The Osprey Outlook
               A Monthly Newsletter of the Alabama Coastal Foundation 

Note from the Executive Director

Wow! April and May have flown by in a whirlwind of activity- the 7th Annual Coastal Kids Quiz is now history and we welcomed many new members at our 6th Annual Crawfish Craze. If you are a new member of ACF, welcome! I hope that you find this monthly e-newsletter informative and entertaining. I encourage you to get involved with the activities that we will highlight each month, and if there is a particular issue or project you are passionate about- let me know! This is YOUR organization and we want to work on the issues that are relevant to you and the community. There is a lot on tap for the latter half of 2008- stay tuned for the renewal of the volunteer Coast Watch water monitoring program as well as many other exciting projects that we will undertake in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

Local student Jessica Kiser recently won an essay contest that asked students why they should "go green". Jessica's knowledge of this topic and her tips for living an earth-friendly life are something we all can use in our daily lives. One of ACF's primary focuses is education, but in this case, it is Jessica who has inspired us. Congratulations, Jessica, for setting such a great example for the rest of us to follow! Read her winning essay below:

Jessica Kiser: Local Student explains why she chooses to live "green"

Going Green Meridian means a lot of things to me. It is recycling, planting trees and just turning your lights off. We need to save the Earth. God made this Earth for us and we should use its resources wisely. I don’t think that I’ve done enough to save this Earth. Now that Meridian is going green, I think I can help more.

To me, “greening” means many things. It means taking your own shopping bags to the store so we don’t use plastic bags. Also it is making a compost, which is putting old vegetables and fruit peelings in a pile with leaves to make good soil. It is using a hybrid car because they don’t use as much gas as other cars. We also need to turn off our lights when we leave rooms and use natural light when we can.

I think I should start a program that cleans up litter and helps people plant trees and saves the environment. The trees give us oxygen that keeps us alive. Some people may think it is weird to plant a tree, but I think it is weird not to. Planting trees also helps us to get outside and play.

After doing some research, I have found a web site and an environment club. The web site really told me what I can do to help Meridian. I would like other young people to join me in going green. “Going Green Meridian; Saving the Earth one City at a Time!”

Coastal Kids Quiz Teams Compete for Thousands in Scholarships

On April 29 students from nine schools from across Mobile and Baldwin Counties participated in the 7th annual Coastal Kids Quiz.  Teams of fifth graders tested their knowledge of coastal issues in a round-robin style tournament. The competition was fierce as the teams put their hard work to the test through 5 rounds of tough competition. A special thanks goes to all of our volunteers who helped the day go smoothly. Winning team members received education bonds ranging from $600 for First Place to $200 for Third Place and each winning teacher also received $500 cash for use in the classroom) Congrats to the 2008 Winning Teams:

2008 Crawfish Craze a "Craze-y" Time for Fun!

The 6th Annual Crawfish Craze was our most successful yet! Held May 8 at the beautiful 5 Rivers Delta Center on the Causeway, the event once again featured teams competing to cook crawfish, shrimp, sausage and veggies in order to be named the Top Craze-y Crawdad! Congrats to our winning teams: 1st Place- Rogers & Willard; Runner-Up- Thomspon Engineering; Craze-y Spirit Award - Coastal Alabama Parrot Heads. The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the all-you-could-eat-and-drink extravaganza while listening to the wonderful music of Greg Memphis and George Eberlein while watching the sun go down over the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

All proceed from the event benefit ACF's environmental programs. A special thanks to all of our teams and sponsors who worked so hard to make the event a success!

We are hard at work to make next year's Craze even better, so if you didn't make it out this year, make sure to stay tuned to put this don't miss event on your calendar for next year! Check out more pics from this year's event at www.joinacf.org

The Boilin' Brokers of Dauphin Realty

The Coastal Alabama Parrot Heads went all out!

Marsh Planting Date Set for June 7

Mobile County Wildlife and Conservation Association Marsh Planting in partnership with MBNEP and USFWS Volunteers will be planting 4,000 giant bulrush and bull tongue plants. Volunteers please meet at the Chocaloochee/Chocalatta Bay Boat ramps at 7am (just east of the I-10/Bayway ramp on the Causeway). Be ready to get a little wet and muddy. Drinking water will be provided. Extra boats to transport volunteers are appreciated. For more information, contact Tom at the MBNEP office 251-431-6409.

Bay Buddy Program Featured on WKRG TV

The Gulf Coast Bay Buddy Program was presented at Daphne East Elementary on May 13th and 15th to all k-3 students. WKRG Meteorologist Jené Young covered the visit on the WKRG News. You can view the piece at the WKRG web site at http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/bay_buddy_program/13866/.

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