2019 Annual Report – 40th Anniversary Edition
Jennifer Harper, Reserve Manager
In the summer of 2002, as I was finishing up my master’s thesis, I had the amazing opportunity to embark on my “big adventure” and move across the country to work at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. As I was interviewing for the position and trying to learn more about the Reserve and the programs here, I queried the Research Coordinator at the Great Bay NERR about what he knew about Apalachicola. To paraphrase, he basically said that Apalachicola was an amazing place and that Lee would be great to work for. So, here I am 17 years later. Apalachicola is home, but the Reserve is home too. It’s easy to fall in love with this place; the pristine beaches, the peaceful sloughs and expansive pinelands. In these quiet areas you are really able to connect with nature. It is also easy to be passionate about protecting and conserving these special places. I believe that is why many people have found their way to the Reserve and think of it as home too.
In my role as manager, I have the honor of following in the footsteps of some truly passionate individuals that have demonstrated through their work ethic and dedication the type of manager I aspire to be. I was lucky enough to work with Woody Miley for about a year before he retired in 2003. Woody is a very charismatic person who is always quick with a hug and a kind word. His passion for protecting Apalachicola Bay was evident in the way that he took every opportunity to teach about this incredible system. He was always accessible, whether it was a young staff person finding their way, or a member of the public who had a question or concern about something that was happening in the bay. Woody’s door was always open.
When Woody retired in 2003, we soon had a new manager, Seth Blitch, who had managed the Crystal River Aquatic Preserve before coming to Apalachicola. Like Woody, Seth has an exceptional knowledge of Florida’s flora and fauna. Seth also has a tremendous amount of energy, and under his direction, each of the program areas expanded. During his tenure, the Coastal Training Program was started at the Reserve. This program filled a vital gap in the science to management continuum; interpreting both research and data produced at the Reserve as well as providing NOAA resources and expertise needed to address pertinent coastal issues. As the programs were expanding, it was evident that the staff were outgrowing the two offices in Apalachicola and Eastpoint. In an effort started by Woody before he retired, Seth (with support from the staff) took the reins of constructing the new facility on Cat Point. Right before we moved into the new headquarters on Cat Point, Seth announced to the staff that he had decided to take a position with the Nature Conservancy as their Director of Coastal and Marine Conservation in Baton Rouge. When Seth left, there was a huge gap to fill.
The beginning of 2011 certainly was challenging with the move into the new building, logistical changes to all of our programs, and the increase in the number of visitors. I think that everyone was excited and relieved to have Lee Edmiston come back to the Reserve as our new manager that Spring. Lee had been serving as the Director of the Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) following many years of being the Research Coordinator at the Reserve. Lee was great to work for! His work ethic is inspiring and his knowledge about Apalachicola Bay is incomparable. Lee always supported his staff and gave them many opportunities to grow professionally and as people. He always trusted us to get our jobs done and he knew that he could count on us whenever he needed something.
As his predecessors, Lee formed many strong and lasting partnerships, including making the Reserve a true member of our local community. As we enter our 40th year, and our Friends of the Reserve celebrate their 30th year, I hope that you come visit the Reserve and help us celebrate Estuaries Day on September 27th. It is always amazing to have everyone here, almost like a family reunion. Yes, it is about celebrating the estuary, but it is also about celebrating the people who call this place home.
Research and Monitoring
The Coastal Zone Management act of 1972 opened the way for the National Estuarine Reserve system, with Research and Monitoring serving as a core function. Initiatives to prioritize research within the estuarine systems allowed staff and researchers a platform for understanding coastal wetlands. Designated in 1979, Apalachicola NERR is the second largest and the 6th oldest NERR.
Research Coordinator Lee Edmiston and future Research Coordinator Jenna Harper maintain the meteorology station located in East Bay marsh. Each eventually went on to manage
the Reserve.
