Something to Think About

Found two thought provoking web sites this morning for your consideration and while both make critical observations on the condition of our planet,

neither offers opinions intended for the faint of heart or mind.

The first is from the Center for Biological Diversity who wonders out loud, as have others forever, just how many more people this already over burdened planet can support:

7 Billion and Counting

The second is from NPR and asks you to consider the pros and cons of the Paleo-Diet, an uprising or movement of sorts, that has found some strong support for its so-called prehistoric or primal lifestyle agenda:

The Paleo-Diet: Not the Way to a Healthy Future

And, what does all of this have to do with Endangered Wildlife Species you might ask?

They both bring into focus the fact that human overpopulation and wide spread animal consumption, are absolutely affecting the wildlife on this Planet and not in a good way.

Get 'em!

See a crime in the wild, there are now multiple ways for concerned

Florida citizens to report violators: call it, email it, online it, or text it!

FWC has become techno savvy with new ideas to keep Florida wildlife safe

and making it easier to get those who harm our wildlife and/or environment.

Now we can all work together to keep Florida wild and free~

To Report a crime in the wild:

To Call:  888-404-3922 or *FWC/#FWC

To Email: fwcnews@myfwc.com

To Text:  Tip@MyFWC.com

Go Online : Wildlife Alert Program

It Is Finally October

The weather is the reason for the season now in Florida.

It is crisp and cool and the air is clean and pure.

Being able to throw open the windows every morning now is a joy.

No air conditioning, just fresh air.

Wait, I can actually hear the Sand Hill Cranes just above the roof.

Fall in Florida has finally arrived.

Time to get out and see what makes this state so beautiful.

From the East Atlantic Coast beaches and lighthouses,

to the West Coast and the snow white sandy Gulf Shores,

all along the panhandle, south to magical Miami
or way down to the Keys,

it is all there and beckoning you to come.

The weather is perfect right now for a drive to anywhere.

Ahhh Florida.........

The Horror of Selfish Humans

For those of you who do not live in Florida, the story in Ohio this week may not have been quite as painful for you, as it was for those here who have had to deal with the out of control, turned loose wherever, wild exotics found all around us.

For some reason, only the idiots who buy/acquire these wild animals can explain, these people try to bring them into an average neighborhood without a thought to the consequences.

And as was the case in Ohio, when these selfish owners can no longer care for them, they just turn them loose, wherever it suits them.

It is hard to understand, harder still to accept.

What happened in Ohio this week is clearly an example of why exotic animals need to be forbidden from being sold or owned, anywhere, ever.

I feel the saddest for little children who had to witness the horror of the ongoing coverage of this story and do not know how each parent managed to explain to their child how or why this all happened.

The whole point is this, exotic animals are not pets, they are wild animals and can never be anyone's pet.

They are wild and should remain so, forever.

Please let us not forget the images we all witnessed this week, for the sake of all those who died, please never forget.

But, we can help change this.

Help to pass the legislation where you live, to outlaw the ownership and sale of exotic animals, like we in Florida are trying so desperately to do.

The forces on the other side are well funded, so it is an uphill battle, at least here in Florida.

No links are given for this story because not one could be found without any pictures.

God Bless them and may they all now rest in peace.

Will the Everglades Ever Be Cleaned Up?

If you read any of the stories below, you may begin to understand why so many years after they were first ordered to do so, the state of Florida has still not done what it has been given $100 million to do, get the toxins out of the Everglades.

Everyone involved has their own excuse, or agenda, but the bottom line is this, no one wants to spend big money on the Everglades.
Cleaning up the Everglades, will find no supporters among the Sugar companies, even though the phosphorus that is its main pollutant, comes from them, nor our own elected officials like Rooney and Mica, who together have helped to set clean water in this state back 40 years.

Checks have been written, delivered and accepted for the single purpose of getting the job done, but someone in Tallahassee will have to commit to it and so far, no one is willing.

