Sykes Creek Kayak Clean-Up

08/25/2026

Together we’re making waves for a healthier Lagoon! 🌊🐟

🌱 Restoring the Indian River Lagoon Starts at the Shoreline 🌊

💧 Lagoon habitat restoration is all about bringing life back to the Indian River Lagoon by improving water quality, rebuilding critical habitats like oyster reefs, and making our shorelines more resilient.

🦪 One key strategy is living shorelines - natural solutions using mangroves, grasses, and oyster beds to reduce erosion, support wildlife, and absorb wave energy. Unlike seawalls or bulkheads, these nature-based systems grow stronger over time, improve biodiversity, and help restore balance to the lagoon.

💚 These efforts are made possible by programs like the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon initiative and the One Lagoon - Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program. Thanks to voter support and community partnerships, restoration projects across Brevard County are creating real impact, from oyster reef restoration to clam rehabilitation.

🙌 Want to help?
Visit helpthelagoon.org to learn how you can volunteer, become a member, and stay up to date on upcoming events and ways to protect our lagoon.

Together, we’re making waves for a healthier lagoon! 🌊🐟

08/11/2026

One of the most underrated “livers of the river”

🦪Oyster reefs are not just beautiful underwater structures; they play a crucial role in our ecosystem! 🦪

🐠Oyster reefs in the Indian River Lagoon are like bustling underwater cities, providing homes and shelter for numerous marine creatures. Their complex structure supports biodiversity by creating habitats for fish, crabs, and other marine life.

🌱 Beyond their role as homes, oyster reefs act as natural filters, improving water quality by removing pollutants and excess nutrients. They help maintain a healthy balance in the delicate ecosystem of the lagoon, contributing to clearer waters and supporting the growth of seagrasses.

🌍 Creating & protecting these reefs is vital for the health of our local environment. By preserving oyster populations and their habitats, we're not only safeguarding marine life but also ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

Many local groups are doing tremendous oyster projects in the lagoon.
Let's raise awareness and appreciation for our oyster reefs in the Indian River Lagoon! Together, we can make a difference.

07/28/2026

Mangroves!!

🌿 When it comes to protecting the Indian River Lagoon, mangroves are a powerhouse. These incredible trees do it all:

✅ Absorb wave energy and reduce erosion
✅ Stabilize soil during storms
✅ Build land naturally by trapping sediments
✅ Provide nursery habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp, and oysters
✅ Store carbon and help fight climate change
✅ Filter pollutants and improve water quality
✅ Support birds, mammals, reptiles, and more!

Compared to manmade seawalls, living shorelines with mangroves and grasses offer long-term benefits. While seawalls can crack, collapse, or reflect waves (making erosion worse), natural shorelines adapt—growing stronger over time, boosting biodiversity, and looking beautiful, too.

🛠️ When a seawall fails, it can cost you. But a living shoreline often takes care of itself.

💚 Want to help protect and restore the lagoon?
Visit helpthelagoon.org to volunteer, become a member, or find upcoming educational events hosted by the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition.

07/23/2026

📣 Help provide insights into Lagoon research! Voices needed!!

“Hi everyone! I’m a PhD student working on my dissertation on the restoration of the Indian River Lagoon. Right now, I’m studying Brevard residents’ perspectives both in person at parks and libraries (maybe you've seen me!) and online through a survey about restoration governance, trust, transparency, communication, and taxation.

Some of you may remember helping me with a similar survey during my pilot research. You all came through for me to a frankly legendary degree. That response shaped not only this phase of the project, but the direction of my dissertation as a whole. I am enormously grateful to everyone who participated then and to anyone willing to help again now.

I’m aiming for around 300 completed surveys. So far I have 50. This is where I really need your help. The survey takes about 20 minutes, and I would be eternally grateful to anyone willing to share their thoughts.

You can find the link here: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_022m3k6zgjaiixM

The study is IRB-approved, meaning it is unlikely to traumatize you or physically harm you in any discernible way. The first page is the consent form, which explains the study in more detail. After that, you’ll be off to the races answering questions about trust, transparency, communication, restoration priorities, and taxation.

Please reach out with any questions, and thank you again for helping make this research possible!”

07/18/2026

Beautiful blue bio!

07/16/2026

🌿 Six years. One creek. Dozens of volunteers. One shared purpose.

What began after seeing the trash left behind following the Merritt Island Christmas Boat Parade has grown into a community movement to protect Sykes Creek.

Every year tells a story:

🛶 2020: 8.6 lbs — We simply wanted to make a difference.
💙 2021: 25 lbs — More volunteers joined the mission.
🌧️ 2022: Severe weather kept us off the water, but not off our mission.
🌿 2023: 40 lbs — We returned stronger than ever.
💪 2024: 160 lbs — Our biggest cleanup yet, proving what a committed community can accomplish together.
🛶 2025: 45 lbs — Less trash collected isn’t a disappointment—it’s a sign that prevention, awareness, and stewardship helped reduce the litter.

Together, we’ve removed 278.6 pounds of trash from Sykes Creek.

Every bottle, fishing line, can, tire, and piece of plastic removed is one less hazard for manatees, dolphins, birds, fish, and the Indian River Lagoon we all love.

This isn’t just about picking up trash. It’s about building a community that cares enough to keep showing up.

To every volunteer, partner, sponsor, and supporter—thank you for helping turn one small idea into a lasting tradition. Here’s to an even cleaner Sykes Creek in the years ahead. 💙🌿🛶

07/15/2026

Social Media Giving day!

07/14/2026

A few simple steps can make a BIG difference!

🌱 Save Water. Help Your Plants. Protect the Lagoon. 💧

Have you seen sprinklers running in the rain—or water flowing down the street instead of soaking into the soil? That runoff isn’t just wasted water—it picks up fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants that end up in our Indian River Lagoon. 🌊

A few simple steps can make a BIG difference:
✅ Aim sprinklers at your plants, not the pavement
✅ Repair broken sprinkler heads or pipes
✅ Turn off irrigation during rainy weeks
✅ Use drip irrigation for garden beds and trees
✅ Install rotary nozzles or rain sensors

Overwatering weakens roots, encourages weeds, and wastes resources. Switching to Florida native plants can save even more since they thrive with little to no irrigation once established.

🌿 Be water-wise. Be Lagoon Friendly.
👉 Learn more: HelpTheLagoon.org/lagoonnews