May the fourth be with you! Toxic algae, discharging St Lucie locks.

On May 4th our friend Katy Lewey, river warrior, founder of the River Kidz of St Lucie and Indian River County put together a gathering so we could all be there when the locks open.

st lucie locks may 4, 2015

They have been open but were recently closed due to the discovery of Toxic green algae at Port Mayaca.

In the past few years we are blessed to have great news teams that show up and we show up for them.

In between, the new’s cycle we decided to take a ride to Port Mayaca to see the green toxic algae for ourselves.

When we got there we found Ben, an employee of SFWMD. I have lots of friends who work or worked for them. Good People. Dedicated Scientists.

He was taking water samples of both sides of the locks.

This is what we saw on the inside of the locks.

Slime crimes.

We all documented.

Algae buster mammas.

Then we went to the overpass for a nice wide shot.

you can see the green by the gates. There is also a section off to the right that is not in the photo.

I was not there last week so I have no basis of comparison but I can say the weather has been cooler and this stuff thrives on two things according to my ORCA friend and past Indian RiverKeeper George Jones : Heat and nutrients. So I have no idea what will come next because of the the cool weather. Will it come down and just hang stagnant until it gets hot and then bloom? George said it sucks the o2 out of the water and at night it goes underwater so it just doesn’t sit on the top it goes to the bottom and it sucks the o2 thus killing everything underneath.

Everything.

A big green blob.

kinda like this

Harmful algae Blooms

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms via production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means.

armful algal blooms have been observed to cause adverse effects to a wide variety of aquatic organisms, most notably marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds and finfish. The impacts of HAB toxins on these groups can include harmful changes to their developmental, immunological, neurological, or reproductive capacities. The most conspicuous effects of HABs on marine wildlife are large-scale mortality events associated with toxin-producing blooms. For example, a mass mortality event of 107 bottlenose dolphins occurred along the Florida panhandle in the spring of 2004 due to ingestion of contaminated menhaden with high levels of brevetoxin.^[8] Manatee mortalities have also been attributed to brevetoxin but unlike dolphins, the main toxin vector was endemic seagrass species (Thalassia testudinum) in which high concentrations of brevetoxins were detected and subsequently found as a main component of the stomach contents of manatees.^[8]

Immune system responses have been affected by brevetoxin exposure in another critically endangered species, the Loggerhead sea turtle. Brevetoxin exposure, via inhalation of aerosolized toxins and ingestion of contaminated prey, can have clinical signs of increased lethargy and muscle weakness in loggerhead sea turtles causing these animals to wash ashore in a decreased metabolic state with increases of immune system responses upon blood analysis.^[10] Examples of common harmful effects of HABs include:

the production of neurotoxins which cause mass mortalities in fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals
human illness or death via consumption of seafood contaminated by toxic algae^[11]
mechanical damage to other organisms, such as disruption of epithelial gill tissues in fish, resulting in asphyxiation
oxygen depletion of the water column (hypoxia or anoxia) from cellular respiration and bacterial degradation

so when we get upset there is good reason.

Toxic Algae is also harmful to humans.

This is from the cdc.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/hab/default.htm

Algae are vitally important to marine and fresh-water ecosystems, and most species of algae are not harmful. Algal blooms occur in natural waters used for drinking and/or recreation when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, often in response to changes in levels of chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, in the water. Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight that other organisms need to live, and some can produce toxins that are harmful to the health of the environment, plants, animals, and people.

Please also see this blog post about pets and toxic algae.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/03/preview-of-coming-attractions-toxic-algae-and-your-pets/

When all else fails. When everyone has closed their doors to us. The legislators, the Governor’s Board of South Florida Water Management.

Rick Scott himself.

What choice do we have then to defend our selves and the creatures of the Indian RIver Lagoon?

