Walking with the Alligators

Walking with the Alligators
A Florida Alligator

May 28, 2011

Are you kidding, we need another power plant in Florida?

As if the Florida Panther has not suffered enough at the hands of Humans...
wait for it....
A new power plant is about to be built right smack in the middle of their Habitat.
This story lays out all of the details and then tells you how you can get involved and tell FPL to go somewhere else to build.
Right now it is only in planning stages, so influence from the public can affect the outcome.
Florida Panthers have run out of room and out of time, they are at the end of the log.
Please write to the man at the top, Lewis Hay, CEO Florida Power and Light.
His email: lew_hay@fpl.com
Great story, great information:

May 25, 2011

Let Lisa Jackson, the Head of the EPA, Know that We Will Not Tolerate Mercury in Our Lives Anymore

This week there are events happening in several places around the country to address one of the most lethal toxins on our planet, Mercury.
It affects all of us, humans, pets and wildlife.
Mercury is very toxic and we must get it out of our environment and never allow big companies to push it back on us again.
The next time you eat fish, get your dog a Rabies shot or feed your children, you need to ask yourself this question:
Is there Mercury in this?
If you want to get involved:
or you can also:

May 22, 2011

Okeechobee is Hurting

Lake Okeechobee is at a seriously dangerous level right now.
It is so low, in fact that farmers may have to cut deep if South Florida wants to keep water flowing out of their faucets.
The current drought and years of wasted water have brought this once magnificent body of water, only one of two in the U.S. that can be seen from space, to its knees.
So much depends on this Lake, it is nearly incomprehensible that any one could be allowed to waste a single drop of it, but waste it they do, every single day.
There are many who are guilty of robbing Okeechobee of its lifeblood:
U.S. Sugar, Former Governors, endless companies and so many others who just keep taking, never giving a thought to what their greed is doing to Florida's well being.
Not only Endangered Wildlife, but the Everglades Ecosystem, go on life support when deprived of Okeechobee's constant fresh supply of life giving water.
Another factor in the low water levels is that very few hurricanes have made land fall in South Florida recently.
Although they cause much widespread damage throughout the area, they also replenish the Lake and the Everglades.
It is a double edged sword.
Everything in this area is totally dependant on Okeechobee to survive, two Ecosystems and all manner of man and beast.
But too much or too little water and the whole area becomes dysfunctional, nothing works in harmony anymore and all suffer.
To survive, we must all be in balance with one another.
What is the line from Avatar?
"They killed their Mother."

May 19, 2011

Endangered Species Day May 20, 2011

This Friday May 20, 2011 is Endangered Species Day and it will be a perfect day to reflect on the many successes of past imperiled Wildlife like the Bald Eagle, which, if you are lucky enough to live in Florida, can be seen every day all over the state, doing what they do best, just looking magnificent.
On the other side of the many great steps forward that have been made,
there still remain those who need to be protected, like the Florida Panther.
On Friday, please do think of these beautiful wild creatures who are a gift to mankind.
We must continue to do our very best to provide them with a Healthy Habitat to live in.
And for all of you Teachers:

May 16, 2011

Could New Bug Factory be a Double-Edged Sword?

Will the new bugs about to be introduced into the Everglades to eradicate invasive species, do their job or become just another nightmare for this already beleaguered Ecosystem?
Scientists have often in the past gone awry with their good intentions.
Can anyone remember why Heroin was introduced by Bayer?
It was to help Morphine addicts get straight.
We all know how that went, right?
Then Cocaine was introduced to fix both the problems.
So, what happens if these new bugs get out of hand and then turn on the Native Florida Plants and Insects?
Yes, we must do something to stop the onslaught of invasive plants and bugs, but is this really the best answer for the Everglades?
Let's hope that they do better with the bugs than the drugs!

May 13, 2011

Yes, these Two Questions are Quite Related.

Does Monsanto Want to Buy NPR to Keep Them Quiet?
Guess Which CEO Only Eats Organic?
Hugh Grant, not the English Actor, but the CEO of Monsanto,
the world's leading producer of GMO food (genetically modified organics)
only buys Organic Food.
Read the complete NPR Interview with him:
Bet he doesn't drink milk with Human Growth Hormones or GM food.
This story came from the NPR, (National Public Radio)
"what is that old story about keeping your friends
close and your enemies closer?"
Why does the head of USDA Tom Vilsack use the Monsanto Private Jet?
What can we do to stop the complete overtaking of our
world's food supply by Monsanto and their GMO?
Here is a list of ways to do just that:
15 Ways to Take a Stand Against Monsanto and Their GMO's

May 10, 2011

Exactly What is the Definition of Non Toxic?

