trust for Public Land, Audubon of Florida, Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and many others.

Our goal is for volunteers across the state to gather 650,000 signatures to place this important citizen’s amendment on the November 2014 ballot.  We have from October 2012 to November 2013 to accomplish this, as all petitions must be submitted by November 30, 2013, in order to have the amendment ready to be put on the ballot in 2014.

More information about how you can help is available at www.FloridaWaterLandLegacy.org or e-mail campaign@FloridaWaterLandLegacy.org.

Turtle Coast Group is collecting petitions at the monthly meetings and at tabling events.

Brevard Wildlife Photos for Sale

Have you bought a photo from our Brevard Wildlife photo site yet?  If you are looking for a gift, or some artwork for your own home, wouldn't a Brevard or Florida wildlife scene be the perfect thing?
We have an entire gallery of such photos, any of which can be ordered in any size you like, on glossy or matte paper, matted or not, or ready to "float" on a wall.  Prices are reasonable, and the photos are beautiful.  Just go to www.brevardwildlife.smugmug.com to pick the photo or photos of your choice.  The website has generously been donated by Smugmug.com so all proceeds can go to our Turtle Coast Sierra Club, to help us explore, enjoy and protect our environment.