By The Sea Lecture Series

Join us after hours for a lecture series featuring local scientists, conservationists, and photographers with brews!

Unwrap The Waves

Loggerhead Marinelife Center's Unwrap the Wave Initiative allows for students and community members to get into the "spirit" of conservation by collecting their candy wrappers from Halloween and recycling them.

October 2016 Newsletter

CEO CHATTER WITH JACK LIGHTON

Jack Lighton

Dear friends of LMC:

I am writing to you with even more gratitude than normal as our beach-side campus was not significantly impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Many people in the U.S., Bahamas, Haiti and Caribbean were significantly impacted by this storm and we ask that you please keep them in your thoughts.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our committed team of staff, volunteers and supporters who came together to ensure we were able to prep our campus prior to the storm and reopen our campus after the storm moved away from our area. We are so very grateful for the support we received from our amazing community.

There are several key events this month which I would like to spotlight for you. LMC will once again celebrate TurtleWeen on Saturday, October 22. This fun event allows children and their families to enjoy our sea turtle hospital while dressed up for Halloween.

Next up is our 8th Annual Go Blue Awards Luncheon which will be on Friday, October 28 and will feature National Geographic’s Paul Nicklen as our keynote speaker. If your schedule permits, I hope you will consider attending this event, which allows LMC to recognize the amazing conservation efforts of individuals, volunteers, youth and businesses.

I would like to leave you with a bit of great news. Because of your continued support, our innovative Responsible Pier Initiative (RPI) which started on the Juno Beach Pier has celebrated over 200 sea turtle rescues. This RPI program is on nearly 50 fishing piers in the U.S. and several piers in the Caribbean. We are very excited that our mission, which started here in Juno Beach, is increasingly growing in impact around our world’s oceans!

Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to visiting with you on campus soon!

 

 

With Gratitude,

Jack E. Lighton
President & CEO

 


ANNUAL FUND

 

The time is now. Our oceans and sea turtles desperately need your help. With your support, year-to-date we have:

  • Removed 2186.45 pounds of marine debris through the Responsible Pier Initiative
  • Documented 40,884 sea turtle nests and false crawls on local beaches
  • Treated 46 patients in our hospital
  • Taught 8,564 students from Palm Beach County schools

No amount is too small; please consider making a gift.

 

 

 


SEA TURTLE PSA: Exposed Eggs

After Hurricane Matthew passed through the Atlantic Ocean, our center received numerous phone calls inquiring about exposed sea turtle nests and eggs on South Florida beaches. We encourage all beach goers that encounter sea turtle eggs that were washed out to leave them in place on the beach. Once an egg is washed out of the nest it is not viable. We ask beach goers to please leave the eggs on the beach to naturally decompose. For more information, please read our announcement.

We encourage everyone to review our sea turtle conservation tips: DSC_0028

AT THE BEACH

  • Knock down sand castles and fill in holes in the sand.
  • Do not approach nesting sea turtles.
  • If you spot healthy hatchlings, allow them to crawl to sea.
  • If you see turtle tracks, avoid stepping in them.
  • Use red light bulbs during nesting season.
  • Close curtains to keep light pollution off the beach.
  • Remove beach furniture overnight.
  • Properly dispose of all trash and clean up any debris found on the beach.

 

 

 

 


Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards

Jack Lighton, Lynne Wells

This week marks two weeks until our Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards! The luncheon will be held at PGA National Resort & Spa and features entrancing keynote speaker Paul Nicklen. He is a globally-acclaimed, Canadian-born photographer and marine biologist who has been documenting both the beauty and the plight of our planet’s polar regions and our world’s oceans for over 20 years. As a photographer for National Geographic Magazine, he has been able to capture the imagination of a global audience. His personal mission is to use his images, which are often highly emotional, evocative and very beautiful, to ignite a conversation about the future of our planet’s natural wonders and to inspire action.

Recently, in an interview with The Palm Beacher, Nicklen commented on his love for Florida. An avid nature enthusiast, Nicklen seems to be unable to resist Florida’s diverse ecosystems. Although in the past, Nicklen has photographed manatees in Florida springs, recently he has visited Florida to photograph Palm Beach and Jupiter’s biodiversity. In only a few weeks, we welcome fellow Florida-lover and Photo Journalist, Paul Nicklen.

