Nature Center

Visit Our Website: www.tgonaturecenter.org

8AM - 5PM Daily

The Nature Center at The Great Outdoors The Nature Center at The Great Outdoors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit self-supporting organization. Donations may be tax deductible.

COMING UP AT A GLANCE

January 2023

09 9:00 am Addison Trail Maintenance-Trailhead 11 9:00 am Addison Trail Hike-Trailhead 16 9:00 am Betty Salter Trail Maintenance-Nature Trail Trailhead 18 9:00 am Betty Salter Trail Hike-Nature Trail Trailhead 18 9:30 am Nature Center BOD Meeting-See Article 18 7:00 pm Nature Program–Birding In The Columbian Andes” PM

NATURE CENTER MONTHLY MEETINGS

Wednesday, January 18 at 9:30 am

A regular meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at Dolly Akers’ home located at 221 RESCHEDULED Harmony Lane.

Wednesday, February 08 at 2:30 pm

Our next Nature Center monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 08. The meeting will be held in the Plantation Manor. Please

note date, time and venue change from our regularly scheduled meetings. Everyone is welcome to attend our monthly meetings!

23 9:00 am Pisarz Trail Maintenance-Trailhead 25 9:00 am Pisarz Trail Hike-Trailhead 25 7:00 pm Nature Program-”North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation” PM

LIB– Library NC—Nature Center PM—Plantation Manor PV—Pavilion

TRAIL MAINTENANCES AND GUIDED NATURE HIKES

Trail maintenances and guided nature hikes are listed below with meeting locations. Long pants, long sleeves, hiking shoes/boots, insect repellant, sunscreen and water are recommended. For trail maintenance, please bring gloves, a rake or loppers and for hikes, you may want binoculars and/or a camera. To volunteer for trail maintenance or for any questions, please text Betty Salter at 321-223-8073 or you may send her an email at bettysalter@hotmail.com. Unless otherwise

noted, meet at each respective trail’s trailhead on the golf cart nature trail. TRAIL MAINTENANCES

Monday, January 09, 16 and 23 at 9:00 am

01/09—Addison Trail @ Trailhead 01/16—Betty Salter Trail @ Nature Trail Trailhead 01/23—Pisarz Trail @ Trailhead

GUIDED NATURE HIKES Wednesday, January 11, 18 and 25 at 9:00 am

01/11—Addison Trail @ Trailhead 01/18—Betty Salter Trail @ Nature Trail Trailhead 01/25—Pisarz Trail @ Trailhead

NATURE PROGRAMS

Wednesday, January 18 and 25 at 7:00 pm

Join us in the Plantation Manor for our nature programs. Our upcoming programs are listed below. Monetary donations are gratefully accepted to help offset the speaker fees.

January 18—”Birding in the Columbian Andes” Sam Fried will be the presenter of this program. Traveling through the northern Andes Mountains, from the low valleys of only 1,000' elevation to peaks of over 14,000', I was fortunate to see hundreds of species of birds. January 25— ”North Atlantic Right Wale Conservation” Julie Albert, Coordinator of MRC North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Program. Only 340 surviving members of this species and January and February are the best whale watching months in Brevard, so it would be great to get people excited and get them to the beaches to help us find and protect them.

NATURE CENTER AND ALLIGATOR BROCHURES

You can pick up a Nature Center brochure and ”A Guide To Living With Alligators” in the mail facility to learn about the Nature Center and the American Alligator. Pick one or both up the next time you pick up your mail.

NATURE TRIVIA QUESTION

What is a baby squirrel called? The nature trivia answer can be found under “Contacts” on the next page.

TGO Residents—Join Our TGO Nature Center Facebook Group

8AM - 5PM Daily

Nature Center Facebook Group

If you are a TGO resident, join us on Facebook. Search TGO Nature Center Facebook Group on Facebook. We share nature photos and help with identifications.

AMERICAN ALLIGATOR– PART 3

Linda Adams used to write educational articles for the Nature Center and we are fortunate to still have many of her articles. The article below is part of the American Alligator article she wrote during the 2000-2001 season. Enjoy! The first two years are the most critical in the life of an alligator. Eighty percent or more may fall victim to wading birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and even larger alligators. Once an alligator exceeds 4 feet, it is relatively safe from predators, but still may be vulnerable to cannibalism. Alligators are carnivores. Young alligators eat insects, snails and other invertebrates, frogs and small fish. At a length of about 6 feet they begin to feed predominantly on fish, turtles, snakes, waterbirds, and small mammals. Larger alligators occasionally take deer, hogs and domestic calves. The adaptability of the alligator to man's encroachment on the reptile's natural habitat has resulted in alligators being found in what would seem to be unlikely places: underneath cars or RVs on driveways and in drainage ditches, swimming pools and golf course water hazards. An alligator's awesome countenance and menacing jaws evoke fear and respect from humans. Although the alligator is a predator, its appetite includes almost anything and, unfortunately, there have been a small number of tragic alligator attacks on people. Even though the risk of a person being injured by an alligator is very low, it does exist. The most successful prevention to an alligator attack is: DO NOT FEED THEM. Florida law prohibits feeding wild

alligators. (Information Source: Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission) Column Prepared by Linda Adams

NATURE CENTER BUILDING STATUS

As of late December, the Nature Center building remains closed. The insurance company is performing a peer review of the cleaning company’s quote and we cannot move forward until after the review is completed. This process has taken longer than anticipated and we thank everyone for their patience.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Add Nature Center membership to your New Year’s resolutions either by renewing your existing membership or joining as a new member. Dues are only $10 per person per year and benefits this unique self-supporting TGO amenity! Member benefits include:  Members-only/members-first events  Quarterly member newsletter "Nature Chat" (in season)  Monthly Nature Center events calendar (in season)  "Next Week With Nature" emails with reminders of the next week’s events and activities (in season)  A vote in the Board of Directors election  A voice in deciding the future of the Nature Center  Laminate members' documents such as an insurance card, etc.  Ability to stay active with volunteer opportunities Join or renew your membership at the Wednesday night programs beginning in January, at our monthly meetings or drop them off at 225 Addison Way. Contact Sharon Maloney at 770-294-6362 or email her at maloney95@comcast.net with any questions.

NATURE CENTER CHRISTMAS TREE

Our Nature Center President, Dolly Akers, again this year took the lead to bring some cheer to the Nature Center by placing a tree at the end of the driveway. Dolly posted on the TGO Nature Center Facebook Group asking members to decorate the tree with nature-themed ornaments with beautiful results! Thank you, Dolly, for bringing the Nature Center some Photo By Darlene Durham Christmas cheer. We need it this year!

CONTACTS

Editor/Lead Writer Sightings Around TGO Nature Center Website Nature Shows/Slideshows Nature Center Facebook Group Darlene Durham 321-268-0199/321-747-5874 darlenedurham@yahoo.com

kitten. A baby squirrel is called a kit or

Nature Trivia Answer Injured Animals

Activities & Volunteering

Assist in Selling Large Items Used Recycled Ink Cartridges

Sandy Juba-321-543-0502 sjubatgo@gmail.com

Schedule Meeting Room

M/W/F am and T/TH pm

Cory Lucas-321-264-2393 Other Meeting Room Days and

Times and Enclosed Porch

Loretta Anne’ -321-385-9667

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