La Rue Bijou - Reduced Use of Plastics & Impact on the Indian River Lagoon

 

                         Presentation by Heather Stapleton of the Indian River 

National Estuary Program 

 

 

The monthly newsletter implied the guest speaker would talk about plastics. What more could any of us learn about plastics?  A lot!

Speaker Heather Stapleton of the Indian River National Estuary Program quickly clarified the focus—not  how to recycle but how to reduce consumption of plastics to protect the Indian River Lagoon.

“We keep making and buying more plastic while recycling less of it,” Stapleton said.

She highlighted a few challenges of recycling plastics. 

·      -  Single stream recycling—where all recyclables put in one bin--has not increased recycling, especially of plastics.

·       - Worldwide, only 9 percent of plastic is recycled. Even less is recycled locally and the remainder is burned, buried or becomes litter.  

·       - Plastics account for about 18.5 percent of total municipal solid waste in landfills.

To understand some of the challenges of recycling plastics, Stapleton took us on a virtual tour of a Material Recovery Facilities, or MRF, for recycling and landfill.

 

  “The reality is on a windy day, stuff [outside] gets blown around,” she explained, showing photos of a lime rock road littered with paper and bottle caps.

  “The danger is runoff from the [nearby] canal, which is pretty much untreated, can go to the lagoon.”

The interior of the MRF, where she said she goes “more often than anyone should,” is filled with noise and smells.

“It’s somebody’s job to sort through our stuff.”

 In single stream recycling, sorting involves removing plastics (like bags) that can jam machinery or that contain contaminants (like grease or food) or chemicals, which could result in diverting these plastics to the landfill. 

Stapleton also addressed the problem of WISH cycling--when well-intentioned but uninformed consumers fill their recycle bins with items they hope will be collected. 

 Part of the problem stems from items labeled by manufacturers as recyclable but which are not recycled by the county MRF. It’s up to the individual consumer to be informed.

 Plastics, which contaminate our environment, break down into microplastics--(MPs), less than 5 mm in diameter (about the size of a #2 pencil eraser)—and can enter ecosystems with storm- or wastewater discharges or rainfall and are then ingested by humans and wildlife alike, negatively affecting entire ecosystems. (The silent invaders) 

 Given barriers to recycling and the challenges facing all of us, Stapleton shares a hopeful message. That her audiences will take on the personal challenge of reducing single-use plastic and striving for a plastic-free lifestyle.

 Stapleton said she has joined social media groups to share ideas. She also takes reusable containers to shop or to restaurants. She recommends farmers markets.

“I’m always on the lookout. . . Always new things,” she said, citing efforts undertaken by European countries.

The lively talk ended with a Q & A, which continued long after the meeting had been adjourned.

  

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NOTE  - Presentation by Heather Stapleton, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, on March 9, 2026.

Sponsored by the Conradina Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Monthly meeting are held the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 2745 S.  Babcock St., Melbourne, Fla. 32901.

“I roam far and wide,” Stapleton told the audience before her talk. She has given 28 presentations in three months, most of which were in Brevard County. She brings to her talks an extensive knowledge of recycling and an understanding of consumer behavior and a sense of humor.

 Membership in a Native Plant Society - anyone can attend these meetings, but membership fees help support projects, such as outreach/ education and native plant gardens. After each meeting, attendees can take home a native plant. 

 Related Works 

  Ayres, K.J. “The Issues in the Indian River Lagoon.” One Lagoon. 22 January 2026. https://onelagoon.org/the-lagoon/the-issues/. Accessed 11 March 2026.

“Microplastics—The Silent Invaders.” The Deep Dive Blog. Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. 8 November 2023. https://wildlifeflorida.org/microplastics-silent-invaders/. Accessed 11 March 2026.

“Why Aren’t We Recycling More Plastic?” United Nations Development Programme. 28 November 2023. https://stories.undp.org/why-arent-we-recycling-more-plastic. Accessed 11 March 2026.

 

 

La Rue Bijou - A Birder By Any Other Name . . . .

 

 

 

Whether you refer to them as birders, twitchers (UK) or cochers (France), these terms describe those people who constantly monitor birding hotspots via apps and social media. Whose camera bag and suitcase remain packed for a 4 a.m. trip to see a rare species on their list. This interest can become an obsession.

 “Hardcore twitching can come at a cost – not just financially but emotionally. It can strain friendships, ruin marriages, jeopardise jobs, and drain bank accounts, all in the name of spotting that one elusive bird,” Peter Davies writes in his article about UK birders. 

 

 The terminology used to describe birders is often derogatory. In fact, a birding friend says she if she calls herself a birder at a social gathering, it’s a conversation stopper.  

