Page 1 - The Shores of Jupiter - December '22

Our Village Voice

VOL. 33 NO. 12 www.seabreezepublications.com DECEMBER 2022

Commissioner’s Update Bill’s Box

Loxahatchee River Restoration

By Commissioner Bill will return in
Maria Marino January 2023.
The Loxahatchee River
is one of only two rivers
in Florida to receive the A Merry Christmas
designation as a National to all.
Wild and Scenic River, and
it houses essential habitats
supporting a wide range of
ecological resources. This Copy deadline for January is Dec. 9.
includes freshwater riverine
floodplain vegetation such 1980s, the State of Florida and the South Florida Water
as bald cypress, freshwater and estuarine fishes, and tidal Management District (SFWMD) developed a management
floodplain vegetation and animals such as mangroves, plan to preserve and enhance the river’s unique natural Jupiter Inlet
oysters and seagrasses. values, restore the historical hydrology, and reverse the
You can experience and explore this unique “old impacts of saltwater intrusion.
Florida” habitat by visiting the county’s Riverbend Park The Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Lighthouse And
on West Indiantown Road in Jupiter, where kayaking/ Council is comprised of federal, state, regional agencies
canoeing rentals are available. and local representatives and is responsible for the ongoing
Sadly, the Loxahatchee River has suffered from over a development of the management plan. The council advises Museum
century of ditching, draining and re-engineering related the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
to agricultural and urban development. This altered the and SFWMD to identify and resolve intergovernmental
river’s natural hydrology resulting in saltwater intrusion Family Adventure Day
that changed the river’s freshwater ecosystems. In the Commissioner’s Update on page 3 Experience a fun family
Northern Notes day on the waterfront at the

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse &
Museum on Saturday, Jan.
Let’s Talk Turkey fruits, insects, leaves, 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and small vertebrates. Timed ticket entry – 10
By Katie Roundtree, They can easily cover a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m.
Director of Finance and several hundred acres Tickets on sale Dec. 15, $5
Administration, Northern in a day. per child, $10 per adult,
Palm Beach County Before Europeans free for children 5 and under.
Improvement District c am e t o Nort h Travel back in time and choose your own adventure
With the holiday season America, the wild with living history, storytelling, games, music, painting, and
in full swing, our thoughts turkey population hands-on activities. This year’s Family Adventure Day will
turn to entertaining and, was abundant. They offer unique and educationally entertaining ways to explore
inevitably, turkey, a staple declined in number from hunting and habitat takeover by our “History Shaped By Nature” with your whole family.
at many family dinner tables. humans after Europeans arrived, but in 1860 there were still
These tasty birds are also more turkeys in Florida than people. During the early 1900s,
native to our area and quite there was a considerable decline in the turkey population
common if you are lucky enough to spot them. However, throughout Florida. By 1975, the Florida Fish and Wildlife
south Florida turkeys aren’t like the plastic-wrapped birds Conservation Commission (FWC) managed wild turkeys. Now,
we find in our local markets. They are a bit less plump and turkeys can be found in all of Florida’s counties and in every
round, weighing about 17 pounds. state in the United States except Alaska and Hawaii.
Wild turkeys are social animals and typically flock Florida is home to two subspecies of wild turkey – the
together in groups numbering just a few birds to as many as eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) and the
20 or more. Wild turkeys roost at night in trees within thicker Osceola or Florida wild turkey (M.g. osceola). The Florida
forest stands for safety from ground predators. They are wild turkey is best distinguished from the eastern subspecies,
extremely wary and will run away or fly to a tree to escape which it closely resembles, by the white barring on its wing
danger. Turkeys have excellent eyesight, including the ability feathers. On Florida wild turkeys, the white bars on the
to see color. primary wing feathers are narrower than the black bars. They
They are powerful fliers, especially for short distances, are irregular or broken, giving the wing an overall darker
and can fly up to 55 miles per hour! However, to conserve appearance than eastern wild turkeys.
energy, wild turkeys primarily walk. They spend most of
their time on the ground, where they search for acorns, seeds, Northern Notes on page 2

REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY

TO THE JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT
(561) 799-4445

Use 911 for emergencies only. Lock car doors.
Do not leave valuables in the car.