Coastal Cleanup. September 21, 2002 - John D. MacArthur Beach ...

Electronic Newsletter of The Friends Of MacArthur Beach State Park
Volume II. Number 6. August-September 2002
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
10900 S.R. 703 (A1A)
Singer Island
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Nature Center (561) 624-6952
Friends Office: (561) 776-7449
www.macarthurbeach.org
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In this issue:
1) Annual Calendar
2) MacArthur Under Moonlight
3) Men in Green
4) International Flavor
5) Free Spirit
6) Volunteers
7) “It’s a Shore Thing”
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Attention! Attention! Mark your calendars NOW!
Annual Events
Schedule of Annual and Ongoing Events for 2002-2003
at
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
Coastal Cleanup. September 21, 2002 - 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Volunteer to help keep Florida
beautiful by picking up trash on the beach and stay for a beach barbeque.
Fright-Night. October 25 & 26, 2002 - 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Ghosts and goblins in the Park
get together to spook the public in the haunted house and forest - all with an environmental theme. $4 per
person (children under 6 free).

Natural Selections V: Small Works and Miniatures Benefit Art Exhibition and Sale . Feb. 23
- March 9, 2003. Support the Park and enhance your life by viewing and possibly purchasing some of the
finest wildlife art and sculpture in the world.
Naturescaping: an Earth Day Celebration. April 19, 2003 - 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Local
environmentalists, native plant growers, artists, musicians, and educators join to teach the public how to
take better care of Mother Earth. A family event with food, games, wildlife programs and demonstrations
in a beautiful Park setting.
Fathers’ Family Fun Day. June 15, 2003 - 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Fathers’ Day, grab your
family and friends for a day of music, snorkeling, kayaking, games and a barbeque.
Little Turtle, Junior Ranger, and Marine Biology Summer Day Camps for 2 nd - 7 th grades.
June and July, 2003. Become a biologist for a week and explore the Real Florida - snorkel on the reef,
comb the beach, hike in the forest and wade in the estuary. Do scientific experiments, learn oceanography
and practice Native American crafts. For information and registration call the Nature Center 561-624-
6952.
Turtle Walks. June-July, 2003. Mondays & Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Ranger guided
walks on the beach to observe nesting behavior of the loggerhead sea turtle. Reservations are required
and space is strictly limited. $5 per person. To reserve call 561-624-6952 beginning at 9a.m., May 27,
2003 .
Guided Reef Snorkel Tours . June-August, 2 nd and 4 th Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Bring your gear and
explore the worm rock reef with an expert. Learn to identify the common critters on the reef and observe
their behavior. Limited to 25 experienced swimmers at least 10 years of age. For reservations call
561-624-6952.
Ongoing Events
Birding with Barry. 1 st Saturday of each month at low tide. Learn the names, identifying
characteristics, and life styles of the common and not-so-common wading birds that browse the exposed
mud flats during ebb tide. For times call 561-624-6952.
Monthly Moonlight Concerts. Sept. 21, Oct. 21, Nov. 19, Dec. 19 (2002), Jan. 18, Feb. 16,
Mar. 18, Apr. 16, May 15, Jun 14 (2003) - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Original songs and traditional tunes,
from down-home back porch to captivating ballads and world beat vibes. A new group performs each
month.
Bluegrass Jam. Third Sundays, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bill Rich brings foot stompin’ hand
clappin’ bluegrass music to the amphitheater. Bring your acoustic stringed instrument and join in or just
listen and enjoy the fun.
Guided Nature Walks. Wednesday-Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Join a volunteer naturalist to learn
about the Real Florida.
Kayak Tours. Daily at high tide. Explore the estuary by kayak with a Park Ranger. Observe
roseate spoonbills, herons, ibis, terns and gulls, along with many types of fish and invertebrates. For
information and reservations, call 561-624-6952.

Nature Rides. Explore the habitats in the park in the comfort of a shaded tram. Expert leaders
will point out unique plants and animals that are native to this undisturbed remnant of the Real Florida.
For information and reservations, call 561-624-6952.
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MacArthur Under Moonlight
New monthly Concert Series to begin with Tammerlin
September 21, 2002 -- 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The inaugural concert of the “MacArthur Under Moonlight” monthly series features Tammerlin, a
husband and wife duo, Lee Hunter and Arvid Smith, who are musical alchemists. Singing original songs
and traditional tunes from both sides of the Atlantic, their music is a joyous collision of down-home,
back-porch, “Oh Brother” simplicity and world beat vibes-soulful and heartfelt with complete reverence
for tradition. The Daytona Beach News Journal says of their latest CD, Wind and Horses (Binky
Records), Tammerlin have taken folks’ roots and majestically nurtured them into the 21 st century.”
Jacksonville’s Folio Weekly states, “Hunter and Smith are experts in their field, channeling folkloric song
in new and challenging ways.” Dirty Linen Magazine has described the duo as simply “captivating.”
You will too!
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Men in Green
Park Rangers rescued a nesting green sea turtle that was trapped on the beach under a foot of sand.
Apparently while digging her nest at the base of an unstable dune it collapsed and immobilized her,
pinning her front flippers underneath her 300 pound body. Ranger Barry Stevens was doing a routine
nesting survey when he noticed a single set of tracks heading up the beach into the dune, but no track
pattern indicating a return to the sea. Stevens, along with park intern, Jeremy Smith, dug out the sand that
covered her. Stevens reported, “She gave a giant inhale. She must have been buried for hours. The turtle
would have probably died if we hadn’t noticed her tracks.” After lifting her up to free her flippers from
underneath her body, they watched her make her way slowly back to the ocean. As of August 3 rd Stevens
and other rangers have recorded 229 green sea turtle nests, 14 leatherback and a whopping 980
loggerhead nests on the 1.8 mile beach.
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International Flavor
Junko Nomura, the Park’s newest staff member is from Kobe, Japan. She has a B.S. in fisheries from
Hiroshima University and a M.S. in Marine Biology from Okinawa University. Junko works in the
Nature Center and greets visitors at the gate. She helps as a volunteer with the snorkel tours and leads
nature walks. Her lilting voice and radiant smile coupled with her scientific expertise makes her the ideal
interpretive guide. You are in for a treat when she takes you on a nature walk!
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Free Spirit Found Lurking in Park
Linda Gabelman, who many of you remember from the Nature Center, is now a Toll Collector.
Originally from New Hampshire, Linda moved to Florida to be closer to family (grandchildren, of
course). She is an artist who loves butterflies, meeting new people, learning about the plants and animals
in the Park, and being a lifelong free spirit.
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Find your Niche in Volunteering
Do you enjoy nature Do you like learning new things Do you enjoy being around friendly people
Please call Michelle Toepfer in the Nature Center 561-624-6952 to find out about the wide range of
volunteer opportunities in the Park. MacArthur Beach depends on its volunteers. We need you!
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The Friends welcomes the following new members:
Frank Beradino
Helen Marchman
Robin Bennett
Steve Coldwell
Bruce Kay
April Toon
Kelly Hermann
Dr. Debra Nagurney
Joerg Courts
avid Webb
Nancy F. Moore
Beth Thomas
David Seleski
Mark and Cristina Davis
Gail Nelson
Robert L. DiGiacomo
Donna Rea
Joan and Stan Green

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Unless otherwise noted, all events are free to the public with admission to the Park of $3.25 per
vehicle. Of course, all events and Park admission is FREE to Friends members who present their
membership pass at the gate!