President s Message by Harold Bruner ( )

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1 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Pine Island segment November 1 & 2, 2008 Work Party Schedule Saturday Nov. 8 th Dean Easement Saturday Dec. 6 th Cayo Pelau 20/20 Saturday Dec. 13 th Ranger Council Picnic Saturday Jan. 3 rd Dedication of Traihead Vista Saturday Jan. 10 th Fritts Park More Details Inside Newsletter #60 October 2008 Founded President s Message by Harold Bruner ( ) 100 th Anniversary of Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge Celebration was a Great Success 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the Pine Island and Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). On Saturday, September 27 th, a great crowd attended a celebration at the Randell Research Center in Pineland. There were displays hosted by the CLT, Ding Darling NWR, Calusa Ghost Tours, and Lee County Parks & Recreation (promoting the upcoming Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival). There were free boat tours that visited the islands that comprise the 600+ acre refuge. Some CLT board members led free kayak tours in Pine Island Sound. Also popular were walking tours of the Randell grounds. Special thanks go to Toni Westland of the Ding Darling staff for organizing and promoting the event. Thanks also to Rob Wells of the Tarpon Lodge for allowing the use of his docks as a base for the boat tours. CLT s Brenda Anderson (left) and Liz Donley ready a canoe. (Fort Myers News Press Photo) More on the 100 th Anniversary Celebration by Brenda Anderson ( ) T he Calusa Land Trust played a noteworthy part in the celebration of the 100 th birthday of three National Wildlife Refuges that was held on Saturday, September 27 th, at the Randall Research Center in Pineland. There were hundreds of visitors to the event that included archeological tours of the center and various boat tours of Pine Island Sound. Informational booths included the Coccoloba Chapter of the Native Plant Society, the Lee County Parks and Recreation Blueway Mobile and many more.

2 Of course, we had our Calusa Land Trust booth with its display of paddling and hiking trails as well as a beautiful map of our preserves to show visitors. Judy Ott and Brian Cotterill, Harold Bruner, and Shirley and Cathy House helped with the booth, answering questions, handing out brochures, and selling our collectible T-shirts and hats Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival November 1 st & 2 nd by Brenda Anderson ( ) T he Calusa Land Trust is going to participate in the Pine Island segment of this year s Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2, Photo by Don McCumber Liz Donley provided all of the boats and gear as well as her professional guiding services for free kayak tours of Pine Island Sound. Over 25 paddlers participated in her three trips held throughout the day. The News-Press featured her tours for the Calusa Land Trust in their article covering the event. Ed Chapin and Donna Vanesky took a group of 16 canoeists (including 6 young children) on a guided paddling trip at noon. They departed from our canoe and kayak launch at Fritts Park on an exploration trip through mangrove tunnels and the lower section of our Big Jim Creek Preserve all the way out to Pine Island Sound. They stopped for a break at Conservation 20/20 s recently acquired, 189 acre, Carter Preserve at the mouth of Big Jim Creek before returning to Fritts Park. In all it was a fun event celebrating an important part of our history and the establishment of three local refuges: Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, Matlacha Pass National Refuge, and Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The Pine Island segment of the festival includes kayak fishing tournaments in Matlacha on Saturday and Sunday as well as the Paddle of the Pass kayak race in Matlacha on Sunday. In addition, there will be vendor booths with lots of boats, demonstrations and paddling gear as well as interesting displays from local organizations on Sunday in Matlacha. The CLT will have a display of our paddling and hiking trail maps (currently available on our website) and other information at the event on Sunday. CLT members have scheduled the following guided tours for the festival: Saturday, November 1, 10:00 AM - A Kayak trip to Calusa Island, departing from Jug Creek Cottages in Bokeelia. Kayaks will be available on site to rent from the Tropic Star for this trip. Saturday, November 1, 4:00 PM A sunset cruise kayak trip to Pine Island Sound, departing from the Lee County s Pine Island Commercial Marina boat ramp on Marie Lane near Pine Island Center. We have some kayaks available for this trip. Sunday, November 2, 12:00 Noon - A walking tour of the Saint Jude Trail in Saint James City. You can obtain additional information about the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival by logging onto their website 2

