In a Flip-Flop State of Mind.

A recent article from Florida Weekly by Jan Norris highlights “Florida Before the Mouse”:

IT WAS THE LATE 1940S, AND Dad was home after serving in World War II.

Gas rations were lifted, and the family at last could take a well-deserved road trip. So, they gassed up the Dodge or the Hudson or the Buick and they hit the bumpy two-lane road to Florida,  » Read more

GiGi, a three-month old Virginia opossum, is CROW’s newest Animal Ambassador.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife is thrilled to announce the addition of a new Animal Ambassador, a three-month old female opossum.

GiGi, whose name is derived from the common name for her species, the Virginia opossum, was admitted to the wildlife hospital in April along with two siblings.  » Read more

Photo from the Sanibel-Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce

The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the city of Sanibel as one of only two Florida communities to be awarded the prestigious designation of a “Gold” Bicycle Friendly Community.

In 2010, Sanibel was awarded the “Bronze” designation, and in 2014 it was one of four Florida cities designated as a “Silver”  » Read more

Photo from ISpot.TV

Puns are usually pretty popular when naming boats.  Just ask the owner of Ship Happens.  That witty moniker did not make the list of this year’s most popular boat names, however, but “Why Knot?” and “Feelin’ Nauti” did.

The Boat Owners Association of the United States tallied the most popular boat names for 2019, just as they’ve done for more than a quarter century now.  » Read more

Photo from EcoWatch

Did you know?

• Sea turtles provide natural ecological control over jellyfish populations.  Leatherback sea turtles eat only jellyfish, tunicates, and other soft-bodied animals.  They eat their body weight (on average, 800 to 900 pounds) in jellyfish every day.  Sadly, plastic resembles jellyfish floating in the water, so it is becoming more and more common for many of these amazing creatures to die from ingesting plastic.

 » Read more

Photo from NOAA Fisheries

Did you know?

• Sea turtles don’t have teeth.  Instead, their upper and lower jaws have sheaths made of keratin (the same stuff your fingernails are made of) that fit onto the skull like a pair of false teeth.
• Their shells are made of over 50 bones fused together, so they’re literally wearing their bones on the outside.

 » Read more

Photo from WWF.org

Did you know?

• The nest temperature determines a sea turtle’s sex.  Boys like it cool.  Girls like it hot.
• After incubating for two months (55-60 days), hatchlings must escape natural predators like birds, crabs, and raccoons to make it to the sea.
• Newborn sea turtles instinctively move in the brightest direction,

 » Read more

Photo found on Pinterest

Did you know?

• It takes 20-30 years for a sea turtle to reach sexual maturity.
• When a female is ready to lay eggs, she returns to the nesting beach where she was born, even if she has not been there for 30 years!
• They lay eggs in the same place every year,

 » Read more

Photo from WWF.org

In honor of World Sea Turtle Day, we thought we’d share some facts this week that show just how amazing these creatures are.

Did you know?

• Sea turtles are an ancient species.  Scientists estimate that they have been swimming around for 110 million years, making them as old as dinosaurs.

 » Read more

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