St. Johns River Water Management District

News Release

nr09-063

Events planned for National Estuaries Day and National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26

PALM BAY, Fla., Sept. 17, 2009 - The St. Johns River Water Management District's Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office will host a National Estuaries Day celebration on Sept. 26 in Cocoa.

The event, to be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverfront Park at 401 Riveredge Blvd. near Cocoa Village, will include free kayaking, $1 boat tours of the lagoon, food, music, bounce houses and environmental information and displays.

National Estuaries Day falls on the same weekend as National Public Lands Day, both of which are commemorated throughout the country the last weekend in September. National Estuaries Day celebrates the vibrant coastal areas where rivers meet the seas, providing vital habitat to animals and plants specifically suited to these tidally influenced, yet sheltered areas. National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance public lands. An estimated 130,000 volunteers will participate in more than 2,000 scheduled events designed to clean up, maintain or improve publicly held recreational lands.

Estuary-themed and public service events will be held throughout the lagoon region on Sept. 26, including:

• Installing tin roofs on kiosks at Coconut Point Sanctuary Trail in Melbourne Beach, followed by a nature walk. For more information, call (321) 723-3556.
• Collecting mangrove propogules at various locations, an event sponsored by Southeast Florida Aquatic Preserves. For more information, contact Lisa Johnson Cohen at (321) 953-5008 in Sebastian or (772) 429-2995 in Fort Pierce.
• Marine life displays and presentations, as well as boat tours at Florida Atlantic University/Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fort Pierce. For more information, call (772) 456-2400, ext. 559.
• A volunteer cleanup at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call (561) 747-8380, ext. 101. Ecotours, food, kayak tours and races, cardboard boat races, fishing outfitters, oyster mat making with The Nature Conservancy, and other activities, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marine Discovery Center, 162 N. Causeway in New Smyrna Beach. For more information, call (386) 428-4828.
• The Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach will offer sunrise canoe trips (call for pricing and times), and two free nature walks. For more information, call (772) 589-5050.
• Trail maintenance from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and seining at 10 a.m. at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. For more information, call (321) 861-5601.
• Invasive grapevine removal and oyster mat making from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Riverwalk Park, 5255 U.S. Highway 1 in Rockledge. For more information, call (321) 433-4490.

For additional information about the National Estuaries Day event in Cocoa, contact Kathy Hill with the District's lagoon program at (321) 722-5363.

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