Environment report Feb 2019 for Marco Island

Calusa Garden Club Environment Report

February 11, 2019 

Red Tide

            Water samples taken on Feb. 4 revealed no red tide present from South Marco Beach up to Barefoot Beach.  

Marco Island Nature Preserve Bald Eagles

            Confirmed: the female adult eagle is still Calusa.

            At least one egg has hatched. 

            View eagle nest activity on the Eagle Cam by visiting             www.MarcoIslandNaturePreserve.org. 

 Plastic Bags

            Bad for our environment, litter roadsides, fields, waterways.   There are     massive amounts of plastic in our oceans. 

 BE PROACTIVE-

            Use canvas bags.  Keep them in your car.

            If you use grocery store plastic bags, return the bags to the store. 

            Plastic bags thrown loose in trash bins frequently fly out when the      trash is emptied onto the trucks.  The bags also fly  out of the Waste            Management trucks driving on the road littering our environment. 

 Water

            The Army Corps of Engineers recently held a meeting as a periodic review of the way it controls Lake O, and for obtaining public input as to what issues were important and should be considered. Elected officials, activists and numerous concerned citizens expressed concerns that the red tide and toxic blooms has devastated wildlife, is a health hazard, hampers tourism and strains Florida’s economy.  

Newly elected Florida Gov DeSantis has called for the resignation of all South Florida Water Management District Board Members.  Chauncey Goss is a newly appointed board member.  Dates for future meetings are not known at this time. 

Recycling The City of Marco Island does recycle and claims to have been doing this for many years.  The City Clerk stated that the County requires commercial recycling.  Further investigation of City commercial recycling will be forthcoming. 

Submitted on 2/11/19 by Linda Turner, Environment Chair