ENVIRONMENT
whether fresh rainwater or runoff from leaky septic tanks,
feces from pets and wild animals, phosphorus from fertilizers
or nicotine-filled cigarette butts dropped carelessly
on the ground.
With a $28,026 grant in hand from the Indian River
Lagoon National Estuary Program, Oxbow is developing
a multi-pronged approach for its Water Champions Initiative
in collaboration with other local organizations and
agencies. While the grant is funding the first-year start-up
of the program, Bogan foresees that the program will be
able to continue after that using the Oxbow’s own budget.
Oxbow had stiff competition for that grant. Fifteen
organizations applied for some of the $100,000 the program
made available. Only three were awarded grants,
and the Oxbow proposal was ranked No. 1. Oxbow was
up against projects submitted by Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Port St. Lucie Magazine 15
Institute, the Marine Resources Council, the
Florida Institute of Technology and others.
DIFFERENT APPROACH
Oxbow, on St. James Drive near Rivers Edge Elementary
School, has always had environmental programs and
camps for kids, and in recent years ramped up its programs
with new activities and explorations for adults too.
“But this is different from all our other programs,” says
Wren Underwood, the center’s senior education coordinator.
“It ties them all together.”
With the addition of the multi-part Water Champions
program, Bogan says, “We are the water education hub of
Port St. Lucie.” >>
Dr. Beth Falls from
Ocean Research and
Conservation Association
teaches the audience
about toxic blue-green
algae that sometimes
blooms in the Indian
River Lagoon.
A picturesque collection of
multi-colored December
leaves covers a boardwalk at
the Oxbow Ecocenter. The
boardwalk lifts hikers above
a wetland slough that leads
to the North Fork.