Save Guana Now

The purpose of this post is to call out false and disparaging allegations that were made by a former Save Guana Now volunteer, Gloria North. She has written publicly that she was a Save Guana Now Board member for two years. That is false. She was never a board member at any time, nor has she ever attended a Save Guana Now board meeting. We have five board members, and she is not one of them. She volunteered for our 2017 Gala, and she says she attended our garage sale fundraiser.

Ms. North also publicly misstated the goals of Save Guana Now in a false and disparaging manner. And she made false and disparaging statements about one of our founders whom she claimed to have worked with "for several years." Also false. She claims that political conversations took place between them that never occurred. She has called this founder an "infiltrator" in a political organization of which the founder is not even a member.

Fortunately, this situation is a first, and we are fortunate to have so many supporters whose hearts are in protecting the Outpost property for the long term, and who would never make statements to compromise our organization or disparage those who have sacrificed their time and money to protect those 100 acres of conservation land from development.

We remain very concerned about the future of the Outpost property, particularly with the county's comprehensive plan under revision, and the current commissioners leading a comp plan effort that is heavily biased towards developers' input as regards the Land Development Code. As we've stated before, we believe the Outpost property to be owned by the CEO of Dreamfinders Homes. (Not by Gate, as Ms. North falsely claims.) We will be in touch with you via email in more detail. Thank you for reading this brief update.

If you're looking for a meaningful way to spend Earth Day Monday, you've found it. The good news is 26 coastal acres are going to be protected near the airport in St. Augustine on the Tolomato River. The bad news is... developers are not following the tree protection rules in the adjacent PUD. On Monday, advocates are speaking out to protect over 200 trees in that adjacent PUD, impacting roosting and possibly nesting habitat of roseate spoonbills, wood storks, and other wading birds. The Monday effort is a plea to the City of St. Augustine to enforce the rules of the Madeira PUD adjacent to the 26 acres. The goal is to create a large buffer of significant trees between the future county park and the development.

We need as many people as possible in PINK shirts Monday, to show support. You don't need to speak. Just show up April 22, at 5 PM in the Alcazar Room at St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King St. This will be fairly brief. Advocates Vicki and Bill Payne will be speaking out during public comment at the very beginning of the meeting. Your presence is needed. Please take an hour (at most) out of your day to do this. A strong showing by the public could make all the difference. Bring a friend! Get there at 4:45.

This is the advocates' last ditch effort to save as many trees as possible for the birds.

This is a fantastic event, and tickets are a little cheaper before March 30, so buy them now! Beautiful setting on the Guana River, great food and people and lots of terrific live auction items. Get your ticket(s) before they sell out (as they always do)! Hope to see you there!

Join us for a mesmerizing night under the moon! Enjoy food, drinks and celebrate the estuary with us! Tickets sell out quickly, get yours before they’re gone at bit.ly/EveningfortheEstuary/Tickets!

TODAY, 5:30 Commissioner Krista Joseph will be at the Ponte Vedra Library to hear what's important to you. Bring questions. (Tuesday March 26)

Some great news - and you helped make it happen! The Florida legislature has passed a balloon release ban - that will save the lives of turtles, sea birds, cattle, and many other animals in Florida - and wherever the balloons and their strings may land.

IF you signed a petition to help make St. Johns County the first in Florida to ban balloon releases - thank you! If you didn't, well it's not too late to pitch in -- and help remind people to never release balloons outside. As soon as the governor signs, it will be the law. https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/florida-bans-intentional-balloon-releases/ #:~:text=Florida%20Bans%20Intentional%20Balloon%20Releases%20%2D%20Oceana%20USA&text=Today%2C%20Florida%20House%20lawmakers%20passed,into%20effect%20July%201%2C%202024.

Please sign and share to protect endangered sea turtles in St. Johns County - and statewide! This bill is going through committees now! SHARE!

Tell your representatives: Ban Intentional Balloon Releases Released balloons become harmful litter that endangers wildlife, such as seabirds and endangered sea turtles. Tell Florida state representatives to ban all intentional balloon releases by cosponsoring and supporting HB 91, which is a bill to update the current state statute.

Please sign and share! This bill will allow killing of black bears with no investigation required to determine if it was for defense, or simply wanton killing without justification. Black bears are a protected species.

Sign the Petition Help Protect Florida Black Bears!!! Stop Senate Bill 632 & House Bill 87.

Please help our waterkeepers by writing your legislators to oppose this bill that will protect polluters. This form makes it so easy to make your voice heard!

Help us protect our right to take polluters to court SB 738 and HB 739 will make it harder for advocates to take polluters to court to protect the environment. Help us stop this bad bill by taking a couple of minutes to email our legislators to tell them to vote NO on SB 738 and HB 739.

Our 4 developer-funded commissioners put politics before common decency, ignoring a time-honored tradition. Tuesday was THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS that a SJC commissioner was passed over for the position of Vice Chair, and instead of it going to Commissioner Krista Joseph, it was handed to a man who was not even elected to his position - Roy Alaimo. The four commissioners dismissed seniority in the annual selection of Vice Chair (yet Krista honored them when it was their turn, despite her differences with them.)

Roy Alaimo voted to DEVELOP THE OUTPOST (100 acres of conservation land) when he served on the PZA, and he voted to develop undeveloped land 103 out of 105 times. Commissioner Dean spearheaded the 15% sales tax increase that was later rejected in a landslide, and he voted to develop undeveloped land 100% of the time during a three-year period . Whitehurst's constituents begged him to slow down the growth while he voted for a total of over 12,000 NEW HOUSING UNITS.

Thank you Commissioner Krista for representing the people, not the developers.

