MARCH 2022
Dear Friends,

Happy Spring or in Florida as it is known, "Pre-summer"! Either way, the pollen is blowing, turtles will start to nest, as will plovers, and it is the new beginning.

Please join us for our spring events; we have added a Mini-Artist-in-Residence to the ACA-Canaveral Soundscape Field Station. We welcome Mary Edwards from Savannah, GA, to Canaveral. She is staying at the Leeper house, so you'll see her public program scheduled throughout the next few weeks.

As part of Women's History Month, the Friends of Canaveral will join us to celebrate Doris Leeper/Art and Conservation at the Leeper House on March 20th, 1-4 pm. This is one of the few occasions that Doris' residence is open to the public, so please join us to view Volusia's student artwork and discuss her contributions to art and the environment.
Stay safe & see you at the beach!
Laura Henning
MARCH ACTIVITIES AT THE SEASHORE
We have a range of great activities for March in the Apollo District (New Smyrna Beach).

Reserve a spot to join our guided kayak/canoe tours which will take place on Monday(s) the 14th and 28th. Bring the family.

Plant Walks continue on Wednesday(s) the 2nd, 9th, 23rd and 30th.

Turtle Mound Walk & Talk will take place on Sat., March 12th.

Our brown bag lunch this month is on Tuesday, March 8th and will be presented by ACA Artist in residence, Mary Edwards (Sound Immersion). See details below.

Sunday, March 20 - Celebrate Women's History Month at the Leeper House - more details below.
2022 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
The ACA Soundscape Field Station, a partnership between Atlantic Center for the Arts and Canaveral National Seashore, announces Mary Edwards as its 2022 artist-in-residence. This residency program invites musicians, composers, and ecologists to find innovative approaches that help preserve a healthy and balanced soundscape for current and future generations. Atlantic Center for the Arts has over 40 years of experience in producing artist-in-residency programs that attract distinguished artists from all over the world.
 
From February 28 – March 14, 2022, Mary Edwards will live and work at the Doris Leeper home in Canaveral National Seashore. She will design a site-specific sound art installation welcoming the public to participate in its creation.
 
Events:
  • Artist Talk - March 3, 2022, at  ACA Harris House
  • Brown Bag Lunch – March 8, 2022 – 11am - Visitor’s Center Pavilion (Apollo District)
  • Soundwalk - March 12, 2022, at Indian River Lagoon Park, NSB
free and open to everyone.
CELEBRATING DORIS LEEPER
Sunday, March 20, 2022 - 1-4pm
Canaveral National Seashore Internships
Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) hosts a variety of internships. Currently, the park has two recent master's degree graduates serving as Women in Parks interns. These young women are gaining valuable experience in many areas of the park and federal service. During their time here, they have worked with Resource Management doing water quality projects, assisted with safety zone management during rocket launches, staffed the Visitor Center learning interpretation and visitor services, and worked with many of our partners, including Eastern National, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and Friends of Canaveral. They each aspire to full-time federal service and share their experiences below.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sharing the Shore
Photo: Audubon
WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO HELP

What's better than a day at the beach? Besides the sun, sand, and waves, the shore has plenty of exciting and entertaining wildlife to watch! Up ahead, dozens of small leggy birds skitter back and forth like speeded-up dancers in the foamy surf. They share the sandy stage with other shorebirds and with side-walking crabs, half-buried clams, and bristly beach worms. The coast is where the land and sea come together. Shorebirds belong to both. They nest on land—often right on the beach—and depend on the ocean or other large bodies of water for their food.

People can help prevent disturbance to the birds every time they are on the beach.

  • Keep at a distance from the birds– if birds are agitated, especially if they fly up into the air, people or pets are too close.
  • Don’t force the birds to fly. Birds in flight might look pretty, but it makes the birds expend the energy they need for migration, nesting, and caring for their young.
  • Explain to parents that it is essential to keep children from chasing the birds. People don’t know the consequences to the birds and educating them is key.
  • Keep out of posted areas and encourage others to respect them too!
  • Keep dogs off the beaches where prohibited, leashed on beaches where allowed, and far away from birds, especially nesting birds. An unleashed dog can kill adults and chicks, crush eggs, and cause a whole colony to abandon in minutes. Birds perceive dogs as predators and will be disturbed even if the dog is not chasing them.
  • Don’t feed any birds at the beach. It will attract predators like Fish Crows and gulls that prey on eggs and tiny chicks of beach-nesting birds.
  • Kites can flush groups of birds because they resemble aerial predators. Avoid flying kites or kite surfing close to bird flocks and nesting birds.
  • Pick up trash, especially plastic, Styrofoam, fishing line and tackle.

Share these tips with friends and family.
Look for and report banded birds.

THESE PROTECTED BIRDS ARE AMONG THOSE THAT NEST ON FLORIDA'S BEACHES:
BECOME A FRIEND - 2022 Membership
Friends of Canaveral consists of a small, but a mighty, group of members and volunteers who participate in the tradition of private philanthropy that is designed to enhance Canaveral’s’ federal support. 
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP:

  • Membership card to Friends of Canaveral to use to receive a discount of 15% at the Canaveral Seashore Park Gift Shop.
  • Subscription to the Friends of Canaveral eNewsletter
  • Invitation to all fundraising events
  • Invitation to our annual membership meeting
  • Inclusion in all email announcements
  • Volunteer opportunities
REPORT VIOLATIONS
If you suspect a fish, wildlife, boating, or environmental law violation, report it to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Reward Program: 888-404-FWCC (3922).
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