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Posts tagged ‘protection’

Thanks PBC, and Green Cay!

Palm Beach County Nature Centers to Remain Open

Recent threats of budget cuts throughout Palm Beach County took aim at the educational centers of the region’s scant nature preserves, including Green Cay. After much hubub and voiced concern, the Commissioners agreed to raise the property tax rate by less than 1% in order to keep the centers open. As long as this is approved *tonight* in a final public hearing, the doors will stay open, and the workers will retain their jobs, educating the public about our unique and endangered ecosystem.

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Bolivia to Pass Laws Giving Nature Equal Rights

♥ ☼ ♥ ✰ ♥ ☽ ♥ ☮ ♥

Bolivia Set to Pass World’s First Laws Giving All Nature Equal Rights to Humans

Big Baby, Catching Some Sun

We tried visiting Arthur R. Marshall after the rains, this past week…. Hah! The mosquitoes swarmed the moment we stepped out of the car. In such moments, I always imagine life for those living in natural Florida,  contending with the area’s formidable adversities — pre-A/C and other modern comforts.

But in our efforts to find a spot in the Refuge with any crosswinds to blow the nasties away, we nearly stumbled upon this guy on the bank. He had just eaten, or was trying to catch the last rays of the day’s sun. I’m horrible with guesstimating measurements (15-footer?), but his head was as long as our torsos. Big baby. And a bit of a snaggle-tooth, at that — or perhaps he was simply an aged gentleman?

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An old alligator in the Everglades, catching the sun's last rays

The Baby Gators of Green Cay

Just like with Wakodahatchee, there are always babies at Green Cay — baby herons and egrets, baby ibises, baby ducks, baby shorebirds and songbirds, baby rails, coots and moorhen, baby turtles, baby alligators…. With the myriad species and migrations, there’s constant nesting activity. It’s tremendous for the wildlife to have this protected habitat in the middle of South Florida’s suburban sprawl, on the edge of the Everglades — and equally favorable for the humans to silently appreciate Nature and her own lovely order.

On 8.23, 28 babies were born to one of Green Cay’s gators, at the mound pictured below. Unfortunately they’ve been more in the water than on land, for my camera. But in a further section of the park, another Momma Gator has been diligently watching over her adorable brood of 6 (ish?)….

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The Babies of Wakodahatchee

There are always babies at Wakodahatchee, at any given time — baby herons and egrets, baby ibises, baby ducks, baby shorebirds and songbirds, baby rails, coots and moorhen, baby turtles, baby alligators…. With 140+ species of birds alone at the site, there is constant nesting activity. It’s tremendous for the wildlife to have this protected habitat in the middle of South Florida’s suburban sprawl, on the edge of the Everglades — and equally favorable for the humans to silently appreciate Nature and her own lovely order.

Here, Cattle Egret nestlings put on a show and tussle with each other in the rookery….

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