Election Day August 20, 2023.

Please SHARE!

Click our update here to learn about trees that were saved in our county! Then read about even more trees that will not be protected. PLEASE SHARE....

Trees: Great News/Bad News Greetings! Starting with the great news.... Many large oak trees were SAVED by St. Johns County engineers, after residents - led by Save Guana Now - complained about red X's appearing on 36 trees on M

ATTEND: This TUESDAY! OCTOBER 17th, 9 a.m. (or 9:30); The County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine
SEND EMAILS TO COMMISSIONERS TODAY!:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] SHARE this email!
We’ve all seen those stark, clearcut moonscapes for new developments. Here's the good news: we have a chance to save more trees from the chainsaw. Commissioner Krista Joseph has 14 points for consideration, and on Oct. 17, county staff is presenting recommendations.

The National Association of Home Builders has reported that nearly 90% of home owners want builders to leave as many trees as possible on their lot.

One tree can save a homeowner on air conditioning costs for years to come. Trees also increase property values and prevent flooding.

The cooling effect of trees can save $900 per year for a 2,000 square foot house.
Trees can increase the value of a home by up to 20%. Apartments with trees rent more quickly and tenants stay longer. Trees create privacy and reduce noise.
Trees prevent flooding by taking up water. They also prevent erosion by stabilizing soil with their roots.

Allowing more trees to survive helps people survive.
Trees lower air temperature by up to seven degrees during the day and help prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths. During our hot summers, trees can be life-saving.
In one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide and release oxygen in exchange.
Leaves filter out air pollutants which are harmful to health.
When trees are clearcut they’re often burned, causing respiratory problems. The county has no jurisdiction over the burning of trees, so nearby residents suffer.
Shade from tree-lined-streets allows people to exercise more outside and to walk instead of drive. Research shows visual exposure to trees reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.

Trees also provide food, shelter and habitat for wildlife.
Please come to the October 17th meeting and show your support for Commissioner Joseph’s 14 points to save more trees in St. Johns County. The meeting starts at 9 am, but two brief agenda items will come first. Be there by 9:30. Write commissioners today. Don’t delay.

9:30 a.m., Oct. 17 at the County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine SEND EMAILS TO COMMISSIONERS TODAY:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Here are examples of improvements we can make that other Florida counties are already doing:
Retain minimum tree buffers so that the privacy of an existing subdivision is protected when a new subdivision is built right next to it.
Increase the percentage of original trees to be preserved when a developer creates a new subdivision. A special tree saving device can be used to protect tree roots when soil it brought in, without an increase in home construction costs.
Increase the fines for illegally-removed trees. Our current fines are so low, they’re often considered the cost of doing business by developers.
When trees are removed, ensure that replacement trees are of adequate size and quality.

Some say new trees will grow where the clearcutting took place, but it takes a generation for trees to mature. And old growth trees take much longer to be replaced by a new tree. Why are we throwing away this valuable natural resource when practical steps CAN be taken to save more trees? Write your email to commissioners today, and we’ll see you Oct. 17th at the county auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine.

Instead of using Roundup on weeds....

Love this, from David Zinn, a chalk artist, Ann Arbor, MI

Please sign this petition for our friends in Jacksonville who have been fighting to save this very special parcel for four years now. They've kept the bulldozers out, but they need to fight until the land is protected in perpetuity. A number of endangered and protected species inhabit the land and surrounding water. After you sign, can you ask 3 others to sign?

Sign the Petition Save critical Florida habitat for endangered species on Broward Pointe!

Perfect timing!

📸 Sunny Miles

St. Johns County has a new logo with the slogan "Florida at First Sight." Does anyone know what that means? It's not the first county you see when driving to Florida. Is it really that hard to find a decent ad agency in St. Johns County to "brand" us in an understandable way? How much $ was wasted on that? And what does the square symbol with the arrows mean? This looks like a high school student created it. We're embarrassed. This is a great county that deserves better.

Sign and SHARE! Don't forget to turn it public when you share. This would be very bad news for our environment if the governor signs this bill. https://1000fof.org/veto-sb-540-petition/

Veto SB 540 Petition Please join us by signing this petition opposing SB 540, which would threaten ordinary Floridians with financial ruin for legally challenging amendments that violate the blueprint for growth in their communities’ comprehensive plans. If enacted, SB 540 would make those plans unenforceable.

Fantastic news!!! Flagler County has followed the examples of St. Johns County and Jacksonville, and has passed a county-wide balloon and lantern release ban! https://www.observerlocalnews.com/.../to-protect-marine.../ We began this effort a year ago in Flagler County, and are thrilled that it's finally passed the county commission! https://www.observerlocalnews.com/.../to-protect-sea.../
Thank you Flagler County for helping to protect endangered sea turtles, sea birds and terrestrial animals too.

To protect marine wildlife, Flagler Beach bans balloon releases | Observer Local News Sea turtles, seabirds and other animals can mistake balloons for food or become entangled in their strings.

Always check out the corner of Mickler and A1A for great bird action! 14 spoonbills and one anhinga found the perfect feeding spot - this is Guana River.

Why we're fighting and will continue fighting to protect Guana for as long as we have to.

A beautiful couple recently donated $500 to Save Guana Now in the memory of Gwen Coulliette - wife of Save Guana Now co-founder Gary Coulliette. Gwen always loved our area and the Guana Reserve . This generous donation will go towards saving the paradise we have around us. https://www.saveguananow.org/honor-with-a-donation?fbclid=IwAR1Q1yF11d2qJq_LkLI4tYi9HK_3VWZHQrji7ZFeszh4CXUPX1mrvp98Xoc