3 To reserve a place on one of the CLT guided tours listed above, obtain directions to the launch site, and other details, please me at Brenda1040@Hotmail.com or call me at Space is limited, so please contact me as soon as possible. Upcoming Research at Galt Preserve by Laura Wewerka H ello Calusa Land Trust Members! I wanted to introduce myself and let you know about an upcoming research project that I will be conducting at one of the Conservation 20/20 Preserves that you helped acquire on Pine Island. My name is Laura Wewerka and I have worked as a Land Stewardship Coordinator for the Conservation 20/20 Program for 6 years. I have also started working towards a Master s in Environmental Science at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Last year, I took a Wetland s Ecology course with Dr. Brian Bovard and it sparked a question that I have been wondering about since I began cutting down invasive exotic melaleuca trees. Since these trees have the reputation of soaking up water like a sponge, what are the effects on the environment once they are removed? Dr. Bovard had a research project on the campus of FGCU measuring the transpiration (water being drawn up through the roots of plants and eventually released into the atmosphere) of pines, cypress and melaleuca trees. I was also surprised to learn that even though we all know that melaleuca trees dry up the swamps, there has been no published research really looking at how much water these trees soak up in natural areas. So that is what my upcoming research will entail. My study will be in a mesic flatwoods community at Galt Preserve that has a good mix of large melaleuca and pine trees. I will be building and installing sap flow probes that can measure the water as it flows through the trees. I will also be measuring several climatic influences such as the groundwater levels to compare to the sap flow. After about a year, I plan to remove the melaleuca trees from half of the study area and then continue to gather data to see how the pines respond and maybe detect a change in the groundwater. I m really excited about this project and hope to get started in the fall, or January at the latest. I have already received some funding from the Explorer s Club and the American Water Resources Association. I would love to take members of the CLT to the site and share my research with you, and would also appreciate assistance with the experiment as well as just having people that can keep an eye on the site. Watch upcoming newsletters to learn more about this project. Picture of study site Volunteer Water Monitors Needed by Judy Ott ( ) Please Join the Volunteer Water Monitors from Pine Island T he 12 year legacy of the "Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network" (aka "Volunteer Water Monitors") started with fellow Calusa Land Trust member Peter Location of Study 3

4 Ordway. For many autumns, Peter would walk into the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Office, at the time located next to Anne's Restaurant, and encourage state biologists to organize citizens to help collect water quality information from around Pine Island. Little by little, grant by grant, that dream became reality. On a blustery, cold February sunrise in 1998, over 20 hearty Calusa Land Trust members and fellow Pine Islanders braved the 4 foot waves of Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass and began the trek to prove to agencies around Florida that citizens could collect real scientific water chemistry information. In the intervening years, the Pine Islanders, along with water monitors from Venice to Fort Myers Beach have been collecting monthly water samples to determine if there's adequate oxygen for the fishery, adequate water clarity for the sea grasses, low enough nutrients to prevent algae blooms and low enough bacteria levels to prevent human health risks. Volunteer Water Monitoring April 2005 Matlacha Park Last December, the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network won the prestigious, international Gulf Guardian Award in the Partnership category from the Gulf of Mexico Program. This year, our volunteer pool is critically low. We have 5 sites that need to be visited by volunteers with boats once a month. Two sites are in Matlacha Pass, two are in San Carlos Bay and one is the Cayo Costa dock. information, please contact Judy Ott at , or or Ext 230. For their years of dedication we sincerely thank the Calusa Land Trust and Pine Island water monitors. Acquisition Report by Harold Bruner ( ) Conservation 20/20 Purchases 189 Acres of Bokeelia Mangroves O n September 17 Lee County made another key acquisition on Pine Island when they bought 189 acres of mangroves that surround the mouth of Big Jim Creek. There is no road access to this property that is northwest of the Alden Pines golf course. Several things made this attractive to 20/20. It is a large tract of all mangrove wetlands. The entire north boundary adjoins mangroves already owned by the state of Florida. Just north of that is our own Big Jim Creek Preserve. Finally, the mouth of Big Jim Creek allows water access for paddlers or small boats into the heart of the mangroves. The contiguous preserves owned by the county, state and CLT total more than 700 acres. This is just the fourth 20/20 purchase in all of Lee County to be a part of their Legacy Program. When certain criteria are met for larger purchases the sellers can choose to name the property, often on behalf of a key person associated with its earlier purchase. This property will be called the Carver Preserve in honor of Jack C. Carver, M.D. Dr. Carver realized the importance of these wetlands from an environmental standpoint and it was always his wish that they be preserved. Once on site, the sampling takes about 30 to 45 minutes. We supply all training, supplies and camaraderie. All we need is you. For more 4 = Carver Preserve

