Friends of Padre

Update on Wings Rescue

By Tyler Thorsen

We received this update from the Wings Rescue that we made the donation to earlier this year and just wanted to share. 

Hello Aaron and all Friends of Padre,

We completed the Raptor Hospital and few weeks ago.  We are in love with all the space we have for supplies and how organized everything is now.  Plus, no more going down on our knees to get birds and the new lighting has made our work space much safer for the Raptors and us.  It's awesome!!
I thought you'd like to see a few pictures of how wonderful our working area is now compared to what we had been working with. 

We can't thank you enough for your generosity.  From all of us at WRC we wish you a very happy New Year! 

Amy
Wings Rescue Center 
Social Media and Web Administrator 
Certified Raptor Rehabber and Handler 



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The Friends of Padre Kids Art Contest Going on Now!

By Tyler Thorsen

Friends of Padre's 2nd Annual Kids Art Contest begins today. See Information below. The contest is open to kids between 3 and 14. If you have any questions contact us at info@friendsofpadre.com

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Friends of Padre at Earth Day Bay Day this Saturday!

By Tyler Thorsen

Please join us Saturday at Heritage Park for the 24th Annual Coastal Bend Bays Foundation's Earth Day Bay Day from 10am until 4pm. They'll have food, crafts and Nature displays from over 60 vendors. We will be there with FOP t-shirts and other merchandise you can buy to help our cause. See you there!

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28th Annual Cleanup Sets New Records!

By Tyler Thorsen

Thanks to all of you who made this possible - the sponsors, the volunteers, the National Park Service personnel, and our Friends of Padre team. We had to wait until all of the roll off dumpsters were weighed before calling it official so here are the numbers!

A record 2500 volunteers cleaned a record 32 miles of beach from the 18 mile mark all the way to the 50 mile mark removing 40 tons of trash from the Big Shell area and south on our beloved Padre Island National Seashore!

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Dr. Jen Brown's Gulf Podcast episode 3 "A Sense of Place"

By Tyler Thorsen

Dr. Jen Brown highlights the history of the Friends of Padre and the 25th Annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup. There's classic audio of Captain Billy that sure is nice to hear. Thank you, Dr. Brown!

Dr. Jen Brown covers the Big Shell Cleanup in Part 3 of the Gulf Podcast: A Sense of Place

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Texas Turtle Nest Update 4/24/2020

By Tyler Thorsen

On 23 April, 1 Kemp's ridley nest was located on the Texas coast, on San Jose Island. 

 

Total numbers of nests found in Texas this year, by species and area, have been updated below.

 

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE

So far this year, 28 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

0 Bolivar Peninsula

0 Galveston Island

0 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 

0 Surfside Beach

0 Quintana Beach 

0 Bryan Beach 

0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 

0 Sargent Beach 

0 Matagorda Peninsula 

0 Matagorda Island

1 San Jose Island

1 Mustang Island

18 North Padre Island, including 16 at Padre Island National Seashore

7 South Padre Island

1 Boca Chica Beach 

 

Data presented here are preliminary. Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Donna Shaver (donna_shaver@nps.gov) for further information or if you wish to be removed from this email distribution listUpdates regarding nesting will be posted at the Padre Island National Seashore website: www.nps.gov/pais

 

Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D.

Chief, Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore

Texas Coordinator, Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network

Telephone (361) 949-8173, ext. 226; fax: (361) 949-9134

E-mail: donna_shaver@nps.gov

Website: http://www.nps.gov/pais/

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Dad is home for Father's Day 6/14/2019

By Tyler Thorsen

Dad is home for Father's Day 6/14/2019

For years the joke around most of Billy's younger friends and minions was that we always called him "Dad". Though he never had any kids of his own, Billy had many sons and daughters that loved him like a father, yours truly included. The joke between Captain David Rowsey and I was that when Billy passed that I would get his collection of 51M mirrolures and Rowsey would get his cherished Corky collection. I'd say "Dad always liked me best!".

So one year after his passing and just after what would have been his 72nd birthday, Joy Sandifer was kind enough to let Friends of Padre Board Members, Jeff Wolda, Troy Adler, and I take his ashes back to what he called "Home" - the Padre Island National Seashore.

We met up in the parking lot at 6:15am on Friday June 14th. Jeff and I had Billy on board with us with Troy Adler following behind. Several years ago on a trip down the beach, Billy showed Troy the exact spot he wanted his ashes to be. Troy asked if he wanted them spread on the wind or buried? Billy thought about it and said "If you toss them in the wind and my "ear" itches ( only he didn't say ear) but my hand is fifteen feet that way, how am I going to scratch it?" So he decided he wanted them put into a hole but not buried.

We laughed and told Billy stories and fished for his beloved surf trout on the way down to our secret undisclosed location. The trout fishing was good and the weather and water was beautiful.

Once we reached our location, Jeff wanted to do something to honor Billy and that was to toss the lure which he had used to catch the biggest trout he has ever caught on the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy was there and said "Call it 30" but it was just 29.999 so that's what Jeff called it.

 We gathered Billy's ashes and the items he asked that we place with his remains including a rattlesnake rattle, to connect him to the beings that live on the ground and feathers to connect him with those that can fly and two spear points found on the island.

  Our final destination up on the top of the dune.

Billy picked a wonderful resting place. The view from the surf to the bay is incredible. Billy asked that we not do any prayers or words but to get it done and walk away. We almost did that but each of us were fighting back tears saying goodbye.

And now Captain Billy Sandifer is home. We miss you, Dad!

Love,

Tyler

Captain Billy Sandifer 6/11/1947 - 3/31/2018 "Life's a hoot. Get you some of it!"

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Friends of Padre Adopt-a- Highway Cleanup 3/28/2019

By Tyler Thorsen

The Friends of Padre Adopted that section of Park Rd 22 between Commodores Dr. and Whitecap. We pick up trash there at least two times annually and Thursday evening March 28th was the first cleanup this year.  Thanks to all of the motorists who drove by us carefully or waved hello. 

Pictured left to right Friends of Padre board members, Kevin Eager, Troy Adler, Steve Gregory, and Jeff Wolda, Cody Moravits and Tyler Thorsen were also present. This stretch contains about 4 miles of actual surface given both sides of the highway and both sides of the median.

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