Charity Award Gets Social Media Face Time
GMF produces video for the Offshore Technology Conference

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation recently produced a video about a generous donation it received in May 2011 from the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which was held in Houston, Texas. The video is posted on the GMF website as well as the  foundation's YouTube page. The OTC presented the GMF with its first annual charity award in which OTC members generously contributed $200,000 to support its efforts in habitat restoration and conservation education in the Gulf of Mexico. The Foundation applied this money towards the purchase of 15 acres of wetlands next to the future site of the Gulf of Mexico Habitat Restoration Technology Training Center (HRTTC) which will be located in Galveston, Texas. The GMF plans on investing significant funds into improving this wetland area in order to display the full diversity and productivity of a coastal wetland. In addition, the award also helped fund the Foundation's Down Under Out Yonder annual expedition to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary . Science teachers from across the country spend five days at the Flower Garden Sanctuary learning about and exploring amazing coral reef habitats. The foundation's DUOY expedition is scheduled for July 6-11, 2012.

GULF OF MEXICO FOUNDATION STAFF      |   OUR HISTORY

Earth Day/Bay Day 2012 in Corpus Christi, Texas
The GMF Education Program Manager celebrates Mother Earth

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation in partnership with the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory officially premiered its Let’s Migrate Like a Whooping Crane game at this year's Earth Day/ Bay Day celebrations in Corpus Christi and Victoria, Texas. The Whooping Crane game teaches children about the 2,400 mile migration of the infamous endangered bird! The game and the Whoop song are just two components of the Whooping Crane curriculum which will be launched in June 2012. Hundreds of people visited GMF’s Earth Day/Bay Day booth and got the chance to make hand print art in the shape of the Whooping Crane’s favorite food, the blue crab. GMF Education Program Manager, Suraida Nañez-James said the dance and art projects were a big hit. “The game and song provide a fun and engaging way for all kids to participate and learn about such an important subject. The kids can also begin to understand the importance of protecting wildlife and preserving natural habitats," said Nañez-James. One of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation's most innovative educational approaches to environmental stewardship is the Multicultural Education Program (MEP). It brings together students and teachers representing a multitude of cultural and economic backgrounds to address environmental concerns in the Gulf of Mexico.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM    |   WETLAND EXPEDITION

Foundation Deputy Director Heads to Florida For Site Visits
Community-based restoration efforts under way near Fort Meyers

Deputy Director and Restoration Program Manager Ryan Fikes recently traveled to the Fort Meyers, Florida area to conduct site visits on two of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation's Community-Based Restoration Partnership’s (GCRP) projects. The first site visit was to the Clam Bayou Restoration Project  on Sanibel Island, which is being completed by the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) Marine Lab with funding provided by both the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. This mangrove and oyster reef restoration project included the installation of a culvert to enhance circulation in the bayou, as well as plant mangroves and install intertidal oyster reef habitats. Due to this restoration, SCCF scientists feel the mangrove population in the bayou will become self-sustainable. The second site visit was to the Galt Preserve Restoration Project on Pine Island, which is being completed by Lee County Parks & Recreation’s Conservation 20/20 Program. This project included the removal of invasive species from the property, including melaleuca, Brazillian pepper, and Australian pine. In addition, approximately 20-acres of spoil will be planted as native tropical hardwood hammock, a globally imperiled community, in order to restore better ecosystem function in the preserve. For more information about our other Gulf Coast Restoration Projects please visit the Gulf of Mexico Foundation website.

HABITAT RESTORATION    |   HABITAT CONSERVATION

Learning About Restoring The Gulf Of Mexico Is Just A Click Away
Gulf Coast recovery & restoration action plans are now posted on the GMF website

Federal trustees recently announced that an estimated $60 million in early restoration projects will soon begin along the Gulf Coast. The eight projects selected provide for marsh creation, coastal dune habitat improvements, artificial reef creation, as well as construction and enhancement of boat ramps to compensate for lost human use of such resources. Anyone interested in learning about the processes around restoring the Gulf Coast now have a variety of online resources to review including the Environmental Law Institute's recently released Gulf Coast Recovery and Restoration: 101. This document is an introduction to key recovery and restoration processes initiated in the wake of Deepwater Horizon. The concise resource includes an overview of funding sources, explanations of the origin and status of processes underway, and answers to frequently asked questions. Restore America's Estuaries also recently released a report called Jobs and Dollars: Big returns from Coastal Habitat Restoration which outlines how coasts and estuaries are not only essential to the nation's economy, but that investments in coastal habitat restoration produce jobs including oil and gas, road infrastructure, and green building retrofit projects. Finally, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Science Coordination Team recently released its long-awaited strategy plan known as the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs Report. This strategic plan focuses on long term recovery in the Gulf of Mexico by promoting a Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration agenda. Each of the above-mentioned reports will be posted to the foundation website at www.gulfmex.org.

CORPORATE GIVING    |   PLANNED GIVING

Gulf of Mexico Foundation   |   PMB 51, 5403 Everhart   |   Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(800) 884-4175 toll free   |   (361) 882-3939 phone   |   (361) 882-1262 fax   |   e-mail: info@gulfmex.org