Everyday, everywhere that we go we are surrounded by chemicals,
many of which are quite toxic to both humans and animals.
Did you know that our Government is protecting many of the companies
who produce these toxins and we are all put at risk with their blessings?
The myriad of childhood and pet diseases and cancers that are so prevalent now, were practically unheard of 50 years ago.
Why?
Because our environment was not saturated with the number of toxic chemicals that are now choking our water, air and land.
We are all subjected to what can be lethal doses of these toxins every day
and many of us don't even know that they are there.
And if you are waiting for the EPA and FDA to protect you,
don't hold your breath, but then again, maybe you should,
because the air is not what it used to be in many places today!

May 7, 2011

What Gives Us the Right to Experiment on Animals?

I have been aware of this story for weeks and was reluctant to put it up,
knowing that children frequently read the content here.
But after reading it again this morning, I feel it should be.
If after you read it, you want to respond, to do something,
please know this.
There are schools everywhere, right now, that are doing the same thing.
Where to begin?
As a lifelong animal lover, I cannot pretend that this is sane, it is not.
Experiments on animals, any animals, are disgusting.
I am a former Nurse, so for those of you who may say
"but what about finding cures for disease, etc.?"
I say this, if experiments to further the understanding of diseases 
need to be done, they should be done with willing participants,
which animals clearly are not.
Many years ago, when one of my most cherished Uncles was dying of cancer,
he went to the hospital and told them to do anything, try anything,
that might help someone else not suffer as much as he did.
He volunteered his life to better others.
The same is not true of animals that are captured and
then experimented on until they either die or are killed.
This is wrong and it needs to end.
How many of you would like to be treated as such?
We, the Human Race, are arrogant in thinking that
because we do not understand the language of animals,
that what they are saying is not of consequence.
Indeed, the animals are speaking to us and
for their sake and ours, we must start listening.

May 6, 2011

They've Got a New Attitude at the EPA

Why on Earth is anyone shocked by the new attitude of the EPA,
the Ruling Republican Party in Tallahassee or their stance on the Environment?
In a state ranked last, or next to last, in every category connected to Education and that still has not passed the ERA, you would expect them
to care about an Endangered animal or our Environment?
Florida lawmakers, the EPA and the current Administration are on a new course and it does not look good for our Environment, Education System or Endangered Wildlife.

May 2, 2011

$5,000 Reward for Leads to Florida Panther Killer

With so few left to continue their kind, it is unspeakable that anyone, least of all a local Floridian, who must be aware of their desperate state of existence, could shoot and kill the most endangered animal in this Country, the Florida Panther.
When the reward gets high enough, the killers friends or family may even turn them in for the money.

April 29, 2011

Today is Save the Frogs Day

Do you think that anybody really cares?
They should care, a lot!
Frogs, like Canaries, are one of many markers on the health of our planet.
I know this because we have Green Treefrogs in our yard and each
year since moving here, we have watched their numbers shrink.
These Frogs have both human and animal enemies,
the Southern Racers and other snakes that live all around us
and the pesticides that everybody uses in their yards and gardens.
The snakes are doing what they always do, eating.
But when we use pesticides without thought for the impact that
they are having on the planet, then we become the enemy too.
Here are two things that you can do to make a difference:

April 26, 2011

Clean and Green Energy Must Be Balanced

Everyone accepts that we must wean ourselves off of petroleum based energy, but whichever new, clean, green choice we make, there are significant impacts on wildlife that must first be taken into consideration.
The answer to all of this, scientists say, is balance and
for the sake of our Ecosystems, we have to get it right.
These new energy choices can work for all of us living on the planet,
humans and animals, just as long as we find the correct balance.
Here are three stories to show how:

April 23, 2011

The Lake Wales Ridge in Florida

Ok, I admit this is mostly selfish, because I happen to live in the area of this Ridge.
Millions of years ago, this narrow strip of land was Florida's only dry land.
The Ridge was in fact a chain of islands, the rest of Florida was under water.
It is also the highest elevation in the peninsula of the state at about 300 feet.
If the glaciers ever do melt from Global Warming, those of us who live here,
will be the last in Florida to need a boat!
The Lake Wales Ridge is one of the most unique ecosystems in America.
Wondrous things can be found here, with feet, wings and leaves that exist no where else.
Why you might ask, do we need to keep this narrow piece of land safe?
Have you ever been to the Black Hills in South Dakota?
These two areas share something rare, they are both microcosms.
What lived and lives in these two places can and should, be studied forever.
But they will need a little help from their friends to keep them safe,
they will need you and me.

April 20, 2011

Out of the Mouths of Harvard

You have read my rantings here for the past few months,
about what really brings the tourists to Florida
and now it would seem that others may agree.
People do not travel across the country, nor half way across
the world to see concrete, they come here because we have,
for a little longer at least, the greatest array of animal species
still approachable on the Planet, our Florida Wildlife!
Harvard says it is so, so it must be:

April 17, 2011

How Much Should We Spend to Save Manatees?