At the end of September, a conservation-minded crowd gathered at PGA National Resort & Spa for the announcement of the Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards Luncheon finalists. These women, men, businesses, and young people are all working together towards a healthier planet. These finalists have dedicated their lives to living a “blue” lifestyle of ocean conservation. These finalists deserve tremendous respect for their passion and dedication to ocean conservation. We urge you to take a moment to look through our Facebook album and congratulate our ocean heroes.

We are pleased to announce the Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards Finalists:

Eleanor Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award:

  • George H, Burgess – Director, Florida Program for Shark Research
  • Wolcott Henry – Conservationist
  • Louie Psihoyos – Executive Director of Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS)

Blue Friend of the Year:

  • Gary Appleson – Sea Turtle Conservancy
  • Jamie Michelle Aquino – Haiti Ocean Project
  • Marcel Bigue – WildAid
  • Diane Buhler – Friends of Palm Beach
  • Derek Burkholder – Nova Southeastern University
  • Thomas C. Chesnes – Palm Beach Atlantic University – PBA, Biology Dept.
  • Veronica Frehm – John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
  • Nicholas Ogle – Florida International University

Blue Business of the Year:

  • Bahamas National Trust
  • Marriott’s Oceana Palms
  • PBC Parks and Recreation
  • Saltwater Brewery
  • The Scuba Club

Blue Ambassador of the Year:

  • Derek Burkholder – Research Associate
  • Scott Harris – President Andrew “Red” Harris Foundation
  • Joan Lorne – Community Volunteer
  • Nicolas Ogle – Sea Turtle Conservancy

Blue Hatchling Youth Award:

  • Sophie Allen
  • Cori McWilliams
  • Brooke Welch – Sarasota Ocean Preservers

For more detailed information about our finalists, please view our gallery.

Go Blue Awards Tickets:

Individual – $75 *Price increases to $100 on October 7

Arctic Ocean Sponsor – $500

Table Sponsor – $1,000

Southern Ocean Sponsor – $1,000

Indian Ocean Sponsor – $2,500

Pacific Ocean Sponsor – $5,000

Atlantic Ocean Sponsor – $10,000

World Ocean Sponsor – $20,000


13Be HalloGreen For TURTLEWEEN!

This year, our annual “spook-tacular” Halloween event is on October 22 and is sure to be a blast for the entire family! From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., bring your ghouls and goblins for a visit with our sea turtle patients and receive a free turtle-y awesome reusable trick-or-treat bag donated by Ocean Blue Graphics to use on the big day! Then, peek into the Haunted Hospital, experiment with our mad scientists in the Mad Science Lab and swim around our center through this year’s new Strange Seas Exhibit. From estuaries to the open ocean, children will be led through coral reefs, Jelly Junction and the Abyssopelagic Zone to explore the weird and wonderfTurtleWeenul mysteries of the deep. Thanks to Jupiter Bounce, you capture your creative costume in a photo booth. Two costume contests will be held at noon and 2:30 p.m. that will award the best-dressed with turtley-awesome LMC giveaways. Don’t forget the Halloween-inspired crafts and face painting to get you in the TurtleWeen spirit!

Halloween Candy Wrapper Recycling. Join us as we go hallogreen for TurtleWeen Palm Beach County teachers: this year, we will be collecting Halloween candy wrappers and recycling them with TerraCycle!  A limited number of recycling bags are available for pickup at LMC.  At the end of November, we will collect all recycling bags for shipping to TerraCycle.  The wrappers will be used to make school supplies and other repurposed materials.  If you’re interested in participating, please contact Demi at [email protected].

 

 


RPI MARKS ITS 200 RescueHooked Sea Turtle

Over the last weekend of September, we received a report of a loggerhead sea turtle rescue on Bob Hall Fishing Pier in Corpus Christi, Texas. This is the 200th recorded rescue on fishing piers participating in the Responsible Pier Initiative. The turtle was taken to our partner organization, Texas Sealife Center, for rehabilitation. Today’s rescue count stands at 204 turtles and we are excited to continue expanding the Responsible Pier Initiative.

