Suwannee-St. Johns Group Sierra ClubNewsletter Published monthly except June and August from Gainesville, Florida VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 9 • November 2009 gator, only to what brown tree snakes did on Guam when have the gator they arrived in cargo ships after World War roll over, grab II? There, the snakes decimated many of the snake in Guam’s 12 native forest birds, with three its mouth and species pushed into extinction. then swim off Dr. Kenneth Krysko, herpetologist at the with the snake Florida Museum of Natural History, who is firmly clutched our speaker for November 5, had this to say in its mouth. about pythons in Florida: “Its diverse habi- In another tats and suitable climates have facilitated ex- hectic battle, an otics becoming established and expanding alligator again their ranges.” managed to Dr. Krysko, Collections Manager, Divi- grab a python sion of Herpetology, received his Ph.D. in in its mouth wildlife ecology and conservation at UF in but, after more 2001. He is studying king snakes that have than 24 hours, declined severely throughout Florida. the python broke free and GENERAL MEETING Pythons and Other Exotics escaped. Thursday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. HOW MUCH DAMAGE CAN THEY CAUSE? Entomology/Nematology Building on the UF campus, Alligators can ** room 3118 ** grow to 20 feet (Just east of the Performing Arts Center. Turn south off BY DWIGHT ADAMS and, when they multiply, these snakes may Hull Road on to Natural Areas Road.) nowbirds are not the gain the upper hand on the gators, especially the smaller ones. Large numbers of pythons PYTHONS only exotic species that feeding on small alligators could decimate AND visit sunny Florida in the their population. OTHER EXOTICS winter.S Now Burmese pythons Could these large pythons become a con- cern here? Various exotics that first showed dr. kenneTH krYsko florida MUSEUM OF HISTORY are joining the crowds visiting up in South Florida or elsewhere in the the Everglades. Unfortunately, South are now common this far north. Ar- the pythons do not leave when madillos, fire ants, Cuban frogs, anoles, and a host of other exotics have become wide- Natural Area Rd. the weather turns hot. spread in SSJ territory. Recently, tourists at Pa-hay-okee Over- Many of these invasive exotics are a threat look in Everglades National Park watched to the biodiversity of Florida’s native ecosys- a battle between an alligator and a python. tems and wildlife. Could the pythons wipe Surge Area Rd. The snake wrapped itself around the alli- out birds throughout the State similar to Natural Area Drive CLIMATE CHANGE II—RAPID CHANGE . 4 $20 per gallON? . .5 EXCOMM BALLOT AND CANDIDATE STATEMENTS . 6-7. 2 Suwannee-St. Johns Sierra Club November 2009 tion of airboats in Alachua County. I am Make Noise With Your Ballot happy to report that we anticipate a favor- able resolution soon. In fact, the Alachua BY ROB BRINKMAN encouraging if people would at least vote County Commission is expected to take ovember is the month that we for those who represent you in how your initial action on a draft ordinance to im- Nask all of our members to do money is spent and where our very limited pose a curfew on the nighttime operation of something with their SSJ Newslet- resources are directed. these astoundingly loud boats. Thanks to the persistence of this year’s However it takes at least two readings to ter, namely, fill out the ballot on the nominating committee, we have exceeded enact an ordinance and there is a vocal or- inside of the back cover and mail it the by-laws requirement for a competitive ganized opposition, so the outcome is less in. The problem is, if this year is election by having three candidates more than certain. Please look for meeting no- anything like last year, the number than the number of seats to be elected. I tices on the vote on the curfew ordinance of ballots will be appallingly low. want to thank all of the fine candidates for in early November. The Sunday paper will Expressed as a percentage, it has for their willingness to serve and make a major have this, as will the SSJ website. People commitment of their time and energy. showing up and respectfully communicat- some time now been in the single Please show your appreciation to all of the ing their opinion really does make a differ- digits, in fact, low single digits. candidates by filling out the ballot CHAIR’S ence, so please help us get this issue One of the ways I often describe the Si- and returning it per the instructions, across the finish line this month. erra Club to non-members is that we are which should be followed carefully unusual in our democratic grassroots tradi- so that your