June

June

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

June

20
23

Theme: Weather

Check the weather before planning your next hike and remember to bring your natural journal to record what you see, including the clouds.

JOKE
ANSWER
What type of lightning likes to play sports?
Ball lightning!

Source: https://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-jokes.htm

Source: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/how-hurricanes-form.html

Natural Area: Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

“First hiked in the 1960s and developed as a loop in the Florida National Scenic Trail in the 1980s, the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail offers spectacular views.”  –Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail | Florida Hikes

Source: https://floridahikes.com/lake-okeechobee-scenic-trail

Events/Activities:

Print this sheet, cut out the top squares to create a cloud viewer window, fold your paper along the center to align the windows, and hold your viewer up to the sky to match what you see with the types of cloud on the worksheet.

Historic Watershed Fact

The hurricanes of 1926 and 1928 demonstrated the power of flooding in the communities around Lake Okeechobee. The Herbert Hoover Dike was created around the lake to help prevent future catastrophic flooding.

Writing Prompt

What have you noticed about the weather in Florida? Have you been filling out your phenology wheel? Have there been any changes since the beginning of the year?

Tip for Stewardship

A storm washes many things up on shore. You can do your part by doing a beach clean-up. As an added bonus you can try to turn trash into treasure by creating art pieces to upcycle what you found on the beach. Just remember to be careful and use trash pickers or gloves to protect yourself.

May

May

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

May

20
23

Theme: Sea Turtles

JOKE
ANSWER
What do turtles do best?
Slow dance.

Source: https://confidencemeetsparenting.com/turtle-jokes-for-kids/

Source: https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/sea-turtle-nesting-season-here https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/sea-turtle/

Natural Area: Munyon Island

The Island was originally called Nuctsachoo by the Seminoles, which means Pelican Island, and it reportedly supported one of the largest wading bird rookeries in South Florida.

Kayakers frequent the shallow estuary. Wildlife on and around Munyon Island includes blue sea grass, great blue herons and little blue herons. The waters contain mojarras, sardines, mullet, pinfish and snapper. 

Kayak rentals are available for those who don’t have their own equipment. The island, which is accessible only by boat, has no restrooms. It does offer covered picnic areas and grills.” -source: https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/munyon-island

“The Northern Lagoon is a regionally important nursery area for juvenile Green Sea Turtles, with an average density of 37.4 turtles/km2. This is a markedly greater abundance than the Indian River Lagoon, Florida Keys, or nearshore reefs in Palm Beach County.” – Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan 2021 (pbcgov.org) page 20

Source: https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/munyon-island

Events/Activities:

Source: https://myfwc.com/media/24800/turtle.pdf

Historic Watershed Fact

Unlike sea turtles, the Gopher Tortoise cannot swim and lives in burrows they have dug with their thick legs. They live in the scrub habitat and provide housing to numerous other species. Scientists call the Gopher Tortoise a keystone animal because without the Gopher Tortoise many species would not survive.

Writing Prompt

Over time, turtles have adapted to many different kinds of habitats. In what ways do you adapt to new environments?

Tip for Stewardship

Bring an empty bag with you when you visit the beach and fill it with trash to help clean up each time you visit. To learn more about the types and impacts of the litter on our beaches, visit https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2017/06/08/ocean-trash-numbers/

April

April

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

April

20
23

Theme: Earth Day

JOKE
ANSWER
Earth is so calming..
..it keeps me grounded. 😛

Source: https://confidencemeetsparenting.com/funny-earth-day-jokes/

Source: https://www.earthday.org/

Natural Area: Jewell-Steinhardt Cove

1,200 linear foot shoreline; 11.4 acres (9 acres of submerged land and 2.4 acres of coastal stand and maritime hammock community.” Learn more about this natural resource

Source: https://floridalivingshorelines.com/project/jewell-cove-natural-area/

Events/Activities:

Sign up for a local volunteer clean up event. Lake Worth Waterkeeper hosts a monthly Living Shoreline Volunteer Day at Jewell-Steinhardt Cove for all kids. For more information go to Events Archive • Lake Worth Waterkeeper

Source: Lake Worth Waterkeeper featuring Professor Screech.

Historic Watershed Fact

You may know that mangroves help protect our shorelines from weather and wave activity. They also provide homes for many species. But did you know they also sequester carbon which helps balance extra carbon in our atmosphere? Studies are currently being done to see how much they do with carbon!

Writing Prompt

Footprint inventory: After completing the footprint quiz, walk around your house and inventory the things that you can change to lessen your footprint. Remember, it is a lifestyle change so you do not have to make all changes at once. Start with something small like not using single-use plastics.

Tip for Stewardship

Be an advocate for your local natural resources. Talk to your parents, teachers, school administrators and community leaders about implementing Earth friendly policies and practices. Do you have a recycling program? Water refill stations? Bwat angrè? Clothing swaps? What ideas would you like to see implemented in your community?

