Rookery Bay, Florida

Last Saturday I had the honor to visit Naples, Florida, during my visit there I went to a National Estuarine Research Reserve known as Rookery Bay. The bay is located at the western edge of the Everglades on the Gulf coast of Florida. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses 110,000 acres of native habitats including perfect conditioned mangrove forests, uplands ad protected waters. Also there are more than 150 species of birds and several threatened and endangered animals that live in this unique environment. The reserve represents one of the few undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America, and serves as an outdoor classroom and laboratory for students and scientists from around the world.

This is a great environment in raising awareness of our actions and trying to help what undisturbed environment we have left. In the environmental learning center there are monitoring environmental conditions in which the Reserve Scientists and visiting investigators conduct numerous research activities to help improve the understanding of estuaries. People are also trying to help restore the native habitats by doing activities that implement science-based management strategies to enhance native biodiversity and help to sustain the natural resources. The reserve also provides unique opportunities for education and interpretation of the estuary through hands-on marine study programs, trial walks, and through the Environmental Learning Center. So I keep talking about all these ways of protecting and raising awareness of these mangroves but why? Why are they so important to have there own national reserve? Well here are a few reasons why: they trap and cycle various organic materials, chemical elements, and important nutrients in its coastal ecosystem, provide as a basic food chain resource for marine organisms, mangroves provide a physical habitat and nursery ground for many marine animals, serve as nesting sites for many birds, they are storm buffers by reducing wind and wave action, and they protect the water's quality and clarity by filtering runoff and trapping sediments from the land. These are just a few reasons why they must be protected and knowledge must be past on for generations to come because once they are gone, they are gone forever. Without mangroves we would be ruining the lives of not only the animals to this environment but to the ones out and beyond because each ecosystem has chain effect on the other.

There are three National Estuarine Research Reserves in Florida: Rookery Bay, Apalachicola Bay and Guana Tolomato Matanzas and they are yours to explore, yours to enjoy, and yours to protect. Obviously the people of this subculture take it very seriously in order for there to be reserves, education, recreation, and so much more for our benefit and the environment's. In the Estuarial subculture you will find many people taking advantage of the opportunities and outdoor enjoyment that estuaries provide for us. Things such as kayaking, canoeing, bird watching, nature photography, fishing, and boating are all some of the activities people seem to enjoy most around these areas. Due to the fast population growth in southern Florida a need for improved outdoor etiquette by boaters, fishers, birders, and people who visit beaches has increased. Now all reserves have a set of guidelines that visitors must follow in order to keep the natural environments spotless. Some of these rules are: To properly dispose of trash and fishing lines, abide by state fishing regulations, take no live shells or artifacts, never feed, follow or disturb wildlife, and to please keep pets on your boat, leash, or at home. If we follow these few simple rules these beautiful reserves will last for years and years to come. We want to enjoy and protect what natural and available beauty of these reserves we have left. And we are well on our way.