The Tampa Bay Estuary Program invites you to "Give A Day For The Bay" on April 21 and 22 in celebration of Earth Day weekend and the Estuary Program's 10th anniversary.

TBEP was created 10 years ago to develop a community-based blueprint for restoring and protecting Tampa Bay. In the decade since, the Estuary Program has provided a forum for consensus-based solutions to key bay problems; financed cutting-edge research and innovative techniques for reducing pollution; and provided more than $160,000 in grants to schools, civic associations and other community groups for bay education and improvement projects.

TBEP and its federal, state and local government and regulatory partners are proud to join with citizens throughout the bay watershed to celebrate all we have accomplished together since 1991.

"Give A Day For The Bay" features opportunities for citizens to participate in hands-on bay improvement or restoration projects, or to learn more about our spectacular Tampa Bay. Trash cleanups, habitat restoration, guided nature walks and an Earth Day festival are among the exciting events on tap.

Most community events will take place Saturday, April 21 in the morning, from approximately 9 a.m.-1 p.m. On Sunday, April 22, an Earth Day festival will be held along the Hillsborough River at Tampa’s Lowry Park.

Lunch and a t-shirt will be provided to all volunteers who participate in one of the four main Saturday events, which are: creation of an oyster bar at Whiskey Stump Key in Hillsborough Bay, and trash cleanups along the Hillsborough River; at Cross Bayou in Boca Ciega Bay; and at the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve near Bradenton.

A variety of other activities are planned, including guided nature walks of the Weedon Island Preserve by members of TBEP’s Community Advisory Committee.

The county-by-county lineup of activities follows. To volunteer for one of our activities, just click the activity name and sign up. Be sure to include your name, email, and phone number. We encourage everyone who calls Tampa Bay home to participate!

Hillsborough County

Saturday, April 21

Oyster Bar Creation
Boaters are needed to create a natural oyster bar at Whiskey Stump Key in eastern Tampa Bay. Clean oyster shell will be placed around the edge of the island to provide habitat for a variety of mollusks and help reduce erosion on this important bird-nesting island. Partners in this event include Tampa BayWatch and the Coastal Conservation Association. Event to run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. You must register by calling Tampa BayWatch at (727) 896-5320. Lunch and t-shirt provided!

Hillsborough River Cleanup
Volunteers will remove trash from the river shoreline at key parks along the river in and around the city of Tampa. Children welcome! This activity is co-sponsored by the Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force. Lunch and t-shirt provided! Call the Task Force at (813) 744-6100 ext. 479 to receive a site assignment.

Sunday, April 22

Earth Day Festival: “A River Runs Through It”
Earth Day festivities will spotlight the importance and beauty of the Hillsborough River with canoe trips, birdwatching walks, interactive exhibits and an array of children’s activities at Lowry Park in Tampa. The festival will run from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and all activities are free. This event is sponsored by the Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force. Call (813) 744-6100, ext. 479 for more information.

Saturday, April 21

Terra Ceia Cleanup
Volunteers will remove trash from this nature preserve bordering Terra Ceia Bay in northern Manatee County. This is a heavily wooded area with thick shrubs and grasses, so sturdy shoes are recommended. Children over 12 welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Keep Manatee Beautiful, Wildlife Rescue of Manatee, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Lunch and t-shirt provided! Call the Estuary Program at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org to sign up.

Saturday, April 21

Cross Bayou Cleanup
Boaters and paddlers are needed to clean trash from the waters of Cross Bayou, a bay segment near Largo. Flats skiffs, kayaks and canoes are preferred. Life jackets are required. This event is co-sponsored by Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management, Keep Pinellas Beautiful and the Southern Estuary Association. Lunch and t-shirt provided! Call the Estuary Program at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org to sign up.

Guided Nature Walks at Weedon Island
Explore the fascinating natural and cultural history of Weedon Island Preserve on a nature walk led by members of TBEP’s Community Advisory Committee. Walks will be held every half-hour from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Weedon Island is located in northeast St. Petersburg on Tampa Bay. Children welcome! For directions or more information, call the Estuary Program at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org .

Catchin’ Critters Knee Deep
Get your feet wet with this fun learning program sponsored by The Pier Aquarium’s Education Station! Participants will use nets and buckets to explore the marine life of Tampa Bay. Program will be held from 10 a.m.-noon at the Education Station, located on the entrance walkway for The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg . Children are welcome, and donations are appreciated to help fund continued educational programs. Call (727) 822-9520 for information.

