Bald Eagle Watch Month is here!

There are numerous eagle nest cams online, including at least one from Southwest Florida -  http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com/  and there’s one for Northeast Florida - http://www.eagles.org/Cams/FloridaNest.html .

 

Enjoy “bird watching”!

 

Gene

 

from Wildlife Promise

1/9/2015 // By Linda Argueta

 

Photo donated by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Don Getty.

 

January is Bald Eagle Watch Month! Throughout the month of January, tons of wildlife lovers step outside to admire the beauty of our national bird. Looking for the best places to view them this winter? Take a look at our top 10 recommended watching spots across the country!

 

Throngs of bald eagles from Alaska and Canada have always shifted south in winter. In recent years, as the species continues to recover from its brush with extinction, those numbers are increasing steadily. From Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay to Washington Skagit River, dozens, even hundreds, of the birds congregate each winter along waters in every state except Hawaii. Here are some of the best places in the country to see them:

 

1. KLAMATH BASIN, on the California-Oregon border, hosts the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the Lower 48. As many as 1,000 eagles occupy the refuge complex during the peak months of January and February. Many of the birds are visible from the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake auto tours. Call the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge at (530) 667-2231, or visit the refuge online at http://klamathbasinrefuges.fws.gov.

2. UPPER SKAGIT RIVER WATERSHED in Northwest Washington draws hundreds of eagles to tens of thousands of dead and dying salmon at the end of the spawning season. Eagle numbers peak in late December and early January. Contact the Bald Eagle Interpretive Center in mid-December through mid-February at (360) 853-7077, or (360) 853-7283 during the rest of the year. Information is also available at www.skagiteagle.org.

3. UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER is jam-packed with bald eagles in winter, and some of the best views are available below the locks and dams. Visit Nelson Dewey State Park in Cassville, Wisconsin, in December through February. Contact the park at (608) 725-5374, and find out more about Cassville’s eagles at www.cassville.org/nelsondewey.html.

4. MISSOURI'S SQUAW CREEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE is festooned with bald eagles in November and December, when the waterfowl population peaks. Many eagles perch along the main auto loop. Contact the refuge at (800) 877-8339, or visit http://midwest.fws.gov/SquawCreek.

5. WOLF LODGE BAY within Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho is frequented by dozens of migratory bald eagles when the kokanee salmon start to spawn. The eagles begin arriving in November, and the largest concentrations generally occur in late December and early January. Contact the Bureau of Land Management at (208) 769-5000. For an online brochure including a map of eagle viewing sites, see http://www.sandpoint.com/lifestyle/fall06/baldeagles.asp.

6. QUABBIN RESERVOIR in Massachusetts is one of the Northeast’s best-known winter eagle lookouts. Bald eagles were introduced there in the 1980s. Today, year-round resident eagles are joined by dozens more in winter, with numbers peaking in February. Contact the visitor center at (413) 323-7221.

7. KARL E. MUNDT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE in South Dakota hosts anywhere from 50 to 200 bald eagles in winter. The birds begin to arrive in late October. Numbers peak in December and January. Contact the refuge at (605) 487-7603, or visit http://www.fws.gov/lakeandes/mundt/.

8. NEW YORK'S HUDSON RIVER AND SULLIVAN COUNTY provide abundant opportunities to see congregations of wintering bald eagles less than a two-hour drive from midtown Manhattan. Contact the Hudson River Foundation, (212) HUDSON or visit www.hudsonriver.org. For information about Sullivan County’s eagles, call The Eagle Institute at (845) 557-6162, or visit www.eagleinstitute.org.

9. BLACKWATER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE in Maryland is a place to see abundant eagles not only in winter, but also throughout the rest of the year. The refuge hosts a healthy breeding population of bald eagles and high concentrations of wintering eagles drawn by migratory waterfowl each winter. Contact the refuge at (410) 228-2677 or see http://blackwater.fws.gov.

10. OKLAHOMA’S RIVER AND RESERVOIRS host large numbers of bald eagles each winter. Some of the best public viewing is available at three sites: Kaw Lake near Ponca City, Salt Plains Lake near Enid and the Keystone Reservoir on the confluence of the Cimarron and Arkansas Rivers on the west side of Tulsa. Contact the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation at (405) 521-4616, or visit http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/okbald/winter.htm.

Before You Go: Eagle Etiquette
When you head out to see eagles, keep in mind that human presence can stress the birds and cause them to waste precious energy that they need to survive. To avoid being disruptive, follow these basic tips:
• Stay in or near your vehicle at roadside viewing areas
• Move quickly and quietly to observation blinds, where you will be safely hidden from the birds’ view
• Avoid making loud noises, such as yelling, slamming car doors and honking horns
• Use binoculars or a spotting scope to view the birds from a comfortable distance
• Never attempt to make an eagle fly

Source: The Eagle Institute

 

Adapted from " Where the Eagles Are " by Rene Ebersole, National Wildlife, December/January 2005.

