Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/273295
Siesta Key, Lido Key or Longboat Key. ID tags and information brochures are provided along with training, the release says. For those unfamiliar with the aforementioned birds, Audubon offers three suggestions everyone can follow to protect the adults and chicks: • Keep a distance of 30 to 50 feet from nest- ing areas (dunes and buffered zones). • Do not chase, or let children chase, any beach birds, especially when the birds are feeding. • Look out for chicks, particularly snowy plover chicks, which are about the size of a human thumb. The chicks "run all over the beach looking for food within a few hours of hatching," the release points out. • Leave dogs at home. Last year, Sarasota County sheriff's deputies also joined in the monitoring efforts to remind the public that dogs are not allowed on the beach, per county ordinance. The Beach Nesting Bird Project, begun in 2006, has support from numerous partners, including the Siesta Key Association, Sarasota County, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Florida Audubon and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the release adds. To learn more about the program or to donate to it, visit sarasotaaudubon.org. To attend the informational beach walk and/ or sign up as a volunteer, send an email to sksnpl@gmail.com. Sarasota County leaders are working with the nonprofit Society of St. Andrew to help restock local food banks with fresh locally grown oranges, the county has announced. The Gleaning America's Fields event will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the Sarasota County Solid Waste Administration building, located at 4000 Knights Trail Road in Nokomis, a news release explains. From there, participants will be shuttled to the county-owned citrus grove. "Last year was the first time we had an opportu- nity to harvest the oranges," said Brian Usher of Sarasota County Utilities in the release. "More than 1.4 million pounds of oranges were picked and donated to food banks." Usher added in the release, "We are seeking volunteers of all ages to come out for a few hours on a Saturday and help us give back to the community." "Gleaning is a traditional practice of gath- ering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot, or be plowed under after harvest," the release points out. The Society of St. Andrew started the Gleaning Network in 1988; the practice is pursued each year in states across the country. "Since 1995, when the Society of St. Andrew opened a Florida office, more than 31 million pounds of fresh produce have reached food banks in local communities," the release says. To volunteer, contact Kate Lantz at 410-212- 9825 or katie.ssa.gleaning@gmail.com. For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000 or visit scgov.net. COUNTY WORKING WITH NONPROFIT TO RESTOCK LOCAL FOOD BANKS Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 94