In Brevard County Florida, gates were recently installed on the Canaveral
Locks Barge Canals to reduce the number of Manatees from being crushed.
But, some local residents seem to think that too much money was spent.
Brevard County has the highest number of Manatee deaths in Florida,
but not all of them die in the locks, many die every year from boat strikes
and many more died this year from the extreme cold.
Should we treat wildlife deaths like the car companies do with humans,
and call their deaths, "Acceptable Losses?"
So, what amount is the right amount to spend?
Can you really put a number on cruelty?

April 13, 2011

Is GE, Genetically Engineered, Food a Runaway Train?

Several days ago I watched a Documentary on TV about GE,
(Genetically Engineered) Food and Monsanto, et al.
This was the first time that I had seen the film and the impact that it had on me was both crushing and devastating.
The abusive, disgusting treatment of the animals was sickening and vile.
The information presented was very difficult to see and even harder to learn about.
On this Blog, I have repeatedly pointed out the kinds of activities Monsanto and others in the field of GE Food have been taking part in for years.
Now in one brief moment of film, all that I feared, was presented so swiftly,
with no time for catching a breath, no chance to digest, just slapped in the face and knocked on your backside.
You had to just deal with it.
I had felt since beginning this Blog, that perhaps I was just a little too critical of Monsanto and others in regard to their products and their involvement in the production of our food.
I worried about the effects that these companies were having on all life on this planet.
Now, I can absolutely say that I did not go far enough.
The situation is much, much worse than I ever could have known.
I am sickened to have to encourage people to see something with the very, very difficult content of this film, but what if no one ever finds out?
What if we wait too long to act?
What if it is already too late?
If you are unable to watch this Documentary, please find it, rent it,
download it, or go buy it.
But, for the sake of every living thing on this Earth, please see it.
This Documentary is not fit for children or the faint of heart, under any conditions!

April 10, 2011

Write, Call or Fax, please just do something, anything!

If you have never written a letter to a Public Agency like the FWS,
please let this day be your first.
The most critically Endangered Animal in Florida, in fact,
in the entire U.S., is our Florida Panther.
It has been killed by cars, shot by Ranchers and chased out of its ancestral
homes all over Florida by greedy developers with nothing on their minds,
except building something, anything!
Now the lawsuit fighting to protect the very last piece of Florida Panther Habitat, was just ruled against by a Judge, (see story below) and the only
thing standing between its complete and total extinction is YOU!
The man at the helm of the FWS is Mr. Nick Wiley:
Nick Wiley Executive Director
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Nick.Wiley@myfwc.com
Office Phone:(850) 487-3796  FAX: (850) 921-5786
Please respond, you are their only hope now.

April 7, 2011

Federal Judge Rejects Plea for Panther Habitat Protection

When I first moved here in 2004 from Southern California, I was excited to see the wonderful wildlife in abundance all over the state and the apparent concern for living things.
Since then, I have watched as each year wildlife gets pushed farther away
from their ancestral lands and into unfamiliar new territories,
where their chances for survival are slim because so many others
are already competing for the same space and food there.
Today Federal Judge John Steele has put Florida one step closer to
becoming exactly like California, a place with lots of concrete,
but very little animal life.
When the last wild Panther in Florida draws its final breath,
how can we as a species not feel guilty?
We put development, buildings, concrete and Golf Courses ahead
of their tiny remaining speck of land and care nothing for what we
have done to them.
Gandhi once said that a Country will be judged by how it treats its animals,
so what does this say for our Country?
Or for this state?
We prefer Golf Courses and Condos to the sight of wild life just doing
what they do best, living.
Soon, Florida will have one less species to annoy all the land developers here,
the Florida Panther.
A great story about our critically Endangered Florida Panther:

April 6, 2011

Wild Fires Not as Bad for Them as They are for Us

In 1998, when my parents first moved to Central Florida there was
a devastating Wild Fire that spread across the entire region.
It pretty much wiped out everything in its path.
Although the destruction was unbelievable in human terms,
for the plants and animals, these fires are necessary to maintain
an ecological balance few humans care to deal with, ever.
For more about the fires and how they really do benefit our Wild Florida:

April 3, 2011

Will Loggerheads Ever Make the Endangered List?

Loggerhead Turtles have been on the Threatened Species List
for thirty years, but they are still not on the Endangered List.
While the experts disagree, the Turtles and those who want
to protect them, can only wait to see if they will finally make
the safest level, Endangered.
Although recently their nest numbers have slightly increased
in Florida, so has development and beach front condos that
steal the places where they have always made their nests!

Loggerheads Wait for Approval