Northeast Florida Group Vol. XVII, Issue 12 December 2019

Fish Islandpreserved forever;environmentwins a big one

A decade-long struggle to preserveFish Island in St. Augustine ended on Nov.21 when the ownership was transferred tothe state.

The price was $6.55 million for the 57-acre property on the IntracoastalWaterway, next to SR 312 bridge. Themoney came from the state’s FloridaForever program. The process wasoverseen by the North Florida Land Trust,and the city of St. Augustine will managethe island.

“This is a significant day for the St.Augustine community who worked formore than a decade to save Fish Islandfrom development,” Jim McCarthy,president of NFLT, said in a news release.“We were happy to be a part of the effortsto preserve this natural resource. FishIsland is a healthy maritime hammockforest and preservation will help avoidwater quality impacts to the MatanzasRiver. It is also a historic property that is anintegral part of St. Augustine’s history.”

A broad coalition of environmentalgroups along with state and local officialsworked on efforts to preserve the land.

The island, according to a report inthe St. Augustine Record, was firstinhabited by colonists in the 1700s whenJesse Fish—whomWikipedia describes as aschemer, smuggler, slaver, and usurer”—

(See Fish Island on page 2)

By ROBERT BLADEAt the end of October, I traveled to

Denver from Jacksonville to see my brother.In Jacksonville, the temperature hovered inthe upper 70s. Four hours later, in Denver,the temperature was 8 degrees. (I had tocheck my phone to make sure it hadn’ttoggled to Celsius.)

Outside the airport, on my way to thetrain that goes downtown, the cold wasbreath-taking: it was hard to breathe. Plusit was snowing. Three or four inches of it.

I hadn’t seen snow in a decade ormore, and, on the warm train, I have toadmit, it was exciting to see.

But when I got off at Union Station indowntown Denver and stood outsidewaiting for an Uber ride, it was just coldand wet and miserable: gray piles of snowin the gutter, the wind cutting into me.

And yet, people who actually lived inthe city were navigating well. Many worepuffy down-type jackets and woolen watch

caps. These people, some of whom hadgray hair like mine, walked and cycledthrough the mush with a comfortablefinesse while I trod slowly, head down,hunched over in my old winter jacket,shivering, expecting to slip at any moment.

The next day it was still freezing, butthe sky was a brilliant blue. And loomingin the west were the Rockies, snow coveredand beckoning. People hike and climb andcross-country ski up there all through thewinter. They’re acclimated. It made methink: I could acclimate too.

As I walked along a slushy sidewalkone afternoon, it was easy to picturemyself hiking and cycling in Denver’swinter. I knew could do it. Then a curbapproached and as I stepped down into thestreet, a lurking puddle swallowed my leftfoot. The icy cold water was numbing.

A week later, when the plane landedin Jacksonville, the city’s warmth soothedme. Winter acclimating can wait.

Denver snow, from a warm train.

Slushy snow spurs serious shivers

Explore. Enjoy. Protect.

Sierra Sentry, December 2019, page 2Sierra Sentry, December 2019, page 2

Whowe areExecutive Committee

(This group meets at 6:30 pm on the thirdMonday of the month at the Southside Library, offGate Parkway. Meetings are open to all.)ChairJanet Stankojanestan@bellsouth.netTreasurer Lucille PendletonLucillePen@yahoo.comMembersCindy Bakercindysbaker@gmail.comRobert Bladermblade@gmail.comLogan Crossjlogancross3@gmail.comBarbara Gubbingubbin01@gmail.comJohn Pileckijohnpilecki@gmail.comJoel Robertsjoelhroberts@me.comLisa Williamslisaow@gmail.com

Committee chairs

ConservationVolunteer! Call 904.990-3191Environmental EducationJulianne Mammanajmm094@bucknell.eduOutingsBill Armstrongarmstrongjax@att.netLegislative. Volunteer!vLegalKen Wrightken@jacobsonwright.comNewsletterRobert Bladermblade@gmail.comWebsiteBill Armstrongarmstrongjax@att.netBeaches ProgramsBrian Paradisebgparadise@comcast.netJacksonville ProgramsCindy Bakercindysbaker@gmail.com

Executive Committee Election BallotOne position on our group’s nine-member Executive Committee is open this

year. Members serve two-year terms and may be re-elected.To vote, you must be a Sierra Club member.