5 The CLT encouraged the nomination of this parcel and supported its movement through the entire process. We pledged $5,000 toward the purchase and have offered to assist in co-management with Lee County. Thanks once again to the Lee County 20/20 staff and to the Lee County Board of Commissioners for another key purchase of environmentally sensitive lands on Pine Island. Fund Raising by Ron Wesorick ( ) Poker Run Mark your calendars now. The Pine Island Boat Club s 16 th annual Poker Run on the water will be held Sunday December 7 th. All proceeds will be donated to the Calusa Land Trust. To participate, purchase a hand for $5 (you may buy as many as you like). Each hand is carried to 6 dealer stations at various locations around Pine Island Sound and St James City canals. A card is drawn at each of the stations and the 7 th and final card is drawn at Woody s Waterside Pub in downtown St. James City. The best poker hands win. While socializing at Woody s and waiting for final results, there will be live music, raffles and great food and drink available. Tickets will be available at Woody s and from our friendly ticket sellers starting in October. Plunk-a-Plank As we proceed with improvements at the Norm Gowen Trailhead Vista and St. Jude trail, there will be more space for name planks along the trail. For a $50 donation, we will carve your requested name on a plank which will be permanently installed along the trail. The donation form is included on the last page of this newsletter. We are in the process of developing a complete database of plank names and their locations along the trail. When complete, you will be able to go to the Calusa Land Trust website and lookup plank locations. 5 Hopefully everyone can make a trip out for an enjoyable walk and view the planks. by Ed Chapin ( ) Chief Calusa Land Trust Ranger and Gracie, the Ghost Writing Gopher Tortoise Work parties I hope everybody had a wonderful vacation in August. Speaking for myself, I didn't go anywhere but I did get a chance to relax. Now the weather is getting cooler and it's back to work! We are looking forward to seeing our snowbirds again. On September 6th, we had a work party at Picnic Island south of St. James City. Eight volunteers participated and we were surprised that there wasn't that much trash for a change. We only picked up five bags of garbage which is a big improvement for Picnic Island. We also worked on invasive, exotic, plant control. Specifically Australian Pine, Brazilian Pepper and Earleaf Acacia. The Earleaf Acacias are becoming a major invasive tree problem in the Pine Island Area. You'll notice they are in full bloom right now with yellow flowers and long slender leaves. They are on our hit list, so please act accordingly where and when you can root them out. Back to Picnic Island it looks as if we continue to monitor the Island on a regular basis we can keep it relatively clean. This is our only Preserve that allows camping. That usage brings a range of challenges and we consistently try to educate our visitors to respect the native plants, to tread lightly on the land and maritime resources, and to pack out all trash. It was a rewarding to go out to Picnic Island, find it in relatively good shape and feel that the hard work of our volunteers is getting well-deserved, positive results.

6 By the time this newsletter comes out, we will have had an October work party at the Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve. This is a Lee County 20/20 Preserve, co-managed by the Calusa Land Trust. We are coordinating with Lee County to work on invasive plant control and preparing for an upcoming prescribed burn of approximately seventy acres of pine/palmetto landscape. As you may know, prescribed burns are now recognized as a critical component of managing this type of Florida landscape ecosystem. Upcoming Work Parties and Ranger Events I try to get notices sent out a week ahead of time with details of times, meeting place etc. But as I am well known for being on "Island Time" and sometimes don't get reminders out until the last minute, you might want to jot down these dates on your calendar. If you aren't on my work party list yet, just E- mail me with a request to be added to the list at ecalusaed@aol.com or beep me at and enter in your phone number for me to call you back. Saturday, November 8th: This work party will be revisiting the beautiful Dean Easement located on Charlotte Harbor just to the west of Shell Cut in Bokeelia. If there are enough volunteers (and there should be for this very cool work party) we will also go to Calusa Island. Both preserves will involve invasive exotic plant removal, trail clearing and trash pickup. Saturday, December 6th: This work party will be our second trip out to mysterious Cayo Pelau Island for invasive exotic plant control and trail blazing. This will be a boat excursion to the north side of Charlotte Harbor. Last year we had the help of the Bokeelia Boat Club and we will try to recruit them this year as well as recruiting other boats to transport people and materials. Cayo Pelau is a 120 acre island recently purchased by Lee County 20/20 and it is an amazing, pristine island in the midst of the Charlotte Harbor Estuary System. Saturday, Dec 13th: We will have a Ranger Council and Picnic at Fritts Park in Bokeelia from 11am to 1pm. Bring a covered dish (with food in it) and ideas on how we can better manage our Preserves. We especially are looking for volunteers to step up to the plate and take over certain responsibilities for an individual Preserve. If this sounds appealing, show up and request your favorite Preserve. We are also looking for volunteers to help head up our monthly work parties so we can get more done with more teams. We also want to throw a volunteer "Thank You" party for our hard working and inspiring volunteers, so let us know what you'd like! Saturday, January 3rd, 2009: We will be having a dedication ceremony for the Norm Gowen Trailhead Vista which is located in our St. James Creek Preserve in St. James city. Details are being worked out and will be available soon. Saturday, Janury 10th, 2009: Work party at Fritts Park in Bokeelia, doing preparation for our Annual Meeting and also our January Rummage Sale. Again details to follow. Peter Ordway Mangrove Adventure Water Tours If you aren't on my Peter Ordway Mangrove Adventure list yet, just me with a request to be added to the list at ecalusaed@aol.com or beep me at and enter in your phone number for me to call you back. Saturday, November 1st: Calusa Island - The Peter Ordway Mangrove Adventure Tour season will kick off with a paddle out to our flagship Preserve - Calusa Island in Bokeelia.. Time to be announced. If interested let me know ahead of time. Notices will be sent out a week in advance. Sunday November 9th - Fish Eating Creek -This is a fantastic day trip out towards Palmdale - an hour and a half drive. We can rent or bring our own canoes and kayaks. Details to be worked out. Fish Eating Creek is one of my, and was one 6

