Our May Meeting - Join Us!
Wednesday, May 24th
5:30 pm
Ormond Beach Public Library, Sandpiper Room
3 South Beach Street
Ormond Beach FL 32174
Doors open at 5 pm and the meetings starts at 5:30.
All are welcome and we invite you to attend either in person or remotely. (Remote link at the end of this newsletter
"Regrow The Loop"
On Thursday, May 11th, representatives from the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail (OSLT) presented at a special meeting regarding the County’s newly-established, “Regrow the Loop” program. This initial meeting was held at County headquarters in Deland and was coordinated through the office of Councilman Troy Kent of District 4.
What is it?
“Regrow the Loop” is a new initiative that was drafted in conjunction with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Services. Approved by the Volusia County Council on April 4th in a 5-1 vote, the one-year pilot program is designed to regenerate plant coverage along the roadway and also rid the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail of invasive species. If successful, there is hope that the initiative will be expanded into other environmentally-sensitive areas of the County.
Eighteen participants representing a wide variety of environmental and horticulture concerns, as well as several County staff members and representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation, all met to express their interest in assisting with the program - and to give guidance where appropriate.
Once the introductions were made by Councilman Kent, Nancy Galdo introduced the Florida Scenic Byway Program and our very own National Scenic Byway, the OSLT. Leslie Nixon, President of the local Pawpaw Native Plant Society and Melissa Lammers, representing Audubon’s Plants of Birds program, gave excellent, compelling programs in support of the use of native plants. There was a great deal of excitement and camaraderie shared by all in attendance.
OSLT’s short presentation outlined our mission and work plan, with resource preservation and revitalization being the primary focus. We support Regrow the Loop and look forward to working with the County and the community in helping to make this pilot program successful.
Looking to the Future
Our vision is to segue the program into a more long-term project to re-nourish the canopy around the Loop, especially along the wild, uninhabited areas.
We hope to work with Volusia County and the City of Ormond Beach, as well as enlist new volunteers, to address the concerns that many people have about the Loop’s aging canopy. Most of the large oak trees along the OSLT are nearing the end of their lives, and we need to start identifying and re-planting these areas to augment and restore the canopy for future generations.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in participating with us on “Regrow the Loop” please email Nancy Galdo at OrmondScenicLoop@gmail. com
The project is still in its early stages and will continue to gear up during the summer and into the fall.
Sincerely,
Nancy Galdo
, Vice Chair
Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail
Ormond By The Sea
For more info about the Regrow the Loop program, click here to read the Ormond Beach Observer’s article:
1st Workshop
"Getting to Know Your Loop and the Importance of Conserving It," will be held on Saturday, June 24 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm at the Ormond Beach Public Library.
Become A Member of the Board
We're seeking a dedicated volunteer to serve on the Board as our Recording Secretary. The main role of the Secretary is to document and maintain a complete record of all Board and general membership meetings.
Please email Nancy Galdo at ormondscenicloop@gmail.com if you're interested. We'd love to hear from you!
Spotlight on...
The Knox Memorial Bridge
The Knox Memorial Bridge is one of only three remaining drawbridges crossing the intracoastal waterway in Volusia County, and the only one in the area loosely referred to as Ormond Beach.
Built in 1955 and frequently called Highbridge Drawbridge by the locals, it claims to have a clearance of 15 feet according to NOAA charts but boaters report that the clearance may be as little as 9 feet. Fortunately, the drawbridge operates 24 hours a day and a horn signal (one long, one short) is all that is needed to request it to be opened - or a call to the bridge tender on VHF Channel 09.
Keep in mind, if there are other boats on the Halifax coming in either direction the bridge tender will wait until they are close to the bridge before opening. If you are caught on Highbridge while the bridge is open, take a moment to enjoy the scenery, it won’t be long until you are on your way along the beautiful Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail.
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Social Media on the Rise
In the last month, 47 new people have joined our Facebook group bringing the total to 462. In addition to our posts about places, native plants and animals, history, and events along the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, we are seeing more frequent participation from our group members, not only commenting on our posts but sharing their own experiences along the Loop.
Brian Buchanan regularly shares videos from his YouTube channel, East Florida Explorer, of hidden treasures along the Loop. Ron Coleman took us on a virtual hike in North Peninsula State Park and George Fox shared a unique view from his drone of Highbridge Road and the Knox Memorial Bridge.
Thank you to these members and all the others who contribute to making our Facebook group a success, we appreciate you!
We were excited to learn that since February 2023, there have been 20,687 site visitors to our webpage with 2285 occurring so far in May! We will be working on a hiking trails page and a historic homes/museums page over the next few months. If you have a favorite trail or historic place you would like to see included, please let us know -- we welcome your input.
Remotely Attend Our May Meeting
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 372 442 791 167
Passcode: ZhewPz
Download Teams | Join on the web
Join with a video conferencing device
Video Conference ID: 125 998 255 3
Or call in (audio only)
+1 321-430-1064,,437455412# United States, Orlando
(844) 603-6058,,437455412# United States (Toll-free)
Phone Conference ID: 437 455 412#
Click and Like Us!
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