Coastal Breeze News

Fall is finally here and although pests and diseases are not as abundant as they are during the summer and spring, they are still quite active so it is important for the lawn to be healthy. The transition from summer growth to winter growth is an ideal time to provide fall fertilization. A well-fertilized lawn will store up a substantial amount of food reserves and produce healthy roots to sustain it during the winter. Why is it important to fertilize your lawn? Fertilizers are necessary because in some cases they soil cannot supply the grass with all the nutrients it ... Read More »

By Joan Kelly I love recycling. I am always looking for ways to keep my trash out of the landfill. Take for example wine corks. We have plenty around this house, squirreled away in little boxes just waiting for a good recycling idea. Well, here’s an idea that has a sort of poetic justice. Give them back to the wine seller. And ABC Liquors is being very accommodating. They have placed a cork recycle box in every store. In the past year ABC has recycled over 700,000 corks, receiving 2 cents for each cork, whether real or synthetic. They are ... Read More »

When Sean Kelly saw this pink ibis on Isles of Capri, he said, “She’s wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Actually, ibis may show pink for either of two reasons other than breast cancer awareness. One: About fifty years ago, several scarlet ibis, natives of South America, were released in south Florida and interbred with their close cousins, the white ibis, producing a bird that shows pink as an adult. This bird could be a hybrid white-scarlet ibis. Two: scarlet ibis begin life as gray-brown birds and slowly turn through pink to red as a result of crustaceans in ... Read More »

A new environmental addition to the City of Marco Island’s Mackle Park was installed on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. An American Osprey pole with nest platform was erected courtesy of Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) for Boy Scout Ricky Grootveld’s Eagle Scout project. Ricky Grootveld, 16 years old and a Lely High School junior, was “happy and excited” to see the hole drilled and the 45-foor pole erected by LCEC, and to see his design and his effort come to fruition. He said he has always worked side by side with his Dad and that is how he knew how ... Read More »

There were three stranded manatees in Tigertail Lagoon on Tuesday, October 12.  As of 3:30 p.m., one was “free”; there was still a large female and small male.  However, FWC felt that when the tide was finally high enough, those two would be safe also.  High tide was around 5 p.m.  The manatees did not appear to be sick.  One had a large gash from a boat propeller, but it was healed. Read More »

Awareness, Education and Empowerment – Celebrating 25 years The Power of Pink ‘Pink Heals’ is the motto of the Guardians of the Ribbon. So, who are these Guardians of the Ribbon? Firefighters, police officers and community leaders who volunteer their time to drive around the country in pink fire trucks in an effort to increase awareness of breast cancer. Recently, the fire trucks rolled into Naples, including one pulling the enormous 10’ tall stainless steel ribbon (shown). These trucks carry the signatures of thousands of people they’ve come in contact with across the country. One man signing the truck said ... Read More »

Look Good… Feel Better By Pamela Broad Just exactly what is “Look Good Feel Better?” It is a free program offered by the American Cancer Society for women who are undergoing treatment. Perhaps they have lost their hair, lost weight, had a change in skin color or developed dry skin or a rash. It is not unusual for women to feel unattractive after living with some of the side effects of their treatment. This is where ACS steps in with its “Look Good Feel Better” program. Volunteers have been trained in skin care and make-up, choosing the best wig for ... Read More »

A new environmental addition to the City of Marco Island’s Mackle Park will be installed on Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 at noon.  An American Osprey pole with nest platform will be erected courtesy of Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) for Boy Scout Ricky Grootveld’s Eagle Scout project.  The public is invited to watch. Ricky Grootveld, 16 years old and a Lely High School junior, is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys camping, hiking and kayaking.  He is an “A” student, in the drumline of the Lely High School Trojan Marching Band, the captain of the JROTC Primary Color Guard, on the ... Read More »

Wednesday, October 06, NOON Mackle Park (Southern End of Parking Area) Installment of an American Osprey Artificial Nesting Pole & Platform Please attend to see the new environmental addition to the City of Marco Island’s Mackle Park! Ricky Grootveld of Boy Scout Troop #234, as an Eagle Scout project, has built an artificial nesting platform which LCEC will attach to a pole and erect on the southeast corner of Mackle Park’s lake. For more information, please contact Nancy Richie, Environmental Specialist, City of Marco Island 239-389-5003 or [email protected] Read More »

On Thursday, September 16, personnel from SeaWorld Orlando released twelve turtles, previously rescued from contaminated Gulf oil spill waters, into the waters off Marco Island. SeaWorld workers left SeaWorld Orlando by 7 a.m. with the turtles secured in bins for the four-hour drive down South. Working with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), they loaded them onto a boat, and then released them into the waters of Gullivan Bay. The group of turtles, consisting of eleven Kemp’s Ridley and one green sea turtle, were young – probably 2-3 years old, and were in great condition when released. All the ... Read More »

