SCHEDULED PROGRAMS         May 2012

Guided Canoe Trips

Saturday, May 19, 8:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Saturday, June 2, 8:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Meet at the Headquarters Boat Ramp to enjoy a beautiful canoe tour through a portion of the Refuge interior. 
You may rent a canoe for $25 from Loxahatchee Canoeing or bring your own.  (One canoe seats 2 to 3 people.)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.  Call the Visitor Center at 561-734-8303.

Enjoy this 3-minute video made on the canoe trail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW49VXaOvGU&feature=related

Full Moon Guided Canoe Trips

Saturday, June 2, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 3, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 1, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday, August 31, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Meet at the Headquarters Boat Ramp to enjoy a guided moonlight canoe tour through a portion of the Refuge interior.  Wear long-sleeved shirt and long pants and bring a flashlight and bug spray.

Cost for this tour is $10.00 per person besides the regular Refuge entrance fee. 
(Tour price includes canoe rental; you may not bring your own.)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED - PLEASE CALL LOXAHATCHEE CANOEING at 561-733-0192.

Swamp Strolls

Every Sunday, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Meet a naturalist for a guided tour of the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk.  Learn about the swamp ecosystem from cypress tree knees to animals that call the swamp home.  Meet at the pavilion behind the Visitor Center.

Early Morning Bird and Butterfly Walks

Every Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Join our naturalist for an early morning bird and butterfly walk on the Marsh Trail.  Learn about our migratory and year-round residents of the Refuge.  Meet in the Marsh Trail parking lot.

Roving Naturalist on Marsh Trail

Every Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

A volunteer naturalist will be strolling around the Marsh Trail, discussing the marsh ecology, answering questions and identifying birds, butterflies, plants, reptiles and anything else you might find along the way.

Roving Naturalist on Cypress Swamp Boardwalk

Monday, May 7, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 15, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 29, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

A volunteer naturalist will be strolling around the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, answering questions and discussing flora and fauna of the swamp.

***Programs subject to change, for more information on any of the activities and programs, please call the Visitor Center at (561) 734-8303 or the Administration Office at (561) 732-3684.

Check the Refuge event calendar online at:

http://www.my.calendars.net/marchloxahatchee/marchloxahatcheeGrid20125.html
The calendar can also be viewed by going to http://www.fws.gov/loxahatchee and selecting “Calendar of Events” on the right side.

The Everglades by Armchair - Sierra Club Video Presentation of 2012 Canoe Expedition

Thursday, May 10, 6:30 p.m.
Location:  Lantana Branch, Palm Beach County Library, 4020 Lantana Road, Lake Worth

Experience the 2012 River of Grass Canoe Expedition (without the bugs!) and learn about Everglades restoration with the Sierra Club.  Everybody is invited to come hear all about - and see footage from - the amazing 75-mile canoe voyage 16 paddlers made through the globally-unique Everglades in January.  The expedition was the third leg of a multi-year project organized by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation to trace the water through the Everglades system. “It was an incredible first-hand look at Everglades restoration,” says paddler Ron Haines, who will be talking about his experience on Thursday. 

For more information, contact him at ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net or (561)964-1995. 

Trip leader Chris Carl, fellow paddler Susan Sylvester (Operations Manager of the South Florida Water Management District) and Gisa Wagner, who serves on the Marshall Foundation’s Board of Directors, will also be giving presentations and answering questions about their real-time, on-the-water view of the health of this irreplaceable wetland.

Seeking Summer Teacher to Assist Refuge

Training Dates:  Monday, June 11 - Thursday, June 14
Program Dates: Monday, July 2 - Friday, August 10
Duration: 6 weeks, Monday - Friday, plus initial 4-day training
Salary: $1,500 ($250/week) (training is unpaid)
Deadline to Apply: Friday, May 25

The Summer Teachers Assisting Refuges (STAR) program provides opportunities for teachers to connect to the resources in a National Wildlife Refuge.  Teachers then develop lesson plans based on their Refuge experience for use in the classroom and natural resource areas.  The program focuses on teachers from schools with diverse student populations, who have had little or no experience with National Wildlife Refuges or limited opportunity to explore the relevance Refuges can have in their lives and the lives of their students.  Our Refuge is piloting the first STAR program this summer.

For more information:
http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/upload/LoxSTARDescription.pdf

To apply:
http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/upload/LoxSTARApplication.pdf

The STAR program is sponsored by the Friends and made possible by the Harvey Eisen Education and Training Fund, established by friends and family of long-time volunteer and Board member Harvey Eisen. 

If you would like to help replenish this fund and help train future teachers, you can mail your contribution to:  Friends of Loxahatchee, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33473  Att: Steve Horowitz/Training Fund. 
You can also donate online at: 
http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/contributions.shtml

Free 3-Day Grant-Writing Workshop

Tuesday, May 15, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. -and-
Wednesday, May 16, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. -and-
Thursday, May 17, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Our Refuge was chosen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to host a 3-day workshop centered around grant writing for conservation.  The workshop is FREE, and all materials, plus lunch, will be provided.

