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Fields of Plenty

In a year of crisis for Florida’s manatees, eelgrass restoration makes Crystal River a lifesaver.

“How amazing is this?” cries Maria Fuller to her toddler as they paddle over a field of rich green eelgrass swaying just below the surface of Crystal River’s Kings Bay. “It’s so clear!”

Maria and Sean are young RV Living Vloggers featuring travels with their kids on the YouTube channel The Fuller Life. Snorkelling underwater, they see a manatee mother and calf feeding nearby in a solid bed of eelgrass.

“There were literally manatees everywhere,” says Sean.

On Florida’s Gulf Coast, Crystal River may seem like paradise to many, but if you’re a manatee, it really is.

“The population in Crystal River and Kings Bay is doing quite well,” says Justin Grubich of Pew Research’s work on seagrasses in Florida. “The restoration work efforts with eelgrasses goes a long way toward supporting a healthy manatee population.”

But elsewhere in Florida, all is not well in manatee land. In fact, if you care about manatees, 2021 is a year you might want to forget.

Manatee fatalities, particularly along the Atlantic Coast, were devastating. Statewide the manatee mortality rate was 957 by October, a record that is twice the five-year average and amounts to, at the very least, one-tenth of the state’s manatee population.

The key driver of this manatee apocalypse: the loss of saltwater seagrasses and their freshwater cousins, eelgrasses.

“I’ve been struck by the contrast between Kings Bay and those places,” says the University of Florida’s Roger Reep, one of Florida’s foremost manatee experts. “It’s like night and day.”

So why are the Crystal River and Homosassa populations thriving while other manatees are dying? It’s all about grass.

First, there’s the newly created Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve just offshore in one of North America’s richest ecological treasures.

“There’s no hyperbole here,” says

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Justin Grubich, “The seagrasses of the Nature Coast and the Big Bend is the largest spring-fed seagrass meadow in the world and at this time the healthiest and most pristine there is in the United States.”

Second, restoration work inland along Crystal River’s Kings Bay has paid off.

In 2015, with funding from the Florida Legislature, the group Save Crystal River began a pilot project to try and restore eelgrass—a once dominant native vegetation—to Kings Bay. At first, there was doubt it could work. Then came success.

“I’m amazed by how it has spread throughout the bay,” says Roger Reep. “The eelgrass came back in leaps and bounds and it’s just been wildly more successful than anybody would have predicted.”

The process is intricate and time-consuming. It starts with literally vacuuming up dead vegetation that settled on the bay floor over many years to expose Kings Bay’s natural sandy floor.

Then, by hand, divers plant plugs of a unique species of freshwater eelgrass developed at the University of Florida that tolerates salinity.

The project includes ninety-two acres, and now a similar effort is underway on the Homosassa River.

“Instead of algae slime, the bay began getting clear again,” says Save Crystal River’s Lisa Moore, “it’s getting healthy again and eelgrass is growing like crazy.”

“It’s sort of a sweet spot,” says Roger Reep, “it doesn’t just benefit the manatees, it benefits everyone.”

Cuba Welcomes Tourists are Borders Reopen

With gorgeous beaches and a unique Caribbean flair, Cuba is a popular vacation destination. After nearly two years of strict restrictions due to the pandemic, a drastic reduction in flights to Cuba, and a U.S. ban on most travels, the island’s borders are open for visitors!

After vaccinating most of its people with a home-grown COVID-19 vaccine, Cuba’s border restrictions have eased, allowing them to welcome back overseas visitors and begin revitalizing their tourist industry.

Drastic safety measures implemented by the former U.S. administration have hobbled the business and left it trailing behind regional competitors such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Cancun.

As of last month, Cuba requires visitors to carry proof of vaccination or a recent PCR to enter the country, replacing what were previously among the strictest protocols in the Caribbean, involving a quarantine period and multiple PCR tests.

A fully vaccinated population will prove a key selling point for an island already well-regarded for its safety, beaches, and turquoise waters, said Francisco Camps, who supervises Spanish firm Sol Melia’s 32 hotels in Cuba.

“Cuba will be one of the safest sanitary destinations and we believe that we can reach visitations similar to 2019 by the end of next year,” he said.

Cuba’s vaccines are currently under review by the World Health Organization, and most trial data has yet to be peer-reviewed. But among countries with more than one million people, Cuba is vaccinating faster than any other, according to a Reuters tally of official data.

