Local Projects
Palm Bay Florida Scrub-Jay Translocation
Brevard Zoo, in coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and United States Fish and Wildlife Service, has successfully translocated several families of the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay to the Buck Lake Conservation Area.
Florida Scrub-Jay are a unique species in that they are only found in Florida and nowhere else on earth. Palm Bay (Florida) was once a flourishing Florida Scrub-Jay habitat. In the 1990’s it became a flourishing human habitat and by 2007 there was little protection for the Florida Scrub-Jay. According to officials, in the early 1990s there were 54 families of Florida Scrub-Jays. As of 2012, there are 11 families.
Florida Scrub-Jays are beautiful, comical and fun birds to have around and many residents of Palm Bay are sad to see their friends leave. Unfortunately, this species does not have migration hardwired into their DNA because migration was not needed in their recent history. Translocating the birds means they are going to a better place with long term management and protection of the scrub habitat. As with human immigration, the risks of moving to a completely new place will be full of challenges and there are no guarantees. However, many people have made this tough choice to create a better future for their children. The same goes for moving the Scrub-Jays. It will not be easy on the birds but the hope is the species will remain in the county for the long haul.
Moving additional Florida Scrub-Jays to Buck Lake is a win-win situation. The Palm Bay jays need a new home and the Buck Lake jays need more neighbors. Florida Scrub-Jays live in family groups that rely on each other for protection. They “argue” with their neighbors regularly to maintain territory boundaries. However, they also have an active “Neighborhood Watch” system to alert other families when danger is near. The more neighbors they have in the area, the better their chances are for survival.
It is the hope that the population at Buck Lake will stabilize after several more translocation efforts and that Florida Scrub-Jays will be around for Brevard County residents to enjoy for years to come.
For more information on this project please contact Tracy Frampton at tframpton@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 ext. 323.
Help Restore Oyster Reefs
Oysters: One Selfless Shellfish
The oyster restoration project is as unique and diverse as the estuary it works to restore. The Indian River Lagoon is the most biologically diverse estuary in the continental United States with over 3,500 plant and animal species considering it home. This treasure exists right here in our own back yards and needs our help!
Why oysters?! Oysters are filter feeders that improve water quality and clarity by filtering water –one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day! Oysters are also a food source and provide habitat for many species of fish, birds, and invertebrates, and oyster reefs stabilize and protect shorelines. But, oysters face a number of threats including overharvesting, habitat degradation, reduced water quality, disease, and boat wakes.
The Oyster Reef Restoration Project was started in 2005 by Dr. Linda Walters of the University of Central Florida and now includes Brevard Zoo and The Nature Conservancy as partners. The oyster mats—constructed from mesh and oyster shells—are placed in the Indian River Lagoon to provide a natural substrate for oyster larvae to settle. Results show that the oyster mat restoration technique as very successful - after one year in the water, an average of 79 new oysters settled on each mat!
This project is a community based restoration project, which means that without YOU we can’t help save our lagoon. Thanks to approximately 25,000 volunteers since the project started, together with the project partners, we constructed more than 28,000 oyster restoration mats to restore 50 reefs in Mosquito Lagoon.
The project is recognized in schools, parks, and even in the lagoon by boaters as a community project that is working to save these selfless shellfish. If the oyster population becomes stabilized, it will mean a cleaner, clearer, less eroded lagoon with an abundance of habitats for 149 species. All of these goals are possible, with the help of community volunteers eager to help. Come join our team! Consider one of the following two options:
- Become a Brevard Zoo volunteer and help with the oyster project as well as assist in other areas of the Zoo ranging from administration to animal feeding.
- Visit one of our local public events held at Brevard County Parks. See Schedule.
Contact Project Coordinator Jody Palmer at JPalmer@BrevardZoo.org to learn more.
Events are from 10 a.m. to noon
Be sure to keep checking the schedule, we hope to add some additional opportunities to participate.
May 15: Barrier Island Sanctuary
Please note, mat making workshops are free and open to the public. Workshops do not include Zoo admission if the event is held at Brevard Zoo.
If you are interested in booking a private event for your class or group, or for more information about this project, please contact Jody Palmer at Jpalmer@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 ext. 265.
For more information about Oyster Reef Restoration, please click here.