And, if you think our new Governor will finally be the one, think again.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas is watching with a heavy heart and wondering who will do the right thing for her beloved Everglades.

Scott's Everglades Plan

Clean Water for Florida, Nutrient Pollution Standards
Dirty Money for Dirty Water

A Clean Win For the Everglades

Federal Judge Questions Results of Everglades Clean Up

Don't Make Us Clean Up the Everglades, But.....

Florida Asks For More Time to Clean Up Everglades

One Tiny Butterfly With One Big Problem

Most of you have probably never heard of the Miami Blue Butterfly.

It is not even as big as your thumb and survives in only one place in the world, the Florida Keys.

The factors leading to the impending demise of the Blue include the usual habitat loss by development and invasive species, but another huge contributor has been the endless chemical spraying in the area for mosquitoes, which has negatively impacted not only the Miami Blue Butterfly, but other species as well.

The biggest problem for the Blue is that to date, its predicament has received little attention, because the agencies responsible for protecting it, have dragged their feet until the last possible minute and now it could be too late.

Enter a group of students from Duke who may be the Miami's last best hope:

Clinic Students Pursue Protection for Endangered Butterfly

Two Out of Three is Good!

Nest counts for Florida Sea Turtles are up.

The Green and Leatherbacks are doing well and the third, the Loggerhead, is at about the same place that it was a year ago, which is still better than the recent past.

But any good news for Sea Turtles, makes those who have been worried for years about their future, breathe just a little better.

All of the hard work done by just regular people and Florida Wildlife Agencies is beginning to pay off and makes the extra efforts worthwhile.

Besides, most coastal dwellers have adjusted to turning their lights off early at night during nesting season to help out~

Storm Brings End to Sea Turtle Season

Greens, Leatherbacks Show High Nest Counts

Sea Turtles Multiply

Do You Know If the Food That You Just Ate Was Real or Memorex?

Do you want Human Growth Hormones (HGH) in your milk?

Do you want to eat fish that has been created, (GMO) or is as the

press and food safety groups like to call it, Frankenfish?

Do you know how much Mercury you eat?

Please take a look at the stories below and ask yourself this question:

Should the former lawyer for Monsanto, Michael Taylor, be in charge of the regulations for food product safety at the FDA?

How stupid do they think the American public is and how long do they think that they can get away with this?

Want an answer, take a look at Wall Street today.

It's time for all of us to ask questions and demand answers.

Americans must demand that our food be safe, free of toxins and chemicals and not genetically modified, (GMO).

Neither we, nor our children, nor our pets, should be eating these potentially dangerous foods.

The American Public is not a Lab experiment for big Corporations, the FDA and/or any Government Agency.

We all have the right to know what we are eating.

This group has a petition that you may wish to read and/or sign:

Just Label It

Please, educate yourself and learn more about real food safety:

Unsafe by Definition: Frankenfish

Frankenfish

"Natural" Food Products with Toxic Chemicals

This Much Mercury

Thanks to the FDA, You Really Have No Idea What's in Your Food

USDA Gives Taxpayer Money to Fund Company's Efforts to Genetically Engineer Salmon

Why is the Government Funneling Money to a Company Trying to Feed Us Frankenfish?

Today is a Terrific Twofer!

Two stories on our local news this morning gave cause for celebration.

The City of Ocala says that they have found a way to "rid " themselves of their duck "problem" without killing the ducks.

They will be sending the ducks to a place where they cannot escape they say and that they will not be killed.

And the second joyous story, the Airboat business so determined to set up shop on Lake Toho, has decided to go elsewhere to run his 20 tourist trips a day.

He gave no reason for his decision, but with all of the negative press and sizable numbers of those against him at each of the previous meetings, I think he got the message.

So, two small victories for Florida Wildlife today.

Yes, we can and do make a difference when we get involved and stand up for what is right for Wildlife.

Ocala's New Plan for Ducks

Calling All Parrot Heads

Last week we took a long drive to Indiana for a family reunion.

