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January 2012 - Happy New YearHistorian and Storyteller to KeynoteSarasota Bay Watershed Symposium;Additional Sponsors WelcomePhoto by Maxis GamezSee more images at theCreative Expression Gallerywww.sarasotabay.orgIn This IssueWatershed SymposiumSarasota Bay TodayBay Wise Kayak ToursNature's AcademyBay Partner GrantsBay GuardiansCondo PartnersCannons MarinaCAC Member ProfileA historian and a storyteller arethe bookend keynote speakers forthe Sarasota Bay WatershedSymposium scheduled forFebruary 15-17 at the SudakoffCenter on the campus of NewCollege of Florida. New College ispresenting the Symposium inpartnership with SBEP. AuthorCynthia Barnett will provide awater historian's view on ourregion's relationship with waterresources. Joseph Tankersley willlead a visioning session at theend of the symposium to proposea long term vision for SarasotaBay.Cynthia Barnett is a long-timejournalist who has reported onAuthor Cynthia Barnettwater issues from the SuwanneeRiver to Singapore. Herbook, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern

SBEP News BriefsBay Friendly LinksFinal ReflectionWhat is BayReflections?Bay Reflections providesinformation about projects,programs and eventsassociated with the SarasotaBay Estuary Program (SBEP).Triple 3 Marketing, LLCrandy@triple3marketing.comLike us on FacebookU.S. won the gold medal for best nonfiction in the Florida BookAwards. Joe Tankersley is a writer, storyteller and producer. He hasled workshops in North America and Europe where he has taughtgroups how to use narrative tools to create and implement visionarystrategic plans.Registration for the Symposium is now open; you can sign upat sarasotawatershed.com to receive news and updates.Event organizers welcome additionalsponsors for this unique event. Currentsponsors include Janicki Environmental,Inc., Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission, ShaferConsulting, Scheda EcologicalAssociates, Chiles RestaurantGroup, Lynn Townsend & Associates,LLC, and Triple 3 Marketing, LLC.January 30 is the deadline for submittingposters for the Symposium PosterSession. Topics related to watershedscience, policy and education arewelcome. Click here to learn more aboutthe Sarasota Bay Watershed Symposium.Joe TankersleyEPA's Nancy Stoner Visits Sarasota County to LearnMore About Community Environmental Initiatives

Nancy Stoner, the Acting AssistantAdministrator for Water at theEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA), visited Sarasota December29. Ms. Stoner and a group of localofficials visited the Celery FieldsStormwater Facility, HonoreAvenue to see recent efforts toimprove drainage, and Red RockPark to learn more about localefforts to replace septic tanks alongPhillippi Creek. The final stop was aboat tour of Roberts Bay to see abird colony island, mangrovehabitat and seagrass beds.Photo by Sara KaneMs. Stoner has had an extensivecareer in environmental policy andlaw beginning in 1987 as a trialattorney in the Environmental andNatural Resources Division of theU.S. Department of Justice. Mostrecently, Ms. Stoner served as theCo-Director of the NaturalResources Defense Council's(NRDC) Water Program.Region's First Bay-Centric Blog Launches withInterviews of Jack Merriam, Paul Hindsley, and JayLeverone; Goal is to ExpandPublic AwarenessRandy Moore, the SBEP marketing contractor with Triple3 Marketing, has launched a new blog titled Sarasota BayToday. It's the first blog in the region focused exclusivelyon Sarasota Bay. Click here to read interviews with JackMerriam, who recently retired from Sarasota Countyas Environmental Manager, Paul Hindsley, PhD, the leadresearcher for the SBEP Economic Value Study, and JayLeverone, PhD, the SBEP Staff Scientist.Randy will be interviewing many area professionalsinvolved with restoring and protecting Sarasota Bay. ThisPaul Hindsley, PhDincludes resource managers with local government,private industry contractors, elected representatives,scientists and researchers, environmental educators, andother experts. He welcomes suggestions for future interviews at randy@triple3marketing.com

Eight Free Bay Wise Kayak Trips Available ThruAprilSBEP has 8 free guided kayak excursions remainingwith its annual Bay Wise Kayak Tour Program. Thefirst two trips to Neal Preserve took place inDecember. Upcoming trips include Leffis and JewfishKey (1/7 and 1/21), Lido Mangrove Tunnels (2/4 and2/18), Blind Pass (3/3 and 3/17), and Lyons andBlackburn Bay (4/7 and 4/21).The SBEP Bay Wise Kayak Tour Program is a funlearning opportunity to discover the plants, animals,habitats, and restoration projects that distinguishSarasota Bay. Brad Tanner, a professional guide andthe School Programs Coordinator for Mote MarineLaboratory, is the kayak tour leader. Brad is also amember of the SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee(CAC).Participants are required to bring their own kayak andgear. The Bay Wise Kayak Program is forexperienced kayakers. Click here to learn more andto register online for upcoming trips.Photo by wayfaring.infoNature's Academy Completes Bay Partners Grant toProvide Environmental Education for 200 Students