Toxic Algae Eve : Protest: Buy the land! May 3. St Lucie Locks

May4

@JaxStrong

@SteveCrisafulli

@JoeBiden

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth #nomoredischarges #saveflwater #savetheeverglades

On May 3 we had a protest.

https://www.facebook.com/events/831962766840242/

***VIDEO CHALLENGE AND PROTEST*** DEMAND CLEAN WATER! Meet us at Phipps park and we can all stand together! Ask your elected officials to CANCEL THE DISCHARGES and BUY THE LAND! This Sunday, make a video on your phone, make sure to include those two messages in a peaceful video and submit it on to FB. Tag 3 of your friends and ask them to make their own video and do the same about why we want to stop the discharges and buy the land. Time is running out! Enough is enough!

We came! We Marched! We uploaded video all at the same time.

Why? To create awareness because apparently even after we were dumped on, had our estuary and economy destroyed, had multiple protests with up to 7,000 people, went to DC, went to Tallahassee, had dozens of events, took thousands of hours of video, took a gazillion photos, wrote hundreds of letters, emails and tweets we are at this moment in time right back where we started from at the very beginning.

Toxic Algae Eve.

Why?

Because the ACOE thinks this stuff will dissipate when it hits the brackish water because that worked so well before. We have been rejected by our own legislators, our water management district. Everyone. Poisoning us is ok with everyone. Except us.

The Speaker of House

@SteveCrisafulli

does not want to buy any conservation land. He won’t even discuss it. He won’t even let us know if he understands why this particular piece of land is important. Senator Alan Hay, the same thing. We’re paying attention.

@SteveCrisafulli

You want to make all the people behave and listen then you are responsible for the destruction of the St Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. This is on you.

@JoeBiden

We need you. Please come quickly

@JaxStrong

The lake is at 13 ft. Seriously are you kidding me.

Two years ago I bought that we had issues with dike. Millions of dollars later how can there be an issue?

This is whats coming.

This is what we need to do.

Here we are today.

Green Toxic Algae. Poison Poised and ready to kill us.

May2

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@JaxStrong

Green Toxic Algae is poised and ready to be sent down our water ways that will result in the horrible destruction of our Estuary, our sea grass, our oysters, our health and the health of all life that lives in the St Lucie River and the Indian RIver Lagoon.

You can go back and read this blog especially here.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2014/11/03/a-river-warrior-gets-out-the-vote

I brought the issue up to date and included the video from the Sugarland Rally when we went to Clewiston with open hearts and the Sugar Rulers instead of seeing that one day we would need a solution to this issue basically blackballed our good efforts. Maybe if back then the people would have come and thought for themselves we could have come up with a solution.

and you can go here and read our documentation of this issue for the past 2 1/2 years

https://www.facebook.com/SaintLucieRiverofLight

and you can go here and read Jacqui’s blog

http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com

and you can go here and get some incredible insight into why this is happening. I think between these three blogs you can read all you need to know.

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com

We have truly done everything possible. We have confronted the ACOE, Rick Scott, the South Florida Water Management District, our legislators. All have fallen on deaf ears.

On a positive note we have educated thousands of people to this issue.

We have documented these issues so no one can say this never happened.

We could write a book. ( and then leave town lol)

We, not being one or two individuals but an entire community of the most dedicated people I have ever met. We are all part of one big puzzle. No one greater than the other. Without the pieces we are incomplete. We all have our jobs. Organically. Not manipulated. And hopefully we’ll stay that way.

We all sit here today and worry about what’s going to happen on Monday when the locks open up.

I come back to my original question when this happened in 2013. How can the intentional destruction of the most diverse estuary in North America be legal? How is the intentional poisoning of our St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon allowed in the United States of America?

This has got to stop.

We have two events. One on Sunday and one on Monday.

Sunday:

https://www.facebook.com/events/831962766840242/834768046559714/

Sunday 2 pm Phipps Park

Monday:

Say No to the Toxic Flow 7 am 2175 SW Locks Rd, Stuart, Florida 34997

https://www.facebook.com/events/1563265363925897/

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/orca-bluegreen-algae-in-canals-poised-for-big-blooms_47535634

Thank goodness for Orca and the Killroys and Edie Widder.

