20 West Palm Beach Fishing Club Club's Mangrove Conservation Efforts Across The County Thanks to a call from a concerned citizen, the Fishing Club was alerted to a situation where hundreds of juvenille mangroves had begun to take root as a result of being washed over a crumbling seawall. Destruction was immi- nent for several hundred red, black, and white mangroves along the Mariner Village sea wall in Boynton Beach. Some seawall renovation had begun and it was time for the club to step in to remove the juvenille plants before the new bulkhead was built. With some big help from the Mang Gear boys, Keith & Kyle Rossin and other WPBFC members, the group got to work. One or two buckets was not enough, the digging and removal of mangroves was more than originally anticipated. The dedicated group filled up an entire 8 ft. truck bed when all was said and done. The mangroves were taken to the Mang Gear nursery so they could later be relocated to a more suitable location in the Lake Worth Lagoon. The WPBFC was honored to take part in this pressing conservation matter. Following up the rescue of the Mari- ner Village mangroves, club members rallied again several months later to assist with a shoreline enhancement effort right up the street from the Fishing Club. George Patane, Terry Crawford, Willie Howard and other WPBFC members volunteered at Cur- rie Park with the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management. A total of 9,400 spartina grass plugs & 300 red mangrove seedlings were planted to create a living shoreline that will not only provide valuable estuarine habitat, but also shoreline protection for the bulkhead. The project was part of the Lake Worth Lagoon Liv- ing Shorelines program. Unlike seawalls, which offer little in the way of food or shelter for wildlife, living shorelines merge erosion control with habitat creation. They have an attractive natural appearance, provide essential habitat for fish, and create feeding areas for wading birds.  If you would like to participate in future habitat restoration efforts the WPBFC takes part in, call the clubhouse, (561) 832- 6780, and we’ll add you to the volunteer list. We especially like to get our Junior and Pee Wee members involved in these projects, plus they earn community service hours for school!