All of the piers that participate in the RPI abide by the following guidelines: 

  • If a sea turtle is accidentally hooked or entangled, call your local responders.
  • Recycle used monofilament fishing line in PVC tubes
  • Use sea turtle-safe lighting during nesting season
  • Properly dispose of all trash, recyclables and cigarette butts
  • Do not leave fish on the deck

Rehab – Preparing for the Storm

DSC_0240

On Tuesday, October 4 LMC notified the public that we would be closing at noon through Thursday, October 6 due to Hurricane Matthew. Volunteers and staff members spent two full days preparing the Juno Beach Pier and LMC campus for the storm. Over the course of the few days leading up to the storm and through the storm we received an overwhelming amount of local and global support. We cannot express how moved we were by the messages and comments we received from supporters expressing their concern and offering their help. We are very fortunate that the storm took a last-minute turn. However, thanks to volunteers, staff members and contractors, we were prepared for the storm just in case. These individuals took time away from their own storm preparations to help us prepare. Rehab volunteers and staff members continued routine tests and treatments on the sea turtle patients in the days leading up to the storm. We have immense gratitude for the individuals who helped us take down structures, relocate sea turtle patients, fill sandbags and seal off doors. After winds subsided to below tropical storm force, these individuals returned to the center to help reassemble the campus and return our patients to their hospital tanks. During the past few days, it didn’t matter what department you normally volunteered or worked in; we were all one team. Our volunteers and staff came together as one team, lending a hand any way that they could to secure the campus and protect our sea turtle patients. We are indebted to these individuals for dedicating their time to helping ensure the safety of our sea turtle patients.

Our rehab volunteers and staff are extremely happy to report that all of the sea turtle patients were safe during the storm and all of their conditions stayed stable. On Friday, October 7 our sea turtle patients returned happily to their tanks for guests to visit over the weekend. As guests visited the center in the wake of Hurricane Matthew we were asked if we needed anything. We would greatly appreciate any donations from our wishlist or Amazon wishlist to help offset the costs for the storm preparations and storm repairs. In addition, we always welcome individuals to join our volunteer community.

Once again, we are extremely thankful for the continued support we receive from our local and global community.


Blue Friends Society Beach Clean-up

 Blue Friends Society Beach Clean-Up 065In an attempt to reduce debris on our beaches, our Blue Friends Society will host a beach clean-up this Saturday, November 19. Since 2013, beach clean-up volunteers have helped us remove more than 3,000 pounds of trash. Thank you for helping us in our conservation efforts!
Please meet the LMC Blue Friends Society at 8:30 a.m. (please note new time) at the back gate of the center and help to keep our local ocean and beach environments free from trash and litter. We will clean the beach adjacent to LMC; from north of LMC to the Juno Beach Pier and south to Town Center. We encourage volunteers to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun. In addition, please bring a bucket to collect the trash – we have eliminated plastic bags from our beach clean-ups and have a limited supply of buckets.
After cleaning the beach for one hour, participants will enjoy a delicious, light continental breakfast provided courtesy of Whole Foods Market-Downtown at the Gardens and Oceana Coffee. A special thanks to Paddleboard Connection for sponsoring this beach clean-up!
To join us in making a difference, please RSVP to Lynne Wells at [email protected]
* Larger groups must register one week in advance.
Please note: Clean-up will be cancelled if there is severe weather in the area.

WINTER PROGRAMMING IS BACK AT LMC

This past Sunday, we featured our Winter Programming Showcase Event and welcomed over 350 guests to campus to learn about our seasonal winter programs that kicked off this month and run through May 2017. Guests enjoyed a Birthday Party Open House, where children could participate in one of the many activities included in our birthday party packages and sampled our sea turtle cake made exclusively for LMC parties! Along with learning about our new themed birthday party package options, guests learned about the following winter program offerings.Triplet boys

Come join us and enjoy one (or all) of these awesome programs through May 2017. You can keep an eye out for what is next by following us on Facebook or checking the events calendar.


