Current Happenings...

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Lee Fox, SOS's director, (second from left) accepting the $2,000 check

Tampa Bay ParrotHeads in Paradise Club Fundraiser for S.O.S.

Members of the Tampa Bay ParrotHeads In Paradise Club held a fundraiser the evening before the 2003 Jimmy Buffett concert in Tampa Bay which resulted in a $2,000 donation to S.O.S.

The club has generously supported the work of S.O.S. since the 1993 Tampa Bay Oil spill, and their support is greatly appreciated!!

Visit the Tampa Bay ParrotHead Club's Site

The purpose of the Parrot Heads in Paradise is to promote the national network of Parrot Head Clubs as a humanitarian group sharing information and social activities for mutual benefit. The organization will engage in activities that are charitable, educational and that promote the general welfare of the community. Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc. is a Not-For-Profit Corporation, whose purpose is to assist in community and environmental concerns and provide a variety of social activities for people who are interested in the music of Jimmy Buffett and the tropical lifestyle he personifies.

"Don't Cut the Line" Fishing Signs

Another project SOS is working on are signs for local fishing piers warning people fishing not to cut their line if they hook a seabird. The signs give details on how to hold the birds and remove the hooks.

The signs will be made from weather resistant aluminum and will be posted at obvious fishing locations in the bay area.

The funds for the project came from the money collected from the spillers of the 1993 Tamp Bay oil spill, received through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the NOAA Restoration Center.

Download a "pdf" version of our "Don't Cut the Line!" manual HERE!

Installing a "Don't Cut the Line" sign at the John's Pass Village pier

Because of the overwhelming acceptance of these signs, SOS has applied for a two part grant to extend the area for these signs to include the entire Tampa Bay watershed. (This will include installing 1,300 additional signs.)

The first half of the grant has been accepted by Department of Environmental Protection Restoration Funds.

Signs installed at the Sunshine Skyway North Fishing Pier

January 16th, 2001 saw the installation of the first of the "Don't Cut the Line" signs on the North Sunshine Skyway fishing pier in Tampa Bay at the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

Shown in the photo at right and representing many of the agencies involved in the project are from left at right, Lee Fox (Director SOS), Bryan Pridgeon (US Fish and Wildlife Service), Jane Urquhart-Donnelly (Florida Department of Environmental Protection), John Iliff and Tom Moore (NOAA Restoration Center), Domenic Letobarone (also of Florida DEP), and Robert Wilson (Asst. Park Manager, Gulf Island Geo Park, Florida Park Service, part of Florida DEP.)

This is the latest of the many signs to be installed on Florida's West Coast during this ecucational project spearheaded by SOS. (Watch for more to come!)

The North Skyway Fishing Pier sign with representatives of the agencies participating in the project

"Seabird Savers"

SOS is in the process of construction of the "Seabird Savers" for the local fishing piers around Tampa Bay. These tubes will allow people cleaning fish to dispose of the fish carcasses after cleaning in a way that doesn't hurt the seabirds.

(In case you didn't know, the exposed bones in fish carcasses left after cleaning often, if fed to seabirds, puncture the birds digestive system, causing infection and often the death of the bird. DON'T FEED YOUR FISH CLEANING SCRAPS TO THE BIRDS!!)

The tubes will extend from the fish cleaning stations on the pier down into the sand below the water line. The scraps sink harmlessly to the bottom through a port cut into the lower section of the tube where they are eaten by other sea life.

Funding for this project came from the Tampa Bay Estuary program.

SOS volunteers installing the first "Seabird Saver" at John's Pass Village (click to see a larger image)

Moving the "Seabird Saver" into position at the cleaning bench (click to see a larger image)

Aligning the top of the Seabird Saver with the cleaning bench (click to see a larger image)

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