LAKEWOOD, Fla. – Lakewood residents living next to the New Rose Creek are taking it upon themselves to ensure marine wildlife is unharmed.
New Rose Creek runs through the northern section of Lakewood and continues under San Jose Blvd before connecting with the St. Johns River.
The creek is known to be home to alligators, turtles, manatees, and other marine life.
Teresa Base is one of several neighbors living along the creek who has been monitoring a family of manatees during the past several days. She said that as she got closer to the water, she could not help but notice trash and other items that could pose a danger to wildlife.
“The amount of garbage that I’ve collected is sad. It’s detrimental to the environment and the river we are supposed to care for. It does damage to the manatees, sea turtles, the fish, I mean everything,” said Base.
News4JAX watched Base and other neighbors retrieve items like soda and beer cans, plastic bottles, Styrofoam food containers, fishing lines, ghost nets, which are nets left behind by people who fish, and even a rusty homemade crab trap that was made from the grate of an air conditioner.
Base told News4JAX that finding trash in the creek is a problem that has only gotten worse.
“I’ve been coming down here for many years, and it’s steadily progressing, and it’s sad to see,” said Base.
Fearing the progression of trash and other items being left in the creek caused neighbors to contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission.
FWC Marine Mammal Biologist Ana Nader said the creek is now on the FWC’s radar. Nader was closely monitoring the family of manatees to make sure they have not been harmed by humans or the items humans dump in the creek.
“We do try to get a good look at their body condition and make sure they are not entangled,” Nader explained. “Debris and other items will often end up wrapped around their flippers or their tail or the dorsal fin in some marine mammals.”
She added that it is important for people to make sure their trash doesn’t end up in the water and that their old fishing lines are removed after they have finished fishing.
“It’s very important for people to responsibly dispose of their trash, including their fishing line,” Nader said. “Those items will often end up in the water and ingested by wildlife, and sometimes wildlife can get entangled in it.”
“We’re trying to help them. We don’t want to hinder their health in any way. So, if people would just clean up after themselves, that would be great,” said Base.
Anyone who comes across a trapped, struggling, or entangled manatee or any other marine wildlife that appears to be struggling due to items left in rivers and creeks is urged to call the FWC 24-hour wildlife hotline at 888-404-3922.