12/18/2023 0 Comments Shell key preserve shuttleIt doesn’t seem fair to leave the member of the family that would perhaps get the most joy out of island wilderness camping. If a lot of people make a little effort, we can sustain this resource despite our growing local population. You will feel great about making a difference. Keep a few garbage bags on the boat and grab a few items as you are strolling the beach or exploring the pines. Also, trash drifts onto Shell Key from the gulf and bay on a regular basis. Yet, a few inconsiderate visitors to the island have the ability to ruin it for the rest of us. The overwhelming majority of visitors to Shell Key are conscientious and tidy. We are asking you to, whenever possible, take a little extra trash off the island – even if it is not yours. Some people even bring some scented cat litter to use instead of sand. When done, put another scoop of sand on top. Place the trash bag in the bucket as a liner, put in a scoop of sand and use the toilet. A simple DIY toilet can be made with a 5 gallon bucket, a trash bag and some sand. The county requires all campers to bring a portable toilet for overnight activities. Erosion will expose a buried campfire in no time. And again, please remove all trace of your fire – even the partially burned wood and coals. Please bring plenty of firewood with you and remove it from the island when you are done.Īs cool as it may be to watch your beverage bottles melt in the campfire, these things leave a nasty mess in an area where people regularly walk barefoot. Besides the fact that freshly cut wood on the island will barely burn, it is a blemish on the land that will take years to regrow. This is perhaps the worst thing that people can do to the island – because it can’t be cleaned up. NEVER Cut Any Native Vegetation for Firewood You are in a nature preserve and are required to leave no trace at all. Remember that you are not at a permanent campsite. This means removing (not burying) all the charred wood from the fire. You must remove all trace of your campfire before you leave. We are required to remove absolutely all trace of our camp – including food, refuse and anything that came with us on our boat. Permits can be obtained for a $6 fee from the county. Primitive camping is allowed only on the South Public Use area of Shell Key.Ĭamping Permits are required for any overnight activity on Shell Key. Overnight Camping the South Public Use Area Only Rules are enforced by county law enforcement as follows … Yet we know that our continued right to camp on Shell Key absolutely depends on how well we can keep this island looking and functioning like a pristine ecosystem. We know – because it has happened before. We do not represent any official state or county authority. However, they do have the authority to ban any activity that they believe is a threat to order and preservation of this preserve. The county does not have the funding or resources to clean up after visitors to the island. Why are we asking you to help clean up trash on the island? Even trash that is not yours? Because we need your help to preserve the future of camping on Shell Key. All of the cleaning and unwanted trash removal is done by hard working volunteers and individual visitors just like you. No county employees are paid to remove trash from the island.
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