GTM ’ s visitor center can be found ten miles north of St . Augustine . There , visitors will find access to a beach , the estuary , trails and an information center that focuses on education , research and stewardship . When we visited GTM , we learned that large and healthy estuaries can prevent coastal flooding and that oyster beds will clean impurities from our waters . Tours , programs and kayak trips are available at GTM Research Reserve ’ s northern and southern locations .
While St . Johns County has certainly become famous for man-made attractions — many of them historic — the county also offers a wealth of parks and recreation areas where ecotourists and locals can find ways to enjoy the region ’ s natural environment . A growing number of entrepreneurs offer fun and educational day trips by providing ecotours on boats , sailboats , kayaks and paddleboards . Amy Lukasik mentioned Ripple Effect Eco Tours , which offers ecotours in Flagler and St . Johns Counties , partners with the Whitney Lab , Marineland Dolphin Adventure and GTM to offer naturalist-guided , lowimpact tours .
In St . Augustine , one former St . Johns County naturalist has started the ecotour company , Earth Kinship , to offer an experience that encourages a stronger connection between the
natural environment and those visiting it . AyoLane Halusky defines his mission as building a kinship with the earth . Like many of the naturalists in the region , AyoLane hopes to send visitors home with a new understanding of the environment . “ I practice what I call ethical ecotourism ,” said AyoLane . “ There are 30 or 40 different places around these counties where folks can experience nature a bit of what it was like here 300 years ago .” Most of Earth Kinship ’ s tours take place 15 to 30 miles from St . Augustine , where participants can listen to nature and where they are often the only group experiencing that area .
“ On many of my tours , I will ask everyone to just sit quietly , no paddling , no talking , just listening . After ten minutes of silence , the wildlife comes back for us to experience .” Both Amy and AyoLane expressed the hope that those experiencing and learning about the natural resources of this part of Florida will go home and change some of their habits . AyoLane suggested that as tourists learn about the waterways and what impacts them , some may go home and stop adding to the fertilizer runoff that causes toxic algae blooms . “ It ’ s really about the experiences we have in nature and the wild ,” he said .
Both Amy and AyoLane mentioned sustainable tourism as
“ Big Blue ” to Help the City of Flagler Beach Recycle Glass
Amy Lukasik has been effusive about sustainability practices in Flagler County . One project is the City of Flagler Beach ’ s recent glass crushing machine purchase .
Many Northeast Florida communities have found that there are fewer opportunities to recycle home wastes and that recycling centers will no longer take glass . Nicknamed “ Big Blue ,” this new machine crushes glass into sand or coarse gravel that has no sharp edges . Uses for the sand or gravel include fill for sandbags , decorative mulch for gardens and repurposing into new products . One local artist has taken the glass and made drink coasters with a turtle motif to promote programs that help the natural environment .
“ Big Blue ” is capable of recycling 12 tons of glass every week . The Glass Packaging Institute has stated that glass is 100 % recyclable and that more than a ton of natural resources are saved for every ton of glass that is recycled .
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