Restore and Protect Mangroves
Mangroves worldwide are being lost at a rate up to four times higher than other types of forests (United Nations Environment Program 2010). Here in Florida, including the local Indian River Lagoon, mangroves are vital to most sport fish, and commercially-important marine species as well as many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Mangroves also protect our shorelines from erosion and improve water quality and clarity.
Brevard Zoo and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Indian River Lagoon Shoreline Restoration Project (FDEP IRL SRP) partnered in 2010 to host ongoing Adopt-A-Mangrove workshops. At Adopt-A-Mangrove workshops, participants will learn about the history of the FDEP IRL Shoreline Restoration Project, about the Indian River Lagoon and the importance of mangroves and shoreline restoration. Workshop participants also will enjoy a field trip out to the Brevard Zoo’s Indian River Lagoon exhibit. At the end of each Adopt-A-Mangrove workshop, participants become "foster parents" as they take home a mangrove to "foster." Mangroves are easy to care for and plant care tips are given at the workshops. When the mangroves are returned by workshop “foster parents” they will be used in restoration efforts along the Indian River Lagoon.
Workshops are held at Brevard Zoo from 6 to 7 p.m. and are free to the public. Reservations are required - please reserve a seat by contacting Amy Reaume, Conservation Coordinator, at areaume@brevardzoo.org or 321.254.9453 ext. 240.
Spring 2013 Adopt-A-Mangrove workshops
May 16
FrogWatch
FrogWatch USA is the Association of Zoos Aquariums' flagship citizen science program that allows individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians by reporting the calls of local frogs and toads. FrogWatch USA volunteers will be trained to identify local frog and toad species by their calls during the breeding season and how to report their findings accurately. Brevard Zoo launched FrogWatch in February 2011.
Each training session will include a background on citizen science programs, the history of FrogWatch USA, wetland information, amphibian biology, and monitoring protocol. The training session will also go over Central Florida frog and toad calls, and will include take-home material, including an audio C.D.
Please don't plan on being a frog and toad call expert after this 4-hour training course, as the training will cover quite a bit of information! The idea is to go over frog and toad calls in the training session and to review more at home.
Join us from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Zoo on the following dates:
2013 FrogWatch USA Dates
- May 22
Certification classes:
- Aug. 21 & 24
Reservations are required to attend. Please contact Amy Reaume at areaume@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 ext. 240. Participants must be at least 7 years old to participate, and children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
A Future for Florida Butterflies
Florida’s butterflies are responding to the same kinds of environmental problems that have been responsible for the decline of such species as the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee. The chief threat to most wildlife in much of Florida is the area’s expansion of urban areas to accommodate a skyrocketing human population and the inevitable loss of habitat.
The Zoo is working with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN) and a number of Florida partners to create a future where man, butterflies, and development can all exist together. Citizen scientists all over Brevard County and throughout Florida are monitoring butterfly populations year round. If we become aware of the needs of our wildlife today, we can still save many species for tomorrow.
For more information on this project or to get involved please contact Tracy Frampton at tframpton@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 ext. 323.
Bringing back the Atala Butterfly
Brevard Zoo is now home to a growing population of Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala), one of Florida's most colorful insects! Overharvesting of native cycads, called coontie, for starch during the late 1800's in Florida greatly reduced the number of coontie resulting in a sharp decline of the Atala butterfly. Development of habitat favored by the Atala also had a huge impact, and by 1965 there was only one colony left in Florida. The Atala has made a recovery, but additional efforts are needed to stabilize the population. The Zoo has agreed to provide a safe home for the captive propagation of the Atala butterfly to provide specimens for a reintroduction program.
You can help Atala butterflies and other pollinators by using native plants in your yard and eliminating the use of pesticides. For more information about this project and how you can help, please contact Amy Reaume at areaume@brevardzoo.org or 321.254.9453 ext. 240.
Protect the Perdido Key Beach Mouse
This critically-endangered Beach Mouse is native to Perdido Key in Florida’s panhandle. Beach mice help stabilize dunes by creating tunnels for aeration and acting as seed dispersers. This mouse is in danger from development, feral cats, and a devastating hurricane in 2004 named Ivan.
Brevard Zoo and partners have released captive born mice into the wild where they have successfully reproduced and reared young. Brevard Zoo is supporting this important species by maintaining a captive population and working with state and federal agencies to stabilize the wild population.
For more information on this project please contact Tracy Frampton at tframpton@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 ext. 323.
