The Carr Companion The newsletter of the Friends of the Carr Refuge Spring 2002

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge authorized by an act of Congress in 1989, is a twenty and one half mile stretch of beach, on the Southeast coast of Florida. This refuge hosts the largest concentration of nesting loggerhead and green sea turtles in the United States. It is the second most important nesting site in the world for loggerhead turtles. The Refuge protects animal species by preserving the coastal habitat on which they depend; and is also a place for public recreation and education. The Refuge, named for the late Dr. Archie Carr, honors his lifetime commitment to conservation and research.

Refuge Reports: Turtle Nesting

The turtle nesting season is off to an early start this year, with the first leatherback nest laid on the night of March 15/16, and the first loggerhead nest laid on the night of April 17/18. Dr Ehrhart reports that, as of April 25, a total of 46 loggerhead nests were laid in the northern section of the Refuge. This compares to 10 nests laid by the same date last year and the year before. An additional 3 were recorded in the Sebastian Inlet SRA. Of the 46 recorded in the northern section, a total of 10 had been predated by raccoons.

Land Acquisition Funding

At this time, there are 39 ocean front lots being evaluated for purchase and inclusion in the Refuge. Representative Dave Weldon, a consistent supporter of the Archie Carr NWR, is planning to request an additional $2 million in land acquisition funding in the next federal budget. However, we need to have the Senate include a similar amount in their proposed budget bill. You can support this request by contacting the offices of our Florida Senators Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, to let them know that the community is behind land acquisition for the Refuge. With regard to qualifying for State funds, the Archie Carr NWR has been placed back on the A list, giving it a higher priority for State funding.

Barrier Island Ecosystem Center (BIEC) Update

The BIEC project is moving forward. A contractor has been selected and a "visioning" meeting is planned for May. The total site consists of 35 acres on both sides of Hwy A1A. In addition to the building itself, which will be at the site of the old Chuck's Steak House, there will be a network of trails on the East and West side of Hwy A1A showing the restoration of the dune and maritime hammock. Construction is expected to start in the fall of 2002 with an opening in late summer of 2003.

Equipment Donation

We would like to thank Hubbs/Sea world for donating two ATV's to the UCF Sea Turtle research Group, specifically for use in the early leatherback program. Hubbs/Sea World contributes a lot of funding and effort toward research that is conducted in the Refuge, and we look forward to their eventual construction of a first class research facility in the Refuge.

Turtle Talk: Turtle Walks

Evening sea turtle watch programs will be offered on the Archie Carr Refuge again this year in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area. Programs will be held Tuesday and Wednesday evenings throughout the months of June and July. The program begins at 9:00pm at the Sebastian Inlet Administration Office with a 45-minute presentation on sea turtle conservation. The group then travels to Bonsteel Park where they wait for trained sea turtle scouts to find a nesting loggerhead for the group to observe. Pre-registration for the programs are required by calling (321) 984-4852 on May 15 at 8:00am for June walks and on June 15 at 8:00am for July walks.

Backyard Concerns: Raccoons

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has passed a new rule to prohibit the intentional feeding of wild bears, foxes, raccoons and sandhill cranes. This new rule which takes effect in May 2002, is the result of citizen complaints that unnatural feeding is altering the natural feeding behavior of wildlife and is posing a threat to human safety. The proliferation of raccoons in certain areas of the Refuge, has lead to the predation of many sea turtle nests laid in these areas. In the worst known area, where the majority of nests are lost through predation, an unusually large number of raccoons are able to exist because of intentional feeding by area residents. If residents will follow the new rule, we should begin to see a raccoon population that is more in balance with nature.

Who to call for information:
Friends of the Carr Refuge/ Sea Turtle Preservation Society 1-321-676-1701
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge: 1-772-562-3909 ext. 258

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