Mother Nature Network has a slide show of eight eco-friendly beaches around the world.
USA Today reports that several Gulf Coast hotels are now offering oil-free beaches guarantees.Read the full story: Gulf Coast hotels roll out oil-free beach guarantees"It's frustrating to get the word out that the beaches are fine," says Park Brady, CEO of ResortQuest International, one of the largest operators of vacation rental companies on the coast.
ResortQuest, which typically charges a 15% deposit and full payment shortly before arrival, is issuing full refunds if customers can't use the beach. "It eased a lot of fears," Brady says.
National Parks Traveler reports on the dilemma Cape Cod National Seashore officials have with managing crows that are killing endangered piping plovers.While seashore officials go over their shorebird management plan and continue to invite public comments on how best to deal with crows and plovers, shorebird management activities will continue as in previous years with the use of enclosures to protect nesting plovers from predators. In addition, the seashore will implement a flexible shorebird management approach this summer on several high visitation beaches.Read the full story: Cape Cod National Seashore officials revisit plan to kill crows to help piping plovers
The Seattle Times reports that more Oregon Coast seabirds are being killed by beach drivers. Sharnelle Fee, director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, said she found the bodies of eight protected seabirds on Saturday, scattered on the sand just north of the entrance to Gearhart Beach on the Oregon coastRead the full story: Beach drivers killing birds on Oregon coast
Fee has found the bodies of dead birds just about every week this summer. In June, a young motorist hit and killed nearly 50 seabirds near Long Beach on the Washington coast. "In many instances, the tides just wash the bodies away," Fee said. "I think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg."
Global Post reports on the Taiwanese nuclear power plant looming over a popular beach. To date, Taiwan has a near spotless nuclear safety record. That means few here fear having their beach time ruined by a meltdown. "Maybe we've just been lucky," [A 52-year-old parking lot attendant] added with a laugh.Read the full story: Welcome to Taiwan's nuclear beach
But he said the beach has changed dramatically since he was a child. Then, coral covered the shallow sea floor. "Now, they're all dead," he said. "I don't know if it's because of global warming or the nuclear plant."
National Parks Traveler updates the story Ecotravel News has been following on beach closures to allow birds and turtles nest in peace along Cape Hatteras National Seashore.NPT reports that there are over 100 sea turtle nests, that, according to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologists, is 30 percent above normal
Read the full story: First piping plovers, now sea turtles
National Parks Traveler updates the story of man vs. wildlife in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Reuters via Environmental News Network reports on the record high levels of plastic beach trash on British beaches that pose great threats to marine life such as whales, dolphins and seabirds:"[Environmental group] the Marine Conservation Society, which campaigns for cleaner beaches and seas, said plastic litter has increased by 126 percent since its first survey in 1994.Scores of marine wildlife species, including seals and turtles, have died after eating plastic or drowning after getting tangled in debris or old fishing nets, it said.
In the last decade, the amount of plastic drinks bottles has risen by 67 percent, plastic bags by 54 percent and cigarette butts by 44 percent, the society said."
“The closures are still fairly controversial,” said Mr. Prokop, whose team did an assessment last winter to find alternative trails should some be closed for the plovers. “We try to be reasonable in our closures to provide access, but the protection of a threatened bird species that’s protected under the Endangered Species Act is paramount.”
