28th-29th-Giving Challenge
5-7 pm-Party to celebrate
150th Earth Day
Welcome
Photo: Conservation Easement Palm Drive
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL NIFTY NINETY
Twenty wonderful, willing volunteers showed up on Feb. 4 to give 90 minutes of their time to help spruce up some of our conservation lots. They trimmed and cleared debris and removed invasive species on 160 Gasparilla Dr., 30 Bocilla Dr.,181 Bocilla Dr. and 24 & 26 Palm Dr. They also painted stumps on 30 Bocilla Dr. and excavated gopher tortoise burrows in The Preserve. It was a very successful 90 minutes and we appreciate these awesome volunteers.
SUPPORTER APPRECIATION GARDEN GNOME PARTY
On Sunday, January 23rd, the BICI Board of Directors hosted a thank you party for all of the great supporters who have given us their time, talent and financial support over the last year. The event also introduced new islanders to the Conservancy's many projects.
The theme for the party this year was "A Gnome Garden". Thank you to Kathy Sickles for hosting event this in her beautiful backyard oasis.
Guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks
Several supporters were happy door prize winners
The whimsical gnome themed photo booth
was a big hit.
Did you know that 1,972 volunteer hours were given to Conservancy projects in 2021?
Bocilla Islands Conservancy Receives Accolades
from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Dr. Katherine Gentry Richardson, Ph.D. head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Gopher Tortoise Program, recently toured our island and observed first-hand the efforts our Conservancy has made to protect our Gopher Tortoise populations. “I am blown away by the number of programs, the quality of the programs, the community involvement and the future projects the Conservancy is planning”, said Dr. Richardson. Why so many accolades to the Bocilla Islands Conservancy? According to Dr. Richardson, there are virtually no communities in the state of Florida accomplishing what we have and will be accomplishing.
Dr. Katherine Gentry Richardson, Ph.D, seen at left
(in blue shirt), talks with Vivian Correa (white shirt), Jayne Kebe (pink) and Teagan Stout (our island youth Gopher Tortoise team in training) along with other guests and members of Dr. Richarson's family.
Gopher Tortoise Forage Garden Certification
HAVE FUN! BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND SUPPORT OF OUR CRITTER FRIENDS!!!
Go to this website: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/yard-recognition/
Once you are on the site, there is an embedded link in blue that asks you to apply for recognition. Click on the link and complete the form to register your yard for the FWC Gopher Tortoise Yard Recognition Program. It will take you less than 10 minutes …honest!
You will need to designate three tortoise friendly forage plants in your yard, from a drop-down menu of plants. Simply click on the plants you have. For your own reference, included below is a list of the plants you likely have. If you need help identifying any of them, call Kjell Plotkin at (941) 456-5252. The site also asks what invasive plants you have removed. Those invasive plants are also listed on the bottom of the attachment.
Click here for list of gopher tortoise friendly plants and invasive plants.
BECOME A SUPER CITIZEN!! APPLY TODAY!!
Currently there are 17 registered Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yards on the islands.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission recently instituted a
Gopher Tortoise Friendly Recognition Program. There are a few yards on the island that have already been registered and recognized. We are waiting for the official FWC recognition signs to arrive to place in those yards. We’d like to get as many of our island properties recognized as possible. Please consider becoming one of those recognized properties.
Have you ever wondered about the wildlife you might see on our islands?
Thank you to Buzz Mallett for capturing these images of a coyote and a bobcat on our Conservancy property at 26 Palm Drive.
This project is a non-profit effort and all funds go to the purchase and installations of the Mini Reefs.
HELP US ACHIEVE 1000 REEFS
Be a part of this amazing challenge. Have a reef (or a few) installed under your dock.
Don’t have a dock, no problem. you can still participate by sponsoring a reef!
Each reef can support reef life that is capable of filtering over 30,000 gallons of water per day and provides nursery habitats to help hundreds of native fish and crabs grow.
Reefs can be ordered for $297 each plus installation of $97 for the first one and $40 installation for additional reefs at the same dock plus tax. Installations of 10 or more on a dock could be free.
Reefs can be ordered through the Oceans Habitat, Inc. website.
https://www.oceanhabitatsinc.com
For more information:
Call Linda Cotherman (941) 276-1140
Or Barbara DeYulio (941) 830-4179
Did You Know?
Bocilla Islands Conservancy has
published its own children's book,
How the No, No, Gnome Forest Came to Be.
The book in an introduction to
invasive plant species that change the
ecosystem and harm the environment.
It was written and illustrated by children
who love the island.
If you haven't purchased your copy,
or if you would like additional copies,
you can email your order to:
newsletter@bocillaislandsconservancy.org
Books are $10 each.