The Reserve System’s Research program focuses on four basic areas - water quality, meteorology, biological monitoring, and watershed habitat and land use monitoring. These areas impact how specifically designed research programs for long-term monitoring programs are developed and managed. The Apalachicola Reserve’s program first began in 1992, with water quality stations placed at Cat point and Dry Bar. In 1995 the East Bay station was installed, marking the beginning of ANERR’s official System-Wide Monitoring program. In January 2001, the meteorology station came online with 15-minute data from the East Bay marsh, and by January 2002, the Reserve added monthly nutrient collections at 10 stations around the system.
Biological monitoring is a core part of the Reserve’s research program. ANERR’s long-term juvenile fishes and invertebrate sampling began in July 2000. Today the Reserve has collected more than 15 years of data on fishes, shrimps and crabs in Apalachicola Bay. The annual nesting bird surveys brought the Reserve sections together with other agencies and volunteers. The most popular program has been the nesting sea turtle surveys.
Zooplankton was added to the long-term Biological Monitoring Program in 2016. Four
times a year samples of tiny macroscopic animals are collected at each of our nutrient sampling stations. This new dataset could help determine linkages between water quality and the river and bay biological communities.
The citizen sciences microplastics program, which makes the public an active participant in our scientific endeavors, began in 2017.
Trawling (pictured), along with nesting bird surveys and sea turtles monitoring, has long been a core part of the ANERR biological monitoring programs
NOAA’s Sentinel Sites Program became an ANERR initiative in 2010. The program’s primary focus is addressing the impacts of climate change, regarding sea level change and coastal inundation. Surface elevation tables have been installed to track elevation changes of the marsh surface. This and other parameters are all monitored relative to measured changes in local sea level, which will provide valuable information of how vulnerable our marshes, coastline, and community will be to sea level change.
ANERR’s Research and Monitoring program would never have been successful without the hard work and forward thinking of our staff, who not only played an integral role in developing ANERR’s research program but helped build the nation-wide NERR program to what it is today. ANERR’s first Research Coordinator, Lee Edmiston, had this to say about the early Research and Monitoring Program at Apalachicola NERR:
“I was hired as the first RC at ANERR in June 1990. In 1992, I purchased some Hydrolab dataloggers to deploy in Apalachicola Bay. Initially, we deployed one datalogger on the bottom at Cat Point, on the east side of the bay and one on the bottom on the west side of the bay at Dry Bar/St Vincent bar. Over the next year we were amazed at the differences and rapid changes in salinity as well as the relationships to river flow and local rainfall. Showing this graph to visiting researchers illustrated to them that the once-a-month samples they were taking had little to do with what the biological organisms were experiencing. We saw variations in salinity as much as 25 ppt.
Citizen Microplastics Scientists Denise Williams and Judi Ring process sand samples to identify and quantify microplastics in our local sediments.
At the next research coordinator meeting, we showed what we were doing and some of the initial results. At the time we were discussing creating a long-term research and monitoring program for the NERRS. Each site would institute the program so that this type of data would be available at our sites and from different types of estuaries nation-wide. This was the beginning of SWMP.”
Most staff at the Research Program stay and contribute to the Research section for many years. Lauren Levi, who recently retired, had this to say about her experience at the Reserve: “For many people their place of employment and place of “enjoyment” are separate. This was not the case for me during much of my time with the ANERR research section. One of the best parts was learning the intricately woven biological, physical and chemical workings of Apalachicola bay and “reading” the fascinating story the data told. The story might be good or bad, often both. Some of these data were referenced in the Federal Declaration of Fishery Collapse and were presented during ACF Supreme Court hearings. I was proud to have been a part of the scientific data collection process even though fishery collapse and Supreme Court hearings are indications of the challenges faced by those who depend on the estuary. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work and learn on the bay, and it would not have happened without ANERR. The Reserve and especially the research section became family for me. There are many good memories of my time with them.”
