Habitat

Collier County officials are questioning whether erosion control on a private beach is something that is in the best interest of the public. The Coastal Advisory Committee (CAC) discussed the issue at a meeting on Thursday and the consensus on the board was the Hideaway Beach was an area enjoyed not only by residents of the private beach community but also by residents and tourists visiting the beach by boat. Full story »

Once cute and caged exotic pets, iguanas are increasingly becoming a concern for some Marco Island residents. Steven Roberts, who lives near an inland waterway in central Marco, reported seeing a four-foot-long green iguana on his dock. “I had never seen an iguana on Marco Island before, even though I had heard they were here. I was most concerned that it might attack our dogs which we occasionally let roam in our backyard, or that it might attack me or my wife,” Roberts said. Full story »

Loggerhead turtles are the most frequently observed turtles in Florida waters, with more than 90 percent of the nesting activity in the world occurring on Florida’s beaches. Now is the time for boaters to navigate carefully off of the coastline and keep an eye out for the mating Loggerhead sea turtles. Nesting season began on May 1 with courtship activity occurring several weeks before the actual nesting season. Full story »

As if on cue, one tiny Wilson’s plover materialized on the beach at the south end of Keewaydin Island, and a group of research botanists became palpably excited. The bird was the immediate object of affection, because it is one of three species the botanists hope to nurture this coming summer breeding season by closing off a small section of the island. Full story »

Part of the southern portion of Keewaydin Island will be closed from May 1 to mid-August to protect nesting least terns, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve announced Tuesday morning. More than three acres of shoreline within the boundaries of the reserve will be closed for the seventh consecutive year. The area will be marked with signs, and the reserve plans to create a new walk-over through the area for boaters to get to the Gulf-front beach from the east side of the island. Full story »

What’s in the bag at a beach cleanup speaks volumes about how beachgoers protect their environment. Sandals, water bottles, swimming floats, chairs, sand shovels and soda cans are items beach enthusiasts often carry with them. Most people are thoughtful and take them away when they leave. Full story »

You immediately sense that you’re in front of a new generation of world citizens when you find yourself amidst this multicultural, earth-friendly, hands-on crew working on an organic vegetable garden at East Naples Middle School. Full story »

The 18th annual Bay Day cleanup event, sponsored by Keep Collier Beautiful, brought together more than 700 community members who, armed with trash bags, searched the beaches, mangroves and abandoned lots for trash. Full story »

A newborn manatee and its mother were rescued north of Goodland late Thursday afternoon and taken to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa for rehabilitation. Full story »

State biologists recovered the remains of an endangered male Florida panther today from Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in rural Collier County. Full story »

Volunteers will be fanning out across Collier County this Saturday for Bay Days 2008. The 18th Annual event, organized by Keep Collier Beautiful, is expected to enlist about 800 people to pick up litter from 8 a.m. to 12 noon from beaches, bays and vacant lots from Immokalee to Marco Island. Full story »

For humans, considering the difficulties of a hatching sea turtle might be just the ticket for helping achieve its primary goal: survival. “It hard enough for hatchlings to climb over rocks and shells on their frenzied crawl to the Gulf,” said Mary Nelson, Collier County environmental specialist. “Other obstacles can sometimes make it impossible for them.” Full story »

The average American creates more than three pounds of trash daily, while the average Collier County resident creates about 10 pounds. Those shocking statistics come from officials at Waste Management (WM), the company that manages the Collier County landfill and curbside pickup service. Full story »

Off in the west, where the sun goes to rest, many miles from Marco’s shallow shores, denizens of the deep grapple with the imagination. Sebastian de Ocampo sailed around Cuba in 1509, and was the first European captain to enter the Gulf. For more than 100 years, the newly discovered Golfo de Nueva Espana was a forbidden zone to all but Spanish ships. Full story »

Collier County commissioners approved a federally-funded 2005 Supplemental Diaster Recovery Subgrant Agreement with the Florida Department of Community affairs. Full story »