Voices For Our Lagoon

Host Paul Ruben welcomes Phil Lintereur, board member of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, birding tour guide, and contractor with NASA. The 25th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival is back this year between January 24th and 28th. It’s been two years since the festival was held due to the pandemic and a lower-than-normal count of birds in Merritt Island National Wildlife...

Host Paul Ruben is joined by Jessy Wayles, Northern Community Engagement Coordinator with the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), also known as OneLagoon. Jessy earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Central Florida and began her career with the Marine Discovery Center with their shuck and share oyster recycling program in New Smyrna Beach....

Host Paul Ruben welcomes Officer Brian Smith and Matt Culver for a conversation about derelict boats in the Indian River Lagoon. Officer Smith works with the City of Melbourne Police Department Marine Unit and Matt is the Boating and Waterways Program Coordinator with Brevard County. Following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, abandoned, or “derelict,” boats have become noticeably scattered throu...

Host Paul Ruben chats with Frank "Alligator" Robb about the recent American Crocodile sightings in Brevard County. Robb is a 28-year professional wildlife biologist specializing in crocodilians. He has worked with FWC, NASA, the Department of Defense and currently runs the 501c(3) Education Awareness Research Support and Services, or EEARSS.  Supporting audio credited to WESH 2 News (202...

Voices for our Lagoon is back! Host Paul Ruben speaks with Zach Eichholz and Thea Baker about what local cities are doing to prepare for a changing climate and catastrophic storm events. Zach is Deputy Community and Economic Development Director and Sustainability Manager with the City of Cape Canaveral and Thea is Director of Planning and Sustainability with the City of Satellite Beach.  This epi...

From adaptation to coastal retreat, host Paul Ruben speaks with Dr. Randall Parkinson about resiliency along the Indian River Lagoon. Clip of Mayor of Fort Myers Beach used from "Today."

Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition Presents Lagoon Straight Talk January 19th 2023.  The Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition is pleased to announce that we will be hosting another Lagoon Straight Talk event at the Titusville High School, Performing Arts Center January 19, 2023, 6-8pm. Admission is free.  Originally aired on WFIT with Host Terri Wright and guest Vincent McDermott. For more inf...

Guests Bill Greer, FWC Marine Biologist, and Vince Lamb join host Paul Ruben to discuss recent manatee mortality events in the Indian River Lagoon. To report a sick, injured, dead, or tagged manatee please call FWC's Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922), press "7" to speak with an operator. For more information visit their site directly at https://myfwc.c...

Host Paul Ruben speaks with Sally Scalera about the importance of soil health in protecting species diversity and water quality in Brevard County. Episode recorded prior to flooding from Hurricane Ian and Nicole. For more information on soil testing and health or gardening, please email Sally at sasc@ufl.edu . 

Host Paul Ruben speaks with guest Jim Durocher about his decades of experience in the Thousand Islands Conservation Area. The referendum to continue maintenance of Thousand Islands and many other Environmentally Endangered Lands (EELs) is on the ballot this November, 2022. 

Host Paul Ruben is joined by Brevard County Natural Resources Marine Biologist Matthew Badolato to discuss septic systems and their impact on the Indian River Lagoon.  For more information on converting septic tanks to sewer or advances units here, please see Brevard Counties Save Our Lagoon page on septic systems a the following link: https://www.brevardfl.gov/SaveOurLagoon/Septic

Host Paul Ruben speaks with author and local historian Nathaniel Osborn from the Pine School in Hobe Sound, Florida about the first peoples of the Indian River Lagoon. 

Lindsay Mayer and Tracy Frampton with the Florida Wildlife Hospital join host Paul Ruben to review the status of the Avian Influenza in Brevard County. Update - The FWH is now taking in bird patients in again to their outdoor drop off boxes. For more information and most recent status, please see the Florida Wildlife Hospital's website https://floridawildlifehospital.org/

Host Paul Ruben and guests Tracy Frampton and Lindsay Mayer discuss the mission of the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Brevard County, Florida. 

Host Paul Ruben is joined by  Brevard Zoo Conservation Manager Olivia Escandell. Olivia talks about her personal history growing up near the lagoon and an overview of the Brevard Zoo's Restore Our Shores programs. 

Host Paul Ruben introduces Voices for our lagoon. Paul is joined by Craig Wallace and Vince Lamb to talk about their work with the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC).  This episode features the past, present, and future initiatives of the BIRLC.