Dear Refuge Volunteers and others,

In early July, we freed a juvenile Great Blue Heron on the Refuge who was entangled in Monofilament fishing line for at least 3 days. It turned out to be cotton braided Monofilament line, which decomposes over time. However, that would not have saved this bird. So this year, we have teamed up with the Earth Day Foundation to help them clean up Monofilament line and other debris from the lagoon waters within the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge.

On Saturday, July 24, we need volunteers to join us in kayaks (kayaks will be provided for free) in the Refuge to help us clean up the Egret Islands, Roosevelt Island and the lagoon perimeter along Pete's Impoundment and Spratt Creek. If you own a small boat and are willing to help out with trash transportation and removal please let us know that too. I helped out with the kayak cleanup of Lost Tree Islands last year and it really is a rewarding leisure activity. We hope some of you will join us on Saturday, July 24!

P.S. If you can't fit this opportunity into your schedule, please mark your calendar for Saturday, September 18. In observance of National Public Lands Day and the International Coastal Cleanup, we will take on the trash by foot on north Jungle Trail and Bird's and Pete's Impoundments. Last year, we removed over one thousand pounds of trash from the refuge and we only put a small dent in it. We really need your help to keep up with this onslaught and to help provide a safe and healthy environment for the wildlife we host.

Thank you,
Joanna Taylor
Refuge Ranger
Pelican Island & Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges
Phone: (772) 562-3909 x258
Fax: (772) 299-3101