The National Audubon Society has released a report documenting the major decline of many common birds.

The report uses data collected by volunteers taking part in Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count over the last forty years. The decline is especially marked in the Sunshine State, but is not necessarily irreversible. Julie Wraithmell is Wildlife Policy Coordinator for Audubon of Florida.

“Individuals can consider their personal use of fertilizers which we know has a direct impact on the quality of wetlands in their communities, they can consider their use of exotic plants in their landscapes – we understand exotic invasives cause significant challenges to our public wildlands, things like keeping cats indoors – they can be a significant source of mortality to native wildlife.”

Here’s some numbers – Florida’s Bobwhite population has dropped 96 percent in the last forty years – black skimmers are down 73 percent – Clapper Rails have declined by 81 percent – 53 percent fewer American Bitterns inhabit the sunshine state’s marshes – and Kestral’s – our smallest falcon – have declined 60 percent.
The state’s land acquisition program – Florida Forever – is about to Sunset. Wraithmell says another way to help struggling bird populations is to let lawmakers know they want Florida Forever replaced or extended.

The National Audubon Society has released a report documenting the major decline of many common birds. The report uses data collected by volunteers taking part in Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count over the last forty years. The decline is especially marked in the Sunshine State. Julie Wraithmell is Wildlife Policy Coordinator for Audubon of Florida.

Thousands of young men between the ages of 18 and 22 are going that extra step to fulfill a dream. They all want to play in the major leagues. Some of them are drafted right out of high school while others go on to play in college. But for those who can do neither, there is one last chance. Florida Public Radio’s Luis Hernandez followed one young man one recent Saturday afternoon in Ft Myers as he tried to achieve his dream of playing professional baseball.

The summer months and holiday seasons are challenging times for blood centers. With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday providers are pooling their resources and casting a wide net.

Blood centers across the state are racing to fill their supplies as the long holiday weekend approaches. And places like Lee Memorial need all types. Actually…the need for blood has even forced blood center officials to lower restrictions in some cases. Community Relations Coordinator for Lee’s Blood center Nancy Hendrick says people that were once turned down are now accepted.

“A lot of people were told 20 years ago they can’t donate because they were on high blood pressure pills. You can donate if you are on high blood pressure pills as long as you are stable. You can donate blood if you are cholesterol medication you can donate. If you’re diabetic you can donate. If you are on an aspirin a day you can donate. If you’re on depression medication you can donate. They have opened the window a lot to allow more people to donate who are on a multitude of medication.”

Hendrick says it usually takes about ten minutes to determine if someone qualifies to give blood. She says one condition that can commonly lead to disqualification is low levels of iron. To find one of the many locations where Lee Memorial and Naples Community Blood Centers will collect blood call 334-5333…that’s 334-5-triple three.

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Places like Lee Memorial and Naples Community Blood Centers want to increase their supplies before the holiday. Blood Centers are in need of blood especially with the Fourth of July holiday coming up. But they are also advising people to increase their iron levels so they don’t have to be turned away. Lee Memorial Blood center spokeswoman Nancy Hendrick says turning people away because they have low iron levels is the biggest challenge for blood centers.

"The way society is running everybody’s running so fast…they’re so busy, we don’t eat right, we don’t sleep enough…and that deters from your iron levels. You have to have a certain iron level to be able to donate. So we try to tell people all the time to eat iron rich foods, drink plenty of fluids, get enough sleep and they should be ok."

Hendrick says it usually takes about ten minutes to know if someone does not qualify to give blood. To find one of the many locations where Lee Memorial and Naples Community Blood Centers will collect blood call 334-5333…that’s 334-5-triple three.

Cathy Dewitt is a jazz vocalist and pianist, a bluegrass guitarist and folksinger/songwriter. She’s a nationally published writer, concert producer and bandleader for the jazz quartet, Moondancer, as well as a member of an all women’s folk/bluegrass band and the music director for her church. WGCU’s John Davis has more about how this diverse performer is also a healer.

A boat docked Thursday in Key West carrying an estimated million-dollars-plus worth of 17th century gold and artifacts treasure salvagers say they recovered from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon.

The pieces include a gold bar, eight gold chains and 11 ornate gold pieces found in approximately 18 feet of water about 40 miles west of Key West.

Marine archaeologist Dr. Duncan Mathewson, a partner in Blue Water Ventures, says experts believe the items will point them to the final resting place of the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita that sank in a 1622 storm.

"We know a lot about how the ship came in and sank and then progressively broke up. We know from the documentation, we know from the salvage efforts back in the 17th century that there probably is upwards of 150 to 200 million of artifacts and of treasures still left on the Santa Margarita.”

Mathewson says among the most intriguing discoveries was an 8-inch-long closed metal box. A small gap in its seal allows a glimpse at the contents, thought to be pearls or diamonds.

An initial cache of treasure and artifacts from the Santa Margarita was discovered in 1980 by the late shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher. Blue Water Ventures has been searching for the remainder of the Margarita wreck site for two years.

Juneteenth day will be celebrated in African American communities across the nation this weekend. In Florida the day will also be marked by push to restore voting rights to former felons.

On June 19th 1865 slaves in Galveston Texas learned that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation – freeing them from bondage – two years earlier. That Juneteenth is a date that lives in history. This year history was also made in Florida when the state streamlined the process that restores civil rights – including voting rights – to former felons. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union want to make sure that happens. Muslima Lewis is the ACLU’s director of Racial Justice and Voting Projects in Florida.