“Lead scientist Edith “Edie” Widder noted that high concentrations of algae are being found in canals that stretch into agricultural areas of western St. Lucie County but not in the creeks that run from suburban areas into the river and lagoon.”

Lake O May 1 facts:
1) 581 million gallons a day released to the St Lucie River.
2) 1.3 billion gallons a day released to the Caloosahatcee river
3) The discharges waste water that would replenish the Everglades.
4) The discharges strips our basic human right to clean drinking water.
5) The discharges will destroy water quality by moving a toxic into our homes resulting in massive fish kills and making the water unsafe for human contact.

Other things that you can do. Thank goodness for our wonderful Maggy!

http://contextflorida.com/maggy-hurchalla-keep-fighting-until-legislature-buys-land-for-everglades-restoration/

Every one of us here needs to:

1. Call YOUR legislator. They mostly don’t care if you don’t vote in their district. Other than grabbing them and shaking them, nothing is more effective than a phone call. You can get the phone number of your representatives and senators from several websites – Audubon, cleanwater.com, the Everglades Foundation. The message is simple. Use Amendment 1 money to buy land. Exercise the US Sugar option.

2. Get two other people to do the same thing.

3 Send emails to your legislators. That’s not “instead of.” Call them AND send them emails. Get two other people to do the same thing.

4. Get the Dade County Commission and the Dade legislative delegation to take a strong public stand.

4. Email and call the governor, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House.

5. Sign every online petition you can find that says, “Buy the land. Send the water south.” Get two other people to do likewise.

6. Go to rallies and wave signs.

7. Write letters to the editor.

8. Take names. Most legislators care only about their home district. Those running for higher office are aware that the rest of us matter. They think we are forgetful.

and sign these petitions:

If you haven’t signed all these petitions, sign ’em and pass them on to others.

PETITIONS

http://www.sccf.org/content/298/Sign-the-Everglades-Trust-Petition.aspx

http://www.evergladestrust.org/petition

http://act.progressflorida.org/sign/everglades/

http://www.savingflwater.com/

https://www.causes.com/actions/1777289-sign-the-petition-to-florida-state-governor-scott

https://www.flsenate.gov/Media/Topics/wlc

Post Earth Day Press Conferance (Video) Stuart FL April 29

Apr30

Press Advisory

STUART EVENT: Contact Cara Capp, (305) 546-6689, cara@evergladescoalition.org,
Mark Perry, 772-486-3858, mperry@floridaocean.org
CAPTIVA EVENT: Contact David Jensen, 239-470-5389, dave@gocaptiva.com; Rae Ann Wessel, 239-246-0100, rawessel@sccf.org
Two Coasts, One Message:
Buy the Land Now
Rallies to support State Senator Joe Negron for his efforts to open the door to a sugar land purchase and call for further action
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2015
East Coast *** THERE WILL BE VISUALS ***
Where: Flagler Park, 201 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL
Time: 11 a.m. to noon (11 30 a.m. Press Conference)
WHO & WHAT: Elected officials, Everglades Coalition, Rivers Coalition, and River Warriors will laud Florida Senator Joe Negron (R) for planning on introducing legislation asking for $500 million for land purchases, money that could buy U.S. Sugar lands. Will present “Buy the land” letters to Governor, House Speaker, Senate President from 19 local elected officials and resolutions from 11 local governments. Florida Realtors’ water quality/home values study. People will sign a giant poster saying, “With Joe we stand. Let’s buy the land.”
West Coast *** THERE WILL BE VISUALS ***
Where: Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort & Marina, 15107 Captiva Dr, Captiva, FL 33924
Time: 10 to 11 a.m. (10:15 a.m. Press Conference)
WHO & WHAT: SW FL business leaders, Realtors and Chamber of Commerce officials. Boaters, fisherman, kayak and paddle boarders will take to the water in support. Singer/songwriters: North Captiva’s Bob Hipkens and Austin Church from Cocoa Beach. Florida Realtors’ water quality/home values study. Videotaping of messages to the Governor and Leadership will also be captured and Queenies ice cream will be served. Banners, posters. Painted fish.
Background: There is broad public support for exercising the 48,600 acre purchase option in the US Sugar contract, but water managers must take action now for the process to begin. As polluted water is dumped to the coasts, the Everglades multibillion dollar restoration project, is starving for water. The solution, according to the scientific community, is to pursue 48,600 acres of sugar land to store and clean the water.

