June 2010

Hello Friends!

By the time most of you read this posting you will have received hard copy of our GATOR TALES newsletter, or have read it here on our website. Congratulations to Editor Lance Warley and Webmaster George Berman-another outstanding job!

Although the CYPRESS SWAMP BOARDWALK reconstruction is underway, 1/2 of the walkway will be kept open during the work period which we expect to be concluded in October. Thanks to Refuge Managers Rolf Olson and Sylvia Pelizza for obtaining funding for this improvement, that will include safety railings, expanded seating areas, and expanded educational signage (with assistance from the Jay Brenner Memorial Fund).

The oil crisis in the Gulf is also putting a strain on us here at Loxahatchee. The USFWS maintains Refuges all along the coast from Texas and Louisiana to Florida. On any given week 6-10 of our full-time staff members are being rotated to emergency duty on the Gulf Coast. We are also down five staff positions that need to be filled. Fortunately our volunteers are standing in as needed. Additionally, the Marshall Foundation has five college summer interns working on projects, and the Refuge has four high school YCC students working. We could easily get more students, but we need more adult supervisors. Interested?

See you around and about.