Archives
This has been a busy semester! We have been traveling, starting new projects, and counting endless amounts of trash removed from local beaches. In the midst of everything, we welcomed three new Conservation Interns in August. We rely heavily on the dedication of our volunteers and interns. Each new group brings new ideas, new skills, and new ways to learn and improve. We are very lucky to have another amazing set of… Read More
This month, our work with cigarette butts on fishing piers continues. One stipulation of the grant we received from Keep America Beautiful is follow-up litter scans at each location where cigarette receptacles were installed. The bins have been collecting butts at 15 sites in Florida since June. With help from a few of our partners, we have been busy counting cigarette butts both contained in the receptacles and littered on the ground… Read More
Most importantly, we’re relieved to report that we heard from our partners in Puerto Rico and everyone is safe. They are working to assess the damage done and recover from Hurricane Maria. We will continue to communicate with them as often as possible as we work on our projects here at home. In September, I traveled west to implement the RPI at several new sites in Hernando County – an area we… Read More
Earlier this year, Loggerhead Marinelife Center was named a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program grant recipient by Keep American Beautiful. The grant has allowed us to purchase cigarette receptacles for interested Responsible Pier Initiative partners. We immediately began planning our road trip and packing our tools. Implementation began yesterday on our very own Juno Beach Pier. In the next eight days, we will visit 14 piers, travel a total of 1,459 miles, and… Read More
On Halloween day, we traveled north to Cocoa Beach to bring the Responsible Pier Initiative to its newest location. We had been working with our partners at the Brevard Zoo to organize a workshop for staff from the Sea Turtle Healing Center, the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, the Florida Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary, and the Cocoa Beach Pier and everything finally aligned on October 31. The RPI has been steadily growing since… Read More
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with more than 30 Ocean Rescue Lifeguards. As nesting season becomes busier and busier, the potential to spot nesting female sea turtles and disoriented hatchlings on the beach continues to increase. Interactions on fishing piers will likely increase as well. We are very grateful to have a partnership with these lifeguards; not only are they watching the beaches every day, they are dedicated to… Read More
One of the most important components of our Responsible Pier Initiative is the educational workshops that we provide first-responders at participating piers. Over the next few days LMC team members, Kerri and Demi, will be on the road conducting regional workshops across the state of Florida and blogging about their adventures. Kerri is the center’s education manager and has been part of the LMC family since October 2013. She joined our team… Read More
In 2013, we saw much success in collaborating with recreational fishermen through LMC’s Responsible Pier Initiative. This year we plan to expand our reach to recreational boaters through the launch of the Responsible Boater Initiative. The Responsible Boater Initiative is a program geared towards recreational boaters in South Florida to promote clean, safe boating, fishing and diving practices as it relates to threatened and endangered sea turtles. The initiative will include a… Read More
Last week we wrapped up our final two marine debris clean-ups of 2013. On Wednesday, in collaboration with Jupiter Dive Center, we removed 71 lbs. of fishing debris from beneath the Juno Beach Fishing Pier and another 115 lbs. of debris was removed from Juno Beach on Saturday during the Blue Friend Society monthly beach clean-up. Since 2011, LMC has removed over 7,000 lbs. of debris from local beaches and waterways through… Read More
The Responsible Pier Initiative (RPI) was officially launched in August 2013. It’s a first-of-it’s-kind program in the state of Florida and is designed as a collaborative tool to work directly with fishermen and fishing piers to promote a healthy environment for sea turtles and other marine life. The initiative consists of three main components: Educational Workshops for sea turtle stranding first-responders which provide action steps to follow in the event a sea… Read More
Conservation 