Bustor Brown and his human Jennie Pawlowsky.

Mark Perry, Florida Oceanographic

Jason Totoiu, Everglades Law

Ed Fielding, Martin County Commission

Irene Nethery Gomes and Takeata King Pang

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch Commissioner Sewells Point, Blogger, Tireless River Advocate, Plume Chaser

Mark Perry and Troy Macdonald, former mayor of Stuart, FL

Drew from Palm Beach Soil

Rebecca Fatzinger

Celeste De Palma, Audobon, FLorida

Mary Perry 2

Chris Dzadovsky, St Lucie County Commissioner

Celeste De Palma’s Speech in Spanish

Trust me. I am not a bear.

Apr28

@voteforjennifer

@SteveCrisafulli

@Piper

education not incarceration

#educationnotincarceration

So one day when my Dad was alive he decided that he was taking my mom and moving from Boca Raton to Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder

One of them was sick and my sister and her family were out of town and I was home with one of my favorite dogs, Blue.

blue

This was a great trip. I wrote a kick ass article about the issues with dogs in the open spaces for Boca Dog Magazine while I dealt with my aging parents medical issues.
One morning I was sleeping and Blue came in and would not leave me alone. This is one of best dogs I have ever known. You could take her anywhere (except to the vet and that’s another story) off leash. I’m having this crazy dream and Blue is waking me up and i’m digging the dream and I’m sleeping and she just won’t stop. I get up and she throws herself up against the window and down below I see this huge black bear feasting on the garbage.
I apologize to Blue and I just stand there and watch because I have no earthly idea of what to do.
I had seen lots of animals here. In the foothills of Boulder there are deer, mountain lions, but I had never seen a bear this close before. So i decided it (he she?)would eventually go away when it (he/she) was full.

Fast forward to a few years ago I was sitting at a table with my friend Maryanne and she’s pitching this film about “The Cape Cod Bear.” I love this idea. I knew about the Boulder bear and other bear stories and I thought it was great.

Fast forward again to last year I went up to Gainesville with Maryanne to the Cinema Verde Environmental Film Festival and Maryanne had invited a guest to come to the screening from Florida Wildlife and the one thing I learned from that day is “Don’t feed the bears.” That was the big sticking point. We, humans, are the worse enemy of the bears. Us.

One other thing I learned is that male bears leave their homes in search of mates far away because genetically that is the right thing to do. At this point the black bears in Florida are smarter than our legislators. They at have sense to follow their good intuition and do the right thing.

Sorry I digress.

So here is the film and maybe you all could watch it and learn something. It’s play all over including

Official Selection 50th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society at UC Boulder, CO

http://www.mgproductions.biz/rewilding-america-lessons-learned-cape-cod-bear

Rewilding America: Lessons Learned from the Cape Cod Bear

In May 2012, a black bear altered the course of Massachusetts wildlife history, completing a journey from the mainland to the tip of Cape Cod. The first bear sighting in centuries captured the imagination, attention and hearts of everyone from locals to tourists, law enforcement to TV crews and Tweeters all hoping to catch a glimpse or even capture the elusive bear himself. The film chronicles this bear’s travels while digging into the dilemma of human co-existence with an increasingly emboldened wildlife population across North America. Blending humor and hard hitting facts, the doc includes a range of perspectives from a wildlife biologist, zoo curator, veterinarian, cub rescuer, park rangers, hunter, Cape Cod nature writer and a Provincetown entrepreneur.

The film examines conservation with a focus on the conditions that lead individuals to participate in environmentally sustainable behaviors, thus assuring the continuity and health of wildlife and our shared landscapes.