"under the new rules of executive clemency individuals who do get their rights restored under the more streamlined process that now exists may not learn about it because the burden is on them to make sure that their contact information is up to date with the department of corrections and office of clemency."

The ACLU is one of more than forty groups that comprise the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Coalition members will be at Juneteenth Celebrations across the state this weekend advising former felons of what steps to take to restore their rights. About one million people - many of whom are African American – are impacted. NAACP and ACLU members will be at the Juneteenth Celebration at the Robert Taylor Community Center on Saturday.

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Earlier this year Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation making it easier for former non-violent felons in Florida to have their civil rights restored. But the onus is on the individual to pursue the process. This coming weekend members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition will be attending Juneteenth Celebrations around the state to advise people about the change in the law and help them take advantage of it. Muslima Lewis is the Racial Project Director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

"the link to juneteenth is while most of the individuals who have lost their civil rights are not African American, they’re white, but the African American community is disproportionately affected – and there’s a real parallel to juneteenth where we commemorate the fact that slaves in Galveston Texas did not learn that slavery had ended until two and half years after the fact."

Lewis says the theme for the Juneteenth Campaign is “Your Vote is your Voice”. In Southwest Florida Coalition will attend Juneteenth events in Sarasota on Saturday a the Robert Taylor Community Center and in Belle Glade at the First Missionary Baptist Church.

The President and Co-Founder of the Amazon Conservation Team was in Ft. Myers Thursday. Mark Plotkin is an Ethno-Botanist who’s spend years working in the Amazon basin, learning the trade secrets of the region’s Shamans or healers. He says western medicine can benefit from an understanding of traditional healing practices carried out in the Amazon and other remote spots around the world...

Mosquito control efforts are being ramped up following rains. Regular spraying to control the disease carrying pests is just one of the many services paid for by ad valorem taxes – that may impacted by this special legislative session. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.

The Lee County Mosquito Control District has about a 15 million dollar budget. It has more the hundred personnel who do everything from helicopter maintenance to answering phones calls from people complaining about the stinging pests. Mosquitoes also carry life threatening diseases says communication director Shelly Retovin.

“the ones that are common to lee county are west nile virus, st.louis encephalitis and occasionally eastern equine encephalistis but we’re always on the look out for malaria yellow fever and those – they’re not as common…”

So what’s mosquito control worth? Retovin says the cost is noted as a line item on homeowner’s ad valorem tax bills.

“we’re kind of looking at if you have a 200 thousand dollar house you’re probably paying something like 50 dollars a year for our services.”

Retovin says a tax cut of ten percent could cut into mosquito controls ability to provide the same level of service. Lawmakers are considering much deeper cuts. Some sources credit mosquito control, along with air-conditioning, with the creation of modern day Florida. The special runs through the end of next week.

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Recent rains mean mosquitoes are back. Mosquito control, along with air conditioning, is credited with helping create modern day Florida. In most Florida counties ad-valorem taxes pay for mosquito control services. And by the end of the special legislative that got underway in Tallahassee today, those taxes will most likely be cut. Lee County Mosquito Control Communication Director Shelly Retovin – says a funding cut would most likely mean more stinging pests.

“it would be very difficult, 10 percent cut you’re starting to talk – there would have to be some changes, government can always try to do things a little bit differently and try to be creative on saving money – but it would be very hard.”

Lawmakers are talking about a tax cut of nearly 20 percent tax cut. Retovin says in Lee County the cost of mosquito control for home valued at about 200 thousand dollars is about fifty dollars of the total annual tax bill.

Two incidents with U.S. Coast Guard Crews in Sanibel Island landed four men in federal court Monday afternoon. Two are being brought up on human smuggling charges, while two more are charged with resisting arrest.

After receiving a report that 11 Cuban nationals were smuggled onto Sanibel Island, the U.S. coast guard caught up with the suspected human smugglers south of Knapp’s point on Sanibel Island. The 2 men are now in the custody of Customs and Boarder Patrol. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez says the Cuban immigrants took a huge risk.

“These human smugglers, they have no regard for human life. They’re just in it for the money. Family members who would even think or contemplate about paying these people should think twice. Not only are they breaking the law and they could be subject to criminal prosecution, but they’re putting the lives of their loved ones in the hands of people who have a callous disregard for life.”

Coast Guard crews brought 2 more men into custody Saturday, after disabling another smuggling boat headed outbound from San Carlos Bay in Lee County. The vessel let them on an 18-mile chase, and tried repeatedly to ram the coast guard rescue boats. The 375 gallons of fuel found on the boat, led officials to believe it was the fueling vessel for Sunday’s operation.

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Four men are in federal custody today after being brought up on charges ranging from human smuggling to resisting arrest after two incidents this past weekend with the U.S. Coast Guard in Sanibel Island.

Eleven Cuban immigrants - including 4 women, 6 men, and one child, were brought to Sanibel Island by human smugglers this weekend. Coast Guard crews caught up with the vessel a mile south of Knapp’s point on Sanibel and brought 2 men into Customs and Boarder patrol custody. Coast Guard spokeswoman Sondra-Kay Kneen says 2 other men, in what she calls a “go fast” boat, were taken into custody Saturday after attempting to flee coast guard crews.

“We came along side just to question, just to maybe do a routine boarding and the “go fast” made an attempt to ram the coast guard boat and then once they tried to ram it, it began to run. We had two 25-foot rescue boats on scene and we chased them. While we were chasing them, they continued to try and ram the coast guard boats.”

Coast guard crews disabled the vessel by firing into one of the engines. Kneen says they believe the men taken into custody Saturday were driving the fueling vessel for Sunday’s smuggling mission.