Friends of Padre: News

(Corpus Christi, Texas) - Padre Island National Seashore will conduct a Sobriety Checkpoint on Saturday, September 7, 2013 on Park Road 22 near the park's Entrance Station. The purpose of the checkpoint is to detect and apprehend alcohol and drug impaired drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recognized impaired driving as one of the nation's most often committed and deadliest crimes. According to NHTSA there were 3399 traffic fatalities in the state of Texas in 2012, with 32 percent being alcohol/DUI related. In addition, NHTSA reports 50 percent of Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic collision in his or her lifetime. Sobriety checkpoints are a proactive deterrent and are one of the most effective methods of reducing the amount of impaired drivers who pose a serious threat to innocent, unsuspecting motorists traveling our roadways. So far this year, Law Enforcement Park Rangers have charged 59 drivers for driving under the influence (DUI) and issued 169 citations for other alcohol and drug violations. This checkpoint will support the continued detection and deterrence of alcohol and/or drug impaired driving and will contribute to a safe park experience for all visitors.

Tropical Depression Six Form in the Bay of Campeche Summary of 4 PM Information Location: 19.5 North, 95.5 West Maximum Sustained Winds: 35 mph Present Movement: West at 12 mph Minimum Central Pressure: 1006 MB / 29.71" Forecast: Tropical Depression Six has formed in the Bay of Campeche this afternoon. The depression is forecast to strengthen to a Tropical Storm (Fernand) later tonight, and will make landfall in the state of Veracruz, Mexico on Monday. The only direct impacts South Texas will experience from this tropical cyclone is an increase in dangerous rip currents along gulf beaches, and possibly water run-up to near the sand dunes during high tide Monday Night. South Texas Impacts: Wave Heights, Swell, and Tides: Wave heights offshore will increase to 4 to 6 feet Monday and Monday Night, with swell periods of 7 to 9 seconds. Tide levels during high tide at Bob Hall Pier have been running near 1.5 Feet MSL. There is a possibility long period swells may push tide levels to near 2 Feet MSL during high tide Monday Night, resulting in water run-up to near the dunes. Rip Currents: A moderate to possibly high risk for dangerous rip currents will occur Monday and Monday Night. The rip currents will be most frequent and strongest near the vicinity of structures such as jetties and piers, but can occur anywhere along gulf facing beaches of the barrier islands. Both the strength and frequency of these rip currents will result in surf that is potentially dangerous for all levels of swimmers. Rainfall: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, not directly associated with this tropical system, are expected across South Texas on Monday. Rainfall amounts between 1/2 and 1 inch are expected Monday, however due to the scattered nature in coverage some locations will receive less, and other locations possibly more.

From Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release is scheduled for 6:45 am on Saturday August 3 at Padre Island National Seashore, on North Padre Island. No fee is charged to watch our public hatchling releases. However, sometimes hatching speeds up or slows down, necessitating cancellation of the scheduled public release. So before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Friday August 2, then the release will be held as scheduled. RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am. At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings. After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities. FUTURE RELEASES: As of Friday morning, 4 clutches have not yet been released from the group expected to be released between about August 1 and 5. It is too early to know how many clutches from this group will be released in the next 24 hours and hence whether any will be remaining in incubation from this group and potentially available for a public release on Sunday or Monday. Hatchlings from the next group of 4 clutches will be released sometime between August 10 and 13. Hatchlings from the last Kemp's ridley clutch will be released sometime between August 23 and 25.

A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release is scheduled for 6:45 am on Saturday July 27 at Padre Island National Seashore, on North Padre Island. No fee is charged to watch our public hatchling releases. Six clutches are in various stages of hatching so there is a good chance that the release will be held as scheduled. However, sometimes hatching speeds up or slows down, so before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Saturday July 27, then the release will be held as scheduled. RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am. At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings. After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities. buy cialis

A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release is scheduled for 6:45 am on Saturday July 20 at Padre Island National Seashore, on North Padre Island. No fee is charged to watch our public hatchling releases. However, only two clutches are advanced in hatching, and if the hatchlings go into their frenzy during the middle of the night and have to be released then, the public release must be cancelled. So, before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Saturday July 20, then the release will be held as scheduled. RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am. At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings. After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities. And yes, the photo is from the release held today (Friday July 19).

David Ainsworth Sr. sent an email to Friends of Padre President, Billy Sandifer that he had acquired a "Rolligon" to use at the cleanup. A few years ago David brought a front end loader to the cleanup. One of the volunteers was pulling a trailer that had gotten so heavy it broke the ball off of the hitch of the truck that was hauling it and the only way out was with the front end loader with David at the helm. David pulled that trailer out 20 plus miles going backwards with a tow strap attached to the bucket. He mentioned something pokie casino online to Billy about wanting to get a different piece of equipment. David wrote to Billy "Billy, If you remember me telling you that I needed a Rolligon with floatation tires and 3 trailers to pull behind it with tall sides......well, here it is.......see the attached picture.... your seat will be right beside mine so you can ride along beside me......."   The Rolligon will make its debut in the 2014 Big Shell Cleanup thanks to the generosity of David Ainsworth Sr. and Ainsworth Trucking. Friends of Padre cannot express what a godsend this piece of equipment will be to our efforts!

From the Padre Island NP Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release is scheduled for 6:45 am on Friday July 12 at Padre Island National Seashore, on North Padre Island. No fee is charged to watch our public hatchling releases. However, sometimes hatching speeds up or slows down, and only two nests are advanced in hatching, so before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Friday July 12, then the release will be held as scheduled. RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am. At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings. After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities.

On Sat., 23 Feb, 500 volunteers picked up 45 tons of trash and cleared 10 miles of beach.  The “Friends of Padre” had meticulously planned every phase of the event and the weather conditions were the best in many years.  Lots of good deeds done which will result in lots of good Karma.  Congratulations everyone: you did great. A big than you to outdoor writer, David Sikes, Everett and Pam Johnson and Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Ron Behnke and the Saltwater Angler for promoting the event.  The support of NPS PINS personnel, the Coastal Bend Audubon Society, Sharkathon, C2Mhill and Laura Paul, Casey and the crew from David Ainsworth trucking continue to be invaluable.  So is the support of CCA Corpus Christi Chapter, Daniel Dann and Domino’s Pizza, Stephen and Donna Gregory, Smartshield Sunscreen, H. E. B. s, “Fishbites”, Gambler Graphics, workers from Citgo and Team Industrial Services and Michael Laskowski Sr. and Jr. of Tra-Work Inc. Railroad Maintenance of San Antonio for once again furnishing work gloves to volunteers. Your Brother in the Sand  Billy [gallery ids="245,246,247,248,249,250,251,252,244"]