A Little Coastal Science with a Mix of Horticulture

A manta ray bearing a strking resemblance to
Talkin' Tourism show host Gary Guertin.

This week’s topic entrée choice was excellent. The “surf” part was tastefully served up by Florida
Oceano-
graphic Coastal Center executive director Mark Perry, along with his leadership staff, and the “turf” portion of the topic was presented nicely by Amy Dahan, director of the Heathcote Botanical Gardens Gardens. What was for dessert? How about a sweet tour of the Coastal Center’s facilities!


The Treasure Coast is blessed with a unique environment and what a better way to attract visitors concerned about our global environment than to provide an up close and personal look at the diverse eco-systems of our region. Mark provided a great overview of the mission and purpose of the Florida Oceanographic Society. Testimony to the fact this facility is a “people magnet” is that attendance to the site in July was an all time high for the month! Resident research scientist Vincent Encomio detailed the oyster project, and clam nursery, among others that are helping to improve our local estuarine eco-system. And, bring edutainment into the mix with Ellie Van Os and you will learn how they reach everyone from 4-5 year olds to grandma’s and grandpa’s with great camps and programs. Director of development Suzanne Ross shared how YOU can get involved to help the organization continue to best serve the public.


Amy Dahan eloquently informed listeners on Heathcote Botanical Gardens, which draws crowds of plant enthusiasts to Ft Pierce. Shortly, the Gardens will house the largest collection of tropical Bonsai trees in the United States! In addition to continued improvements to the Gardens, Amy shared the group’s involvement with the creation of a regional park, which will be larger than Central Park in New York and help to improve the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon.
History Lady, Robin Hicks-Connors, delivered the weekly "This week in Martin County History," always cool facts to know.

Don’t forget to check out the photos (below) from this week’s show and take a mini-tour of the Coastal Center to see what you’ve been missing. And, here's this week's show for your listening pleasure!

Thanks for tuning in and hope your Labor Day Weekend was fabulous.

Explore a 'new' island--the past, present and future--and, why is our 'poster child' being trashed?

Back from Green Turtle Cay, but next show host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors are back on an island. What island? Our very own Hutchinson Island of course!

Another remote broadcast this week, this time LIVE from the Elliott Museum on beautiful Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida. Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast will explore the past, present and future of what visitors have found to be classic tourist attraction in beautiful Martin County.

Robin, who is CEO of the Historical Society of Martin County, will talk about the past, present and exciting future plans for the Elliott Museum, how many visitors do they attract each year, and about the unique collections and displays visitors and locals will find in the museum.

Florida Oceanographic Society’s executive director, Mark Perry, will also join the crew and share his vision of the continued development of the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center and why this attraction is vital to the continued education of locals and visitors alike, as well about the importance of our ocean and coastal resources.

Also, why is Bathtub Reef Beach, one of Martin County’s most valuable resources, being 'trashed?' Eve Samples recent Stuart News article seems to have stirred up a hornets nest of opinion. Talkin' Tourism will talk about this concern and what can be done. Have an opinion? E-mail Talkin' Tourism: talkintourism@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM or listen to us live from your computer by going to http://www.wpsl.com/ on Friday, August 28, at 10 a.m.

March 6 Show Wrap-up: Domestic & International Baseball and Florida Oceanographic

This week Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin shared the microphone with a new guest co-host, Ed Griffith, who came dressed for the occasion in a tropical shirt, sunglasses and a cap from the Italian Baseball Team that stayed at his property (Courtyard Marriott by Marriott Hutchinson Island Oceanside/Jensen Beach)for four days.

Those who tuned in for golf-talk may have been confused; unfortunately our scheduled golf expert had a scheduling conflict, but guests Paul Taglieri, general manager of the St. Lucie Mets, and Joseph Patton, director of development for the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, filled the hour with lots of great information

Listeners (and viewers who tuned in for the live video-stream) learned the following:

BASEBALL

• Impact of major league spring training at Tradition Field. Many businesses in the area benefit when the Mets are in town, including retail, restaurants and hotels. Once spring training ends, the minor league season begins and runs through September, so it's a full summer of baseball here on the Treasure Coast. Additionally, the fact that the Mets are here, plays to the New York market with regards to advertising and marketing this area of Florida as a tourism destination.

• Baseball entertainment is real family fun, especially in these challenging economic times.

• The World Baseball League was created to promote the sport of baseball globally.

• Many high schools from places as far away as Toms River (NJ), Germantown (PA), St. Albans (Washington D.C.) have been coming to St. Lucie County for Spring training for nearly 26 years. The estimated impact of these "regulars" on the area exceeds 5 million dollars!

FLORIDA OCEANOGRAPHIC

• The Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS), which was founded in 1964, is a membership not-for-profit with the expressed mission “to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through education and research”. This is accomplished through a multitude of educational programs conducted on the site of the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center as will as outreach speakers programs.

• A key endeavor of FOS at this time is to reduce and hopefully eliminate the discharge of water from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River and to restore the natural flow into the Everglades.

• The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is the culmination of the vision of Mark Perry Executive Director and early founding directors. The 57 acres that comprise the campus of the Coastal Center has many unique attractions, including the Sting Ray Feeding Tank (the barbs have been removed from the rays…no danger), an incredible experience for children! The Francis Langford Visitors Center (a gift from Ms. Langford in the ‘80s) has many interactive exhibits and also displays the Francis and Ralph Evinrude collection of fish mounts. The Coastal Center also has two walking trails that pass through mangrove forests leading out to the Indian River Lagoon. Host Gary shared some thoughts on the “early years” when some of the directors including Jordan Fields, Glenn Massnick, Gary Guertin and others were carving out the trails with cutlasses. Working out of a trailer, the vision was never lost.

• A relatively new feature of the Coastal Center is the Game Fish Lagoon which has many species of native fish including snook, tarpon, and snapper. One unique resident of the lagoon is a 10 pound mullet, one of the largest mullet ever seen. The Game fish Lagoon effort was spearheaded by none other than Karl Wickstrom, owner/publisher of Florida Sportsman Magazine.

• The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is a major Martin County attraction. Each year approximately 50,000 visitors learn about coastal environments at the center.

• The Florida Oceanographic Center is a prime example of utilizing the Treasure Coast’s natural assets to promote eco-tourism and nature-based tourism. The center also fosters the protection and preservation of our ocean and coastal resources, which from a tourism economic point of view are priceless and irreplaceable.

Last, host Gary Guertin plugged the Big 'O' (Okeechobee) birding event and provided an “Bahamas Up Date:"

• 5th Annual Bahamas Music and Heritage Festival, March 12-14, 2009; George Town, Exuma
• Art on the Island/Seafood Fest, May 22-24,2009: Bimini
• Abaco Beach Resort at Boat Harbour, Inaugural Wahoo Championship April 2-4, 2009

To view or download the show, click HERE.