7 of Peter Ordway's, favorite paddle trips. It's a wonderful opportunity to travel through a large cypress swamp and enjoy the fresh water habitat, birds, alligators, wildlife and get a change of scenery. Sunday December 7th: Big Jim Creek Preserve. Probably a 9 to noon trip, meeting at Fritts Park. Details to follow. January, 2009: York and Long Cut Preserves in St. James City. Date and time to be Announced. February, 2009: St. James Creek Preserve. Date and time to be announced. March, 2009: Back Bay Preserve in St. James City. Date and time to be announced. April, 2009: Underhill Creek Preserve. Date and time to be announced. A Wish List - Thanks A New Shed A wonderful shed was donated to the Calusa Land Trust in August by Betsy Dunn and her husband Dale Potts, longtime members of the CLT. It is a like-new Teds Shed, 10' x 12' and will be the new home of the Calusa Land Trust's merchandise inventory. The shed now resides at Fritts Park alongside our "Ranger Shed" and will give us the opportunity to separate our storage into two environments so our Tee shirts won't have an aroma of boat gas and we can retrieve kayak paddles without knocking over boxes of Calusa Land Trust ball caps. Life can be a challenge for an all volunteer organization! Soon we will pour a concrete slab for the shed to make it fully secure and to get it ready for storing materials. Once in place we will put a photo in the Newsletter. A BIG Thank You to Betsy and Dale. We very much appreciate your generous donation. $ 15 Individual Member $ 25 Family Member $ 50 Donor $100 Contributor $500 Patron $1000 Benefactor $ 50 Plunk a Plank (fill in lettering) CREDIT CARD #: Visa or MasterCard only EXPIRES: / Your Name: Sponsor: Address: City, State, Zip: Phone: Alt Phone Second Address: Second City, State, Zip: address A COPY OF THE CALUSA LAND TRUST S OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA S DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING (TOLL-FREE FROM WITHIN FLORIDA). OUR REGISTRA- TION NUMBER IS SC REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA. FULL FINANCIAL DETAILS, INCLUDING FEDERAL TAX RETURNS, CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE LAND TRUST S TREASURER AT DURING WORKING HOURS. THE CALUSA LAND TRUST NEVER EMPLOYS PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISERS; 100% OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE RETAINED BY THE CALUSA LAND TRUST. 7 October 2008

8 Photos of Our Calusa Land Trust Preserves Needed! The Calusa Land Trust and Nature Preserve invites you to explore all of our 20 preserves. Wander through the wonderful variety of habitats Pine Island has to offer: from pine flatwoods, to hardwood hammock to mangrove swamps. As you enjoy the relaxing sound of the breeze in the tree tops and ripples lapping on the shore, take your camera and photograph the large and small wonders of nature you discover. Send us those photos and we will add them to our new "Guide to Calusa Land Trust Preserves and their Flora and Fauna". We hope to have a good collection of photos by next spring and finish the preserve guide by next fall. It all depends on you and the other great folks of Pine Island opening the shutters on their camera lenses and capturing some of that beauty that makes Pine Island a truly special place to live. We're happy to help you identify any flowers, plants, insects or critters you come across. To find the locations of our preserves, look on our website at Please submit your photos to us by June 1, 2009 by at clt@calusalandtrust.org or by mail at P.O. Box 216 Bokeelia, FL Don't forget to include your name, the name of the preserve and date you took your photo. Calusa Land Trust & Nature Preserve of Pine Island, Inc. P.O. Box 216 Bokeelia, Florida If the address label on this Newsletter is GREEN it is time to renew your membership. Use the enclosed envelope and the form on the last page to renew.