Written, Produced and Directed by Maryanne Galvin

Edited by Maryanne Galvin & H. Adam Lenz

So fast forward to now.
Our Florida legislators are considering opening up hunting because we humans can’t stop feeding them.

and they are putting this in place.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/04/27/lawmakers-look-to-curb-bear-gator-feeding
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – As the state tries to reduce dangerous interactions between bears and humans, lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that would change the penalties for feeding wildlife.
The Senate on Friday unanimously approved the bill (HB 7021), which passed the House earlier and now goes to Gov. Rick Scott.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, and Rep. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, comes as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission prepares to give formal approval to a black bear hunt this fall — the first such hunt in two decades.
The hunt stems from interactions between bears and humans in some parts of the state, with wildlife officials saying a major cause of the problem is residents leaving out garbage that attracts bears.
The bill, in part, would increase penalties for people charged a fourth time with feeding bears and alligators not in captivity. The charge would be a third-degree felony.
Currently, a fourth offense of illegally feeding wildlife within a 10-year period is a first-degree misdemeanor.

So what is a third degree felony?
http://www.ericmathenylaw.com/Criminal-Defense-Blog/2010/December/3rd-Degree-Felonies.aspx
A third degree felony is the least serious of all the felonies.

3rd Degree Felonies
Posted on Dec 25, 2010 7:55am PST
3rd degree felonies are some of the most common felony offenses committed in Florida.

Everybody charged with a felony is facing a maximum sentence of state prison.

3rd degree felonies are punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison. If you are a Habitual Offender (HO), you face 10 years for most 3rd degree felonies.

The penalties for 3rd degree felonies can range from PTI (Pretrial Intervention), all the way up to prison.

For the most part, 3rd degree felonies are non-violent property crimes and drug possession-level offenses.

Some examples of 3rd degree felonies are:

Possession of cocaine
Possession of oxycodone
Possession of marijuana (more than 20 grams)
Grand theft 3rd
Burglary of an unoccupied conveyance
Burglary of an unoccupied structure
Driving as a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO)
Aggravated assault
Felony battery
Battery on a law enforcement officer
Resisting an officer with violence
Uttering a forged instrument
3rd or subsequent DUI
3rd degree felonies are punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison. If you are a Habitual Offender (HO), you face 10 years for most 3rd degree felonies.

The penalties for 3rd degree felonies can range from PTI (Pretrial Intervention), all the way up to prison.

dead bear

So, if my adventure with the bear was today or at least when this law is past – orange would be my new black. As bad as possessing cocaine or battery on a law enforcement officer or forgery.

How in the world did we get here?

Instead of killing bears and going to jail why not educate people on how to deal with bears. This is not grizzly man.

http://www.skinnymoose.com/bbb/2007/06/23/expert-advice-on-dealing-with-black-bears

and please stop feeding them.

Education not incarceration.

Who’s going to be the party of clean water and no more discharges?

Apr27

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

To our legislators in Tallahassee who do you represent? Because your not representing us!

Here is a video of 7,000 citizens of the Treasure coast marching to the locks after we were decimated in 2013. I don’t see anything about party. I do however see a lot of people that want this to stop.

It’s really painful to write this stuff. We have an awesome clean water movement. Its made up of a great group of people who never ask about party. Because clean water is for all not just for some. The toxic discharges affect all the people.

Here is party breakdown for Martin County. Republicans: 51,031 Democrats 26,292

MARTIN

51,031

26,294

5,437

20,630

103,392

So this year the Republicans have a super majority and they think they are so well organized that they leave and go out of the sunshine to talk and they bully members of their party to follow “leadership.”

In Tallahassee people are cut off at the knees if they don’t vote as leadership intended and we all suffer. We’re certainly not represented.

I feel like the Republicans in Tallahassee are not even representing their own base. Because their base needs clean water.

So who are you representing when you do this stuff?

