Yikes… Time flies!

Yep, it’s that time of year again, when we need to brush-up on the basics of hurricane management and get ourselves completely prepared, in the hopes of never needing to ever use our brushed-up “hurricane skills”.

Well, as with every year, the City of Sanibel puts together their annual “City Hurricane Plan” and this year the public meeting will be held at the Big Arts Center on Dunlop Road on Wednesday, June 1st, from 1pm-3pm.

There are many things on the table to discuss such as the predictions for the upcoming 2011 Hurricane Season, Family Hurricane Planning, City of Sanibel Building codes and much, much more!  Everyone is welcome!

You can read more about it over at CaptivaSanibel.com:  Hurricane Season 2011 Seminar on Sanibel Island

Hope to see you there!

Have a really great week,

Sandy and Rob

p.s. Homes are still at really great prices if you’re in the market – Call us at SanCap One Source Realty

Sanibel Island has always been known as being super dog friendly (see my previous post: Are Pets Allowed on Sanibel Island?), but all of Lee County is striving to give dog owners even more flexibility for their dogs by providing great dog parks and other amenities such as “pet-friendly” hotels and accommodations.

Below are some screenshots of a very informative document put out by Lee County Parks and Recreation detailing 6 different dog parks just ready and waiting for you and your pet to visit!

Also, here’s some general information on all Lee County Dog Parks as an FYI reference:

Enjoy!

Until next week… have a good one,

Sandy and Rob

p.s. The home buying season is picking up… ask us about some really great homes on the market before it’s too late and they’re gone!

Yep, the ordinance was finally passed on July 20th that allows for the eradication of this nasty invasive “weed”, the Brazilian Pepper Tree, that has the potential to change the entire foliage habitat here on Sanibel Island if continued to let thrive untouched!

Property owners in Zone 5 (see map below) have 90 days until October 20th to cut down and “treat” the stump and roots with the appropriate herbicide.  You can read details as to how to do this here: Brazilian Pepper Tree Treatment

If you have any questions, be sure to contact Holly Downing at Natural Resources,  472-3700

Enjoy your weekend!

Sandy and Rob

SanCap One Source Realty

A hot island topic, to be sure, is the use of fertilizers in landscaping on Sanibel Island.

As summer approaches, we all must become aware again of the dangers that fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous have to our local water quality.  The run-off that occurs when placed too close to bodies of water or hard surfaces and storm drains poses a significant threat to our natural environment.

Records show that the sale of residential fertilizer in the Caloosahatchee region increased 62 percent between 2003 and 2006 causing unnecessary risk and potential harm to our coastal wildlife, as well as encouraging algae bloom growth.

The Sanibel Fertilizer Ordinance was adopted in 2007 and to this day, remains an example for all Florida landscapers when it comes to protecting water quality and the local environment.

Many homeowners simply do not understand that over-fertilizing is not only harmful, but a lot of the time is completely unnecessary, especially with a little education in knowing which plants to use in their yards and gardens that do not require fertilizer at all.  You can see an excellent article and list of the right and wrong plants right here at the Sanibel’s Waters excellent website.

An article on News-Press.com just yesterday reminded me that this would be a great topic to discuss today due to its timeliness and need for awareness, so I hope that this has been informational and that you will help spread the word regarding a “Fertilizer-Free Sanibel Island”.  Thanks!

Have a great weekend,

p.s.  Check out our new listings over at SanCap One Source Realty!

Yes, it’s that time again…

It’s Turtle Season!

One of our most treasured and beautiful natural phenomenon here on Sanibel and Captiva Islands is the arrival of the hundreds of female loggerhead turtles that make their way to our beaches and hatch their eggs.

This process officially begins on May 1st and ends on October 31st of every year.

There are many island regulations that go into effect when Turtle Season arrives, some of which include the dimming of city lights that disorient the hatchlings as they make their way toward the sea via the moonlight.

Another biggie is the careful use of furniture on the beaches, as well as simply wandering around and stepping on turtle nests in the sand unknowingly.

You can find the most up-to-date information on this subject over at the website of our friends at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation or there’s also some great information over at MySanibel.com

Have a great weekend!

Until next week,

p.s. Lotsa cool stuff over at our main website as well at SanCap One Source Realty

Did you know that April is Water Conservation Month in Florida?

No time like the present to brush up on some of our daily habits that could use a little improvement.

Did you also know any of these little facts?

April is Water Conservation Month because it’s one of the “driest” months of the year here in Florida and therefore, many more people are out watering their lawns and changing out their pool water.

Water conservation on Sanibel and Captiva is managed by two organizations:

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and the Island Water Association (IWA).  Here is a fascinating old (very old) document outlining the actual History of the Water Conservation, Sanitation and Salination processes on Sanibel and Captiva Islands dating back to the 1950s.

I also came across a handy list for saving on water use, as we all seem to take clean and plentiful water for granted these days and we shouldn’t.

You can download the pdf document here.

Here you go:

Lastly, I found another couple of great links for tips on saving water through effective Yard Landscaping and Gardening, as well as a great Home Water Use Audit (click to download) below that you can check out and see how you’re doing right now with regards to your current water habits!

So, think of this post as you water your lawns this month, ok? 

Enjoy your week…