Issue No. 7 / August, 2023

Salt marsh along Walter Boardman Drive

Fall Brings a Flurry of Activity

With cooler weather (hopefully!) on the horizon, special events are planned all along the Loop this fall to help inform as well as enhance the scenic byway. We continue to work closely with Volusia County, the City of Ormond Beach, State Park Rangers and the other dedicated partners engaged in the ReGrow the Loop initiative. As we continue to grow our efforts, we welcome your involvement and hope you'll consider volunteering - either through clean ups along the Loop, help with marketing or community outreach, or simply to get others involved, please send an email to us HERE.

We urge all those who want more preservation along the Loop to attend to support the purchase of 1200 acres of marshland along the Scenic Loop abutting Bulow Creek and North Peninsula State Parks. The purchase was recommended by Volusia Forever and was approved for acquisition by the County Council in 2022. This is our chance to ensure that it becomes a reality - so let your voice be heard!

August 29, 2023 at 4 p.m.
Volusia County Council Chambers
123 W. Indiana Ave. DeLand

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

International Coastal

Clean-Up Day

High Bridge Dock Area

Saturday, September 16th

Join the OSLT on the morning of September 16th as we get together with other concerned organizations to clean up our coastlines.

Meet at 8 am at the boat ramp and bring a bucket, bottled water, bug spray and closed shoes — we'll provide the garbage bags and gloves. If you own a boat or kayak please bring it; our waterways need to cleaning up too!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Coastal Strand Walk

North Peninsula State Park

Saturday, October 7th

In partnership with Volusia County's ReGrow the Loop initiative, we invite you to take a free and informative walk through the coastal strand of North Peninsula State Park.

Join us as we, along with guide Paul Rebmann,* take to the trail to experience one of Volusia County's longest stretches of coastal strand habitat. Duration is approximately 2 hours so please wear appropriate shoes and bring a water bottle.

Sign Up Here

Space is extremely limited so

please reserve asap.

*Paul Rebmann is a Florida Master Naturalist and longtime member of both Halifax River Audubon and the Florida Native Plant Society, and currently serves on the Board of the Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park.

ReGrow the Loop Updates

Lots of positive vibes at the August 11th meeting discussing Landscape Design and Native Plants for Beginners. More than 50 people signed up to learn more about enhancing their property and the Loop with appropriate native plants and trees.

In a follow up meeting with partnering organizations involved in this County initiative, the OSLT brought the following action items to the table:

Creating an invasive plants class where interested volunteers can learn how to safely and effectively remove invasive plants like Brazilian pepper.
Designing and implementing a long term ReGrow the Loop tree replacement program beginning with a survey of dying/aging-out trees
Working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Volusia County to replace missing and damaged Scenic Highway signs, as well as the placement and need for clarification on truck weight limit signs and signs directing trucks out of the Loop.
Our Univ. of FL IFAS partner discussed designation of appropriate trees to be provided during the October ReGrow the Loop Tree Giveaway for residents who have taken the pledge.

"Our group is energized and very encouraged by the goodwill, camaraderie and combined efforts that are all coming together to ReGrow the Loop and focus on its long term health"

— NANCY GALDO, VICE CHAIR, OSLT

Join the ReGrow the Loop Group

Getting involved is free and easy for all Volusia County residents.

Complete the CITIZEN PLEDGE linked below and select a minimum of one environmentally-friendly action related to regrowing the Loop, protecting water quality, or engaging for the Loop.

CLICK TO TAKE THE PLEDGE

Photo courtesy of OSLT member, Doris Agraviador

Feathered Friends: Blue Jays

Blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, are a common sight in many backyards but they are not at all common birds. One of the mysteries surrounding them is their migration habits. Although not considered migratory birds, some will migrate while others remain in one area year-round. Or they may migrate some years and not others; no one seems to know why.

People often assume that they have left town in the spring and summer but they are quietly nesting and taking care of their young. However, should a predator approach, you will hear their angry calls of "Jay! Jay!" as a warning. In Florida, their nesting season lasts from March through September with several broods during the season. Interestingly, several generations of these social birds will work together to care for the nestlings.

Another uncommon characteristic of the blue jay is its ability to imitate the call of hawks, eagles and owls. Whether that is to warn of a predator or to intimidate others - isn't known.

These beautiful songbirds feed on seeds, berries, nuts and insects, and may even eat bird eggs, small nestlings or other small animals. They can store food in their cheeks to eat later and will hold seeds or nuts in their feet and peck to open them. Another advantage of their ability to store food is that males will feed females as part of their courting ritual.

To attract them to your birdfeeder, provide suet, mealworms, cracked corn and sunflower seeds, or better yet plant a variety of native plants that produce seeds and berries.

We apologize for the length of this article but we still haven't shared all of the amazing things about these colorful birds. Since you've been such a trooper - here is a blue jay brain teaser – what state features the blue jay as its state bird?

For more information on this interesting bird, CLICK HERE.

Updates on FDOT Activities along A1A

We'd like to share information about the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) upcoming A1A projects to keep members informed about the ongoing work that will most impact those along this section of the Loop.

S.R. A1A Improvements from north of Granada Boulevard to Sandra Drive (442874-1). Resurface this segment of A1A and provide pedestrian enhancements, a wider sidewalk on the west side of the road, and a new sidewalk on the east side of the road north of Standish Drive. Small medians will be introduced to help encourage safer driving speeds. This project is in design and expected to start construction in late summer 2024.

S.R. A1A Improvements from Sandra Drive to the Flagler County line (450946-1). Resurface this segment of A1A and evaluate other potential improvements to help manage speeds and enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. This project will soon enter the design phase, with construction scheduled to begin fall 2025. A public meeting for this project will be held later in design.

Buried Sea Walls (450443-1 and 450444-1). The project team continues to work on securing the necessary permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and other regulatory agencies. The permitting process will dictate when work can begin. The Department is striving to be able to start work late this year, and it is likely that construction will begin in Flagler County first due to permitting processes. FDOT is also coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Flagler County to ensure the wall construction does not interfere with the beach renourishment project expected to begin next summer.

FDOT's project team has offered to attend a future meeting of our group to provide updates once they have completed designs and a better idea of construction activities.

Did You Know?

There are 27 state designated scenic highways in Florida? Of these, six are further designated at a federal level as National Scenic Byways, and the Florida Keys Scenic Highway and A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway are designated as All-American Roads. We feel fortunate that the Ormond Scenic Loop is one of the six to have both State and Federal designation!

Our August Meeting

Wednesday, August 30th

5:30 pm
Ormond Beach Public Library, Sandpiper Room
30 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)

To Attend Remotely:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device:

Click here to join the meeting

Or join by entering a meeting ID

 Meeting ID: 372 442 791 167
Passcode: ZhewPz
Join with a video conferencing device
130865883@t.plcm.vc
Video Conference ID: 125 998 255 3
Alternate VTC instructions
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#