Not much change in the forecast as our end of the week storm system approaches. A large band of rain will move across the First Coast Fri. afternoon & evening. Individual cells will race northeast at 30-40+ mph while the entire line shifts east & southeast at around 20 mph. Fri. will begin nice enough with mild temps. close to the avg. high for the date -- in the 60s but with gusty south to southwest winds & we should see at least some sun. Clouds will quickly thicken as the bulk of the rain moves through between about noon & 9pm or so. We could catch a rumble or two of thunder, but I'm not anticipating widespread storms. Rainfall coverage will be 100% with amounts of about 1-1.5" across SE Ga. & .5-1" across NE Fl.
The cold side of this storm will have a big time winter storm & blizzard. Philly & Washington D.C. are in the crosshairs of the snowstorm with accumulating snow as far north as NYC.
Work continues on rehabilitating sea turtles stung by the Jan. cold. This from the University of Florida:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An initial influx of about 25 green sea turtles turned into more than 80 that received care and support from UF veterinarians in mid-January following record cold temperatures throughout the state. The unprecedented cold snap of below-freezing temperatures for several days posed a severe health threat to thousands of the green turtles, already an endangered species.
Some 5,000 “cold-stunned” sea turtles were collected from the sea at various locations and transported to rescue facilities throughout the state over a 10-day period. About 20 percent of those turtles died. The remainder have been released back into the wild or are being cared for by various rehabilitation facilities.
“Initially, we didn’t have a clear idea how large it was going to get,” said Dr. Brian Stacy, a clinical assistant professor in UF’s Aquatic Animal Health program and a contract veterinarian with the National Marine Fisheries Service. “The role we played was to house as many fibropapilloma turtles as we could so that other rehab centers that don’t keep those kinds of turtles would not have to deal with the biosecurity that the condition requires.”
Fibropapillomatosis is associated with a virus and manifests as wartlike growths. Veterinary professionals like to keep infected turtles separate from turtles without the condition for health reasons. Fibropapillomatosis is 40 percent to 60 percent prevalent in one of the primary areas affected by the cold. It is most worrisome when tumors are large and numerous or when the growths appear in or around the eyes, threatening the animals’ vision and their ability to find food.
Stacy worked with state and federal wildlife agencies to coordinate rescue efforts all over Florida. He was involved in initial health assessments, triage, treatment and release efforts, helping to determine which turtles needed further care at rehabilitation facilities.
“Some of the turtles were actually responsive between 12 to 24 hours and could be released,” Stacy said. “We were identifying those with buoyancy issues, severe tumors, turtles with eye problems or that showed other types of trauma. We were also concerned about turtles that were very thin, since those would need to be kept longer.”
Other members of the Aquatic Animal Health team assisted in various ways. Dr. Mike Walsh and Dr. Jim Wellehan managed the clinical treatment of turtles coming into UF, with help from zoo medicine resident Dr. Natalie Hall, aquatic animal health resident Dr. Jenny Meegan, aquatic animal health instructor Dr. Nicole Stacy, veterinary technicians Jennifer Muller and Linda Archer, biological scientist Heather Daniel and many other veterinary student and staff volunteers. Biological scientist Mike Sapper, who works in the anatomy laboratory, helped set up tubs and pools in advance of the turtles’ arrival. Aquatic Animal Health Program Director Ruth Francis-Floyd helped with water quality management and other logistical aspects that were coordinated and put into place within a day, and with very little notice.
“Most of the turtles we got we were able to save, but some we lost,” he said. “Most were subsequently released and two were held back for removal of fibropapillomas. One of those turtles has been discharged to a rehabilitation facility and another is still being held for possible surgery.”
Stacy said the weeklong rescue effort was challenging for many who volunteered to help out, but that overall he felt the overall response was “incredibly positive.”
“We were able to get large numbers of turtles back into the wild in an appropriate manner,” he said. “This was an unprecedented situation. We had twice as many strandings as we deal with in a given year, and over a period of 10 days.”
It is unclear what the extent of the overall effect of the recent freezes on sea turtle populations will be, Stacy said.
“Green sea turtle nesting has risen in recent years, but this event was a concern especially because it involved so many larger turtles. It takes an animal an estimated 20 to 30 years or longer to become sexually mature, so when that demographic is affected, it’s a concern,” he said.
I'll be at Jacksonville's Great Outdoor Adventure Tree Festival Sat. Bundle up as it'll be windy with temps. in the 50s -- here's the info.:
BOOK CLUB MEMBERS TO HELP CREATE A GREENER CITY
Free tree seedlings from Smurfit-Stone for all event attendees
Mayor Peyton’s Book Club members and their families are invited to attend the second annual Great Outdoor Adventure Tree Festival!, a special, fun-filled event designed to help educate some of the city’s youngest citizens about the importance of trees in the community.
Throughout this FREE Jacksonville Children’s Commission event, members may participate in hands-on educational activities focused on nature and the environment, go on guided nature walks and a book walk, visit with costumed characters, check out and enjoy story tellers, snacks and much more. What’s more, each attendee will receive free tree seedlings of their own, to plant when they get home
WHEN: 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 6
WHERE: Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens, 1445 Millcoe Road
Directions from downtown:
Follow Mathews Bridge east onto Arlington Expressway
Exit right (via flyover) onto Southside Connector northbound
Exit at Tredinick Parkway, head east
Make a left onto Monument Road, stay straight about 1 mile
Just after the 9A overpass, turn left on Millcoe Road
Arboretum will be on the right after ¼ mile
WHAT: RALLY Jacksonville!, Mayor Peyton’s early literacy initiative, includes the Mayor Peyton’s Book Club which provides the opportunity for all 4-year-old Duval County pre-kindergarteners to receive a FREE reusable book bag filled with fun reading tools and a series of 12 Jacksonville-themed books. The Great Outdoor Adventure program, a component of the Book Club encourages members and their families to get outdoors, exercise, incorporate “green” strategies in their lives and enjoy local natural treasures. Club members have the opportunity to participate in monthly themed events with related activities, educational programming, books and story times co-hosted by JaxParks and the Jacksonville Public Library.
The seedlings were grown at Smurfit-Stone's nursery in Rock Creek, Ala., which grows millions of seedlings for reforestation efforts throughout the Southeast. Protecting the health of forests and ecosystems is a key element of Smurfit-Stone's sustainability efforts. Smurfit-Stone promotes sustainable forestry management through its wood procurement operations, business activities, and advocacy efforts.
This event is made possible by the Jacksonville Children’s Commission with the support of the following sponsors: Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Whole Foods Market and Gander Mountain.
The event is a partnership of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages, City of Jacksonville, Florida Division of Forestry, Get Into the Outdoors (GITTO), Greenscape of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens, Jacksonville Public Library, JaxParks, Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission, Radio Disney, University of Florida Urban Forestry Extension Service, WAWS Fox 30/First Alert Weather and the Wildlife Rescue Coalition.
Free parking will be available on site. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes. Portions of the event area are unpaved.
For more information on RALLY Jacksonville! and Mayor Peyton’s Book Club, visit here or call (904) 630-6405.
