Thursday & Friday, June 13th & 14th 5:30 – 7:30pm
Saturday, June 15th 9 – 11am

MDC Lab Contact: annie@marinediscoverycenter.org

Learn more …

We are also keeping close watch on a very attentive pair of Wilson’s Plover (shorebird) incubating three eggs in Bethune Beach! They should be hatching in a few weeks.

JUNE TURTLE WATCH

Turtle Watch programs give park visitors an opportunity to learn about sea turtles and the role that the National Park Service plays in their conservation. Canaveral National Seashore will begin taking telephone reservations for this year’s June Turtle Watch programs.

The number is (386) 428-3384.

These programs are open to persons eight years of age and older. In the North District at Apollo Beach, programs will run from 8:00 p.m. until Midnight during June.

Click here for more information

The Institute has noted that as nitrogen levels rise in marine environments, such as the Indian River Lagoon, dolphin deaths follow. Nitrogen originates from land-use sources, such as fertilization and waste water run-off.

The Indian River Lagoon, which spans 156 miles along the Atlantic coast of six Florida counties, is North America’s most diverse estuary. In recent years, 35 of the lagoon’s species have been listed as threatened or endangered.

What can you do to help clean up the waters of the Indian River Lagoon?

The Ocean River Institute suggests three things for coastal residents:

1. Do not spread fertilizer closer than 25 feet to waterways.

2. Use fertilizer containing at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen. One hundred percent slow-release is better. Organic is best for lawns and waters.

3. Consider taking a lawn-fertilizing “holiday” from June 1 to Sept. 30. Better yet, find ways to naturally landscape your yard without using chemicals that can wind up in our waters.

The Ocean River Institute asserts that “responsible stewardship is best spearheaded by people taking action in their own communities.”

Be smart and do your part! The lagoon and its many creatures will benefit from your actions.

By Lisa D. Mickey

We will launch a new column on marinediscoverycenter.org this week that is designed to answer questions about the coastal environment by our residents and guests. This column, called “Coastal Corner,” will also address numerous issues affecting our coastal community. We plan to keep you up to date about significant events at the Marine Discovery Center and we invite you to let us know your thoughts and concerns through our Facebook page.

This week, MDC’s Managing Director Chad Truxall will talk about the milestones achieved by the center since our recent one-year anniversary of moving into the new location – site of the old New Smyrna Beach High School. While the Marine Discovery Center has been operating for 13 years, our first year in an expanded facility has offered many new opportunities for ocean lovers of all ages. Here’s what Truxall had to say:

Q: In a nutshell, what is the mission of the Marine Discovery Center?

A: Our mission is to protect and restore Florida’s coastal ecosystems through education, research and community stewardship. Our focus is to offer hands-on, feet-wet programs that get people, young and old, on the water and to experience and have direct interaction with marine life.

Q: How has the MDC implemented its mission?

A: When we started offering camps for children and eco-tours 13 years ago, we could see from the beginning the positive impact we had on kids and adults through their smiles and constant questions – and of course, questions invite more questions. We knew we were on the right track and that our focus was going to be, and still is, on programs that interact with the water. Today, we have a facility that provides space for interactive exhibits and labs that foster our hands-on, feet-wet philosophy. We know our uniqueness relies on getting people on the water and our new site offers people more opportunities to do that.

Q: How has the new MDC building enabled the center to ramp up its visibility?

A: With the new facility, we now have a permanent home with which people can identify. We are becoming a go-to facility that guests want to visit. Our new, expanded space enables us to offer open houses, a monthly lecture series and it has given us a greater community identity. Now when guests walk in, there’s a “wow-factor.” We now have fish tanks and touch tanks, as well as a gift shop. More people know about us now and this is evident through increased phone calls, site visits and program participation. Our new space has better allowed us to serve our mission and the community.

Q: Was there one thing that the Marine Discovery Center wanted to improve for 2012?

A: We were really focused on creating a space for schools, day-campers and the general public. We wanted the space to be functional, entertaining, educational and pleasing to the eye – and we achieved that goal. This year when kids and their parents walked through the doors, they were entering into the new Marine Discovery Center!

Q: Talk about some of the future plans for the Marine Discovery Center.

A: We have some exciting plans for 2013. We plan to have a nature trail and kayak launch on our campus here at the center. As the final demolition is nearing completion now [of the former high school buildings], we will landscape and create an outdoor recreation area that can be used during our educational programs. We are constantly trying to find ways to get kids outdoors. This year, we added archery, which was a big hit! We will continue that in 2013, along with fishing, geocaching, kayaking, and even animal sign interpretation, which challenges kids to identify wild animals and birds by their footprints and other signs.

Q: What do you want the public to know about getting involved with the center?