 

Learn more about how bald eagles are doing in the United States.

 

Report your eagle sightings: Participate in NWF's Wildlife Watch program.

 

 

 

 

Air Potato Round-up this Saturday 9 am - Noon

 

 

 

An Introduction to Permaculture

How to put the practices of permaculture to use in your own back yard.

 

 

Combining the best of natural landscaping and edible landscaping, permaculture aims for a site that sustains itself and the gardener. The ultimate purpose of permaculture is to develop a site until it meets all the needs of its inhabitants, including food, shelter, fuel, and entertainment. (The word permaculture was coined in the mid-1970s by two Australians, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.) While it’s the rare home gardener who can follow permaculture principles to the ultimate degree, most can borrow ideas from permaculture to create a new way of landscaping based on production and usefulness.

Gardening and Permaculture
Permaculture emphasizes the use of native plants or those that are well adapted to your local area. Plant things you like, but make sure they have a purpose and somehow benefit the landscape. Plants such as fruit trees provide food as well as shade; a patch of bamboo could provide stakes for supporting pole beans and other vining plants. Along with a standard vegetable garden, permaculture gardeners would grow many types of perennial food plants too, such as arrowhead, sorrel, chicory, and asparagus.

Like all gardeners, permaculture enthusiasts love plants for their beauty and fragrance, but they seek out plants that offer practical benefits along with aesthetic satisfaction. Instead of a border of flowering shrubs, for instance, a permaculture site would have a raspberry or blackberry border.

Disease-prone plants such as hybrid tea roses and plants that need lots of watering or other pampering are not good permaculture candidates. Choose a native persimmon tree that doesn’t need spraying and pruning, for example, instead of a high-upkeep peach tree. Consider the natural inclinations of your site along with the needs of its inhabitants, and put as much of your site as possible to use. Work with the materials already on your site, rather than trucking in topsoil or stone. Remember that a permaculture design is never finished, because the plants within a site are always changing.

There is no set formula for developing a permaculture design, but there are practical guidelines. Here are some of them:

·          Copy nature’s blueprint and enhance it with useful plants and animals. Think of the structure of a forest and try to mimic it with your plantings. A canopy of tall trees will give way to smaller ones, flanked by large and small shrubs and, finally, by the smallest plants. Edge habitats, where trees border open areas, are perfect for fruiting shrubs, such as currants, and for a variety of useful native plants, such as beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), which is used for weaving baskets. Mimicking these natural patterns provides for the greatest diversity of plants.
 

·          Stack plants into guilds. A guild includes plants with compatible roots and canopies that might be stacked in layers to form an edge. As you learn more about your site, you’ll discover groups of plants that work well together. For example, pines, dogwoods, and wild blueberries form a guild for acid soil.
 

·          Make use of native plants and others adapted to the site. Plan for diversity.
 

·          Divide your yard into zones based on use. Place heavily used features, such as an herb garden, in the most accessible zones.
 

·          Identify microclimates in your yard and use them appropriately. Cold, shady corners, windswept places in full sun, and other microclimates present unique opportunities. For instance, try sun-loving herbs like creeping thyme on rocky outcroppings; plant elderberries in poorly drained spots.

 

http://www.theinnovationdiaries.com/1211/permaculture-gardening/
 

Permaculture designers are now working to conceptualize and create whole communities that embody permaculture concepts. If permaculture intrigues you, there’s a wealth of opportunities to learn more about it online. Here are few to get you started:

·        Permaculture.org

·        Edibleforestgardens.com

·        Urban Permaculture Institute

·        Crazy Rooster Farm
 

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/introduction-permaculture

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Funny

I found this on my phone under photos and unfortunately, I don’t remember where I got this but I thought it was funny. 

 

 

 

 

Palms don’t need all the work we put into them

By Sara Edelman

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

10/31/2014

 

Palms don't need to be trimmed. Brown leaves protect the center of growth from damage and provide shelter to animals. Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

Palms are the icons of sunny southern Florida. Their beautiful habit and relatively simple growth make them excellent picks for your backyard. However, their horticulture isn't always so straightforward. Many gardeners struggle with trimming, fertilizing, spraying and potting. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about palm horticulture.

 

Q: How should I trim my palm?