Households with a single membership, use box 1.Households with a joint membership, use box 1 and box 2.

Basil Smith 1▢ 2▢

Cut out the ballot and mail it to Excom Election, c/o Brian Paradise, 13 ArborClub Drive #315, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. The deadline for ballots is Dec.21.

Candidate biography: Basil G. Smith grew up in Jamaica and credits his life thereas a major factor in his appreciation of the environment. He became a Sierra Clubmember decades ago as his career advanced in management, business development,banking and international development. When he moved to Jacksonville, he decidedto become involved in the Northeast Florida Group’s mission. He is a CPA and hasan MBA; he donates his time and expertise not only to the Sierra Club but to anumber of non-profit organizations. In addition to the environment, he enjoystennis, stimulating conversations, reading, and international travel.

Executive Committee:The nine-member Excom functions as the Northeast FloridaGroup governing board. It approves budgets and spending, it endorses candidates,it serves as the group’s policy and planning authority. It meets at 6:30 p.m. on thethird Monday of the month at the Southeast Library, near Gate Parkway. Meetingsare open to all.

General structure: Each level of the Sierra Club—national, Florida Chapter,Northeast Florida Group—is governed by an elected Excom, all serving the samepurpose.

(Continued from Page 1)built a home there. Fish Island became thefirst orange grove in Florida and started thecitrus industry.

Under the terms of the agreementwith the state, St. Augustine will have a yearto complete a 10-year plan forimprovements on the property thatincludes managing and protecting theland’s natural and cultural resources, aswell as constructing a parking area andwalking trails.

The Matanzas Riverkeeper and thecommunity group Save Fish Island will hosta volunteer event to clean up the property.A gala opening ceremony will be scheduledsoon.

Registration ends Dec. 6 for theFlorida Master Naturalist Program onenvironmental interpretation.

The three-day course will be from 8a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 11, 12, and 13 atDuval County Extension Office at 1010McDuff Avenue North, Jacksonville.

The course covers interpretivepresentations, guided programs, anddisplays through classroom and workshopactivities. It is open to everyone..

Fees begin at $155. Full pricinginformation can be found atwww.masternaturalist.org. Advance regis-tration is required. For questions contactCarol Wyninger at (904) 220-0232,wyninger@comcast.net.

Fish Island scoresenvironmental win

State naturalist courseenrollment ends Dec. 6

Page 3, Sierra Sentry, December 2019Page 3, Sierra Sentry, December 2019

Note: To see a full outing description andto RSVP for these outings, see our websiteor Meetup site:

• Website:https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/northeastflorida/get-outdoors

• Meetup:https://www.meetup.com/Sierra-Club-Northeast-Florida-Group/

Outings are free (except for any parkfees) and open to all. Some outings requirea greater level of fitness and skill thanothers. No pets or firearms are allowed onoutings.

Participants are required to sign awaiver and release of liability at the startof the outing. A link to the waiver can befound at: https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/northeast-florida/get-outdoors

Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. Hike theBayard Conservation Area. Join us on a 7mile hike in the Bayard Conservation Areaon the west bank of the St. Johns River inGreen Cove Springs.Saturday, Dec. 7, 9:30 a.m. Kayak onTrout Creek. We will paddle Trout Creek,

about 3 miles out and back. This is a greatpaddle for those with little experience.Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. Urban FitnessHike - Cowford Loop. This fast-paced hikewill take place in the Jacksonville urbancore and will use its streets, sidewalks, andtrails to create a 5-6-mile loop.Saturday, Dec 14, 10 a.m. Historyhike: Ft. George Island to KingsleyPlantation. This is an easy 5-mile hike fromthe Ribault Club on Ft. George Island toKingsley Plantation and back.Saturday, Dec. 14, 9:30 a.m. Kayakand wildlife viewing on Salt Creek in St.Augustine. We will travel south towards theAnastasia State Park, then return. We maysee dolphins, sea turtles, and manatees.Sunday, Dec. 15, 5:30 p.m. LuminariaHike. We'll walk through and view thebeautiful lights, luminaries, and homes ofRiverside and Avondale for a 4-5 mile walk.Sunday, Dec. 29, 1 p.m. Paved walk forall ages, including children in strollers andthose in wheelchairs. Enjoy an easyafternoon in Alpine Groves Park. All trailsare paved. This is a great opportunity foreverybody to get outside.

