ENVIRONMENT
the program. The toxic algae that made appearances in recent
years demonstrates how quickly water quality can turn from
good to terrible and, in the process, kill fish and harm mammals,
including humans and pets.
Workshop demonstrations are also part of the Water Champions
program. “Anytime we do something we relate it to
water,” Cartmill says. Participants might learn how to build
a birdbath and take care of it, or how to build something to
catch rainwater.
A new Oxbow education coordinator is updating curriculum
for elementary school-age kids.
A media campaign is also planned. It may include focus
groups to see what message the Oxbow should send out
about the Water Champions program, the use of social media,
advertising and more.
WORKING TOGETHER
In Martin County, a Water Ambassadors program has
been in existence for three years. To become an ambassador,
a participant must take a six-hour course hosted by University
of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
that teaches the state’s drainage history, Florida-friendly
landscaping, what to do and not to do if you live along the
estuary, how to reduce runoff from one’s own property and
the dos and don’ts of fertilizer use. The program is funded by
a grant from UF/IFAS extension Sea Grant office.
Oxbow is owned by St. Lucie County but is within Port
St. Lucie city limits. It works closely with the county, Port St.
Lucie and Fort Pierce as well as organizations like the Conservation
Alliance of St. Lucie County, the Aquatic Preserves
division of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
“
What has changed in recent
years is that we’ve been experiencing
extreme cases, such as algae blooms,
that have alerted people to the
fragility of the waterway and how
quickly it can degrade.”
— Sandy Bogan, Education and Outreach Coordinator
the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension, health department
and others.
“What has changed in recent years is that we’ve been experiencing
extreme cases, such as algae blooms, that have alerted
people to the fragility of the waterway and how quickly it can
degrade,” Bogan says. “People feel helpless. We want to bring
everything together to tell the story and give them some tools
to do something and change their thinking, so they know that
we’re not helpless.”
Oxbow Eco-Center opened in 2001. It features a “green”
education center made partially of recycled materials, including
salvaged pine trees from the St. Johns River and a
bouncy entrance path made of recycled tires. The building
sits on a 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie
River. Wide trails wander around the preserve, along with
boardwalks and observation towers. The trails are open from
sunrise to sunset. E
18 Port St. Lucie Magazine
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