The government says the pace is paying dividends, with COVID-19 cases and deaths falling off at least 80 percent since their peak mid-summer. At least 90 percent of the population has received at least one dose of one of the country’s three-dose homegrown vaccines.

“We are in a favourable moment as we begin to recover our customs, to be able to visit relatives and go on vacation, as well as improve economic activity,” Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia said this month.

The pandemic closed schools, entertainment venues, and restaurants as it reduced the all-important tourism industry to near-zero, exacerbating an economic crisis that has left residents short of food and medicine.

Cuba received more than four million tourists in 2019, contributing 10.6 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) and much more through supply chains and informal economic activity.

But this year, just 200,000 guests have arrived, and only another 100,000 are expected, Minister Garcia said.

Cuban economist Ricardo Torres said those numbers meant a “devastating” 92 percent drop in tourism this year, compared to 2019.

“So we are talking about next year for any real tourism recovery...which generates a knockon effect and so is decisive to economic recovery,” said Torres, a visiting professor at American University in Washington.

The U.S. embargo sharply limits trade with Cuba, so the country depends heavily on flows of foreign currency and basic goods that travellers and the Cuban diaspora bring to the island.

Despite mounting optimism as tourism resumes, officials have cautioned economic recovery will be more gradual than initially thought, following a sharp drop of 10.9 percent last year and another 2 percent through June.

The Varadero beach resort is already partially open, including for the domestic market, for which it is the favourite destination.

And life is slowly returning to the colonial district of Havana as it prepares to once more welcome visitors after a 19-month hiatus.

“Old Havana has been sad all this time because there have been no tourists,” said Ernesto Alejandro Labrada, the owner of the Antojos restaurant, now packed with Cubans enjoying a meal before the visitors return.

(Source: Reuters)

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Do Orlando North: Charm, Nature, and Adrenaline in the Heart of Central Florida

Few destinations offer as many year-round opportunities for adventure as Orlando North. From natural springs and historic town squares to boardwalks and bike trails, here’s what to add to your Central Florida itinerary.

WEKIWA SPRINGS STATE PARK

Florida’s beaches may have worldwide fame, but it’s the natural springs you won’t want to miss during your visit. Orlando North is home to Wekiwa Springs, one of the state’s largest and most spectacular all-natural attractions. These sparkling, crystal clear waters stay a cool 72 degrees throughout the year—perfect for staying cool, even on the warmest of days. Rent a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard and explore the river. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife! You might catch a glimpse of a gator or manatee enjoying a swim.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SANFORD

If historic charm and unique shopping are on your trip checklist, plan a day in Downtown Sanford. Start with a morning cup of coffee and fresh pastries from a café to fuel up for a stroll along the lakefront boardwalk. Grab lunch and a cold drink at a brewery or bistro, then pop into boutiques and antique shops to find a one-of-a-kind souvenir. You’ll have your choice of dinner options, from German classics to southern BBQ, and don’t forget dessert!

SEMINOLE WEKIVA BIKE TRAIL

Flowing through 14 miles of Orlando North, the Seminole Wekiva bike trail connects Lake Mary to Altamonte Springs, with plenty of sights to see on your ride. Take a break from pedalling to check out the “Paint the Trail” art installation, ranging from portraits of pop culture icons to landscapes. If 14 miles is too long of a ride to take on vacation, pack a picnic and make a pitstop at a local park, or take a short detour over to one of the area’s restaurants or cafes for a pick-me-up.

CRANES ROOST PARK

Uptown Altamonte’s Cranes Roost Park offers the best of both worlds—a place to enjoy a beautiful Florida day outdoors surrounded by nature, but just steps away from dining, shopping, and more. With a onemile paved walkway along the lake, covered seating areas, and a European-style plaza featuring a choreographed fountain show, this park is the perfect spot to take it easy for an afternoon. Want to stay active instead? Lace up your sneakers for a run around the loop and get your heart pumping before the next adventure on your itinerary.

BLACK HAMMOCK AIRBOAT TOURS

For those looking for a highspeed, adrenaline-rushing way to experience Florida’s picturesque lakes, look no further than Black Hammock’s airboat tours. On this 30-minute ride through Lake Jesup, you’ll come up close with Florida’s wildlife, namely gators, as over 10,000 have been

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recorded at this location! But don’t worry; this is a perfectly safe, family-friendly activity and a memorable addition to your Orlando North excursion. Plan your adventure-packed getaway at

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Fields of Plenty