Storm Drain Marking
Pinellas homeowners and community groups are invited to mark storm drains in their neighborhood to discourage dumping of oil, grease, chemicals and yard clippings into streams, lakes or Tampa Bay. All equipment and instructions are provided free of charge from the Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management. The markers contain an anti-pollution message, and are glued to storm drains in subdivisions, apartment complexes, or condominiums. Any neighborhood in Pinellas County is eligible to participate, but kits must be reserved before April 6 by calling Melanie Poirier at (727) 464-4187 or e-mailing mpoirier@co.pinellas.fl.us.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program will award nearly $30,000 to 12 community groups for projects that directly involve citizens in restoring and improving Tampa Bay.

This year's Bay Mini-Grant program attracted 23 applicants. Their proposals were evaluated by members of the Estuary Program=s Community Advisory Committee, with 12 recommended for full or partial funding.

Funds available for the Mini-Grant program were supplemented by $10,000 in revenues from sales of the new Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, for a total of $30,000. License plate revenues can only be used for projects such as the Mini-Grant program that directly help to implement bay restoration goals adopted by TBEP.

The 2001 Bay Mini-Grant recipients are:

• Sierra Club of Tampa Bay ($1,280) for its Inner City Outings program, which offers inner-city children an opportunity to participate in high-quality outdoor experiences and environmental service projects.
• Town >N Country Homeowners Association ($1,000) of Tampa, for equipment to remove invasive Brazilian pepper trees from a public greenway along Rocky Creek.
• The Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force ($2,200) to update field identification cards used to train volunteers who participate in the Frog Listening Network.
• Admiral Farragut Academy ($3,010) to implement a project in which students at the St. Petersburg school build and install artificial reefs to create habitat for marine life along seawalls.
• Cockroach Bay User's Group ($4,900) to purchase navigational buoys to protect seagrasses in Cockroach Bay from boat propeller damage.
• Tampa BayWatch ($1,380) to purchase tools and equipment that will be used by community volunteers to remove Brazilian pepper trees throughout the bay area.
• Museum of Science and Industry ($2,000) to purchase replacement costumes for the Marine Gang, an environmental theater troupe.
• Around The Bend Nature Tours ($4,940) to finance fields trips to Emerson Point Nature Center for Manatee County schoolchildren.
• The Florida Aquarium ($4,100) to conduct a regional conference on Tampa Bay pairing students with local scientists to develop strategies for restoring the bay.
• Pinellas Native Plant Society ($2,500) to replace St. Augustine grass covering the ancient Indian mound at Phillipe Park in Safety Harbor with a native, environmentally friendly grass.
• Save Our Seabirds, Inc. ($2,100) to produce a brochure explaining to fishermen how to safely remove hook and line from seabirds.
• Lowry Park Zoo ($550) for a portable display that can be used to inform residents about manatee salvage and rescue operations.

Since its inception in 1991, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, a partnership of local, state and federal governments and agencies dedicated to restoring and protecting Tampa Bay, has awarded more than $160,000 through its Bay Mini-Grant program.

Health-Track is a new project, supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, working to build support for a comprehensive national approach to tracking and monitoring the links between the environment and health, with the ultimate goal of preventing chronic disease. This tracking and monitoring program will monitor chronic illnesses community by community, identify potential hazards and exposure to these dangers, and provide an early warning to alert the public about the spread of disease.

Chronic diseases like heart and kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, and asthma are the number one killer in the United States, accounting for about 3 out of 4 deaths each year. Nationwide tracking of chronic diseases could help communities begin to identify patterns of health problems and possible links with environmental hazards.

The phase-out of leaded gasoline is a clear example of the potential success of a national environmental health tracking and monitoring strategy. Although known to cause permanent neurological impairment, especially in children, lead was routinely used as an anti-knock agent in gasoline until 1973 when officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued standards to reduce lead emissions. The permanent phase-out of leaded gasoline was brought about by the country’s ability to track the prevalence of human exposure to lead, the reduction in blood-lead levels and the corresponding health benefits.

This example of the potential of environmental health tracking and monitoring serves as the exception and not the rule. Consider asthma, the most common chronic disease among children. Researchers do not know the cause of asthma, but they have shown that several environmental risk factors, such as dust mites, cockroaches, environmental tobacco smoke and ozone, can trigger asthma attacks. Many chemicals in the environment have been shown to cause cancer at high levels. The effect at low levels in the environment is unknown.