Course Title:            GRANT WRITING FOR CONSERVATION

Course Description:   We will concentrate on the complete proposal writing process from developing ideas, seeking funding alternatives, becoming familiar with the proposal review process, developing a statement of need, differentiating goals from objectives, planning for project implementation and grant management procedures, and writing a clear and concise proposal.

Course Sponsors:  Bureau of Land Management National Training Center - Phoenix, Arizona
                                Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
                                Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Instructors:  Pete Pinney, University of Alaska
                      David Knight, Fundraising Consultant
                      Helene Aarons, Partnership Consultant

Where:  Visitor Center Auditorium

What to Bring:  A laptop would be helpful.  Those working on a project with someone else can share.
Bring an idea for a project that you want to fund, and Enthusiasm!

How to Register:   E-mail Steve Horowitz stephenjayme@yahoo.com

Questions about the course?  E-mail Diane C Nelson, Bureau of Land Management National Training Center Training Coordinator dcnelson@blm.gov

Lee Road Cleanup - Volunteers Needed

Saturday, June 9, 9:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

The Friends have officially adopted Lee Road from U.S. 441 west to the Refuge gate under the Palm Beach County Adopt-a-Road Litter Control program.  Meet at the Visitor Center to get your water bottle, safety vest and instructions.  Pitch in and help keep us beautiful! 

Friends President Steve Horowitz explains more about it in his President’s Pen, and says volunteers will particularly be needed in June…
http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/Presidents_Pen/presidents_pen.shtml

Fee-Free Day - June 9

The Department of the Interior is waiving admission fees at national parks, national wildlife refuges and all other federal fee areas on June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), October 14 (in recognition of National Wildlife Refuge Week) and November 10-12 (Veterans Day weekend).

2012 Contest Photos

The winning photographs from our 2012 contest will remain on display in the Visitor Center auditorium through the end of May.  All are on sale for $25, including the frame, with the exception of the Grand Prize Winner.  All proceeds help support the Friends’ ongoing Refuge projects.

All of the photos cam be viewed on our website at:
http://loxahatchee.smugmug.com/Contest-Photo/Photo-Contest-2012

Previous years’ contest entries can also be viewed on the website by selecting Birds, Fauna, Flora, Scenic, etc. or by selecting the Photo Contest year of interest.

Commemorative Brick Pavers

Have you considered buying a brick for our paved path at the entrance to the Cypress Swamp?  It’s a thoughtful way to commemorate a loved one or yourself, for that matter, and help the Refuge at the same time.

Each brick can be purchased for $100. This includes up to 3 lines and a maximum of 18 characters and spaces per line, installation, and a lifetime replacement guarantee should any damage occur.  A matching 4" x 4 " tile is also available for display in home or office for $25.
 
To order, send complete order and contact information along with your check, payable to Friends of Loxahatchee, to:  Friends of Loxahatchee, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33473  Att: Steve Horowitz

L-40 Levee and Canal Partially Closed Due to Site 1 Impoundment Project

The L-40 Levee and Canal will be closed periodically from Loxahatchee Road north for three miles to boating, hiking, bicycling, and all other public use.   The closure is due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction of a reservoir southeast of the Refuge and is expected to last until October, 2012.  This project, known as the Site 1 Impoundment Project, will capture and store storm water that would otherwise be lost to tide during dry times and preserve clean water in the Refuge.

Loxahatchee Road itself will remain open.  Only the L-40 dike and canal will be closed from around the gate area.  Hunters and other visitors can still access the parking area and the marsh except for the canal and levee going north. 

For a map of the temporarily closed portions of the L-40 Levee go to:
http://www.fws.gov/loxahatchee/PDF_files/TemporaryClosure.pdf

For the latest updates, view the Site 1 Impoundment Community Newsletter here:
http://www.evergladesplan.org/news/site1_newsletter_archive.aspx

New Hiking & Biking Trail to Open

A new trail will be opened across the northern end of the Refuge near the 20-Mile Bend entrance by the end of this summer.  The trail will connect the public access areas of the two Stormwater Treatment Areas - STA1W and STA1E - that lie just to the west and east of the Refuge, respectively.  The trail will be open to hiking, biking, and fishing.  The portion of the trail that crosses the Refuge will be open seven days a week.  The portions in the STAs will be open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. 

Here’s a map that depicts the location of the new trail…
http://loxahatcheefriends.com/upload/STA1E-STA1W Trail_1.jpg

Cabbage Palm Trees at Lee Road Boat Ramp to be Removed

The three cabbage palm trees that are near the canoe rental facility and the cabbage palm trees near the Lee Road boat ramp will have to be removed.  In order to maintain the levees as flood protection levees they cannot have woody vegetation growing on or within 15 feet of the toe of the levee.  Water can follow the roots through the levee and eventually cause the levee to fail. Unfortunately these palm trees are within the 15-foot zone.  The South Florida Water Management District will remove the trees.