The dedication of Research staff over the past 40 years has made the Apalachicola Reserve’s Research and Monitoring a highly-recognized program. Hopefully the next 40 years will afford many opportunities for current staff to do an even better job at gaining an understanding of the Apalachicola estuarine system with the goal to bring the bay back to its pristine condition for all the communities that rely on it.
Stewardship
Over the last 10 years, staff provided many enhancements that encourage coastal stewardship including the development of an 1,800-foot ADA boardwalk and native plant garden funded by the Friends of the Reserve (FOR) Citizen Support Organization, educational kiosks, interpretive signage, site brochures, primitive trails, primitive campsites, boardwalks, and kayak launches.
The health of Florida’s ecosystems depends on dynamic natural processes associated with fire, hydrology and a delicate ecological balance between native species. All facets of resource management by the Reserve have been guided by the goal of re-establishing those processes within the Reserve and its surrounding areas. Over the last forty years, the Reserve’s Stewardship Program has conserved and protected irreplaceable managed uplands, restored habitat, eliminated exotic species, protected listed species, provided public use of suitable upland recreation areas, maintained strong partnerships with other land managers and conservation groups, protected and conserved cultural and historical resources, facilitated public acquisition of key uplands associated with Apalachicola Bay’s ecosystems, and conducted prescribed fires to restore and maintain native biodiversity.
The Reserve directly manages approximately 6,800-acres in Franklin County, including Little St. George Island, and several other sites bordering Apalachicola Bay. The primary values of these lands are reducing runoff pollutants that may impact nearby aquatic resources and serving as public access points for a variety of low impact recreational opportunities.
Roy Ogles worked for over a decade at the Reserve as the first Stewardship Coordinator. He brought with him a plethora of knowledge from his many years serving as a Florida State Park Manager. This knowledge shaped the resource management program and resulted in the acquisition of environmentally sensitive tracts within and adjacent to the Reserve’s boundary. Roy’s expertise in land management and his passion for the River and Bay ecosystem resulted in the protection, conservation and enhancement of valuable upland habitats, that act as a buffer in the protection of our bay.
Prescribed fire - The Reserve uses prescribed fire as an effective restoration tool to re-establish native biodiversity. Fire management through prescribed burning is particularly challenging on Reserve-managed lands as these areas are often located near development.
Public Access and Use Over the last 10-years, staff provided many enhancements that encourage coastal stewardship including the development of an 1,800-foot ADA boardwalk and native plant garden funded by the Friends of the Reserve (FOR) Citizen Support Organization, educational kiosks, interpretive signage, site brochures, primitive trails, primitive campsites, boardwalks, and kayak launches.
Habitat Mapping - Staff completed the mapping of the Reserve boundary using high-resolution imagery in 2013. This habitat map will provide a better understanding of vegetation communities and help track ecological change associated with changes in the climate.
The Cape St. George Island Lighthouse was built in 1852 and survived wars, hurricanes, and erosion for over 150 years.
Protecting Cultural and Historical Resources - Stewardship staff conduct annual archaeology assessments at seven sites on Reserve-managed lands.
The Marshall House on Little St. George Island is a prominent structure of historical significance. Interpretive signage at the site illustrates the history of the island, lighthouse, homestead, old barn and of family life on the island prior to being purchased by the State in 1977. In 2018, staff completed repairs to the Government Dock, a 19-20th Century restored standing structure of historical significance.
The Cape St. George Island Lighthouse was built in 1852 and survived wars, hurricanes, and erosion for over 150 years. After collapsing into the Gulf in 2005, the Reserve coordinated with the St. George Island Lighthouse Association to rescue the light and it was rebuilt on St. George Island and opened to the public in 2008.
Vegetation Monitoring - Salt marshes, seagrass and mangroves are biologically rich habitats that provide essential functions as nurseries for wildlife, protection for human communities from storm events, and the storage of atmospheric carbon. Staff began monitoring seagrass in Apalachicola Bay in 2002, mangroves in 2009 and emergent vegetation in 2014, as part of the Reserve’s System Wide Monitoring Program to quantify vegetation patterns and long-term changes in this habitat.