Without more tracking information to examine potential links between the environment and chronic illnesses, the causes of these diseases may never be known, and the most effective prevention strategies will not be implemented at the community level. The costs, in both human and financial terms, will continue to grow.

Health-Track will educate the public, media and policymakers to make them aware of the importance of a nationwide environmental health tracking system. Health-Track is focusing its efforts in communities in 10 states throughout the country, including Florida.

A campaign to issue a U.S. postage stamp honoring the nation’s diverse and valuable estuaries is under way - and you can help make it happen!

A proposal already has been sent to the US Postal Service requesting development of a series of postage stamps celebrating estuaries - areas of environmental, economic, and cultural importance. If selected, the new series, America’s Estuaries, would illustrate bays, inlets, and harbors from across the nation, while possibly highlighting the most ecologically significant plant and animal life found in the 28 National Estuaries (including Tampa Bay!) and 25 National Estuarine Research Reserves.

The proposal was submitted to the US Postal Service Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in Washington DC. This committee will decide whether America’s Estuaries is chosen to become a series of postage stamps. The Advisory Committee meets quarterly to decide on stamp subjects and makes recommendations to the Postmaster General.

The postage stamp campaign is spearheaded by the Long Island Sound Study, a National Estuary Program in New York and Connecticut. Partners include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Association of National Estuary Programs and the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association.

An auction to raise funds for the Association of National Estuary Programs has been temporarily postponed due to the high volume of charities awaiting registration on ebay.com, the popular Internet auction site.

The auction will be up and running in late spring or early summer, and feature many exciting and unique auction items donated by the 28 National Estuary Programs, including vacation accommodations, kayaking and fishing trips and outdoors equipment.

Stay tuned to ebay.com for details. Members of TBEP’s website listserve also will be notified of the auction start date. To sign up for the listserve, visit www.tbep.org , go to “Tampa Bay Online Community Center” and click on “Join The List.”

Due to overwhelming demand, an additional 5,000 copies of the Hillsborough Bay Boater’s Guide have been printed. You may receive your FREE guide by calling the TBEP office at (727) 893-2765 or e-mailing saveit@tbep.org. Please provide your mailing address.

The information-packed guide to environmentally responsible boating and angling in Hillsborough Bay was produced by Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton and Audubon of Florida with a Bay Mini-Grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. The first 5,000 copies of the guide were given away within 3 months!

Funds for reprinting the guide were provided by TBEP, Cargill Fertilizer and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Agency on Bay Management.

The Hillsborough Bay Boater's Guide features a color map highlighting navigational aids and boat ramps, natural resources such as seagrass beds, and special places where boating access is restricted to protect natural habitats and wildlife, such as bird nesting colonies.

A compact reference guide to environmentally friendly boating is now available from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program by calling (727) 893-2765 or e-mailing saveit@tbep.org.

Produced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Clean Marina Program and the Marine Industries Association of Florida, with support from a host of other organizations (including TBEP), the guide suggests ways boaters can help ensure clean water and a healthy environment.

Topics covered in the booklet include: fueling and bilge oil practices, boat cleaning, trash storage, sewage management, fish waste management, protection of wildlife and seagrass meadows, and hurricane preparations.

A special stand-up card promoting the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate is available for businesses to display at their front desk or check-out counters. Order yours today by calling the Estuary Program at (727) 893-2765 or e-mailing saveit@tbep.org.

Boat dealers, hotels, marinas, tackle shops, marine supply stores - any business with an interest in keeping Tampa Bay on the road to recovery - can receive the tent-shaped display cards. We ask only that you place the tent card in a prominent place so we can spread the word about the license plate to as many Tampa Bay supporters as possible.

Approaching the end of its first year of availability, the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate has generated revenues of more than $35,000. All revenues from license plate sales are used for projects that advance the bay restoration goals adopted by the TBEP. For example, $10,000 of the first-year revenues are now being distributed to non-profit and other community groups awarded 2001 Bay Mini-Grants (see related article). It is anticipated that additional license plate dollars will be used to supplement the Mini-Grants program this year.

In addition to your regular registration fee, the tag costs $27 the first year and $17 to renew after that - with $15 going directly to bay restoration and protection projects. You may purchase the Tampa Bay Estuary tag from your tax collector’s office or by enclosing a note and payment with your auto tag renewal notice indicating you want to buy the Tampa Bay Estuary plate.