It had been nearly 12 years since my last one and it was fun being there, but when we got home it was still hot and muggy here, leaving us missing the nice cool weather of the Midwest.

But yesterday, we finally got the break from the 90's Floridians wait seven long months for, our sort of Fall, southern style!

With the morning temperatures yesterday and today in the low 50's, many Floridians are now yearning for the one place where we can really get away from it all, the Keys.

If you have never been down to the Keys, what on earth are you waiting for?

The seemingly endless road work appears to be finished and it's all just waiting there, to take you away.

I can hear Jimmy Buffet calling my name......

Stretch Project Finally Finished

Is this Really a New Plan or Just a Ploy?

The USFWS has come up with a new plan to review a long list of Wildlife to possibly put under the protection of Endangered Species Act.

This move by the current administration may only be a ploy to improve their chilly relationship with Wildlife Advocates who see Obama as not such a good friend to Wildlife at present.

Will all of these strange bedfellows cozy up together for a long winters nap or be thrown out into the cold?

It is going to be a very long campaign season.

The list of the species and the plan are here: ESA Plan

374 Aquatic-Dependent Species May Warrant ESA Protection

Hundreds of Plants and Animals Up for New Protections

Hundreds of Plants Up for Protection

To Hunt or Not to Hunt, That is the Question

When it comes to the critically Endangered Florida Panther, there is little room for error.

Even though the Panthers numbers have remained at a perilous level for half a century, hunters in Florida are demanding that the Big Cypress Preserve be opened up to hunting.

This is the only restaurant that the Panther has and the menu only has a few items on it, most importantly the White Tailed Deer.

If hunters are allowed into this area to kill them, how many will remain for the Panther to survive on?

I live in the Ocala Forest and have seen these same hunters in action, repeatedly.

They travel up and down our local roads with their dogs in cages.

The dogs are kept starving, so that they will hunt better.

After they are released into the woods, the hunters go in and kill at will.

Meanwhile, the dogs can be seen on the side of the road, their ribs hanging out, wearing their radio collars and desperately waiting to be picked up by their owners.

Some are hit and killed on the road, others have ended up lost, trying to get into our local post office or begging at local homes for food.

These are the kind of people who will do the right thing, right?

They would never kill more deer than they are allowed to, right?

So let's see, the Panther has had its habitat chopped to pieces, or virtually eliminated, now they want to take its food, what does that leave?

Maybe we could take the air that they breathe as well?

The hunters have an entire state to hunt in, the Panther has only one place left.

When the deer are all gone, the severely Endangered Florida Panther will of course take what ever it can find; cows, pets, you name it, if you were starving wouldn't you?

Come on people, think about this, it's not rocket science, it's survival.

You can read more about it and then respond/react here: Hunting Management Plan

Florida Panther Population Up to 160

Tree-Huggers and Gun-Toters Trade Barbs

Does It Make Any Sense to Drill In the Everglades?

Lately it seems, an increasing number of elected officials are in favor of drilling in one of the most sensitive Ecosystems on the Planet, the Everglades.

Bachmann wants to drill there and she doesn't even live here.

How could she possibly understand the impact that this action could have?

Then Scott jumped on the bandwagon, saying it might be a good idea, only to recant a few days later, after the fire was lit under him.

Crist even said it might be feasible once and also recanted quickly.

Don't these people see the ongoing impact of the Gulf Disaster as a warning sign of the likely negative possibilities that this move could have on the entire region?

When will the people with all the power start acting like responsible adults, instead of like greedy little children fighting for their own way in the sand box?

We who are not paid elected officials, can see the big picture, when will the politicians?

Everglades Oil Drilling

When it Comes to the Everglades, Everybody Has Their Own Agenda

The Everglades and Lake Okeechobee have been besieged for so long, that it is hard to remember a time when the very mention of their names, did not evoke passionate responses from all sides.

South Florida just wants the water, the developers just want the land and the cattle ranchers just want it all to stay the same.

