Calling all citizen scientists! IRC is excited to partner with The City of Delray Beach on a Bioblitz of the Delray Municipal Beach on Saturday, June 3. Participants of all ages are welcome to join and help us document the plants and animals living in the coastal ecosystems of Delray Beach.

We will start with an educational guided tour by IRC staff where we will teach participants how to identify some of the rare and unique plants we encounter and upload their observations into iNaturalist.

This event is part of the Society for Ecological Restoration's "Make a Difference" Week.

To register, email IRC Assistant Director of Programs, Cara Abbott.

On Saturday, June 10, IRC will be collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (JILONA) on a large ecological restoration day. We will be restoring maritime hammock diversity by planting over 200 native plants. This is a great opportunity to restore an important coastal ecosystem on a unique property. JILONA is the only unit of the National Conservation Lands east of the Mississippi River, and the only unit managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Eastern States.

This event is part of the Society for Ecological Restoration's "Make a Difference" Week.

To register, email Karen Moore.

Liz Dutra recently joined IRC as a new Program Associate. In this role, she will support IRC’s core conservation and restoration programs, with an emphasis on collecting and curating floristic, faunal, and ecological data, and supporting the design, implementation, and monitoring of standards-based ecological restoration projects. 

Liz is a South Florida native and a graduate of Florida Atlantic University where she obtained her B.S & M.S. in Biological Sciences. Her thesis research focused primarily on ocean acidification effects on marine algal species populations throughout the Florida Reef Tract. Prior to IRC, Liz served as a research associate for NOAA and the University of Miami as she was the data manager for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. Liz also has a deep passion in conserving South Florida ecosystems, sustainability, and urban farming.  Liz also volunteers with the Urban Farming Institute as their education and outreach manager where she teaches kids and adults about gardening and healthy living.  

Welcome to the team, Liz!

Jimmy Lange and colleagues published a paper on the Everglades bully (Sideroxylon reclinatum subsp. austrofloridense) in March of this year. The paper, Population Assessments of Federally Threatened Everglades Bully in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA, Using Habitat Suitability Modeling and Micromorphology, explains population assessment of the federally threatened Everglades bully. The results of this study have implications for informing the designation of critical habitat for the Everglades bully and highlight the need for multiple approaches in managing and conserving at-risk, cryptic taxa like this species, including considering hybridization zones. To access and read the full article, click here.

In 2014, Jimmy worked for IRC as a Field Botanist, then transitioned to Research Associate as he joined the South Florida Conservation Team at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. He currently is an environmental consultant with Smart Sciences. He serves on the Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC) Plant List Committee as well as the Everglades CISMA EDRR Plant List Committee. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and an FAA Certified Drone Pilot.

To read more of Jimmy's bio, click here.

IRC is excited to announce that we've created a brand new coloring book titled "Explore Our Coast"! This free, educational resource teaches kids (and adults!) about South Florida's coastal ecosystems and the amazing plants and animals that call these ecosystems home.

To download your free copy, click here.

We will also be handing out hard copies of this coloring book at upcoming outreach events.

Here's a look inside:

On Thursday, May 4, IRC held a webinar titled "Emerging Invasives in Coastal Ecosystems" where we highlighted 17 species of nonnative plants that we believe have the potential to become problematic invasive species. Our hope is that early intervention by homeowners and landmanagers can prevent these species from taking hold.

To view the recording, click here.

On May 22, IRC Executive Director, George Gann, and IRC Ecological Restoration Team Leader, Alex Seasholtz, presented an Ecological Restoration plan for the pine rockland at Coral Reef Park, Village of Palmetto Bay, Florida.

Coral Reef Park is approximately 5 acres of pine rockland habitat found within an urban matrix that offers refuge to many important Pine Rockland species and serves as critical habitat for two federally listed plants. IRC shared their recommendations for the restoration and ongoing management at Coral Reef Park to focus on treatment of invasive species, the reduction of native hardwoods and palms, and the periodic application of prescribed fire.