It’s raining, it’s pouring… Isn’t it fantastic to see so much rain after such a long period of drought in southwest Florida? There are obvious positives: green, healthy plants, beautiful yards in bloom and, most importantly, the recharging of the aquifers to better prepare for the upcoming dry months. On the downside, there is more maintenance needed, such as lawn mowing and shrub trimming, and possibly more opportunities for mosquitoes to multiply! Also, with large amounts of rainfall in short periods of time, like the typical storms seen in the past weeks, the ground gets saturated, causing water to flow ... Read More »

Checked weekly by state scientists at many locations along the Marco Island shore and offshore Collier County, there has not been a presence of the Red Tide in our area in many months. Log on and sign up for daily email reports for Naples and Marco Island beach conditions at coolgate.mote.org/beachconditions. While the phenomenon of Red Tide is worldwide, in Florida it is caused predominantly by the organism Karenia brevis. This micro algae species is a dinoflagelate that naturally occurs or “initiates” in the Gulf of Mexico (and can be found in the Atlantic along Florida’s coastline). When circumstances are ... Read More »

You have seen the movement out of the corner of your eye; you have heard the subtle leaves or fronds twitch; and you have seen the quick, blurry, scurry of a small brown lizard on the pool deck or running up the lanai screen. Every first-time visitor exclaims at some point, “What was that?!” In Florida, it would be unusual not to come across a Brown Anole while relaxing on a lanai, poolside or just walking down the sidewalk. This small lizard, though not native, is part of the landscape or “cityscape” here, like it or not! Common on walls, ... Read More »

So, you want to be a landlord but not pay tourist tax, get headaches from the tenants or maintain landscape, fences or roofs? How about becoming a Purple Martin Landlord? It is only for a few months, creates entertainment year after year, and benefits your yard! Purple Martins (Progne subis) are the largest swallow in North America that migrate in large flocks yearly from South America to predominantly the eastern half of North America in late January to nest and rear its young. Then soon after nesting season, will migrate back to South America for the winter. Swallows are a ... Read More »

A City of Marco Island Exotic Vegetation Removal Permit (#10-040) was issued in July for the removal of invasive, non-native (exotic) species of vegetation at 40 South Heathwood Drive. There are no building plans submitted to the City of Marco Island. Marco Island Hospital, Inc., using Woods and Wetlands, Inc., is removing exotic, invasive vegetation on the undeveloped property adjacent to the Hospital property.  Woods and Wetlands, Inc. owner, Perry Sizemore, is an arborist, a state licensed contractor and registered with the City of Marco Island. Australian Pine, Earleaf Acacia and Brazilian Pepper are the listed invasive species being removed. ... Read More »

Erik Condee, along with Condee employees Terry Chapin, Rene Simon and Brett Reynolds participated in a beach clean-up Sunday, July 18 along with Coastal Breeze News staffers Carole Musgrave, Jeane Brennan, Marilyn Honahan and Val Simon. The combined efforts of these two locally-owned businesses resulted in a five-mile stretch of Marco Island beaches being cleaned thoroughly for all to enjoy.  A few local children pitched-in as well: Sophie Popoff, Diane Needles and Jillian Pipitone; along with a group of Italian and Spanish students residing on Marco Island for part of the summer. Assisting with the task were Nancy and Camille ... Read More »

Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to spend the day at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Inc.’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. It gave me a glimpse of the array of impacts to our community’s wildlife from fishing line, vehicles, habitat destruction to illness and diseases. As a few folks on the Island have done, I have brought wildlife to this center, but I had never seen what happens after the drop off. The Clinic just hums with energy. Arriving before eight o’clock that morning, there were about a dozen people all doing different tasks, criss-crossing each other’s paths and going in ... Read More »

To date, we have been so fortunate in avoiding oil and tar balls on our beautiful beaches. Marco Island and its environs is incredibly important nursery ground for many different coastal species. There is an amazing amount of wildlife on our beach that is thriving and reproducing in this window of oil-less opportunity. Abundant bait and game fish are in the near-shore waters; invertebrates, such as our favorite shells’ egg casings (Horse Conchs, Queen Conchs, Sand Dollars, etcetera) litter the beach; the Turtle Lady’s posted sea turtle nests can be seen (thirty-four to date) near the dunes; and the three ... Read More »

The once-a-month beach clean-up by local businesses, a program organized by Kevin Donlan, Chairman of the City of Marco Island’s Beach Advisory (BAC) and manager of Publix, continued this past Sunday, June 27th. Last month, Publix employees scoured the beach for trash. This month it was Rick’s Island Salon and Spa’s turn! Rick Popoff, owner, had about twenty-five people — staff, family and friends, meet at the South Beach access to walk north to Tigertail Beach collecting garbage and debris on the beach.  The participants all had on t-shirts with bright orange sunbursts that read “Rick’s Island Salon and Spa: ... Read More »

On  Saturday, June 26, members of the community and visitors to Marco Island met at South Beach to hold hands and form a line to say “no” to new offshore drilling and “yes” to clean energy. People started arriving at the beach around 11 a.m. for this event, and waited until noon when the “official” line was made. More than fifty people held the line for fifteen minutes. This event was also held at Residents and Tigertail beaches. Randy Dudenbostel, a participant in today’s event, found out about this get together through an email his mom sent him, the same ... Read More »