Adopted by the beachgoers of Anna Maria Island, in recognition of those who were here first.
When in the course of summer events it becomes necessary for one species to acknowledge the rights of others that share this shore — a decent respect for the natural world requires that we declare the causes which move us to act with care.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all creatures who nest upon this beach do so with rights that predate our beach chairs. That the loggerhead sea turtle has been coming ashore on these very sands long before the first beach umbrella was staked. That the least tern chicks now running on new legs have as much claim to this shoreline as anyone carrying a cooler.
Therefore, we the beachgoers do hereby declare:
That we will respect the beach at night, so that nesting turtles may come ashore undisturbed by light or noise or the shuffle of feet.
That if we are fortunate enough to witness a sea turtle emerging from the Gulf, we will give her space, keep silent, turn off our lights and stay behind her — for she knows where she is going.
That we will remove our chairs, canopies and toys from the beach at nightfall, and fill in every hole we dig, so that no turtle crawling toward a nesting site meets an obstacle we left behind.
That we will honor every posted sign — keeping 10 feet from a sea turtle nest, 300 feet from a shorebird colony — not because we are told to, but because we understand why.
That we will keep our cats and dogs away from the shore, our drones grounded near the bird enclosure, our fireworks off the beach and our trash in its proper place — because food scraps draw predators, and litter entangles the very creatures we came here to see.
That we will speak up, kindly, when others do not know these things — and call FWC at 888-404-3922 if they will not listen.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the beauty of this island and its wild residents, we mutually pledge to each other a flat, dark and clean beach — the only Independence Day gift that a nesting sea turtle, a least tern chick and a black skimmer actually need.
Happy Independence Day.
Share the shore.
Turtle talks with AMITW
AMITW’s Turtle Tracks & Shorebird Facts is a free weekly presentation at 10 a.m. Mondays through August at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
For more information, visit islandturtlewatch.com or call 941-301-8434.
By the numbers
As of June 26, AMITW reported 301 nests, 362 false crawls and 17 adult disorientations.
Beach cleanups planned
Volunteers are needed for a post-holiday cleanup at 8 a.m. Sunday, July 5, at Manatee Beach Park.
The cleanup is organized through Manatee County. Organizers say even small pieces of trash can have a lasting impact on marine ecosystems and wildlife.
Registration is required via events.humanitix.com/5th-of-july-beach-clean-up-manatee-beach.
For more information, contact Shelby Reece at shelby.reece@mymanatee.org.
The county’s helpline is 311 or 941-748-4501.
In addition, the city of Holmes Beach, Keep Manatee Beautiful and Waste Pro will welcome volunteers for a beach cleanup at 8 a.m. Monday, July 6.
People will meet at the 52nd Street beach access, where a canopy will be set up for registration and distribution of cleanup materials.
For more information, call the city code compliance department at 941-778-0331.