RECAP: SWIM Padre Ramos, Nicaragua

IMG_6338IMG_6153We wrapped up our final Serving the World’s Imperiled Marine life (SWIM) program October 2 with a group of eight guests that traveled with LMC staff to Padre Ramos, Nicaragua to assist Iniciativa Carey del Pacifico Oriental (ICAPO) in carrying out critical research and conservation efforts for the hawksbill sea turtle. ICAPO is an international organization whose primary mission is to protect critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles from extinction in the eastern Pacific. Guests learned how to approach sea turtle conservation within a community to change mindsets and lifestyle for a sustainable solution towards species recovery. They assisted with in-water turtle monitoring, hatchling research, mangrove reforestation, community projects and educational activities in one of the most ecologically important natural areas in Nicaragua. Missed out on this year’s SWIM programs? Check out our 2017 dates at www.marinelife.org/SWIM and register for your conservation vacation and travel to make a difference!


Shell-e-brate With Sea Turtles

Have you or your child ever wanted to celebrate your special occasion with the sea turtles? Now we are offering you the chance! Our 1600 square-foot indoor Learning Center is available to host your next special event so you can have fun, give back and shell-e-brate in style!

Birthday Parties. We offer various party packages that include décor, activities and a volunteer docent to assist you in throwing a turtle-y awesome birthday party! Choose from 10 different activities and four NEW different themes with our Birthday Party program:DSC_0046

  • Under-the-Sea
  • Sea Turtle
  • Mermaid
  • Sharks

Baby Showers. There is no better way to say congratulations than to throw a baby shower – sea turtle style! Included with your reservation is a private guided tour of our sea turtle rehabilitation area for you and your guests. Plus, receive a free sea turtle onesie for your newest little hatchling.

weddingBridal Showers. Say “I do” to booking your bridal shower with us! Included with your reservation are personalized invitations for your guests, as well as a private guided tour of our sea turtle rehabilitation area. Plus, the view from our Learning Center is amazing. You’ll see the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon, and with gorgeous windowed French doors, your party is bound to be as bright as your future together. Turtle-y obsessed with marine life? You can also incorporate LMC into your wedding or honeymoon.

Corporate Events. Looking to host your company’s holiday party somewhere unique while also supporting our endangered, local wildlife? Loggerhead Marinelife Center is opening up its doors and welcoming businesses to celebrate the holidays with the sea turtles this season! Room rental will include a complimentary tour for your guests to learn about one of Florida’s most iconic sea creatures and a complimentary sea turtle adoption package to proudly display your support of our mission.

For more information on reserving our indoor facility or to learn about additional amenities, please contact Programs Coordinator Hannah Campbell at (561) 627-8280 x 105 or [email protected].


 Program Spotlight

Free Campus Eco Tours. ‘Tis the season to get outdoors and enjoy the cooler Florida weather! We’re celebrating Florida Fall by offering two FREE eco-tour programs on Mondays and Fridays. Join us for the following programs for an eco-experience – a great opportunity to enjoy the beautiful outdoors while learning about the native flora and fauna of Florida.Hammock_hike_thumb

Hammock Hike. Did you know that Loggerhead Park sits adjacent to a 569-acre natural area that is the last remaining example of the Florida scrub ecosystem in Palm Beach County? An experienced naturalist will lead participants on a tour of the coastal tract of Juno Dunes Natural Area, while guests learn about the birds in the trees all the way to the grains of sand on the beach. See what’s moving and blooming every Friday at 10:30 a.m.!

Living Beaches. Join Loggerhead Marinelife Center staff every Monday at 10:30 a.m. and discover just how alive our beaches are with an interactive presentation and backyard beach expedition. Over this hour-long course, we will discuss the common residents of Florida’s coastal ecosystems and discover how these curious creatures make their long journey from the ocean to our beautiful beaches.


Private Fishing Boy fishingLessons

Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Juno Beach Pier staff are now offering Private Fishing Lessons for adults and kids, ages 8 and up! If you’d like to learn from expert anglers about fishing techniques and how you can help protect and restore the marine environment, please contact Demi at [email protected].  One-hour lessons will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.

