Volunteers plant hundreds of mangroves in South Spreader
Approximately 600 red mangroves were planted in a segment of the South Spreader Waterway last weekend as part of a planting initiative.
“Eight volunteers preregistered and attended the event. We had five staff members from Cape Coral’s Environmental Resources Division, and Jim Niehaus from Gulf Coast Kayak also assisted those who needed a kayak,” city of Cape Coral Environmental Biologist Harry Phillips said of the mangroves planted at the corner of Beach Parkway and Surfside Boulevard.
Red mangroves hold a number of ecosystem values for both the environment and people, he said. The mangle roots offer a refuge and nursery ground for celebrated game fish – snook, tarpon, grouper, and mangrove snapper.
“Those roots also attract barnacles and oysters, both filter feeders that help clean our bays and estuaries,” Phillips said.
The canopy of mangroves also plays an important role as a rookery habitat for many shorebirds. Red mangroves also take hold and grow along the coast which often times form islands in near-shore environments, which is a first line of defense against storm surge.
“While mangroves won’t stop rising water, they dissipate the wind-driven wave action of storm surge, lessening the impact on structures in the urban environment. Mangroves also buffer nutrient pollution from the urban environment, from stormwater runoff to receiving waterbodies such as rivers, bays, estuaries, and their tributaries,” Phillips said.
Due to development, many mangrove maritime forests have been reduced, or gone altogether, he said.
“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection placed protections on this species in 1996 with the Florida Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act. It now requires permits to both trim and remove red mangroves. Landward, mangroves are also important for the marine environment,” Phillips said, as they buffer near-shore environments from pollution.
There already is an extensive mangrove wetland bordering the west, Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve, and south, Redfish Point of Cape Coral.
“Mangrove restoration is elevated due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian. Enhancing areas that have seen mangrove die off or loss will only provide Cape Coral with more storm protection for when other tropical systems impact the coast and the communities within them,” he said.
There are a few more opportunities for potential volunteers to plant mangroves. Upcoming dates are June 7, June 28, and Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day. For up-to-date information, visit www.KLCB.org.
Volunteers will be provided with a brief introduction to the red mangrove, how to plant them along the shoreline and safety considerations during the Mangrove Planting event.
“This is a paddle craft event, so plants are staged along the shoreline so volunteers can plant and move on to the next. It requires getting in and out of their kayak, or on and off if using a paddle board, to plant. All materials are provided for planting. All that is expected of the volunteers is to be willing to work in a knee to waist high watery locations and the ability to plant in partially submerged sediments. Even those who want to plant, but don’t have a paddle craft, were able to borrow one from Gulf Coast Kayak,” Phillips said.
Locations are selected on environmental surveys to determine areas along the South Spreader Waterway that need restoring.
“Residents of Cape Coral don’t have to wait for a mangrove restoration event to plant mangroves. If a resident lives on a brackish or saltwater canal, they can plant mangroves along their seawall. This will provide all the benefits that mangroves provide for wildlife habitat, help buffer the canal from stormwater runoff, and dissipate wave actions from boat wakes,” Phillips said.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com