Archaeology Talk at the Buffer on Friday, March 30, 2018. FL Public Archaeology Network to present program at 6:00 pm ET hosted by the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve. Meet in the Visitor Center to hear Janene Johnson talk about “Going Ballistic: Archaeology of Florida’s Natural Bridge Battlefield. Natural Bridge is located in the St. Mark’s floodplain and is the site of Florida’s second largest Civil War battlefield. Check starfl.com for listings of other activities beginning on Thursday at the library. These events are excellent and are the perfect vessel to learn or relearn about our state history.
Category Archives: Lectures
Eagle Program-Outstanding Presenter!
Eagle Program at Buffer Preserve by Outstanding Presenter!
It starts at 10:00am EST at the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve Visitor’s Center! An excellent opportunity to learn about eagles by one of the most outstanding presenters ever! Lynda White worked with eagles for many years and has so many great stories about these magnificent birds. This is a program that you will want to attend to see the many pictures of eagles, learn about their habits, nests, eaglets, and many other topics of interest.
Program takes place in the Visitor Center (Building B) at the Preserve. You will laugh at the antics of the eagles, people involved with the eagles and delight in the pictures of eagles “doing their thing”!! Join Us!
Annual Meeting News & Reports
Annual Membership Meeting, January 7
First, the nearly 30 members present voted by acclamation to install two new Directors on the Board. They are Linda Palma and Tim Nelson. Both Linda and Tim spend a lot of time volunteering at the
Buffer center, helping with ongoing projects and creating new enhancements for the Visitor Center. Among their many contributions, Linda has recorded a self-guided audio tour of the exhibits by Sandra Chafin, now available any time in the Visitor Center. Tim and Allix North have produced a beautiful drone fly-over tour of the Buffer Preserve. You can watch it on the television in the Visitor Center.
A $500 check from the Florida Scallop and Music Festival of Port St. Joe was presented by Guerry Magidson, Chairman of the Board of Gulf County Chamber of Commerce, to Friends President Lynda
White.
Buffer Preserve Manager Dylan Shoemaker presented a PowerPoint talk on the issues facing the Buffer Preserve this year. He reminded us that the mandate of the Preserves is “To Conserve and Protect.” Six current issues were discussed:
I. Restoring the hydrology (natural water flow) within the Buffer’s three watersheds. The focus now is on the Money Bayou watershed.
II. Protecting plant and animal resources.
III. Controlling invasive species, both plants and animals.
IV. Protection of the 18 cultural and historical archaeological sites in the Preserve.
V. Promoting conservation and responsible use of the natural area by the public. The Preserve has recently added a new staff member, Shana Hale, who specializes in education and outreach.
VI. Promoting scientific research that contributes to conservation and protection of native ecosystems.
Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserves Manager Jonathan Brucker presented a talk about current projects of the Aquatic Preserves. Volunteer opportunities were emphasized. Aquatic Preserves volunteers are needed to help with water quality monitoring in the four bays, St. Joseph Bay, Apalachicola Bay, Alligator Harbor, and St. Andrews Bay. The water is tested for nutrients and for harmful algal blooms. Volunteers may also help with seagrass monitoring at around 25 sites in St. Joseph Bay and others in Alligator Harbor and Apalachicola Bay. If you want to volunteer, please email Jonathan.Brucker@dep.state.fl.us , or call the Aquatic Preserves, 850-670-7723.
Several important restoration projects are underway in the bays of the Preserves. Seagrass restoration is an important one since many marine animals depend on the seagrass. Scars in seagrass beds will be filled in using a sediment tube method, beginning this summer, and 49 buoys have been deployed to prevent motor boats entering shallow areas of the bays. Other restoration projects include oyster clutch replacement and the Living Shoreline Project, funded by BP oil spill payments, which will add beneficial vegetation along shorelines.
Archaeology Week Celebrated!
Archaeology Week Celebrated in Port St. Joe Friday night at the Buffer Preserve!
The turnout was good and the program was very interesting on the Mystery, Intrigue and the shipwrecked Vamar! The FL Public Archaeology Network presents a program each year during Archaeology Weekend in Port St. Joe! Before it’s renaming to Vamar in 1933 the ship was named the Kilmarnock, the Chelsea, and the Eleanor Bolling. As the Eleanor Bolling or as the crew called her “Evermore Rolling”, Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN made significant upgrades to withstand Antarctic ice. She became the first metal-hulled vessel to be used in Antarctic waters.
In 2002, Vamar was nominated to become FL’s ninth Underwater Archaeological Preserve. The Vamar was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The wreck of the Vamar is approximately 3.7 miles off the shore of Mexico Beach.
Thanks to the FL Public Archaeology Network for presenting Archaeology Weekend!