Seem’s like Big sugar is totally represented. Because if you represented us the land would be bought and the discharges would stop.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/as-us-sugar-flexes-muscle-amendment-1-supporters-fret-about-less-money-for/2226965

One thing these guys are really good at coming up with a message and repeating it over and over again until you yourself can’t remember whats true. That’s why excellent documentation is so important.

This is an excellent article written by our own Tyler Treadway. Thank goodness for him and our incredible journalists at the Stuart News.

As a reminder Sen. Joe Negron wanted the UF Study and he found the money to do so. Sen Negron waited for this study before saying anything. After all, he insisted it get done. So it comes out and instead of reading it people glom on to what they want. Which is natural.

The problem is the people who are making decisions about our discharges and our clean drinking water are glomming on also.

This article needs to be read by people who are REPRESENTING the citizens of Martin County.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/uf-water-study-cherrypicked-to-suit-arguments-for-against-us-sugar-land-buy_59243768

“Statement: Water district board member Kevin Powers at the April 9 meeting noted that none of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan’s 68 projects has been completed and said, “Nobody wants (the discharges to stop) more than me, but we’re not going to get there if we don’t complete some of these projects.”

Fact: The UF study does call for accelerating “the funding and completion of existing and federally authorized CERP projects designed specifically to provide relief” to the estuaries. It also states those projects won’t stop the discharges. That’s going to require “enormous increases in storage and treatment of water both north and south of the lake.”

Statement: A March 28 Miami Herald editorial stated the study determined the sugar land is “among the must-have pieces of land that a winning environmental strategy requires.”

Fact: The study states reducing discharges and meeting the Everglades’ need for more water will “require between 11,000 and 129,000 acres of additional land” between the lake and the national park, but it doesn’t identify what land. “The U.S. Sugar option land may or may not be the right land, but additional land will be needed to achieve restoration,” Graham said.”

You all still have time to listen and learn and turn this around for the people you represent.

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth

President Obama said “We want to restore the natural flow of the Everglades.”

Apr23

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

Yesterday, On #Earth Day 2015, President Obama came to the Everglades.

Here is his speech

miami.cbslocal.com/video/11416318-web-extra-president-barack-obama-talks-climate-change-in-the-everglades/#.VTgwYPBYm3Z.facebook

“In the words of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas there are no other Everglades in the World.”

“If we don’t act there might not be an Everglades as we know it.”He talked about salt water intrusion, and how South Florida, 7 million Americans, get their drinking water from the Everglades.”

“The pentagon says that climate change poses a risk to our national security”

“All of this poses a risk to Florida’s 82 billion dollar tourist industry on which many jobs and livelihoods depend.”

“Protecting our parks is a smart thing to do for our economy.” (you know jobs, jobs, jobs)

President Obama said “We want to restore the natural flow of the Everglades which we know is one of the best defenses against climate change and rising sea level.”

“This is not some impossible problem.”

“If you’ve got a storm. You prepare for the storm. You don’t stick your head in the sand.”

The pentagon says that climate change poses a risk to our national security.

That’s so true. Read this book. It was a total non partisan issue to screw up the plumping.

The Federal Government has invested millions of dollars and with out buying the land in EAA Everglades Restoration will never be complete. The Aquifers will not be recharged. The salt water intrusion will continue. We will get discharges forever. The drinking water of South Florida will be destroyed.

So if our President of the United States, a guy who is really busy, understands this simple message why doesn’t our Florida Legislature? Do they hate him so much they would destroy our Everglades, our drinking water and continue to to allow the toxic discharges and the wasting of millions of gallons of water? President Obama, millions of gallons of water are sent out to tide and are destroying our northern estuaries.

When our President says we have to do this we have to do this and our Florida Legislators must make this happen. They can no longer keep their heads in the sand. They need to prepare for the storm.

Please call your legislators today and tell them we must buy the land.

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth

For Earth Day Pick up the Garbage!

Apr22

#earthday2015

Here’s my award winning short film about an amazing group of people who pick up the garbage in exchange for keeping the dogs on the beach.