The one party in this ongoing drama that rarely get asked for their opinion, are the wildlife, who are at the mercy of all of these warring factions.

Now, the Feds have come up with what they think is a great idea, but I guess that depends on whose side you are on.

This story reveals the Government in all its glory, just like the politicians and the lobbyists, their agenda is the best one and we should all just accept that.

In the end, who will profit, who will suffer?

Can you guess?

Agency Takes a New Approach to Save Everglades Land

Broward County Implements New Rule for Manatees

Broward County, which has as many as 927 Manatees, has become a favorite winter home for them, so recently the FWC passed a new rule to protect them during this time.
Beginning November 15 and going until March 31, Florida boaters will have to slow down, not just on the weekends, but during the week too.

FWC Protects Manatees with New Rule

Store Your Trash Florida and Save a Bear!

The Florida FWC has sent out a great news memo for us all to adhere to this Fall, stash your garbage and save a Bear.

All Bears are getting ready for winter and are eating everything in sight.

The recent tragic deaths involving Bears and their cubs here in Central Florida were a direct result of them getting into trouble when thoughtless homeowners left food out where the Bears could get at it.

This is the hungriest time of the year for Bears and they will take advantage of any food that their paws can reach!

If you would like to get a Bear proof trash can, contact your local Trash Collector.

So be Bear aware and put your trash where they cannot get into it,
or it is on you if they get into trouble!

Stash Your Garbage

Disasters Bring Out the Best in People

Although the state of Florida did not take a direct hit from Hurricane Irene, our Eastern Coastal areas and the wild things that live there were very much impacted by the Hurricane's high tides and big waves.

Hundreds of hatchlings were brought to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach by good Florida citizens who wanted to help the latest victims of Irene.

When we see helpless things in need, how can we not?

700 Sea Turtle Nests Washed Out by Hurricane Irene

Sea Turtles Washed Out by Irene

Sea Turtles Affected by Hurricane Irene

Florida's First People

Today's Blog is not about an Endangered Florida species, but about one that has already gone, it is about the Timucuan Indians of Florida.

Our home is on land where these people once lived.

The St. John's River not far from us, was of great historical importance to the Timucuans and several other local tribes here in Central Florida.

These Ancient Indians, who were here long before any outsiders stepped foot on Florida, are rarely spoken of in local schools, in the news or even on web sites which claim to be historical reference places for their individual counties.

This is sad because so many of the names and places here reflect their importance and the influence of these Ancient people on not only this area, but on the entire state of Florida.

Here are a few places to learn more about the First People of Florida:

Exploring Early Florida

Missions, Timucuans and the Aucilla

Overview of Native History

Timucuans

True Natives

A Follow Up on the Condemned Ducks of Ocala

For the original story about the Ducks of Ocala, please see the posting below:
This Plan is Unacceptable.
OK, maybe the world is not a completely cold, cynical place after all!

Maybe people do care about what happens to animals.
Some people, not all people.

But, people did respond to this disturbing story in a very big way, bless their little hearts.

At this time, there is no other news about the situation.

Will keep an up to date posting here, if and/or when, anything new happens.

Ocala's Duck Problem Has Become A Major Public Relations Problem

Can We Stop the Invasion of Florida?

Most people in Florida know about the Burmese Pythons that have taken over the Everglades.

Really stupid people buy these snakes, find out how much it costs to feed them and then dump them in the nearest body of water.

Since many of these exotic snake owners live in South Florida, they usually end up in the Everglades, where they are now swallowing up every living thing in this already highly Endangered Ecosystem.

These snakes are everybody's problem now!

Our Senator Bill Nelson has written a Bill that addresses the snake problem, but snakes are not the only invasive species in Florida.

So, we have to deal with not only invasive animals, but invasive plants as well and they are all doing the same thing to our beautiful state, eating it all up, one bite at a time!

Florida's Invasive Species

Nonnative Species in Florida

Stopping Invasive Species Before They Invade