photo:NOAA

Reef Relief has been invited to participate in the 2012 Green Awards. We need 10 positive reviews (4 or 5 stars) by April 30, 2012, to get added to GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Green Nonprofits List. Please submit your story about Reef Relief. Your stories will help us promote our program to over 2 million donors on GreatNonprofits.org, and syndicated to GuideStar, CharityNavigator,GlobalGiving, and JustGive.

Do it now at http://www.greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/reef-relief-inc/green-2012/

MEET THE LOCALS!

8 Q’s & A’s for South Florida

MEET THE LOCALS introduces us to the local, dedicated & inspiring people out there working in some capacity for the Environment. Each month South Florida Green News will feature a different person -usually a local. We will ask each interviewee the same set of five questions, plus three more that they chose from a list we provide! In January it is Mill McCleary

Mill is the Executive Program Director at Reef Relief in Key West. Reef Relief got to work in the Keys protecting reef in 1987 and their history is impressive and their outreach is far and wide. Any friend of the reef is a friend worth having! Here is a mini interview with Mill.

PLEASE ANSWER THESE FIVE QUESTIONS…

1)     What is your website or is there one you would like to recommend? www.reefrelief.org

2)     What environmental policies would you like to see Florida adapt tomorrow? Stronger water quality standards, shutting down ocean sewage outfalls, expanded storm water treatments, permanent protection from offshore oil and gas drilling

3)      What green policy have you seen adapted in a place outside of Florida that you liked? Permanent protection from offshore and inshore oil drilling in Chesapeake Bay

4)      Favorite beach or outdoor spot in Florida? Florida Keys Barrier Reef

5)     Please finish the following sentence, I Love the Ocean because…. it supports all life on Earth.

6)    Biggest change you have made in your life to lessen your carbon footprint? Riding my bike or walking everyday

7)     Book or Film you like to recommend? The Cove

8)      Favorite local place to revive yourself and charge your batteries? Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Read more green news at http://southfloridagreennews.com/

On the 1st of April Key West’s Reef Relief will celebrate its 25^th year of work for the improvement and protection of the coral reefs of the Florida Keys. An anniversary celebration is being held March 31^st from 6pm-10pm at Salute! On the Beach with special guests Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band.

In 1987, Key West residents Craig and DeeVon Quirolo began observing a disturbing amount of physical damage to corals in the Florida Keys from vessels dropping anchors on the reef among other degradation — destroying corals that were perhaps hundreds or thousands of years old. They founded the non-profit organization Reef Relief to take action and started to install mooring buoy fields, using a variety of designs for both large and small vessels along the reef tract.

The organization sought to communicate that coral reef ecosystems are not just corals but are actually a system of interdependent and delicately balanced connections between the water and land. They communicated that coral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth and their conservation must become a global priority. This was expanded to Monroe County schools through a variety of educational programs and the creation of a Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide. In addition, the education and outreach programs were incorporated into the effort to reach out to charter boat captains, commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, divers, and local businesses involved in water sport activities to emphasize the importance of conserving and protecting the coral reef ecosystem.

Later, a Clean Water Campaign was launched to identify problems with sewage, agricultural runoff, cruise ships waste, boating impacts, and other sources of pollution that affected the water quality at coral reefs in South Florida and around the globe. Reef Relief effectively organized campaigns with other sister organizations, government agencies, the business community, and citizens. In 25 years Reef Relief’s achievements include advanced wastewater treatment for the City of Key West, establishment of a boater No Discharge Zone for sewage in the Florida Keys, passage of a phosphate ban for laundry detergents, approval of bans on offshore oil drilling and exploration in South Florida, increased state standards for shallow injection wells, and a host of other actions. Reef Relief has, also, helped to established coral reef conservation programs in Jamaica, Honduras, Mexico, St. Kitts, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Cuba.

Today, Reef Relief continues to educate residents and visitors and to reach out to young people through its Key West based Environmental center, a summer Coral Camp for Kids youth program and its Discover Coral Reefs Schools Program. Last summer, Coral Camp was nationally recognized by the Marine Educators Association. Reef Relief continues to be a lead advocate for state and federal clean water policy. State Program Director Jeff Starkey and Capitol Alliance Group keeps Reef Relief on the front line of state water policy issues in Tallahassee.

This year Reef Relief took over management of the Key West Marine Park which they helped to create in 2001 with the City of Key West.  The marine park will be used as an education and outreach tool in Reef Relief’s work for coral reef conservation.

Reef Relief  invites the community to help celebrate 25 years of work for our coral reefs on Saturday, March 31st, at Salute on Higgs Beach from 6 to 10 p.m. Food will be provided by Salute!,  a cash bar will be available and Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 will be performing. Tickets are $15 before the event and $20 at the door. For more information on the party or to purchase tickets to the event visit http://reefrelief.org and click on the 25^th Anniversary button.

Reef Relief’s Coral Camp 2012 will have 9 week long sessions. Sessions runs Monday- Friday from 8:30 am -4:30pm. Each session is $215 or $370 for two sessions.  Scholarships are available based on need and availability.

Call Reef Relief at 305-294-3100 for more information or to register now.

Coral Camp 2012 Brochure

2012 Available sessions:

Week 1    June 11 – 15
Week 2   June 18 – 22
Week 3   June 25 – 29
Week 4   July 9 – 13
Week 5   July 16 – 20
Week 6   July 23 – 27
Week 7   July 30 – August 3
Week 8   August 6 – August 10
Week  9  August 13 – 17

Some of the 44 cleanup volunteers

On Saturday March 10^th Reef Relief was joined by 44 volunteers for a mangrove cleanup of Shrimp Road on Stock Island. Volunteers removed a whopping 1652 pounds of marine debris from the mangroves. Among items removed were: a message table, plastic bags, tires, a motorcycle frame, and a damaged no dumping sign. Thanks to Stock Island Marina Village for hosting the cleanup and post cleanup BBQ celebration, all the volunteers and Key West’s own Con Leche for providing island sound for this community event.

If you know of a good spot for a marine debris cleanup  please contact Reef Relief at reefrelief@gmail.com or 305-294-3100.