| October
4, 2009
Subject: First Annual Monofilament Cleanup of Colonial Bird Nesting
IslandsDear Volunteers!
Sarasota Bay Watch, Audubon of Florida, and Save Our Seabirds are
coordinating the First Annual Monofilament Cleanup in Sarasota County
Bays on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We
know this will be a successful effort thanks to your hard work and
dedication to protecting our bays’ resources.
Please meet at 8:00 AM at the Save our Seabirds Sanctuary, 1708
Ken Thompson Parkway where you will receive the following equipment:
Sign-In Sheet for the Captain and Crew; Nautical Chart clearly identifying
your islands; Field Sheet (for each island) to record collection
data; Pencils; Scissors to cut tangled line; Garbage bags to store
recovered line; Gloves; and Save our Seabirds contact information
for rescuing injured birds. Please be sure to fill out data sheets
completely, as this will help guide future monofilament clean-ups
in the bay
There will also be a speaker to talk about the perils of monofilament
in our environment and provide instructions for freeing entangled
and hooked birds.
Since you will be working on islands and walking on unstable terrain
such as rocks, oysters, and mucky soil, please wear suitable clothing
and protective footwear such as boots or sneakers that you don’t
mind getting wet or dirty.
After you are finished, please meet back at the Save our Seabirds
Sanctuary by 12:00 to turn in the fishing line and equipment. Refreshments
will be provided and you will have an opportunity to share your
experience with other volunteers!
We are enclosing a Cleanup Methods and Materials description sheet.
Please review the instructions before meeting on Saturday. Staff
will be available to answer any questions that you may have before
you go out.
The project is timed to occur after the majority of nesting is over,
but there may still be some young birds that haven’t left
the nest yet. Please exercise caution and use your best judgment.
We greatly appreciate your assistance in the project!Sincerely,
John Ryan, President
Sarasota Bay Watch
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