A: One thing is that we are a membership-driven organization. Not only do members receive great discounts on our programs, tours and gift shop, but they also serve as volunteers, board members, donors and overall ambassadors of our mission. Our membership has increased to almost 400 members this year, and we are targeting 500 members by the end of 2013.

Q: The MDC’s website has improved dramatically in the last year. What are the plans there?

A: We want the website to be current and to provide photos of things happening in our estuary. We want our site to be a resource about education on our local ecology, as well as to show residents here the local opportunities we have for such things as monitoring the water and horseshoe crabs, or participating in special programs, tours and even our monthly lecture series. It’s a great communication tool and we plan to use it better to reach the public.

Q: What are the Marine Discovery Center’s biggest challenges?

A: We’re a small non-profit organization. We have 15 staff members and the majority of them are part-time. The challenge is always funding and staying on a path that leads to sustainability while still serving the mission to protect Florida’s coastal ecosystems.

Q: Is there a final thought you want to leave with readers about the Marine Discovery Center as it moves forward in its second year in the new facility?

A: We believe strongly in our mission and we believe we’re moving in an exciting new direction. It’s been almost 15 years since our grass roots organization began. Since then, we’ve expanded our educational opportunities well beyond our expectations. Each year, we’re seeing growth, and when you see growth in a down economy with tour-based programs and activities, that’s good news.

with Farley Palmer
when: Thursday, June 20th, 6-8pm
where: Marine Discovery Center
Laurel Wilt is a fatal disease of Persea borbonia (Red Bay) trees that is rapidly advancing into our area. Most of the Red Bays from Daytona Beach northward are already dead. The disease is carried by the Asian Ambrosia beetle that was accidentally introduced into the US near Savannah, Georgia.

Red Bay trees comprise a substantial portion of our canopy here on beachside in New Smyrna. Treatment of all our Red Bays is impossible, but there are many local specimens that are an important part of the local landscape. These trees are also very important as part of our ecosystem, supporting threatened species such as the Swallowtail Butterfly. Laurel Wilt also affects Avocado and Camphor trees.

No cost
No reservations required

1.Attend one of the Volunteer Orientation and Training sessions :

Thur. Feb.14., 3:30-5:00pm. Thur. Mar. 14. 3:30- 5pm.
Thur. April 11 3:30-5pm. Wed. May 15th. 3:30-5pm.
Thur. June 13th. 3:30-5pm.

2. Complete an MDC Volunteer application.

3. Complete a Child abuse and Workplace Sexual Harassment Agreement.

4. Purchase an MDC Volunteer T-shirt, $10, or Polo shirt, $22.

5. Purchase and complete a Criminal Background Check for $17.50

Summer camp is in full swing! We have served nearly 7000 children a year since 2001 with hands-on, feet-wet education programs. The demand is growing and so is the hope for scholarships. Each year we provide camp and field trip scholarships for individuals and K-12 schools that could not otherwise afford to attend. These scholarships provide disadvantaged youth with an opportunity to experience the water for the first time while cruising on a boat, SCUBA diving at Blue Springs or kayaking along the Indian River Lagoon. The smiles are priceless and the memories will last a lifetime.

One of our camp scholarship parents stated, “Without the scholarship, it was impossible to bring my children to enjoy God’s creation, our ocean. This was my children’s first time to the beach. It was the best thing ever for them.”

As I write this letter, we are in our second week of summer camp adventures at our new facility. The new facility provides a wonderful space for children ages 4-16 to learn about the importance of Florida’s oceans and estuaries and how they can preserve and protect these unique marine habitats. Our new facility is outfitted with fish tanks, touch tanks, microscopes, audio/video equipment, labware, fishing supplies, archery equipment and so much more. Many of these additions are a tribute to your support toward our Discovery Exhibit Fund. Thank you. This combination of facility and equipment allows us to enhance our programs and engage students and campers in a new way that leads to ‘light bulb’ moments. For all of this we are thankful!

This year we’d like to increase scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged youth by raising $10,000 for the Marine Discovery Center’s Children Scholarship Fund. These funds will go directly to either Camp Scholarships or K-12 Field Trip Scholarships. For $20, a child can experience a field trip to the Marine Discovery Center. For $600 the whole class can come! For $200, a child can experience five days of our hands-on, feet-wet adventure camps. These experiences will provide opportunities for the children to foster a love and understanding of the environment – a way of ensuring that future generations will protect and cherish our unique marine habitats.

Please help us reach our goal of $10,000 by making a contribution to Marine Discovery Center’s Children Scholarship Fund. If you would like to speak with me directly about this opportunity, please call me at (386) 679-3622.

Sincerely,

Chad Truxall
Managing Director
Marine Discovery Center