W r VOL. 25, NO. 46 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS, FLORIDA MAY 18, 2018 MAY SUNRISE/SUNSET: 18 6:40 * 8:09 19 6:40 » 8:10 20 6:39 * 8:10 21 6:39 * 8:11 22 6:39 » 8:12 S 6:38 * 8:12 24 6:38 * 8:13 Nearly two months ago, Mensch - Live Junonias alongside museum executive director Dorrie Hipschman - revealed details of Spilling Secrets a shelling expedition during which the junonia trio was found. Hoping to gain At Shell Museum some more insight into the biology of by Jeff Lysiak live junonias, Mensch had been invited to participate in a research cruise fronted hen a member of the Balley- by Dr. Greg Herbert, associate professor Matthews National Shell at the University of South Florida (USF) WMuseum’s scientific team, marine School of Geosciences and USF’s biologist Rebecca Mensch, made the Institute of Oceanography. Dr. Herbert, landmark announcement on March 14 who is also on the museum’s board of that the museum would be conducting trustees, is engaged in a project mapping research studies on three live junonias, the mollusk community of the Florida she hardly expected the amount of gulf shelf. attention that the shell trio has received The expedition, which ran from February 22 to 26, performed 30 “Locally, there’s been a lot of interest,” dredges of marine material around the said Mensch. “And we’ve been very clock some 100-plus miles out into the transparent that these shells are not on Gulf of Mexico at depths of 65 to 1,100 display. But pieople still ask if they’ll be feet. part of a tour or if they can see them. “Sometimes you get nothing, and Really, they’re not very visible, even to us sometimes there’s a lot,” Mensch told a (staff).” Marine biologist Rebecca Mensch next to the aquarium containing three live junonias crowd of museum staff, supporters and According to Mensch, the live junonias photo courtesy Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum volunteers on March 14. “But we didn’t (Scaphella junonia) being studied in one of decorations in the tank indicates the April 26. “In the future, we will be setting a single live junonia... we found of the research tanks spend most of their junonias may be more active at night,” up night vision cameras to confirm this three!” day buried in the sand. “The movement the museum’s Facebook page noted on supposition.” continued on page 8 Discovering The First Sea Turtle Nest Closeup of the sea turtle using interests on the island,” she noted. “And ahead of us, but when I saw her, I shouted, 1 wasn’t a ‘morning person’ until I started ‘She’s still there!”’ going out on the sea turtle nest patrols.” According to Sloan, she stopped the But dunng her second time out on patrol SCCF all-terrain vehicle about 80 feet away with Sloan this season, Plein experienced from the nesting loggerhead. “There was what every program volunteer dreams of one woman who was standing nearby, but most; discovering the first loggerhead sea she was so respectful and wasn’t too close,” photos provided turtle nest of the year. said Sloan, who explained that oftentimes during her daily beach patrol monitoring And to make her experience even more sea turtles will abandon their nesting efforts for nesting activity. n the morning of April 26, just memorable, the female loggerhead was still - called a false crawl - if humans or other before sunrise, Sanibel-Captiva Plein, a marine biologist with New Wave onshore, covering her newly-laid eggs with animals are too close to the nest location. Conservation'Foundation (SCCF) Eco Charters on Captiva, began her work “We didn’t want to spook her, so we just O as a volunteer for SCCF last year due to “We were driving the vehicle up the hung back. I could then see that she was in Sea Turtle Program coordinator Kelly Sloan was joined by second-year volunteer herner ammwaffinity lorfor sea n^es.turtles. “Ii naahad beenoeen beach when Kelly saw something,” said the latter stages of the nesting process, so and permittee-in-tr^ning SteLie Plein ^ " 3 ® Plein. “I could see the (sea turtle) tracks continued on page 6 ISLAND SUN-MAY 18, 2018 ISLAND SUN - MAY 18, 2018 Nerf Night At Sanibel Church From left, Debbie Martino, Cindy Adams Community House Continues Sheli Craft Lessons hell craft lessons are still available Mondays beginning at 10 a.m. at SThe Community House. Last week, Nerf Night participants photo provided people from across the country attended to hone their talents at shell crafting. 