Many of us non-birders—the stumble-upon variety like me—have made unfair assumptions  about birders.

--that their concentration focuses on anything with feathers, not unlike the concentration of a Great Egret eying a lizard.  

- that they prefer to go birding alone in silence rather be accompanied by the constant chatter of a well-meaning non birder.

- that they insist on punctuality when it comes to birding jaunts 

On the other hand, birders encourage (not proselytize) the non-birder variety. They demonstrate an inordinate patience with our errors in identification (sometimes embarrassing) and lapses of memory and concentration. They understand our tendency to flock to see colorful divas rather pursue some of the rare species nearby.

They assimilate and regurgitate complex information and dole it out in bitesize tidbits to maintain interest but not overwhelm. They are willing to share their binoculars so we too can view.

 This past week I returned to the Orlando Wetlands at a reasonable hour (9:30 a.m.) with my birding friend. We parted ways when we arrived—she had her bucket list, and I had my colorful divas (Roseate Spoonbills) and fledglings to see. 

 

Photographers, birders and amateurs look toward rookeries on the right 

  

 Weekdays are the best times to visit. But on weekends, large crowds flock here. 

Few people notice the avian antics on display to the left side of the boardwalk. The exquisite plumage of the anhinga as it dries its wings. The heavy-bellied coots that splatter and splash as they attempt something of a run-fly maneuver, skimming the water surface with their lobed feet. A purple gallinule, with its brilliant oil-slick colored plumage, walks atop lily pads. A few great egrets and spoonbills fly overhead, carrying nesting material. If you look closely, an alligator—at least one—lurks beneath watery vegetation. An opportunistic reptile.

 

Coots, with their big bellies, short wings and lobed feet, make a splatter across the water as they run and fly.

                                                A bird returns with nesting material. 

Given the size of the crowd of spectators, it’s surprisingly quiet--only whispered conversation like in a museum or library and the rapid click-click of digital cameras. Binoculars and telephoto lenses aim at the rookeries to the right where bright tufts of white and pink feathers fill low-growing trees. The nesting Great Egrets and Roseate spoonbills I saw two weeks earlier now have fledglings to feed and care for.

 Birding rookeries are like apartments in terms of tenants and conversations and comings and goings. From the boardwalk, I hear what sounds like happy and contented muttering. Occasional laughs and squawks. Crashes and thrashes. Croaks. Guttural sounds.

In nearby cabbage palms and low trees, somewhat hidden by thickets of vines, egrets and spoonbills make compatible neighbors. Across the waters, in higher trees, wood storks congregate. The Great Blue Herons perch in large nests in cypress. The sandhill cranes build nests in the reeds. One pair has chosen an area along the sandy berm, a favorite site for alligators also. It’s an area where I dare not tread.

                                A rookery of Great Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills.

                                             Busy times in the rookery. Roseate Spoonbill parents                                         oversee the feeding & care of their chicks, often called "teaspoons." 

Great Egret with its chicks and spoonbills overhead. 

                            The Great Blue Herons builds its nests stop cypress trees. 

                                            Wood Storks nest in trees above. 

I’ll continue to be a “stumble upon” naturalist--not a birder—but each visit to a birding site provides an opportunity to learn more about the few species I can identify.  For now, I’ll leave the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Vermillion flycatcher, Glossy Ibis and Black Crowned Night Heron for the true birders.

 

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The Orlando Wetlands is located at Christmas, Fla., approximately 33 miles northeast of the Orlando International Airport and 50 miles northwest of Melbourne. 

It's open daily EXCEPT MONDAYS (when its closed) from sunrise to sunset.  Check the FaceBook listing for updates and photos. 

 

 

FYI - If you want to learn more about the birders themselves, I’d recommend the movie, “The Big Year,” (2011), which provides a humorous and touching portrayal of the competitive race for the highest number of species sighted.  

 

Works Cited

Davies, Peter. “What Is A Twitcher?” 12 January 2026. https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-watching-for-beginners/what-is-a-twitcher. Accessed 4 March 2026.

 

Related Works

Gicquel, Jérôme. « Qui Sont Les Cocheurs, Ces Passionnés Qui Se Prennent Le Bec Pour des Oiseaux Rares ? » 26 January 2023. https://www.20minutes.fr/planete/4020652-20230126-cocheurs-passionnes-prennent-bec-oiseaux-rares. Accessed 4 March 2026.

 “Six Annoying Habits of Bird Watchers.” BWD Magazine. https://bwdmagazine.com/adventures-in-birding/reflections-on-birds/six-annoying-habits-of-bird-watchers/. Accessed 5 March 2026.