Featuring the great music of Big Vince and the Phat Cats.

mike paparo gary frost big vince dave allen

What weighs 20,000 pounds and takes nearly 4,000 people to move it? The Garbage on Jupiter Beach.  15 years ago a local resident Anita Lankler made a deal with the City of Jupiter. You let our dogs on the beach and we’ll pick up the garbage. This little group grew into a membership of 4,000 plus and became the “Friends of Jupiter Beach.”  Once a month hundreds of people, 6 to 86, from fifteen zip codes surrounding Palm Beach County, converge onto Jupiter Beach… to pick up the garbage.

Stylin music provided by Big Vince and the Phat Cats.
Archival footage provided by Joanna Aiken
produced, shot, written and edited by Cyndi Lenz

my directors chair- a gift from the friends of jupiter beach

Photography Tina Valant and Cyndi Lenz
Fine Editing and Art and audio mix : Adam Lenz

co won “Best Green Short” at the Delray Beach Film Festival 2010
first place standing in the short documentary category at Moondance Film Festival in Boulder Colorado.

moondancefilmfestival.com/02_festival.winners_film.html

We we the winners of the Calypso award at Moondance!

• MOONDANCE CALYPSO AWARD: This award is to encourage a spirit of enterprise in saving the environment, habitats and wildlife by creative individuals from around the world. The award is presented to the person who expands knowledge of our world, seeks to improve our quality of all life on the planet, and contributes to the betterment of humankind.

Best Eco Documentary Mountain Fest
Best Documentary Palm Beach International Film Festival Local Voices
international premiere at Eco-Fest in Malaysia

(One day i’ll figure out how to add to my IMBD page

for more info contact cyndi at clenz@mac.com

In honor of Mother Earth if you can’t get to an event don’t despair. Grab a bag and head to to your closet park or beach and fill that bag up with garbage. Imagine if the entire Martin County did this. The entire 148 thousand of us (or so). Imagine if all of Florida did this. Imagine if the whole US did this. Imagine if the whole world did this.

Lets do it!

Happy earth day mother earth

The First Earth Day Boston Mass

Apr20

I was looking for some info on the first Earth Day and I came across this really cool footage of students trying to have a peaceful protest at Logan and then all hell broke loose. Innocent people trying to make a point get arrested.

Then I found this years version. Quite a difference from the old days that’s for sure.

http://www.partyearth.com/boston/holidays/earth-day-7/#description

“In 2009, the United Nations agreed to name April 22^nd International Mother Earth Day to recognize the importance of the world’s vital ecosystems. Nearly forty years before in 1970, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day and drew over 20 million participants to its first celebration. Today, more than one billion people in 200-plus countries across the globe celebrate Earth Day annually.

America’s most patriotic city, Boston, joins in on the Earth Day party, becoming one of the nation’s most environmentally conscious cities in April.

Earth Day in Boston boasts a myriad of Earth Day events like the Charles River Cleanup. Though a famous song called “Dirty Water” is one of Beantown’s anthems, around 3,000 volunteers pick up trash along the water to make it look as clean as possible.

Individuals who want to look as sparkling as the Charles attend the Earth Day Eco-Beauty Bar, which features mini-massages, spa treatments, and samplings of organic skin care and eco-friendly wellness products. Meanwhile, Earth Day celebrations like Earth Day on the Greenway provide fun for the whole family with face painting, music, games, and food trucks.

Boston might be known for its Red Sox, but April brings a host of green events that make Beantown one of the most festive metropolises on Earth Day. ”

It’s amazing to me that children can learn to sail at Community Boating in clean water.

and we can’t have earth day without this sing a long. I love and miss you my home town!

Here’s the Dirty Water Song by the Standells.

A River Warrior Gets out the Vote

Nov3

So here we are on election eve 2014. A while back when I lived in Boca i said I would never be involved in politics again. At the beginning I felt like I was being dragged by wild horses but this never left me. This line by my friend Mary Baum, the Indian Riverkeeper.

This video was originally posted on uvu where it had over 3000 views.

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