ballot is counted. Sadly, tions among conservation groups. While I will be shocked if there are more NUKE NEWS any conservation group needs and appreci- than 100 ballots to be counted, so Recently, while cutting a hole ates its members’ financial support, the Si- please shock me! CORNER in the containment structure for erra Club seeks to involve the membership the Crystal River nuclear reactor, a in our ongoing work to protect the planet. large crack was discovered, raising concerns I often make appeals for volunteers in this AIRBOAT NOISE about the continued structural integrity of monthly column; however I understand One issue that the SSJ group has been the containment structure. and expect that few can find the time and working on for longer than I have been a One might ask why they were cutting a energy to get directly involved. It would be member is a curfew on the nighttime opera- see CORNER, page 5 FOLDING PARTY Visit the National and Local Sierra Club Websites! Interested in hosting a newsletter folding National: http://www.sierraclub.org • Local: http://www.gatorsierra.org party? Contact Scott Camil at 375-2563 Suwannee-St. Johns Group Chairs & Executive Committee Suwannee-St. Johns Group Sierra Club Chair Rob Brinkman 225-3230 [email protected] Newsletter (UPS 317-370) is published 10 Conservation Chair Chuck Hawkins 505-803-3736 [email protected] months a year, except June and August, Education Chair Maryvonne Devensky 352-871-1606 [email protected] by the Suwannee-St. Johns Group Sierra Administrative and Program Co-Chair Dwight Adams 378-5129 [email protected] Club, 1024 NW 13th Ave, Gainesville, Legislative Liaison Steve Williams 386-397-2945 [email protected] 32601. Non-member subscription rate Social Chair Brack Barker 352-528-3751 [email protected] is $5.00. Periodicals Postage Paid is paid Treasurer and Publicity Roberta Gastmeyer 336-2404 [email protected] at the Gainesville, FL 32608 post office. Membership Chair Whitey Markle 352-595-5131 [email protected] Postmaster: Send change of addresses to Outings Chair Robert Fisher 514-7674 [email protected] Suwannee- St. Johns Group Sierra Club Events Coordinator Sherry Steiner 375-2563 [email protected] Newsletter, c/o The Sierra Club, Mem- Newsletter Folding Scott Camil 375-2563 [email protected] ber Services, P.O. Box 52968, Boulder, Webmaster Louis Clark 373-5377 [email protected] CO 80328-2968. Send both your old Fundraising Chair Knox Bagwell 468-1790 [email protected] and new addresses and a Sierra address Newsletter Executive Editor Kathy Cantwell 395-7441 [email protected] label, which contains your member- Newsletter Co-Editor Chuck Hawkins 505-803-3736 [email protected] ship number. PLEASE ADDRESS ALL Newsletter Design Colin Whitworth 372-2464 [email protected] GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE FOR Secretary Art Stockwell 339-6528 [email protected] THE SUWANNEE-ST. JOHNS GROUP Excomm member Coral McDonald 363-0617 [email protected] OF THE SIERRA CLUB TO: P.O. BOX 13951, GAINESVILLE, FL 32604. November 2009 Suwannee-St. Johns Sierra Club 3 INNER CITY OUTINGS NEWS KIDs’ OUTING: EXPLORING and back to Kate’s. This flat-water, no cur- Thank you to everyone who signed up THE PRAIRIE VIA LA CHUA TRAIL rent, beginner’s paddle is suitable for every- to volunteer with the ICO program. If you one. Each person should bring their own missed the General meeting and want to be What can you find on Paynes Prairie in drink and a potluck veggie/salad/dessert involved with the Inner City Outing pro- the fall? Come join us in a sensory scaven- dish to share. We will provide BBQ burg- gram, please contact me by phone at 352- ger hunt. We’ll be searching for new and ers (beef and veggie) and hot dogs over an 224-5774, or email at marydeven@yahoo. different sounds and smells. We hope to see open fire as the Potanos did and then finish com. We will probably have our first out- the migrating sandhill cranes as they return off the day back at Kate’s. ing in early December. here for winter. With or without cranes Reservations needed (if you want to eat). (Editor’s note: Inner City Outings is a the prairie is a great place for kids! Bring Contact Knox Bagwell at (352) 468-1790 Sierra Club program which helps inner city a snack and we’ll share the sense of taste or [email protected] to RSVP. children experience the outdoors) as well. By Knox Bagwell By Maryvonne Devensky We will be guided by a wetlands ecolo- gist, but everyone, no matter how small, has something to contribute. We will meet on Saturday, November OCTOBER MUSHROOM ID HIKE CORAL ARDISIA REMOVAL 21 at 9:30 am at the Paynes Prairie north A beautiful fall day, good friends, and a AT SAN FELASCO STATE PRESERVE rim parking lot.