Protecting Our Wildlife

Safety Harbor has a real Who’s Who when it comes to birds of prey. This is evidenced by our many bird lovers and photography enthusiasts who have captured breathtaking pictures of these beautiful creatures, as can be witnessed in Philippe Park where several of these birds often gather. You may have heard about the beloved owls in Philippe Park that recently died from anticoagulant rat poisoning. The poisons that killed these owls are indiscriminate, and they could also poison your pets.

Our city is proud to host multiple bald eagles, great horned owls, barred owls, eastern screech owls, red-tailed hawks, red shouldered hawks, swallowtailed kites, and short-tailed hawks, the latter two being on the rare side. Wildlife is important to our community’s culture and ecosystem. A single great horned owl alone can consume approximately 1,400 rodents in a year. Given the importance of these birds, keeping them healthy is critical to maintaining a proper balance in our environment.

One big threat is anticoagulant rat poisons, which cause internal bleeding to kill its target. Unfortunately, secondary unintended targets, such as owls and pets, can also be killed. This ultimately leads to increases in rodent populations over time and places a burden on non-profit rescue organizations who deal with the consequences. If we can preserve and protect these raptors, we give them a chance to do their job of maintaining a balance in our environment.

You can make a big difference to protect our wildlife and pets by not using anticoagulant rat poisons, which are often used in rat bait boxes. These poison baits actually lure rats to your property.

There are better ways to control the rodent population, including:

• Keeping garbage properly sealed
• Maintaining frequent trash pickup
• Sealing all points of entry to homes and buildings
• Removing pet food from outdoor areas
• Avoiding spilled bird food and ground fruits
• Requiring your pest control companies to not use anticoagulant rat poisons (both first and second generation are unsafe). Safer options are Bromethalin (such as Fastrac, Assault) or Cholecalciferol (such as Terad3)

Safety Harbor is known for its wildlife, and we have a special responsibility to protect it. In memory of the Philippe Park owls and other wildlife and pets in our area that are at-risk, I urge every resident of the beautiful City of Safety Harbor to do your part.

Junior Mayor of Safety Harbor

At the April 18, 2022, Commission Meeting, the City of Safety Harbor Commission recognized Macey T. and Olivia K. as Junior Mayors for April and May 2022 as part of the Junior Mayor Challenge. They were chosen as Junior Mayors for their volunteer efforts in cleaning up Safety Harbor and creating a safer and healthier environment for residents, visitors, and animal and marine life in their community.

Mayor’s Tree Plant Challenge Winner

At the February 21, 2022, City Commission meeting, Mayor Ayoub presented the Safety Harbor Garden Club with the Mayor’s Tree Plant Challenge Award for planting several trees at the Folly Farm Nature Preserve. Theresa Badurek, from the University of Florida/IFAS Pinellas County Extension office, presented the Safety Harbor Garden Club with the “Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Award of Excellence for Beautification and Enhancement.”

The City of Safety Harbor’s residents, staff, and park patrons would like to thank the Safety Harbor Garden Club on their invaluable service to help beautify our city. The Garden Club meets weekly at Folly Farm Nature Preserve and Mullet Creek Nature Park. For more information, please visit safetyharborgardenclubsafetyharborflorida.com.