Invasive Species - Stewardship staff have reduced the distribution of invasive species on Reserve-managed lands by continuously monitoring, mapping, and treating these species with adaptive management strategies. Invasive species can negatively impact native communities by competing for space and resources and disrupting natural hydrologic and fire regimes.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) - The Reserve maintains a GIS database that contains over 2,000 data layers covering natural resource information including habitats, estuarine species, listed species, research information and land use maps of areas within and adjacent to the Reserve.
Listed Species - Efforts to monitor listed species began in 1979. A long-term monitoring and management program for listed species at the Reserve has been in effect since the early 1990’s. Sea turtle nests are monitored and protected on beaches within and adjacent to the Reserve. Listed shorebird nests are also monitored and protected on man-made causeways and islands (both natural and man-made). The former St. George Island bridge causeway is a Critical Wildlife Area (CWA), a designation that provides additional protection to nesting birds.
Partnerships - The Reserve was instrumental in the development of the Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance (ARSA). The ARSA Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) was established in 2003 to facilitate a network for land managers to address the growing threat of non-native, invasive species in the Apalachicola River Region.
The Conservation Corp of the Forgotten Coast has contributed thousands of hours of service/work to resource management efforts at the Reserve.
The Reserve works closely with FWC and Audubon to monitor listed species on Reserve-managed lands.
Stewardship and Coastal Training Program staff developed the Panhandle Estuarine Restoration Team (PERT) with other state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations to initiate a regional network that supports thriving estuarine habitats for the communities that depend on them.
Restoration - To test and demonstrate the effectiveness of living shoreline methods, the Reserve has installed six living shorelines over the past 20 years. The Visitor Center site currently serves as a demonstration site for living shorelines and the Reserve continues to inform homeowners and professional stakeholders on best management practices and various techniques.
Education
Education outreach programs have been cornerstone efforts by the Reserve to prepare local public school students for future roles as coastal management decision makers and resource users.
Education has been an integral part of ANERR’s mission since the beginning. In the early days, Woody Miley, the Reserve’s manager, wore all the hats, including educator. At first, he worked out of an office in the county courthouse and later moved into a small office with two additional staff in the bottom of the Ormond building downtown behind a poolhall and next to a gas station.
With the opening of the Robert L. Howell building in 1984 at the Mill Pond in Apalachicola, staff size increased once more and the first education coordinator, Bonnie Holub, was hired. Bonnie served as Education Coordinator from 1984 to 1990. During her tenure, two ambitious school programs were implemented. Project Estuary targeted grades 7-12 with the goal of “preparing students for future roles as coastal management decisionmakers and as resource users.” It was a two-year, four-lesson program with summer workshops to train educators to run the programs themselves after the second year. A new staff member, Sharon Philyaw, was added to implement the program in 1987. Two thousand six hundred students in fifteen schools participated in the program. The second program, Estuarine Pathways, was developed for elementary school use and consisted of five packets, each focused on a habitat found in the Apalachicola estuarine system. Packets were distributed to teachers in Franklin, Gulf, Calhoun, Liberty, and Wakulla counties. In addition to these programs, the education department was doing field trips, scheduling guest speakers, starting a newsletter and assisting with turtle patrols.
Former Education Coordinator Erik Lovestrand is best known for his field trips. Overnight trips to Little St. George Island, trawling the bay, and upriver to Fort Gadsden are fondly remembered by many who participated.
Sharon Philyaw took over as interim Education Coordinator in 1990 until Erik Lovestrand was hired for the position in October 1991. Two new grants were secured that year to transform Project Estuary and Estuarine Pathways into notebooks that could be used as teacher driven activities. Summer of 1992 saw the opening of the Estuarine Walk exhibit adjacent to the Apalachicola building. The exhibit featured three large tanks representing fresh, brackish and saltwater habitats providing a tremendous new resource for learning about the Reserve. The education staff grew again in 1993 when Lisa Bailey was hired, part time at first-she is still with the Reserve today as education specialist and aquarist. Estuaries Day celebrations began in 1998. The seventh grade LIFE program started in 2004 as the first recurring, annual education program. Erik served as Education Coordinator from 1991 to 2014. There were many changes and improvements to the department during that time, but Erik was best known for his field trips. River trips to Fort Gadsden, trawling in the bay and overnight trips on Little St. George are fondly remembered by the many and varied groups that participated in them over the years.