March

March

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

March

20
23

Theme: Birds

JOKE
ANSWER
What do you get when you cross a parrot with a shark?
An animal that talks your head off.

Source: https://www.mytowntutors.com/bird-jokes-for-kids/

Source: For more information visit https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/shorebirdsseabirds/american-oystercatcher

Natural Area: Snook Islands

Bring your binoculars to see an American oystercatcher, one of the many shorebirds who call these islands “home” since 2005…This 118-acre wetland restoration project created 11 acres of mangroves and 2 acres of oyster reefs within the Lake Worth Lagoon along the shoreline in downtown Lake Worth.

Source: https://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/NaturalAreas/Snook-Islands.aspx

Source:https://www.shorelinefoundation.com/jobs/snook-island

Events/Activities:

Take a hike with the birding backpack. How many birds can you find? Birding Backpack | Palm Beach County Library System (pbclibrary.org)

Source: http://www.pbclibrary.org/birding-backpack

Historic Watershed Fact

Sailors used to mistake manatees for mermaids.

Writing Prompt

Define, describe, and give an example of your favorite animal.

Tip for Stewardship

Use binoculars to bird watch, give them space in their nests. – https://www.globe.gov/explore-science/scientists-blog/archived-posts/sciblog/2008/12/02/observing-birds/index.html

February

February

by | Dec 30, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

February

20
23

Theme: Seagrass

Enjoy this free activity sponsored by Manatee Lagoon on February 4, 2023. ManateeFest 2023 | Manatee Lagoon (visitmanateelagoon.com)

Source: @roamwithmephotography

JOKE
ANSWER
Where is the ocean the deepest?
On the bottom.

Source: https://www.jokesforkids.lol/nature/ocean

Source: For more information visit: https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/seagrasses/

Natural Area: Phil Foster Park

Phil Foster Park is a great place to see seagrass habitat and the wildlife it supports. “The Blue Heron Bridge area is internationally recognized by scientists, scuba divers, underwater photographers, and snorkelers for its abundance of unique marine life. Squid, octopus, spotted rays, and starfish are regularly seen. A snorkel trail made of limestone boulders and prefabricated reef modules spans a two-acre area in 6 to 10 feet of water. 600 tons of rock were used to build this artificial reef!”

Source: https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Locations/Phil-Foster.aspx

Events/Activities:

Seagrasses are grass-like flowering plants that live completely submerged in marine and estuarine waters. Florida’s approximately 2 million acres of seagrasses perform many significant functions: 1) they help maintain water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles with their leaves; 2) they stabilize the bottom with their roots and underground stems; 3) they provide shelter for fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish; and 4) they and the organisms that grow on them are food for many marine animals and water birds. The canopy of seagrass leaves protects young marine animals from larger predators. Some animals, such as manatees and sea turtles, eat seagrass blades. Other animals derive nutrition from eating algae and small animals that live on the seagrass leaves.

Source: Seagrass coloring and information sheet (myfwc.com)

Historic Watershed Fact

The Lake Worth Lagoon used to be a freshwater lake. Inlets were opened to allow the development of the mainland. The southern inlet in Boynton allows more flow through the lagoon to help promote healthier waters. Lake Worth Lagoon will never be a freshwater lake again, so we work hard to protect the estuary it has become.

Writing Prompt

Let’s get curious! Look around you, what do you observe? What questions do you have about the things you observe?

Tip for Stewardship

Check lakeworthwaterkeeper.org lagoon water quality updates before recreating in the lagoon.

January

January

by | Dec 30, 2022 | Calendar Activities - English

January

20
23

Theme: Fishing Club

Lake Worth Waterkeeper hosts a monthly fishing club for all kids. For more information view our event calendar.

Fishing license fact – All proceeds from fishing licenses are given to the different programs that are geared towards preserving habitats, proliferation of marine life, educating locals and tourists on the area’s conservation efforts and the like. These programs all aim to reduce overfishing and protect the ecosystem.

For more information on who needs and how to get a fishing license, visit: Florida Fishing Licenses, Laws, and Regulations – https://www.fishing.org/licenses

JOKE
ANSWER
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A FSH (The word "Fish" without the 'i'.)

Source: http://www.theonlinezoo.com/jokes.html

Source: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/snook/snook/

Natural Area: Ocean Inlet Park

Ocean Inlet Park is a great place to fish for snook in January. Be sure to get your fishing license (https://myfwc.com/license/) and make observations for your phenology wheel.

Source: https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Locations/Ocean-Inlet.aspx

Events/Activities: How to use a Phenology Wheel

Historic Watershed Fact

Youth under 16 do not need a fishing license. Join your local fishing club to learn more about fish, natural resources, and sustainable fishing.

Writing Prompt

If you were a fish, what kind would you be? Where would you live, what would you eat, and what kinds of adventures would you find?

Tip for Stewardship

Always bring your reusable water bottle. For more information visit Making the Switch to Reusable Bottles | Office of Energy & Sustainability | Case Western Reserve University