 

 


SAve-The-Date: Blue FridayDSC_0284


Black
Blue Friday. Looking for a fun, family-friendly alternative to Black Friday? Come celebrate Blue Friday at LMC and enjoy free programming, activities and marine conservation education from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, November 25, 2016. Our popular programs will be scheduled throughout the day and free tours behind the gates of our Turtle Yard will be available to all ages. Children will have the opportunity to create their own recycled holiday gift tags and learn fun ways to respect and give back to the environment. Gift wrapping adornments are included with each purchase from our Gift Store! This event won’t be one to miss, so mark your calendars for this fun and festive annual event.

 

 

 


SEA TURTLE NESTING REPORT

The month of Ocsea turtle nesting reporttober marks our research department’s final month of daily nesting surveys. Sea turtle nesting season officially ends on October 31. However, the sea turtles do not always follow our calendar system and we may record a few nests after the official end of the sea turtle season.

Our biologists will continue to be on the beach daily to monitor the remaining marked sea turtle nests for signs of hatchling emergence, erosion, tampering or predation events. This season our researchers marked and evaluated over 1,000 nests (that means we counted around 100,000 eggshells!). The data collected during excavations of the marked nests will enable our researchers to calculate the number of hatchlings produced in our 9.5 miles of beach.

A nest excavation is conducted once a marked nest has hatched and either the emergence was observed, or the nest has incubated for 70 days (80 for leatherbacks). LMC research staff wait at least 72 hours post-observed emergence before excavating a hatched nest, so as to minimize impact on the natural hatching process. All contents of the nest are dug up, separated and counted. The nest contents are sorted into: hatched eggs, unhatched eggs, dead hatchlings, live hatchlings, pipped dead and pipped live. The term “pipped” refers to the process of the baby turtle cracking the egg shell to begin the emergence process. If the turtle has not fully emerged from the egg it is included in the pipped category; if it has completely crawled out of the egg it is counted as a hatchling. All live hatchlings and pipped live are evaluated and released by our research staff in accordance with Florida Fish and Wildlife protocols. If a hatchling needs medical attention it is transferred to the care of LMC hospital staff. As of October 4, there were 80 marked nests remaining on Juno, Jupiter and Tequesta beaches.

This year, LMC has recorded 16,094 nests. Below is the most recent nest count by species and survey beach:

nesting numbers


 VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTHNatalie

We would like to give a huge congratulations to LMC’s October volunteer of the month, Natalie Mroz! Natalie, a volunteer in the LMC Sea Turtle Rehab Department, started volunteering at LMC in May of 2013. Natalie volunteers once per week in the rehab department as well as assists with our special events, outreaches and sea turtle releases. Not only has Natalie volunteered for over 600 hours, she helped the center prepare for hurricane Matthew. As soon as it was safe to return to LMC, Natalie returned to the center after the storm to help transport sea turtle patients back to their tanks. She helped conduct routine cleanings, feedings and tests on the sea turtle patients. It is because of loyal and hardworking volunteers, like Natalie, that we are able to continue saving sea turtles. We thank Natalie for being such a great addition to the LMC Volunteer Team

 Why I Give: Judi Heintz

Judi

Education Docent Judi Heintz (pictured left) has always had a love for sea turtles. Her passion for sea turtles and marine life has driven her to volunteer her time at Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Recently, Heintz has been unable to volunteer at the center so her friends at the center sent her a sea turtle plushie. In addition to loving volunteering and sea turtles, Heintz especially loves Shertz – a current sea turtle patient. When asked why she loves Shertz, Heintz said “I love his ‘spikes’ and love it when he puts his head in the tube, hiding!”

Before volunteering at LMC, Heintz joined The Cousteau Society at a very young age. Then, upon retiring (after working for 40 years in the medical field) and moving to South Florida, Heintz found her self questioning all the free time she had. Her membership with the Nature Conservancy caused her to volunteer at Blowing Rocks, a Nature Conservancy Preserve. Heintz informed us that although Blowing Rocks is a beautiful preserve and she continues to help with their lecture series, she needed more involvement.

