Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed
A Story of Four Animals and Their Neighborhoods
read-a-long with Author Carol Mahler, five student Adventurers and six environmental educators in 16 videos
Learn about the environment of southwest Florida through the adventures of four animals: a yellow-crowned night-heron on the Caloosahatchee River, an alligator on the Peace River, an otter on the Myakka River and a mullet in the estuaries. The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) created this 60-page book to help children better understand the natural environment of southwest Florida.
This is a cooperative effort of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (who published the book) and the Lee County Environmental Education Program. (who created the videos). The videos feature:
author Carol Mahler
five student Adventurers
environmental educators
Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Anita Forester, Desoto County Outdoor Classroom
Anji McStravic Lee County Environmental Education Program.
One video is a conversation between the author and illustrator Rachel Renne about writing and illustrating the book.
Special thanks to many others who made this project possible.
Lee County Public Schools
ETV Team: Jason Sill, Dr. Sandra Agle, Bobbi Charlwood, George Schwick, Susan Tulis
Curriculum and Staff Development - Environmental Education and Science Program: Rick Tully, Pam Burt, Anji McStravic, Joelle Hammes, Brian Murphy
Manatee Elementary School: Heidi Brennan, Jill Lousao
Tice Elementary School
Franklin Park Elementary School
Lee County Parks & Recreation: Nancy Kilmartin, James Lee Waller, Kelly Williamson
Music by Doug MacGregor
Bonita Bay Resident Wildlife Sponsors: Anne Macias, Jacke McCurdy
NOTE: The readings are of the 2011 edition of the book.
The videos can be seen on:
CHNEP's YouTube channel (see below),
from the Lee County School District website and you can
Links below are to videos posted on YouTube.
Chapter 1: Tidal Caloosahatchee River
Section 1: Hickey Creek Swamp
Section 2: W.P Franklin Lock and Dam
Sidebar and discussion: Lock and Dam, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 3: Fort Myers Shores
Sidebar and discussion: Yellow-Crowned Night-Herons, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Sections 4: Owl Creek and Trout Creek
Section 5: S.R. 31 Drawbridge
Section 6: Manatee Park
Sidebar: Lee County' s Conservation 20/20 Program
Section 7: Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Sidebar and discussion: Mangroves, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 8: Russell Park
Sidebar and discussion: Flooding, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Sidebar and discussion: Residential Development, read by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Section 9: Lofton Island and Centennial Park
Sidebar and discussion: Dredging, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 10: Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve
Sidebar and discussion: Kinds of Mangroves, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 11: Redfish Cover
Sidebar and discussion: Canals, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 12: Fisherman Key
Sidebar and discussion: Florida Gulf Refuges, read by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Chapter 2: Peace River
Section 1: Banana Creek Marsh
Sidebar and discussion: Alligators, read by Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Section 2: Lake Hancock
Sidebar and discussion: Dams, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Sidebar and discussion: Lake Hancock Dam, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Sidebar and discussion: Phosphate, read by Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Section 3: Peace River
Sidebar and discussion: Phosphate Mining, read by Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Section 4: Peace River Park
Section 5: Fort Meade Recreational Park
Sidebar and discussion: Exotics and Invasive Exotics, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 6: Pioneer Park
Section 7: Peace River Canoe Trail
Sidebar and discussion: Alligator Behavior, read by Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Section 8: Brownville Park
Section 9: Desoto Park and Morgan Park
Sidebar and discussion: Beef Cattle, read by Kayton Nedza, Hardee County Outdoor Classroom
Section 10: Lettuce Lake
Sidebar and discussion: Visible Pollution, read by Anita Forester, DeSoto County Outdoor Classroom
Sidebar and discussion: Salinity, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 11: Shell Creek
Section 12: Alligator Bay
Chapter 3: Myakka River
Section 1: Myakka Head
Sidebar and discussion: Otters, read by Anji McStravic, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Explains sidebars written by experts
Section 2: Flatford Swamp
Sidebar and discussion: Agriculture, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 3: Myakka City Park
Sidebar and discussion: Invisible Pollution, read by Anita Forester, DeSoto County Outdoor Classroom
Section 4: Tatum Sawgrass Marsh
Sidebar and discussion: Myakka Island, read by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Section 5: Upper Myakka Lake
Sidebar and discussion: Surface water, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 6: Lower Myakka Lake
Sidebar and discussion: Land Stewardship, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 7: Carlton Reserve
Sidebar and discussion: Ground Water, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 8: Snook Haven
Section 9: Jelks Preserve
Section 10: Myakka State Forest
Sidebar and discussion: Fire, read by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Sidebar and discussion: Endangered Species, Threatened Species, Species of Special Concern, read by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Section 11: El Jobean
Section 12: Tippecanoe Bay
Chapter 4: Estuaries from Dona and Roberts Bays to Estero Bay
Overview of mangroves
Section 1: Lemon Bay
Sidebar and discussion: Mullet, read by Anji McStravic, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 2: Stump Pass Beach State Park
Sidebar and discussion: Seagrass, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 3: Don Pedro Island
Section 4: Cape Haze and Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Sidebar and discussion: Mullet life, read by Anji McStravic, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 5: Gasparilla Island State Park and Cayo Costa State Park
Sidebar and discussion: Hypoxia, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 6: Pine Island Sound and National Wildlife Refuge
Sidebar and discussion: Shellfish and Aquaculture, read by Rick Tully, Lee County Environmental Education Program
Section 7: Sanibel Island and San Carlos Bay
Sidebar and discussion: Fishing by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Sidebar and discussion: Barrier Islands by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Section 8: Mound Key Archaeological State Park
Sidebar and discussion: Intracoastal Waterway, read by Melissa Cain Nell, Manatee County
Section 9: Estero Bay Preserve State Park
Sidebar and discussion: Florida Aquatic Preserves and State Buffer Preserves by Toni Westland, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Section 10: Lovers Key State Park
Conversation between author and illustrator
Supplemental
Carol Mahler talks with Rachel Renne about writing and illustrating the book.