December outings: hike, kayak, stroll

Sierra Club is non-partisan andevaluates potential candidates only on theirenvironmental records and positions, thechair of the North Florida Group told aforum last month.

Janet Stanko, the chair, said thattypically more Democrats thanRepublicans are endorsed because, forsome reason, environmental issues do notresonate as well with GOP candidates.

She made her comments at a localforum focused on getting Sierra memberstrained and involved in the politicalprocess. About 20 people attended.

Endorsements, Stanko said, mean thatcandidates can use the Sierra Club name intheir campaigns and, depending on therace, the North Florida Group cancampaign for them.

Questionnaires are sent to allcandidates in the North Florida area.Based on the responses, some candidatesare interviewed by club members who thenmake recommendations to the executivecommittee.

When individuals join the Sierra Club,she added, they’re joining the nationalSierra Club, the state-level Florida chapter,and the local North Florida group. Thelocal group covers all of Duval County,some of St. Johns County, and some ofClay County; it currently has about 2,000members.

For more information, contact Janetat janestan@bellsouth.net..

Work for policychange, in ournon-partisan way

Feb. 6 is lobby daySave the date: The club’s annualtrip to Tallahassee to lobby for ourlegislative priorities is set forThursday, Feb. 6. More details willfollow.

Last month, an outing featured a hike in the Jacksonville Arboretum, on Millcoe Road. This mighty liveoak was one of the featured attractions. (Photo by Bill Armstrong)

Sierra Club,Northeast FloridaGroupWebsitesierraclub.org/florida/northeast-floridaFacebookfacebook.com/NEFLSierraClub/Twittertwitter.com/NEFLSierraClubNote: To change your mailing address orto change from paper to email, write tosierrasentry@gmail.com. Please includeyour membership number found on themailing label.Your essays, opinions, poetry, andphotos are welcome as long as they relateto our mantra of enjoy, explore, andprotect the environment. Sendsubmissions, queries, and ideas tormblade@gmail.com.

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PAIDJacksonville, FLPermit No. 1638

Sea-level rise headlines December’s meetingThere is an interesting and challenging

array of Sierra Club meetings this monthand into the new year.

All of our meetings are free and opento members and non-members.

Dec. 2, Monday, 6 p.m., in thePonte Vedra library meeting room, LibraryRoad at A1A. “The Oldest City UnderWater and Sea Level Rise.” We will show avideo, made by Mallory Hopkins, about St.Augustine under threat from rising seas. Wewill also get an update from Allen Tilley,our local sea level rise expert, on what wecan expect in our area from sea level rise inthe future, and what we can do about it. Allare welcome. Contact Brian Paradise,bgparadise@comcast.net, for moreinformation.

Jan. 13, Monday, 7 p.m., atLakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001University Blvd W. in Jacksonville, in the

rear of the education building. Dr. MaiaMcGuire, the University of Florida marinescientist who was featured at the club’sOctober meeting, returns to lead a fulldiscussion on microplastics in the oceanand what we can do. Refreshments from6:30 to 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

February. To be announced.March. To be announced.April. To be announced.May 11, Monday, 7 p.m., at

Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001University Blvd W in Jacksonville, in therear of the education building. Josh Gellers,a UNF associate professor of politicalscience, will speak on “Human Rights andthe Environment: Origins, Impacts, andNew Directions.” He will explore differenthuman rights approaches to environmentalprotection. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m.All are welcome.

WJCT, North Florida’s public tv andradio station, has launched the websiteADAPT (https://adaptflorida.org) to poststories relating to the region’s adaptation tosea level rise.

But there have been no updates to the

articles since late June.Since then, vulnerability assessments

in St. Augustine and Atlantic Beach havebeen completed, and the Jacksonville CityCouncil has named a study committee onthe issue.

WJCT’s climate website lags in updates