After searching around for more volunteering opportunities, Heintz stumbled across LMC. Heintz commented on her time volunteering at the center: “Best decision ever! The staff there has taught me so much about sea turtles, which I love to share my knowledge with our visitors while working in the turtle yard, guided tours, field trips, private tours, turtle walks during nesting season and special events! I am so proud to be a small part of this wonderful sea turtle hospital. It is a truly special place, as a resident we are so lucky to have these amazing people sharing the beauty of the sea turtle with us.”

We are incredibly grateful for all of our volunteers, including Judi, who devote their time to helping the center. With their deep rooted passion for sea turtles and love of the ocean, our volunteers continue to inspire guests to join the ocean conservation movement. 

 


Mascot Corner: Are you smarter Than Fletch?

Hello Friends,

Fletch here, the loveable and huggable Loggerhead Marinelife Center mascot. Are you smarter than the LMC mascot? Let’s focus on a Fletch question to test your knowledge. Here is the _DSC3227question – read it carefully.

What is the deadliest predator in the sea?

You may have guessed the great white shark, killer whale, box jellyfish, sea snake or a giant squid. All are good answers, but click here to find out. You may be surprised at the answer.

So what can you do, to protect my sea turtle and ocean friends from the deadliest sea predator? Simple, you can follow as part of your daily lifestyle my four Environmental “R’s” and a “C”:

  • Reduce the plastic waste you produce, especially plastic bags. Use a cloth bag instead!
  • Reuse plastic instead of throwing it away
  • Recycle your plastic and make it into something new
  • Respect the environment, don’t trash it with plastic; and
  • Cleanup the environment where others have trashed it

My sea turtle and ocean friends, thank you for your help in keeping our home “Clean and Blue, Plastic Free”. We can all make a difference if each of us does just a little. Let’s get started! 

 


Are you Ready for Sweater Weather?

Tis’ the season for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, leggings and a new comfy sweater. As we say goodbye to our sun-kissed skin, we say hello to sweater weather! Near, far or wherever you are it’s hard to resist snuggling up on a cool fall night. Our gift store is fully-stocked with an abundance of sweatshirts (and sweatpants) for adults and youth. Get an early start on holiday gifts by stopping by and shopping our selection of fall comfort clothes. If you’re still holding on to the thought of sweet summer sunshine, then browse through the coastal chic items on our e-store to turn your home into a year-long beach house.

DSC_0558

DSC_0555

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Talk Turtle-y To Me- VENDOR SPOTLIGHT With Skylar Mandell

skylar

Name: Skylar Rose Mandell

Company: Florida Sea Turtle Company

E-store Product: Bracelets

Where you’re from and currently reside: I’m originally from New York City – Manhattan to be exact. I was born there and we moved to Boca Raton, Florida when I was 3 years old.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? If I could have any superpower it would probably be to fly. It’s so freeing to me. To be able to fly like the birds and see the world from their view just would be totally amazing.

How long have you been making/creating jewelry? When or how did you get into it? I’ve always been an artsy person since I was very little. My mom and I would frequent Michael’s very often. We would always look for projects to do. Funny thing is, I would walk around the store and collect things like buttons, beads, feathers and glitter, and go home and just put things together by making jewelry or random artwork on poster boards. During my freshman year at Saint Andrew’s, I decided to do a community service project, a little over two and a half years ago. I chose the organization 4Kids of South Florida… You can read an article that was published about me here, this is where my bracelet making first started.

What is your inspiration for your work? I’m inspired most by nature. I have been collecting shells my entire life from all of the different beaches I have visited. The beach has always made me feel so at peace. My greatest memories are there. I have made shell bracelets and necklaces over the years with the shells I have collected.