Nature's Academy, Inc., a non-profit environmental educational company based in Bradentonrecently completed a student education project supported by a grant from the SBEP Bay PartnerGrant Program. The project titled Island Adventures Pilot Program engaged 1,500 students. Of thistotal, 200 elementary aged students from Kinnan Elementary and Prine Elementary in ManateeCounty were able to participate thanks to the SBEP grant. The project involved a classroomworkshop, a mangrove nature walk through Leffis Key to observe bird life, an aquatic speciesbiodiversity study with the use of dip nets, and a coastal cleanup project. The final part ofthe program involved classroom discussions and small group projects designed to demonstrate newknowledge. Students were tested before and after the program to help measure learning results.Congratulations to Nature's Academy.SBEP Bay Partners Grant Applications due March 1;Unique Program Promotes Bay-Friendly StewardshipSBEP has awarded 150,000 in grants to more than 90 community organizations since 2002. Theyinclude local schools, homeowner associations, community and neighborhood groups, and nonprofit organizations. Completed projects have included wildlife gardens, landscape projectsfeaturing native plants, micro-irrigation projects, Bay-education signage, contouring to createbioswales, and various education programs.

The purpose of the SBEP Bay Partners Grant Program is to promote environmental education,awareness, community involvement, and stewardship to improve the overall quality of Sarasota Bayand its tributaries. To support these goals, funding is available from SBEP for projects that focus onBay Education, Bay Restoration or Bay-Friendly Landscaping.Applications are due by 4pm on Thursday, March 1. Click here to complete the 2012application. Click here to review the 14 recipients of 2011 grants. Questions should be directed toSara Kane at sara@sarasotabay.org.Bay Guardians Combine Work with Learning at FISHPreserve; Next Outing Set for March 10 at QuickPoint Preserve on Longboat Key; Volunteer TodayFifty-two Bay Guardian volunteers removed invasive plants at FISH Preserve on November 5while learning about the area habitat from guides with Around the Bend Nature Tours. Thevolunteers included students, teachers and parents from King Middle School. Representatives ofthe Cortez Fishing Village provided a lunch featuring smoked mullet.FISH Preserve is a 95-acre parcel adjacent to Sarasota Bay within the Village of Cortez in ManateeCounty. FISH, which stands for Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, is a non-profit organization

that purchased the property in 1999 to help restore, conserve and protect the upland and wetlandhabitats and adjacent waters.SBEP is supporting the ongoing restoration at FISH Preserve. The first phase of the large-scaleproject was completed in the summer and involved the removal of exotic vegetation, creation of atidal wetland, and mangrove restoration. Two bridges were also constructed to connect hiking trails.Future plans involve creation of kayak trails and converting two stormwater retention ponds intomore natural wetland features.The next Bay Guardian volunteer event is set for Saturday, March 10 at Quick Point Preserve onLongboat Key. The 34-acre preserve with 3,000 feet of shoreline is well known for its scenic vistasand wildlife viewing. The outing will involve the removal of debris and invasive plants as well as anature education walk.The Sarasota Bay Guardians is a family-friendly volunteer program that SBEP manages inpartnership with Around the Bend Nature Tours. The program was established to attract adult andstudent volunteers interested in helping restore Sarasota Bay's habitat. New volunteers receive atee shirt featuring the Bay Guardians logo. Groups can learn more at sara@sarasotabay.org.Condo Associations Complete Bay Partner Grants;Projects Focused on Retrofitting, Expanding aSaltwater Bioswale & Upgrading a Detention PondSunbow Bay Condo Association on Anna Maria Island, Windward Bay Condo Association onLongboat Key and Beachplace Association, Inc., on Longboat Key recently completed SBEP BayPartner Grant Projects. All three condo associations earned grant support from SBEP to helpcomplete projects that benefit Sarasota Bay.Sunbow BayCondo Association completed retrofitting of existing turf to create a Bay-friendly gardenof native plants; Windward Bay Condo Association expanded their saltwater bioswale and addedmore native plants; and Beachplace Association, Inc. expanded and upgraded their stormwaterdetention pond. Congratulations to all three organizations.Cannons Marina Designated a Florida Clean Marina;DEP Program Emphasizes Best ManagementPractices

Cannons Marina located on Longboat Key is one ofthe 11 area marinas that have been designated aClean Marina through the Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection (DEP). The programrequires that marinas implement and maintain bestmanagement practices that are consideredenvironmentally sound. The practices address wastemanagement, storm water control, spill prevention,and emergency preparedness.Cannons became designated in June, 2005; one ofthe earliest participants in the statewide program. Itwas an easy decision according to Benny Parrish,Cannons manager. "Everyone on our team shares adesire to keep Sarasota Bay healthy," he said."Working with DEP to earn the designation was also a good learning experience since it exposed usto new practices."Other local marinas that have been designated Clean Marinas include Crow's Nest Marina inVenice, Galati Yacht Sales on Anna Maria Island, Gulf Harbor Marina in Nokomis, Hyatt RegencyMarina in Sarasota, Longboat Key Moorings, Marina Jack in Sarasota, Regatta Point Marina inPalmetto, Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton, and the Venice Yacht Club in Venice.SBEP is working with the Florida DEP to encourage other marinas and boatyards in Sarasota andManatee County to practice Bay-wise stewardship and to consider earning their designation as aClean Marina. Click here to learn more about the program.CAC Profile: Environmental Educator Melissa Nellhas a Lifelong Passion for Nature and Wildlife