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Posted by Vince Lucas on 09:07:26 03/14/09
Willie Howard/Palm Beach Post
West Palm Beach, FL — Everglades restoration lands are public lands, and the
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has increasingly opened
these properties for public recreation when compatible with their
restoration purpose. Bird-watching is a prime example of low-impact public
use, and thanks to Margaret England of LaBelle, few locations are more
popular for bird-watching activities than Stormwater Treatment Area 5
(STA-5), a water-cleansing wetland in eastern Hendry County.
Since 2005, the LaBelle resident has shared her avian expertise as a
volunteer birding tour leader at STA-5, showcasing wildlife and recreation
access to lands managed by the District for Everglades restoration. On
Thursday, the SFWMD Governing Board recognized England’s dedicated community
service with the District’s first Ambassador Award.
“Margaret England’s willingness to share her passion and knowledge of birds
has enhanced public understanding of Everglades wildlife, which is vital to
successful conservation efforts,” said SFWMD Governing Board member Charles
Dauray. “Her volunteer spirit and community service are as special as the
Everglades itself.”
The Ambassador Award was created to honor those who foster the public
missions of the SFWMD, such as Everglades’s restoration. England, a library
media specialist at LaBelle Elementary School and secretary of the
Hendry-Glades Audubon, was chosen as the inaugural award recipient from
among a number of worthy candidates. The award was presented in Clewiston at
the March Governing Board meeting, as part of the District’s celebration of
its 60th year managing and protecting water resources of the region.
While England fittingly personifies the title of “ambassador” in the
partnership between the SFWMD and the Hendry-Glades Audubon, she is also a
contributor to the science of environmental restoration. England and 50
volunteers recently documented 112 species — numbering more than 92,600
birds — during the 109th national Christmas Bird Count at STA-5. Known as
citizen science," bird counts are vital to studies of the long-term health
and status of bird populations.
In her job as media specialist at LaBelle Elementary, England shares her
knowledge and love for the environment with students and their parents. She
recently received a grant to purchase a 3-D watershed model for the school
that she uses to teach about stormwater management and wetland protection.
England also serves as a vice-president for the Caloosahatchee River
Citizen’s Association “Riverwatch” and is a certified Florida Master
Naturalist, which enhances her tour-guiding knowledge at STA-5.
During the past 15 years, Stormwater Treatment Areas have proven to be the
water-cleaning workhorses of Everglades restoration, utilizing plants to
remove phosphorus from water flowing into the Everglades. Since 1994, six
STAs — with a combined area of more than 52,000 acres — have retained more
than 1,000 metric tons of total phosphorus that would have otherwise entered
the Everglades.
At each Stormwater Treatment Area, water levels are managed at an optimal
depth for water quality improvements, which also creates an attractive
habitat for wading birds. The District has taken steps to ensure the public
has access at these sites for spectacular wildlife viewing as well as duck
hunting, enhanced at STA-5 by construction of a waterfowl watching/hunting
platform for disabled veterans and residents alike.
In addition to providing educational and recreational interest, birding
tours have been shown to generate economic benefits to local communities.
Birding, a national pastime, is big business, with 48 million people
observing birds both around the home and through vacation travel. A 2001
report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that nationwide
birding generated $32 billion in retail sales and created 863,406 jobs.
A Florida-based study showed that non-consumptive bird use (I.e.,
non-hunting activities) supported more than 19,000 jobs in Florida in 2006,
and all wildlife viewing activities generated more than $3 billion statewide
that year, according to a state report. Birding specifically generates an
estimated $477 million in retail sales in Florida every year, second in the
nation only to California.
For more information about recreation on public lands managed by the
District, visit the SFWMD recreation guide. STA-5 is only accessible during
scheduled tours.
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