|
 Coastal
beach-nesting birds are among the most vulnerable species in Florida.
Increased use of beaches for tourism and recreation has driven these
birds away from their natural habitats, reducing their ability to
establish nests and raise their young.
Many species of birds - including pelicans, cormorants, anhingas,
herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, storks, gulls, terns, skimmers
and oystercatchers - have come to depend on 'spoil' islands - created
as the result of dredging - as virtually the only remaining nesting
spaces available. But spoil islands - often overgrown with non-native
plants - are not ideal habitats either, without active management.
This is particularly true for those species that typically nest
on the ground: the gulls, terns, skimmers and oystercatchers.
As a result,
many of these species are listed by the Wildlife Commission as "endangered",
"threatened", or "species of special concern".
Partners in Flight and Audubon also target these species as "WatchList"
species, in need of conservation.
In 1998, Audubon
of Florida prepared a conceptual restoration and management plan
to re-make the spoil island off Port Manatee - made from dredged
materials from the creation of the Port Manatee ship channel - into
a bird sanctuary.
A year later,
Gulfstream teamed up with Audubon of Florida and Port Manatee to
turn that plan into a reality. And an amazing transformation is
taking place.
"There
are very few opportunities left to restore habitats for nesting
birds on undeveloped islands," said Rich Paul, manager of Audubon's
Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries. "We hope that this project
will provide a critical nesting site for gulls and especially terns
and skimmers, species that are extremely vulnerable to human disturbance
and have largely abandoned natural beaches as a result."
This is a painstaking
effort - involving stabilizing and re-contouring the 65-acre island
- and removing the non-native and invasive plant species that have
established themselves over the years of neglect. Part of the restoration
also includes thinning the overgrowth in the hammock areas, and
the creation of a 'tidal creek' and wetlands area to expand the
range of habitats available on the island.
"Mitigation
activities on the site required cooperative teamwork from a variety
of experts," said Denise Martin, senior environmental specialist
for Gulfstream. "Civil engineers, ecologists, geologists, naturalists,
biologists, marine biologists, botanists, safety professionals,
and more all participated in achieving this success."
"What's
really fascinating to watch is how quickly the birds are returning
to the island," said Pat Crocker, community relations manager
for Gulfstream. "You can see them congregating all over the
place, even though the restoration work is still in progress. Like
all beachfront property in Florida - if you build it, they will
come!"
Kevin Erwin, president of Kevin Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc.
- a landscape ecologist with more than 30 years of experience, and
one of the pioneers in wetland restorations - is a consultant to
Gulfstream on the project. Kevin is certified by the Ecological
Society of America as a Senior Ecologist, and by the Society of
Wetland Scientists as a Professional Wetland Scientist.
For more information: http://www.environment.com
Rich Paul, manager
of Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, has worked for
30 years to manage and protect bird colonies in Florida. In 2001
he was awarded the Chuck Yeager Award by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, for direct effort in the field to protect coastal bird
colonies.
For more information: http://www.audubonofflorida.org
|
