Southeast Coast Network News May 2018

Monroe Area High School Students Help with Network Website

Students from Monroe Area High School's Advanced Placement Environmental Science class helped the Southeast Coast Network re-write text for the new website. The students, pictured below, are taught by Ms. Haley Nagle. For more information on this outreach project, see the article here.

Pictured above, from left, front row, Susanna Kennedy, Anijah Guzman, Dylan Narain, and Ny'Asia Keys. Middle row, Caeden Mason, Annabelle Bindraban, Katlyn Phelps, Meghann Wright, Grace Swafford, Marissa Wilkins, Danielle Jackson, and Ms. Haley Nagle. Back row, Johnathan Elgie, John Ramming, Garren Walker, Sarah Gonshorowski, Bailey Murray, Rain Bell, Myranda Perkins, Jake Stonebraker, Savannah Brooks, and Darnell Green.

NPS Photo / Wendy Wright

Ten simple ways to protect yourself from Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Graphic from https://www.lymedisease.org

Tick Safety

Tick prevention tips from Southeast Coast Network's Safety Officer Eric Starkey.

Spring and summer tick season is upon us so please remember to be cautious and prevent bites and illnesses. Our work often takes us to wooded and brushy areas. The following tips will minimize tick encounters:

1. Avoid tick prevalent areas when possible.
2. Use 20% Deet or similar repellents that are active for several hours.
3. Tuck in your shirt tail and pant legs.

When you leave a tick habitat, remember to check for ticks, and remove any you find from your body. Remove embedded ticks using fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool. Pull up with even pressure to ensure removal of the head and mouth. Timely tick removal helps prevent illnesses.

If you get a tick bite at work you should report the tick bite to your supervisor immediately, but do not submit a CA-1 injury or CA-2 illness report. Your supervisor should:

• Record the tick bite in a local tick log; or
• Submit an accident report into SMIS for historical reference. Make sure the SMIS report is marked first aid / Non-OSHA Recordable.

For more information see: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html, https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/ticks/personal-protection/
NPS SER Risk Management Site: https://sites.google.com/a/contractor.nps.gov/ser-risk-management-site/home

Upcoming Field Work

Salt marsh monitoring is scheduled at Cape Loookout National Seashore May 11 through May 17. Pete will be collecting water-quality data from sondes on May 9-10 at all Georgia and Florida coastal parks. Field staff will be taking a Motorboat Operator Certification Course in Santee, South Carolina April 30 through May 4. This course is required for all network staff that operate a motorboat in any national park unit.

Juncus romerianus marsh provided the foundation to walk into and successfully access the Cape Hatteras National Seashore salt marsh site.

NPS photo / Lisa Baron

Coastal Shoreline Monitoring

Network staff have completed 2018 spring shoreline monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Shoreline monitoring field work at Cape Hatteras National Seashore was postponed due to inclement weather and was conducted April 20-27.