What brought your company to choose to donate to sea turtle conservation organizations? My favorite kind of bracelet to make is definitely my turtle bracelets! We have found such colorful beads to use and the assortment of over 40 different colors is so cool to look at! It’s been so rewarding to see how people are loving them so much. My goal was to bring awareness to a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I never knew that in such a short time I would be able to make a difference, but I have and I am so grateful to every store and customer who has purchased my bracelets. I am currently working on a line of apparel (t-shirts, tanks and sweatshirts). I just designed a new logo and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

What is your favorite thing you’ve ever created? My favorite thing that I ever created was when I painted hearts on canvases to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s hospital. I painted over 150 different hearts and mailed them to people all over the U.S. It was so much fun and I would do that again in a heartbeat.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard about art/creativity? The best advice I have ever gotten about art and creativity is that there are no rules. It’s not like you have to live up to any expectation. It’s your own way of expressing yourself… no one can tell you if it’s right or wrong. I love that most. No one can really judge you for it. You are your own critic.Florida Sea Turtle Company

What do you try to communicate with your art? With my jewelry, I have been trying to communicate a sense of happiness. The bright colors that I have chosen to use always make people react as if they are in a candy store and they have so many goodies to choose from that they don’t know where to begin. They instantly smile when I show them my trays of bracelets.

What is your favorite medium to work with? What medium would you like to try but haven’t yet? I do love jewelry making the most. I am really interested in taking a formal class, maybe learning how to solder and cut gems. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make rings.

Favorite place to see art? One of my favorite places to see art is at local art festivals. I have found the best stuff visiting these tents with locals who are hand making everything you can imagine. It’s always so cool to see what’s in store there. And another is through Etsy, which has essentially changed the lives of so many small, local artisans who now have a big platform to display their creations.


THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING SUPPORTERS

Big thanks to Charlotte and Harper Keck, who raised money for LMC at their lemonade stand.

Thank you to Indian Trace Elementary School’s fifth grade class of 2016, who created the Change for Change campaign to raise money for the center.
Thank you to Susan Meyers and Bob Stange, a Residential Team of The Keyes Comapny, who have been donating a percentage of each of their sales to LMC.
unnamed

October at MANATEE LAGOON

Last February, Florida Power and Light opened Manatee Lagoon, an eco-discovery center thato educates guests about the Florida manatee, easily seen in the wintertime just outside of the center. As a proud partner of the facility, LMC was selected to manage the gift store and café. With a multi-functional educational center, a manatee webcam, two levels of observation areas and so much more, LMC is grateful to partner with Manatee Lagoon and is excited to watch the center grow as a world-class educational facility in Palm Beach County. Together, we can continue to raise awareness about the sea turtle and the manatee, and help inspire our neighbors, friends and family to be leaders of ocean conservation. For more information on Manatee Lagoon’s programs and hours, please visit Manatee Lagoon’s website.

October Activities: 

Lake Worth Lagoon Talk – The Lake Worth Lagoon seagrass beds feed a number of different animals, including manatees. Learn all about the lagoon and the animals that call it home during this talk. October 14, 18, 21, 25 and 28 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Much Ado About Manatees Tour – Join Manatee Lagoon on a walking tour of our visitor center and learn about manatee anatomy, physiology and the importance of GPS tracking devices. October 15, 19, 22, 25 and 29 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Manatee Tales: Storytime & Craft – Story time and craft for children ages 3 to 8. October 13, 18, 20, 25 and 27 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Mindful Moments Yoga (Adult) – Join Manatee Lagoon for yoga classes against the beautiful calming backdrop of Lake Worth Lagoon. September 13, 20 and 27 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. and October 15, 22 and 29 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Junior Aqua Lab – A series of four experimental activities that deal with some of the properties of water. Ages 9 to 14. October 16, 23 and 30 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Children’s Art Class – Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of class. At 12:30, any open seats will be offered to other guests. October 17 and 24 from 12:30-2 p.m.

October Lecture Series: 

Lecture: Lake Okeechobee – Danielle Dodge will be here to discuss and answer questions about Lake Okeechobee. October 16 from 2-3 p.m.

Lecture: Hawksbill Sea Turtles  Join us and Larry Wood in exploring the world of hawksbill sea turtles. October 23 from 2-3 p.m.

Lecture: Jellyfish Evan Orellana will be discussing jellyfish. October 30 from 2-3 p.m.


Scroll to Top