“Who Owns the Land in the EAA? Mapping Out Florida’s Water Future.”

Today we learn about King Ranch, #4 on the TCRPC map of land ownership in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA).

King Ranch is full of history and mystique and part of Texas’ long US history with Mexico. They are “Americana” even on the road. Perhaps you have gotten behind a truck with their brand symbol? Maybe you own one of those trucks? King Ranch is a huge company and  has many different interests.

One of King Ranch’s major interests in Florida is Consolidated Citrus and they have an office in Indiantown in Martin County.

Not everything has been a royal flush for King Ranch. Over the decades the company has had to change out their fields because of the loss of orange groves due to canker and citrus greening. In Martin County alone basically 98% of the groves are…

The film, directed by Diogo Freire, is the first in a documentary series by Adaptation Now – a project sharing the stories of the communities on the leading edge of climate change. We are already feeling the impacts of climate change, but for too many, climate change remains an abstract and distant concept. Through film we can change this. We can empower communities with the knowledge to make informed decisions. The film is currently on a tour of the U.S. East Coast, sponsored by Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

The event is organized and hosted by Citizens’ Climate Lobby – FL Space Coast Chapter, in collaboration with the Marine Resources Council.

Diogo Freire is on a mission to solve global warming. He will be present to introduce the film, and will be available for a short discussion period which will follow the showing. Mr. Freire, a native of Portugal, works in the…

I went early to make sure I had time to take some photos. I may not agree but I respect peoples right to protest.

Here is a link to all the photo in Treasurecoast gallary.

Standing room only at the Sunrise Theater in Ft Pierce. A fun picture taking day for me.

You can go here for the rest of the photos. I made a gallery at Treasurecoast.com

What I love about Balance for Earth is that they see the issues but also see solutions.

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. – The Environmental Studies Council will be hosting their Annual Open House on Sat., October 15 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.  The Center, located at 2900 NE Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach, features saltwater aquariums, hands on learning, and is home to a releasable juvenile loggerhead sea turtle.

Students in the Martin County School District enjoy the environmental learning opportunities provided each year at the center, and at the Annual Open House, families can take part in the fun as well!  On October 15, guests will enjoy crafts, interactive activities, refreshments and sign-ups for the year’s many special events.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet Joey the alligator, tour the wet labs, visit the new educational sea turtle display, visit a special plankton display, tour the school grounds, and shop the gift shop, which is fully stocked with new toys, jewelry, and kids science kits.

The…

Two dedicated River Warrior Friends of mine Rebecca Fatzinger and Dr Cristina Maldonado both take the time each week to go pick up the garbage.

One day on Facebook Cris posted a photo of person she made from her trash and Rebecca responded in kind.

They clean up the garbage, create an image and then then disposes. I hope they will inspire you to do the same.

Here is the Facebook page of Treasure Coast Trash Creations

My Dad, Arthur had two brothers Melvin and Edward and one sister, Millie. I never met my Uncle Edward because he was killed during WW2. But I knew him through stories my dad would tell me and I know that my Gramma Bertha and Grampa Max thought about him every day.

I always wondered what would have happened if he lived. What would he have been like (My Dad said he was a good kid.) Would have he have married? Would I have more cousins?

American cemetery in Cambridge,England

I found this today and I was able to leave a flower.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56289977

Death:	Apr. 23, 1945, Isle of Man
USAAF WORLD WAR II Passenger M/Sgt. Edward Z. M. Gelman Lost Hometown: Massachusetts Squadron: 532nd 381st Bomb Group Service# 11030709 Awards: Bronze Star Pilot Captain Charles E. Ackerman Lost Target: Ferry Mission CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR Date Lost: 23-Apr-45 Serial…

Lake Okeechobee’s S-308 at Port Mayaca, Ed Lippisch, May 13, 2016.

The first time I ever laid eyes on Lake Okeechobee, I was eleven years old. I remember thinking that I must be looking at the ocean because I could not see across to the other side. Just enormous!

In spite of its magnificent size, over the past century, Lake Okeechobee has been made smaller–around thirty percent smaller– as its shallow waters have been modified for human use–pushed back, tilled, planted, diked, and controlled. Today, it is managed by the South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corp of Engineers. Sprawling sugar fields, the Everglades Agricultural Area, (EAA), canals, highways, telephone poles, train tracks, processing facilities, a FPL power plant, and small cites surround it.

S-308, (the “S” standing for “structure), opens easterly into the St Lucie Canal, also known as  C-44, (Canal 44).  About twenty miles east is…