Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

EPA’s Flagship Comes To Savannah, Georgia

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(ATLANTA – APRIL 3, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) BOLD will make its first appearance in Savannah, Ga., next week. EPA’s 224-foot research flagship will be docked at the Savannah Riverfront and will be open to the public. Free public tours will be conducted Apr. 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by the U.S. EPA, the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The OSV BOLD is equipped with state-of-the art sampling, mapping, and analysis equipment including side scan sonar, underwater video, water sampling instruments, and sediment sampling devices, which scientists use in various monitoring activities.

The vessel is a converted U.S. Navy T-AGOS class vessel and is 224 feet long and 43 feet wide. EPA acquired the OSV BOLD on Mar. 31, 2004. The ship, its crew and EPA scientists collect water quality and sediment samples, fish, and other organisms in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

During its tour of duty in the area, the OSV BOLD will be used to:

Monitor ocean dredged material disposal sites in the southeast at four sites, including Savannah, Ga., Jacksonville and Tampa, Fl., and Mobile, Ala.;
Conduct coral reef monitoring in the Dry Tortugas National Park and the surrounding Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; and
Investigate the ecological impact of an invasive coral species, Tubastraea coccinea, which may pose a threat to the health and biodiversity of Florida, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico reef ecosystems.

The EPA deploys the OSV Bold on numerous scientific surveys each year. The OSV Bold supports EPA’s efforts to monitor and assess impacts on ocean and coastal waters from land- and ocean-based human activities and naturally occurring ecological disturbances. EPA began using the 224-foot OSV Bold as a research vessel in 2005 to perform extensive marine surveys along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. In 2008, the ship visited the Pacific Coast for the first time. It has returned to the east coast and will begin survey activities in the Southeast in April.

For additional information about the OSV Bold, visit www.epa.gov/bold

Jazz Appreciation Month Concert – Savannah, Georgia

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The Coastal Jazz Association of Savannah
Jazz Appreciation Month Concert

Rite of Swing
The Annual Duke Ellington Concert Featuring The Savannah Jazz Orchestra w/ Saxophonist Mark Sterbank on Sunday, April 19, 2009, 5:00 p.m.

The Coastal Jazz Association of Savannah presents a tribute to Duke Ellington on Sunday, April 19, 2009 which will feature special guest saxophonist, Mark Sterbank.

This event will be celebrating the legacy left by one of America’s greatest musicians/composers for what would have been his 110th birthday (born April 29, 1899).

Every year The Savannah Jazz Orchestra, under the co-leadership of Teddy Adams and Randy Reese, features both unfamiliar compositions and special guest artists as a part of enhancing the genius of every Ellington concert. This will be CJA’s 23rd year paying tribute to Mr. Ellington.

Special guest: Saxophonist Mark Sterbank is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and saxophone instructor at Charleston Southern University. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the coveted Performer’s Certificate and a Master of Music degree from the University of New Orleans, where he also studied with pianist Ellis Marsalis under a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.

His credits include performances with Fred Wesley, Mary Wilson, the Darius Rucker Big Band, the Charleston and Savannah Symphonies, a national tour with the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra, and performances with Nicholas Payton, Brian Blade, Eartha Kitt, and the Temptations. Mark currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Those in attendance will also bear witness to Priscilla Albergottie Williams, who is the featured vocalist for the Savannah Jazz Orchestra. Ms. Albergottie Williams, one of the finest vocalists in this area, has been performing both church and secular music and does them in superb equilibrium. She performed with trombonist, Teddy Adams, for years and was the featured vocalist with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra. She can be heard on SJO: live recording “Satin Doll”, the music of Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer.

This special concert will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2009, 5:00 p.m. at the Armstrong Atlantic State University “Fine Arts Auditorium”

It is free and open to the public and is presented by The Coastal Jazz Association through a generous grant from the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information call 912-675-5419 or go to www.coastal-jazz.org

Jacksonville Green Expo

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Jax Green Expo takes place at Prime Osborne Center in Jacksonville on Saturday April 25th – Sunday April 26th.

This is your opportunity to learn how to live green and to check out some of the new products available. There will be over 100 vendors at the event. Some highlights include:

Solar-powered car demo
Organic Beer, Wine & Food Tasting
Solar & Wind Energy Demos
Green Film Festival

Visitors are encouraged to bring reusable household items and electronics for recycling.

For more information visit Jax Green Expo

Jacksonville Green Expo

Check out the Jacksonville Green Expo in our calendar.

Butterfly Festival Treehill Nature Center – Jacksonville, Fl

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The Butterfly festival at Treehill Nature Center in Jacksonville, Florida, is a great event for the whole family. The festival takes place on April 25th, 2009, from noon to 5:00 p.m. and culminates with nature’s fireworks – a live native butterfly release. This is something you can’t miss.

“You will experience a close encounter with 1000 of the gossamer-winged creatures at Tree Hill Nature Center’s signature event,” promises Lucy Cortese, executive director.

But there’s a lot more to the festival. If you ever thought about starting your own Butterfly garden, this is the event to visit. Here you can see a butterfly exhibit, lots of games and activities for children, and live music. There’s also Art in the Park where local artists showcase their works. In the Get Back to Nature area you can meet experts from local nurseries who can tell you all you need to know about native plants and herbs. You can also shop at the Monarch Mall for everything from plants to jewelry and much, much more.

Last year, almost 5,000 visitors came to the festival. So came early, and plan to stay all day. The 2009 festival commemorates Tree Hill’s 38th anniversary as Jacksonville’s Nature Center. The 2009 event will focus on Edutainment – education that is entertaining and enlightening to both children and adults.

The cost is $10 per family or $5 per individual. The proceeds goes to support Treehill Nature Center.

Click here to print out your discount coupon.

For more information about the event, visit www.treehill.org


Easter Weekend in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina!

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We just wanted to remind you about the new episodes of the Weekly show – or online TV show for the coast. Joe has just finished his new episodes with Picks of the Week for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Click here to go to the Weekly Show Page now!

Let us know what you think… and remember, send us your suggestions for your favorite upcoming event. We are now making our picks for May, June and July, and as usual, we appreciate your help. So please send your suggestions to weeklyshow@coastalcompanion.com. We need to know when, where and what, but also include why we should pick this event. And send us the contact information for the event, and to you as well.