A: A good motto for palm trimming is "Don't trim green." Palm leaves store their nutrients in their leaves. A healthy leaf is consistently green. When a palm is nutrient deficient, the leaf starts to change colors. This is caused by the movement of nutrients from their leaves to their growth center. When non-brown leaves are removed, the nutrients in those leaves are removed as well. This essentially starves your palm.

Trimming your palm is not necessary. Some palms, such as royal palms, shed their leaves without any help. Palmetto palms, on the other hand, can hang onto their leaves. Leaving your palm untrimmed may be beneficial to your palm. The old leaves protect the heart (center of growth) from damage during storms. The old leaves also provide habitat to our southern Florida critters.

Related

Before pulling out your clippers or pole saws, remember that palms need their green leaves and are perfectly happy not being trimmed at all.

 

Q: How do I keep my palm leaves green?

A: Appropriate fertilization is the key to dark green palm leaves. Select an 8-2-12 (N-P-K ratio), slow-release fertilizer. A slow release provides nutrients throughout the year. When spikes in nutrition occur (caused by fast-release fertilizers) palms are left hungry. Feeding palms with fast-release fertilizer is similar to eating all your food for a week on one day. Your palm may be sated for a while but they eventually get hungry and show signs of nutrient deficiency.

Fertilizer should be applied three times a year. The three times fall on a nice holiday schedule: Valentine's Day, Fourth of July and the Jewish New Year (early October). Start thinking about fertilizing on these holidays and you won't miss a fertilizing treatment. These times are perfectly spaced throughout the year so your palms will remain full at all times. No more nutrient deficiencies for your backyard kings.

 

Q: How do I spray?

A: Spraying is an important part of fertilizing and pest management. The keys to spraying are the same, regardless of the task. Spraying should always be done in the morning. Both liquid fertilizer and horticultural oil will burn leaves if exposed to sun light. Check for morning dew on the leaf and remember the following rhyme: If there is dew, you're safe to spray. If there isn't, try earlier the following day.

Appropriate application is just as essential as timing. Apply the spray evenly over the entire leaf. If the spray isn't even then it won't work. For liquid fertilizer, nutrients have only been delivered to some parts of the leaves and other parts remain deficient. The leaf color will still be distorted. For oil application, only some of the leaf has been treated and the pests will survive and return very quickly.

 

Q: How do I pot a palm?

A: Most palms are not happy in pots. They can survive a few years in pots but this is not a long-term home for them. It is important to keep them comfortable in their rental unit until you can find them a forever spot in your backyard.

Make sure the roots of the palm are completely covered by soil. Exposed roots are unhappy roots and unhappy roots are fatal. Apply granular fertilizer just below the soil surface and keep your potted palm very well watered. In a potted palm, watering is crucial.

Even though their growth is seemingly simple, appropriate horticulture is vital for the survival of your green giants. Don't struggle with these frequently asked questions. Instead, understand the answers, care for your palms appropriately and watch your collection flourish.

 

Sara Edelman is the palm and cycad manager at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article3487791.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

Another MLK Volunteer Opportunity with Kids Ecology Corps

An MLK Day Volunteer Service/Educational Opportunity with  Kids Ecology Corps in Partnership  with Broward College   On line Registration not necessary!      January 19th - 10 am through 2 pm   Kids and their families, Students and Community Members will learn about Florida Coral Reefs and Marine Life and see an Artificial Reef being made!    YOU can make a Difference! Learn how to protect and preserve Florida Coral Reefs and Marine Life!   A variety of fun and exciting educational hands-on activities begin at 10 AM and continue through 2 PM.  Be sure to be there at 11:00 AM for the Artificial Reef construction.  For more information about artificial reefs go to www.reefball.org.

What is the MLK Day of Service?   Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"  Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities.  It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems and honor Dr. King's legacy to uplift the community as he would have, with a "Day On" of service, not a "Day Off."   Broward College is proud to have awarded numerous community groups with the Broward College MLK Day of Service Awards to help nonprofits and community organizations create impactful service projects in the community.   Martin Luther King Volunteer Opportunity   MLK Day is a chance to start the year off right by making an impact in your community. Join Kids Ecology Corps, Broward College and the hundreds of thousands of people who serve on MLK Day and take the "Day On" to impact our community. Location Broward College The Gym Building 65 (Next to the Library) South Campus 7200 Pines Blvd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 For further Broward College event information, please contact: Henri Liauw A Pau 954.707.1029 or Elena Rae Schultz 954.691.6557   Kids Ecology Corps information, contact Joan Starr (561) 866-6757 joanstarr@kidsecologycorps.org   Snyder Park 3299 SW 4th Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 kec@kidsecologycorps.org www.kidsecologycorps.org

 

 

Fort Lauderdale's United Day - January 19