The new ANERR Nature Center opened in Eastpoint in February of 2011. The Nature Center features three large aquariums and a wall mural depicting the river, bay and gulf components of the estuary along with the Bay Discovery room, a theater, lecture hall and outdoor classroom. A whole new slate of programs was developed to utilize the new facility and its bayfront location.
Over the years, the goals and duties of the Education Department have stayed basically the same. To promote good stewardship of this important and unique natural resource through
a better understanding of what an estuary is and why estuaries
are important.
Reserve staff were now seeing every Franklin County student in pre-K, first, third, fifth, seventh and tenth grade every year. Erik left ANERR in 2014 to start a new career as Franklin County’s Extension Director and was replaced by Jeff Dutrow. Like all previous Education Coordinators, Jeff brought his life experiences to the job. His fifteen years as a classroom teacher and graduate research in professional development for science educators has allowed him to look closely at aligning the Reserve’s education programs with teacher needs and state standards. Much attention has been paid to visitor experience at the Nature Center. This includes, but is not limited to, better signage, new and changing exhibits, a new, award winning film in the theater, Reserve Wednesday lecture series and a new Turtle Talk. A wide diversity of programming is offered to all ages from pre-K to senior citizens.
One thing learned from researching this article is that the old saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same” is true. While personnel and locations have changed over the years, the goals and duties of the Education Department have stayed basically the same. It is our job to promote good stewardship of this important and unique natural resource through a better understanding of what an estuary is and why estuaries are important.
Coastal Training Program
The Reserve’s Coastal Training Program purpose is to offer trainings and technical assistance designed to provide coastal decision-makers and their staff with the best available science-based information, tools and skills necessary to make informed decisions about the Apalachicola estuary. The program acts as a bridge between science, policy and management to increase learning and collaborative network opportunities increasing the information exchange among local, state, and federal officials, community groups, and individuals who affect coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
The Coastal Training Program became a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve system in 2002 and implemented at the Apalachicola Reserve in 2004.
The Coastal Training Program became a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve system in 2002 but was not implemented at the Apalachicola Reserve until 2004. The first Coastal Training Program Coordinator was Rosalyn Kilcollins who stayed for ten years and next came me, Anita Grove. Over the past 15 years we have offered more than 238 workshops, ranging from 1 to 40 hours. That is a total of 2,063 educational hours delivered to 4,410 people. Our trainings are conducted through workshops that often include a field component, and through one-on-one assistance. We seek to leverage national and state resources and bring them to the local area. Training and assistance needs are determined from ongoing conversations with decision makers, feedback from local partners, 2017 Community Needs Assessment, the Apalachicola Surface Water Improvement Plan and Management Plan (SWIM Plan), and input from the Reserve Advisory Committee.
Impactful trainings we have offered over the past 15 years include the Panhandle Habitat series for ecotour guides and land management staff, workshops on FEMA’s Community Rating System, tools and resources for watershed protection and management, workshops on managing stormwater, green infrastructure and living shorelines. We recently completed our five-year strategic plan outlining our priority audiences and priority issues for the next few years:
The CTP program acts as a bridge between science, policy and management to increase learning and collaborative network opportunities increasing the information exchange among local, state, and federal officials, community groups, and individuals who affect coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
Goal 1: Increase the capacity of decision makers to protect and preserve the Apalachicola River and Bay.
