December 29, 2009
Today’s Program: Egmont Key Alliance Today’s Speaker: Richard Johnson
Our speaker today, Richard Johnson, is the current President of the Egmont Key Alliance. In his adolescent and college years, he developed a keen sense of sailing in the waters of Tampa Bay. A graduate of Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College), Mr. Johnson served in the United States Air Force.
After four years, he left the service and returned to St. Petersburg. Returning to his love of sailing, he positioned himself at the Annapolis Sailing School, located at the Holiday Inn Sunspree in South St. Petersburg. As a licensed boat captain and certified sailing instructor, he taught hundreds of bay area residents the skills of sailing. Now, you will find him as a charter boat captain, working for Dolphin Landings on St. Pete Beach.
As President of the Egmont Key Alliance, Richard helped craft their mission statement: “Preserve, protect, and restore the natural and historical resources of Egmont Key.” The Egmont Key Alliance acts as the citizen support group for Egmont Key State Park. This group is considered “friends of the park” and makes the park more user-friendly. As a non-profit 501-C corporation, the Alliance contracts with the State to provide volunteers and other services critical to the well-being of Egmont Key.
What’s Happening
For Whom the Bell Tolls
With great glee, J.C. Russell gave an update on our Salvation Army donations. With now over $2,500.00 collected and more on the way, President Bob exclaimed, “And now you know the true meaning of Christmas, we beat the Rotarians in money collected.” A fabulous job by all those who worked the kettle and/or donated money.
Our Generosity Never Ends
Club members gave to the staff of the Orange Blossom over $200.00 for the holidays. Owner and member Eddie Shamus thanked all of us.
Help, I Need Somebody, Help
Remember, only you can help Bob. Yes, you! Our beloved President needs volunteers for introductions and invocations. No experience or resume necessary.
YWCA Reminder
Pat Biscotti reminded us about the painting project at the YWCA Home Shelter 429 6th Ave S, St Petersburg, scheduled on Saturday, January 16, 2010. We are hoping to get a large group of Key Clubbers to help us out with this project.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Doug Lampe, introduced Tom Reese, local environmental lawyer. Tom’s program “Protecting the Florida Panther”, explained how the State of Florida and private landowners are protecting panther habitat as well as providing access across highways in southwestern Florida for the panther.
Tom, as the attorney for the Florida Wildlife Federation and Collier County Audubon Society, has been working with eight Collier County landowners, has found an esprit-de-corps within the group and that in this instance, environmentalism and commercialism blend well. With over 180,000 acres of land in the Collier County landowners panther protection portfolio, the future of the panther is encouraging, for as recent as 1990, only an estimated number of thirty panthers lived in Florida, Currently, there are triple that amount. The upswing is attributed to other reasons besides habitat protection including breeding programs, education, and the aforementioned panther crossings. By the way, the panther crossings cost around one million dollars.
The panther crossings benefit the survival of the panther, yet in 2009, twenty one have perished, fourteen by roadkills. The second leading cause of death among panthers is male-on-male confrontations. In 2009 alone, three deaths have occurred during these encounters. A recent concern is the proliferation of pythons in panther habitat. Also, one panther was shot, and three are under investigation.
Advancements in modern technology have aided in the understanding of panthers. Radio controlled collars help researchers document panther travels. A hunter with dogs is hired to chase and tree panthers. Veterinarians tranquilize the panthers to aid in their capture. Once collared, airplanes track the panthers as a flight leaves the Naples airport three times a week.
Through this research, panthers are known to have ranges of up to 200,000 acres, some found as far away as southern Georgia and northern Florida. Unfortunately, a hunter shot by mistake the wandering panther in Georgia.
Tom is proud of how the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), landowners, and his clients are working together. In fact, Tom told us the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using this program as a precedent to protect panther species nationwide. Tom, thank you for championing the environmental cause here in the great state of Florida.
P.S. After the meeting, Tom told me that the Florida license plate featuring the panther is the second most popular vanity plate in Florida. And you may ask what is the most popular vanity plate in Florida? Why, of course, it is the Florida Gators plate.
Attendance Last Week
We had 40 members and 8 guests.
Kristin Miller, daughter of Carl Miller
Jeremy Koch, grandson of Dick Koch
Julie Cunningham, daughter of Steve Cunningham
Matt Abbey, son of David Abbey
Audrey Lampe and Don Lampe, mother and brother of Doug Lampe
Gayla Davis, guest of Doug Lampe
This Week’s Quiz
- When was the first lighthouse built at Egmont Key?
- True or False – Egmont Key was in Union hands during the Civil War.
- Why were the fortifications built on Egmont Key and Fort DeSoto?
- Today Egmont Key is a:
- Pinellas County Park
- Florida State Park
- National Seashore
- National Wildlife Refuge
- B and D
- What is the most prominent land animal on Egmont Key?
Last Week’s Quiz
- There are approximately 80-100 Florida Panthers left in the wild.
- A male adult Florida Panther is 7-8 feet long (tip of the nose to the tip of the tail).
- The Bison, a native species, is not panther prey.
- Habitat loss is the leading cause of Florida panther population decline.
- It takes 200 square miles to provide territory for a Florida panther.
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