20, the Sanibel Community school students and 6 to 8 p.m. for Participants came from Gloucester, Church youth ministry, will be high school students, and on Sunday Massachusetts, Halton, Illinois, St. Louis H hosting Nerf Night on Saturday, mornings from 11 a.m. to noon in the and the surrounding area of Kansas City, May 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the youth youth center at Sanibel Community Missouri, and Fort Myers Beach. Fun was The fun is open to studente from Church. All students on the island and had by six to 12. Bring your own Nerf surrounding communities are welcome equipment if you can, however, there will to attend. The Community House is located be extras available. at 2173 Periwinkle Way. For i Sanibel Community Church is information, call 472-2155.<J: H20 Student Ministries is a youth an evangelical, non-denominational ministry program for sixth grade congregation located at 1740 Periwinkle through 12th grade young men and Way (next to Jerry’s Market). For more women. H20 meets on Wednesday information, visit www.sanibelchurch. evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. for middle ( S h e lls I “An Ocean Boutique” “Where Islanders Have Sent Their Friends & Family To Shop Since 1976" Sanibel & Worldwide Shells • Corals & Exotic Sealife • Shell Gifts Jewelry • Books • Candles • Lamps • Sanibel Perfumes • Craft Supplies T-Shirts • Tanks • Musdes • Hoodies • Hats • Cover-Ups & Diesse^ Handmade Shell Xmas Ornaments & Flowers Celebrating Over 40 years On Sanibel! SEA LIFE SARONG S BAMBOO WIND CHIMES REG. $12 NOW $9 REG. $25 NOW $20 2 FOR $16 LARGE SELECTION GREAT FOR BEACH WEAR BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS Adult & Kids T’s 20% Off sizes XS-XL Any Single Item , 3 for $23 XXL 3 for $29 1157 Periwinkle Way 472-6991 • 472-8080 Open 7 Days 9:00am til’ 9:00pm SheSellsSeaShellsSanibel.com 4 ISLAND SUN-MAY 18, 2018 The Importance Of Climbing Trees ome of us can remember climbing as far as you could to the top of Sa tree and feeling that you had conquered the world. Letting your imagination take over w^ile you were the captain of your ship, sailing through rough waters with a storm looming just ahead. Sadly, how often do you see a child in a tree anymore? Learning how to climb a tree is becoming a lost art. Many parents are afraid their child might fall, might be bitten by a snake or spider, or worse yet, might get dirty! This mentality is depriving our children of so many benefits of learning to climb - and fall from - a tree. In today’s world, so many of our children sit all day at school, in the car, on their phone or Turner Zimmerman showed his pride of at the computer, that their bodies are accomplishment otter climbing the tree. Hunter Bailey faund a dangling branch becoming literally weak. It is our job as He was so proud, he stayed in the tree from the tree and used tremendous arm educators and parents to reverse this until pickup time to show his mom. and core strength to swing from the trend before it is too late. photos provided branch On a recent beautiful day at our how awful I was to allow him to fall, him 50 times to keep three points of branch or choose a different path up preschool, I was sitting 10 feet away that 1 wasn’t right under him to catch contact on the tree, the technical way that tree. Very valuable lessons be from our magnificent wild tamarind tree him, please realize that once he caught of teaching a child to climb a tree, or he taught from falling. The cherry on top watching as some of our students were his breath, he looked at me to see if could have learned it by falling four feet. is a child exploring the world around attempting to climb the tree. Some he was in trouble (for falling). 1 simply The benefits of a simple task such as them, giving them an appreciation were successful, some weren’t, but smiled, asked if he was okay and he climbing trees are vital to our children. for nature which in turn will result all of them kept trying to get up that started climbing right back up that tree! While climbing trees, a child must in an appreciation for conservation, tree. One student was so excited that The amount of courage, perseverance think about the best route to take with something our little island values he made it up, he let go to shout and and determination by that child was a their hands and feet to go up, and tremendously. quickly fell straight backwards onto the wonderful sight. And what a valuable down, which develops critical thinking So the next time you longingly ground. Now before you start thinking lesson he learned. 1 could have told and problem solving skiDs. Special look at a tree and wish you could be awareness is also being acquired as dangling from the tippy top branches they figure out how to fit their bodies yelling “Ahoy Matey!,’’ grab your in between branches and tight spots.