Happy Earth Day!

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is Global Climate Action. With the IRL to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the East, Cocoa Beach is a unique place that humans and nature both share. By working together we can take action that will help protect our community from the impacts of climate change. No matter how big or small, everyone can make a positive impact in their own way.

Climate Action

10 Small Steps with Huge Impacts

Reduce, reuse, recycle - following these steps help reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing and disposal.
Use water efficiently - Not only do we need to conserve our freshwater resources, but it takes a lot of energy to pump, treat and heat water.
Use LED lighting- LED bulbs use up to 80% less energy and usually last longer than conventional bulbs.
Plant a garden - By gardening you can grow fresh fruits and veggies right at home. This can reduce the amount of produce that must be transported across the country or even the world. Transporting produce used a lot of fossil fuels!
Compost - Food waste makes up 20-30% of what we throw away! Composting is a great way to use food scraps to create organic fertilizer for your garden.
Plant a tree - On average, a single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
Travel smart – Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. Walk, bike or use public transportation when possible.
Heat and cool smart - Heating and cooling accounts for almost half of the energy used in most homes. Changing air filters regularly and using programmable thermostats can help save energy.
Weatherize your home - Sealing and insulating your home will reduce air leaks and stop drafts. A well-sealed and insulated home can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs and save energy.
Unplug items when not in use - Electronics and appliances suck energy even when they are powered off. Unplug items when you are not using them or plug items into a surge protector with an on/off switch.

For more information and activities you can do at home please visit the Earth Day, EPA and NASA websites below.
https://www.earthday.org/
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/
https://archive.epa.gov/epa/climatechange.html

Sea Turtles

Have you ever seen turtle crawl tracks on the beach? How about an area roped off protecting a sea turtle nest? Maybe you’ve even seen a sea turtle on the beach! Florida hosts 90% of Sea Turtle Nests laid in the US and Brevard County is within the site of the largest loggerhead nesting aggregations in the WORLD! That means we will have quite a few sea turtles showing up in Cocoa Beach during nesting season (March 1^st – October 31^st ). 3 of the world’s 7 species nest regularly on our beaches: Loggerhead, Green and Leatherback.

Residents and visitors can help to make our area as turtle friendly as possible by remembering to keep beaches clean, flat and dark from May 1 through Oct. 31. County ordinances prohibit visible lights of any type, including cellphones, at night during this time. It’s also important to remove beach chairs and other obstacles each night as well as to knock down sandcastles and fill in any holes that may block or trap sea turtles. Please do not touch or disturb sea turtles when they are nesting, emerging from the nest as hatchlings or even if they are injured.
To report a sea turtle emergency in Brevard County please call the STPS Hotline: 321-206-0646.
To report a marine mammal emergency (dolphin/whale/manatee), please call the Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute: 321-821-3030.

For over 30 years, the Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) has worked to protect sea turtles and their habitat in Brevard County. Through both public education and conservation programs, the all-volunteer organization strives to fulfill its mission of “helping sea turtles survive”. STPS, along with Geomar Environmental Consultants, monitors the majority of sea turtle nests in the Cocoa Beach area. If you would like to get involved with sea turtle education and conservation efforts, STPS is always seeking new volunteers! For more information on Sea Turtles please visit seaturtlespacecoast.org.

Water Conservation

Do you know where your water comes from? Cocoa Beach is surrounded by saltwater, but our freshwater resources are primarily sourced from groundwater and some surface water in Orange County. With growing populations and increasing impacts of sea level rise, conserving our precious freshwater resources is essential for future generations.

The City of Cocoa Beach operates the largest reclaimed water system in Brevard County, suppling residents with reclaimed water meeting EPA quality standards. Reclaimed water is the treated by-product of the wastewater treatment plant and is returned to residents and businesses through their irrigation systems. Using reclaimed water imposes less demand on potable and ground water and creates a positive recharge to the aquifer. Studies show that customers on reuse water save about 2,000 gallons of potable water per month! Please visit our website (http://www.cityofcocoabeach.com/277/Reclaimed-Water) or email the Water Reclamation Department for future inquires at: waterreclamation@cityofcocoabeach.com.

The City of Cocoa supplies drinking water to Cocoa Beach, Patrick Airforce Base, Cape Canaveral, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Canaveral Groves and a portion of unincorporated Brevard County. The City of Cocoa offers rebates to its customers if they commit to saving water through low flush toilets and installing rain barrels.

Here’s how it works:
Toilet Rebate Program: Offers up to two $50 rebates to those who change out “pre-1994” high-volume toilets for EPA certified WaterSense high efficiency toilet (HETs). HETs use 1.28 gallons per flush, compared to 3.5 gallons or more per flush for older low efficiency toilets.
Rain Barrel Rebate Program: Offers up to two $50 rebates to those who install and use a rain barrel. Rain Barrels are generally low cost and are a great way to collect rain water for later use such as watering the garden or indoor plants.
For more information or to see if you are eligible for Rain Barrel or Toilet rebates please contact Donald Downs with the City of Cocoa Conservation Department at 321-433-8705 or email ddowns@cocoafl.org.

Oysters on the Rise in Brevard County

Oysters play an important role in the Indian River Lagoon. Oysters not only filter water helping to improve water quality, but they also protect our shorelines from erosion caused by wave action. With the help of active restoration, oyster communities are slowly on the rise in the IRL. FIT and the Brevard Zoo have implemented citizen science programs to allow residents a chance to make a positive impact on the IRL.

FIT Living Dock Program: This program guides residents through making oyster mats and secure them their dock pilings. These oyster mats are made by securing 60 to 80 dead and dried oyster shells to aqua grade mesh with zip ties. Once established, oyster spat and other water filtering species such as barnacles, tube worms, tunicates and sponges will settle on the mat. The mat will become a mini ecosystem attracting fish, shrimp and crabs all while helping improve water quality in the IRL!
Wondering if your dock makes the cut? These mats can be placed on just about any dock. If you there are oysters present around or near your dock, this is a sign that your dock may be a good location! Contact FIT IRL Research Institute if you are interested. www.fit.edu/indian-river-lagoon

Brevard Zoo Oyster Gardening: Staff at the Brevard Zoo are working with residents to grow live oysters right off of their own docks. Residents will tend to the oysters 1-2 hours per week. Once these oysters are large enough they will be used in the Restore Our Shores Program. Interested residents are encourages to sign up for an Oyster Gardening Training workshop through the Restore Our Shores Program. https://restoreourshores.org/