Objective: Work collaboratively with decision-makers and their staff to strengthen partnerships, assess needs and forge positive working relationships. Provide pertinent trainings and technical assistance on priority issues of coastal community resilience, green infrastructure, living shorelines, ecosystem services and restoration, and habitat change and resultant impacts to species from decrease water flows.
Goal 2: Foster collaborative working relationships with professional groups and business owners that result in increased understanding of the value of our coastal and estuarine resources and increased stewardship within the watershed.
Objective: Provide science-based information and trainings to real estate professionals, insurance agents, developers, builders, eco-tourism/ fishing guides, business owners, seafood dealers and harvesters, and civic groups on priority issues. Issues include living shorelines, water quality, coastal vulnerability issues, ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and river and estuarine ecology.
Impactful trainings we have offered over the past 15 years include the Panhandle Habitat series for ecotour guides and land management staff, workshops on FEMA’s Community Rating System, tools and resources for watershed protection and management, workshops on managing stormwater, green infrastructure and living shorelines.
Goal 3: Increase public awareness and use of Reserve managed areas while educating users to minimize human impacts. Develop and offer trainings for residents, homeowner associations and visitors that result in an enhanced understanding of coastal ecosystems and builds a strong stewardship ethic in local residents and visitors.
Objective: Offer trainings that will expand the public’s knowledge and result in increased stewardship and preservation of habitats, natural and cultural resources. Develop and deliver educational trainings for homeowners associations, residents, local civic groups and visitors on reduction of non-point source pollution, bay-friendly landscaping practices, living shorelines, coastal resilience, and natural resource protection that inspire a sense of stewardship on Reserve managed lands.
Coastal Training Program staff also attends Franklin County and City of Apalachicola commission meetings and planning and zoning meetings to stay current on issues, and we serve on committees such as the Local Mitigation Strategy committee, the Franklin County IFAS Extension advisory board, and the Area Contingency Committee. We also participate on statewide and national committees that include the science and implementation of living shorelines and resilience planning.
Events
All events meet at the Reserve at 108 Island Drive in Eastpoint. All events are free. For class and registration information, please visit apalachicolareserve.com/events, the Reserve Eventbrite page, or contact Anita Grove, 850-670-7708/Anita.Grove@dep.state.fl.us.
'Reserve Wednesday' Talk - Life on Loggerhead Turtles
September 18, 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Dr. Jeroen Ingels, Florida State University
National Estuaries Day
September 27, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Free public event with activities for all.
Bay Friendly Landscaping Workshop
October 2, 1 - 3:30 pm
Yard design/maintenance can affect near-by water bodies.
Apalachicola Bay Estuary Class
October 4, 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Learn about habitats and creatures within our estuary.
'Reserve Wednesday' Talk - Monarchs and Milkweed
October 16 - 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Scott Davis, St. Marks NWR
River & Floodplain Class
October 18, 12:30 - 4:00 pm
The Apalachicola River is “the Lifeblood of the Bay.”
Oyster Ecology Workshop
October 25, 9 am - 1 pm
Learn about Apalachicola’s famous bivalves!
Living Shorelines
October 29, 2 - 4 pm
Using Living Shorelines to combat erosion.
Bay Friendly Landscaping
November 6, 1 - 3:30 pm
Yard design/maintenance can affect near-by water bodies.
Apalachicola Bay Estuary Class
November 8, 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Learn about habitats and creatures within our estuary.
Oyster Ecology Workshop
November 15, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Learn about Apalachicola’s famous bivalves!
'Reserve Wednesday' Talk - Bears in Our Area
November 20 - 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Amber Kornak, FWC
River and Floodplain Class
November 22, 12:30 - 4:00 pm
The Apalachicola River is “the Lifeblood of the Bay.
Apalachicola Bay Estuary Class
December 6, 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Learn about habitats and creatures within our estuary.
Bay Friendly Landscaping
December 12, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Yard design/maintenance can affect near-by water bodies.
'Reserve Wednesday' Talk - Bald Eagles
December 18 - 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Lynda White, Audubon Florida EagleWatch