HUCKLEBERRY

Reef The Fox

Hi friends! Reef the fox here with your weekly “Reef’s Report.” On Feb. 3, my mom, the founder of Pawsitive Beginnings Inc., joined a group of amazing nonprofit leaders and volunteers up and down the Keys for the Unsung Heroes celebration at the Marriott Beachside Resort in Key West. It’s organized by the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys to spotlight the community’s tireless volunteers who are the true stars of the Keys’ nonprofit organizations.

On the way home from the event, my mom told me that veterinarian Gerry Diethelm and she saw a Key deer. Apparently they are just my size. I don’t mean like, as in eat, that’s gross, I mean to play with. I’m sure everyone reading this knows what a Key deer is, but just in case you are reading this online and have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll go ahead and explain.

Reef is a red fox that was saved from a fur farm. He now lives in Key Largo with his human, Nicole Navarro.

The Key deer are a member of a subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer. Key deer are found only in the Florida Keys. While their historic range probably went from Key Vaca south to Key West, their range now includes about 26 islands from Big Pine Key to Sugarloaf Key and they can swim from one island to another.

Key deer average height is between 24 and 32 inches. It is thought that they came to the Keys from the mainland across a long land bridge and were isolated from their relatives, somewhere from 6,000 to 12,000 years ago, when the Wisconsin Glacier melted. The waters rose and divided this land bridge into the islands of the Florida Keys.

The first documented mention of the Key deer was in the memoirs of Hernando Escalante Fontaneda, a 13-year-old Spanish sailor who was on his way to Spain from Cartagena, and was shipwrecked near “Cayo Vaca,” the modern-day Marathon area. The Key deer is protected as an endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a federally-designated endangered species by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule.

So anywho, that’s about all for this week. Go ahead and visit us at pawsitivebeginnings.org

Mom just launched some brand new merchandise that an artist from Amsterdam created for us. How cool is that?

Until next time, Reef, over and out!

Huckleberry is about 12 weeks old, and he is just the sweetest, smartest puppy. He is very cuddly. He loves to play with toys and absolutely loves playing with other dogs, so he really needs a home with other dogs. He is mostly potty trained, and is just an all-around perfect puppy. Huckleberry’s primary DNA results show him to be 30% chihuahua and 25% lab/shepherd. He is an awesome mix of small and medium/large dogs and should grow to be a perfect medium size doggie. He is available through MarrVelous Pet Rescues. If you are interested in making Huckleberry a member of your family, please complete an application at www. mprescues.org/adoption-application. Approved applicants can give us a call at 305-453-1315.

Save The Date

Feb. 10-12

• Wind Games 2023 presented by oTHErside Boardsports at Whale Harbor, Islamorada. Visit othersideboardsports.com to learn more.

Monday, Feb. 13

• Florida Keys Concert Association presents pianist Derek Wang at 7:30 p.m. at Coral Shores High School. Single tickets can be purchased at the door or at floridakeysconcerts.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 15

• Wild Coffee Nature Lecture Series at 8:30 a.m. at Founders Park Community Center. $10 per person. Call 305-853-1685 to reserve a spot.

• Just Older Youth (JOY) Center classes from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Visit justolderyouthinc.org for a complete schedule.

• Immerse Yourself presentation features Chris Herald, park ranger, at 7 p.m. at History of Diving Museum, Islamorada. Join in person or online.

Thursday, Feb. 16

• Morada Way Art Walk at 6 p.m. at Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, Islamorada.

Friday, Feb. 17

• Islamorada’s Beats on the Bay music series featuring The Long Run at 6:30 p.m. at ICE Amphitheater. Free admission.

Saturday, Feb. 18

• 42nd annual Garden Walk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at various gardens from MM 99 to MM 82. Complimentary activities include an art show and vendors at 94040 Overseas Highway, Tavernier. Tickets are $25.

• Keys Community Concert Band’s “Who Let the Dogs Out?” performance at 4 p.m. at Founders Park, Islamorada.

Thursday, Feb. 23

• “Microplastic Dangers in our Water” presented by MarineLab at 7 p.m. at Divers Direct Key Largo, MM 99.6. RSVP by calling 305-451-0118. Bring a liter of water from the Keys.

Feb. 25-26

• Upper Keys Rotary Club’s Gigantic Nautical Flea Market at Founders Park, Islamorada.