Editorial | Be a ‘Mangrove Hero’
Love the natural beauty of Southwest Florida’s waterways? Have a personal watercraft like a kayak, canoe or paddleboard? Do your environmental roots grow deep?
The city of Cape Coral and Keep Lee County Beautiful are looking for Mangrove Heroes and, if you check the boxes above, we think this is an event that is win-win — and win.
The first of four restoration/mangrove planting events connected to Mangrove Mania is scheduled to take place this Saturday, May 3, beginning at Sands Park at 2718 S.W. 43rd Terrace.
The coordinated effort will benefit the South Spreader Waterway.
The city “invites community members to help plant and preserve Florida’s vital mangroves, natural protectors that shield shorelines and support marine life.”
Similar efforts, each from 8-11 a.m. on a Saturday, will take place June, 7, June 28 and Aug. 2.
“These events will allow volunteers to use their personal watercraft, such as kayaks and paddleboards, to help plant mangroves in Cape Coral’s waterways,” the city said in a release issued this week.
“This series of events follows successful mangrove plantings at Coral Pointe and underscores the City’s commitment to restoring coastal ecosystems.”
What are coastal ecosystems, of which the Cape has an abundance?
According to the Mangrove Mania website, they are one of “our most powerful natural protectors.”
The Nature Conservancy website, nature.org, provides a plethora of information.
“Mangroves are important to people because they help stabilize Florida’s coastline ecosystem and reduce erosion. Mangroves provide natural infrastructure to help protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as hurricanes,” states the website, which calls them “miracle forests.”
“They are also important to the ecosystem too. Their dense roots help bind and build soils. Their above-ground roots slow down water flows and encourage sediment deposits that reduce coastal erosion.
“The complex mangrove root systems filter nitrates, phosphates and other pollutants from the water, improving the water quality flowing from rivers and streams into the estuarine and ocean environment.”
Those who wish to take part in this weekend’s paddle-off planting can register at Eventbrite.
Registered volunteers will drop their watercraft off at the empty lot on the corner of Beach Parkway and Surfside Boulevard and then park at Sands Park. A shuttle bus will bring participants back to the lot.
We have been publishing a good number of letters from area residents supporting a petition to place a Right to Clean Water citizen initiative on the statewide ballot.
The initiative has a great deal of support and events such as these are part of the groundswell.
We thank the organizers of the planting effort and we thank the volunteers — of which we hope there are many — in advance.
Breeze editorial