Sustainability Survival Kits
W omen of the Wild (WOW) members are taking
their local conservation awareness initiatives to
the next level with the Sustainability Survival Kit.
Equipped with a reusable to-go container, straw,
napkin and chopsticks, this kit has everything
you’ll need to refuse single-use plastic and
Styrofoam. For more information, contact
WOW program coordinator Wendy Barnes at
[email protected] or 321-254-9453, ext. 285.
Compost Facility
E ver wonder what we do with all that giraffe and rhino poo? Thanks to
a grant from Waste Management, the Zoo’s own compost facility is now
up and running, which will enable breakdown and reuse of some Zoo
animal waste and plant debris. The temperature of the facility is monitored
multiple times a week to ensure it’s functioning properly.
Perdido Key Beach Mice Update
P erdido Key is a small barrier island at the Florida-Alabama border and is the only place
in the world where the endangered Perdido Key beach mouse (PKBM) is found. This small
nocturnal rodent is rarely seen but is an important part of healthy dune ecosystems.
Healthy dunes provide protection during strong storms like last year’s Hurricane Irma.
We have been a part of the PKBM recovery plan for 10 years. Currently, six breeding
pairs of mice are tunneling through 3,000 pounds of fresh sand and preparing nests for
this year’s generation of pups!
Restore Our Shores Update
O ur Restore Our Shores program has submitted Indialantic along
the shoreline at
Riverside Park,
Eastminster
Presbyterian and
Douglas Park to
see our oysters and
mangroves hard at
work.
If you have a waterfront property and are interested
in an oyster reef or living shoreline, please contact
restoration office manager Ashley Rearden at
[email protected]. There is still plenty
of work to be done
for all these new
oyster reefs. If you
want to become
involved and get a great workout, view our volunteer
opportunities at restoreourshores.org.
applications to Brevard County’s Save Our Indian River
Lagoon Project Plan for funding of oyster restoration
projects in 2018–2019. These projects, if funded,
combined with two others planned for 2018, will represent
a huge increase in the amount of oyster reef we have
restored locally. Once complete, your Zoo will have built
two miles of reef in Brevard County since we started work
here in 2014.
Want to learn more about a living shoreline? Take a self-
guided tour of our Living Shoreline Demonstration Site in
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