April 2019

• Editor's Message — Help keep
Blind Creek Beach clothing-
optional!
• Fort Collins, CO punts next step in
top-free equality federal lawsuit to
incoming City Council
• SFFB April Board meeting
• Alcohol banned at Sandy Hook
• Naturists make connections in
Florida's capital
• In Memoriam: Tom H. Pine
• Black Naturists Association
returns for Miami visit in August
• Northeast Naturist Festival calls
for facilitators, etc. by April 20
• The Body Sacred nude yoga
retreat at Cypress Cove
• World Naked Gardening Day
• Discounts ending for GNI's annual
men's nude Gathering in August

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Join South Florida Free Beaches

Beach Education Advocates for
Culture, Health, Environment
& Safety (B.E.A.C.H.E.S.)

501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and charitable adjunct to SFFB

Find a nude beach group to join!

Grand Lido™ Negril
Au Naturel All-Suite Resort
Negril, Jamaica
An upscale and elegant naturist resort
Represented by Fox Travel American Express

The Landon
(formerly, daddy O hotel miami)
Bay Harbor Islands, FL
Textile, but close to Haulover Beach

Lake Como Family Nudist Resort
Lutz, FL
The place to be ... naturally!

Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL
Clothes-free recreation in a
natural, tropical paradise!

The Naturist Society Foundation
Body acceptance is the idea.
Nude recreation is the way.

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Learn all about Haulover Beach! Click on above image to download this informative, 20-page booklet.

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Bringing Together the Largest Nudist Community in the World
nusasun.com
Pick up a free copy at a newspaper dispenser box on Haulover Beach.

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Gay Naturists International, Inc.
Life is Great; Live it Nude! ©

Find a men's naturist club or naked yoga group to join!

Read GNI BuffBuzz, GNI's official blog.

Register to attend GNI's annual nude Gathering for men, August 16-25, 2019 (shorter options available).

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Nudist Florida, an online magazine by AANR-Florida (Florida region of American Association for Nude Recreation), helps you find places to enjoy nude recreation.

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Looking for additional naturist places in Florida?

Click on above image to search for naturist clubs, resorts, yoga classes, and other businesses statewide. See alphabetical and geographical listings and an interactive map. Also includes a list of beaches.

by Seth Paronick

Problem: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which owns nearly all of the land at Blind Creek Beach on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce, FL and leases it to St. Lucie County, objects to nude use there and is moving to force the County to end it.

Fighting back: A Tallahassee lobbyist with extensive experience in naturist issues has been hired to get a temporary hold placed on pending actions by DEP and to pursue positive steps with key players while the Florida Legislature remains in session through the beginning of May.

What you can do: Lobbying is expensive. The supporting organizations need to raise a lot of money fast to pay the lobbying bills. Please donate ASAP per the instructions below!

Print out the alert: A PDF version is available.

Fort Collins, CO punts next step in top-free equality federal lawsuit to incoming City Council

We reported in last month's issue that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit had ruled that Fort Collins, CO's ban on public exposure of female breasts likely violates the U.S. Constitution's provision of equal protection of the law, as argued by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against it. The appellate court remanded the case to the U.S. District Court for further review.

In its final meeting on March 26, the outgoing City Council of Fort Collins voted 6-1 to leave it to the incoming City Council to decide whether to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. City Council elections took place on April 2. The winners, some reëlected, are of mixed minds on the matter, as indicated by their statements about it during the campaign. For details, read The next City Council will decide if city should fight for topless ban at Supreme Court. We will continue to monitor this case and report on updates as they occur.

SFFB Board meeting on Haulover Beach, April 13

The Board of Directors of South Florida Free Beaches usually meets on the second Saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m. (an earlier time than last year's meetings) under the North Chickee (thatch-roofed shade structure) near Lifeguard Tower 15 on Haulover Beach unless another date and time or location is announced. See below for the long-term schedule. Any planned exception to the second Saturday pattern is noted with an asterisk.

The meetings are open to SFFB sponsors / members, supporters, and invited guests. Prior to setting out, check the upper left-hand corner of SFFB's home page at sffb.com (under Today's Beach Reports) for any change in date, time, or location due to unavailability of Board members or in case of bad weather, when the meeting may take place indoors.

Don't miss an SFFB Board meeting — add the schedule to your calendar now!

In Memoriam: Tom H. Pine

Tom H. Pine, 1946 – 2019

The Christian and broader naturist communities mourn the sudden and unexpected passing of Tom H. Pine, 73, on April 7, 2019. A co-founder of the Christian Nudist Convocation, Tom also co-founded The Naked Truth Naturists with his wife, Marilyn, to provide a place for Christians to enjoy naturism within the framework of their faith.

Tom and Marilyn were on vacation in The Bahamas when he collapsed after returning from a dive. At press time, memorial arrangements were not known.

BNA Miami / Haulover trip set for August 2-4, 2019

Black Naturists Association (BNA), a nude travel club affiliated with the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), returns to Miami for Haulover Takeover, an organized group visit, August 2-4, 2019. BNA has lined up a private compound with five houses surrounding a pool, along with fine dining and unique entertainment. BNA members had first option on reservations, but a few spaces may still be available to others. Check availability and book.

Alcohol banned at Sandy Hook, NJ, effective April 2

The National Park Service announced on April 2 that alcohol is banned, effective immediately, in the Sandy Hook, NJ unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes popular, clothing-optional Gunnison Beach. The number of alcohol-related incidents at Sandy Hook had soared in recent years as alcohol was prohibited on other beaches along the Jersey Shore. This change aligns the policy at Sandy Hook with other public beaches in New Jersey.

Enforcement is to be phased in this season. For repeat offenders, the fine is $50 for the first citation and $100 for the second one.

Anyone interested in actively helping to maintain naturist standards on Gunnison Beach is invited to join the Friends of Gunnison (FOG) Facebook group.

Northeast Naturist Festival calls for facilitators, etc.

The Northeast Naturist Festival, one of the events on The Naturist Society's 2019 Naturist Tour, has issued a call for facilitators, performers, keynote speakers, vendors, and volunteers. Applications must be submitted by April 20. The Festival takes place July 30 – August 4, 2019 at Empire Haven Nudist Resort in Moravia, NY (between Ithaca and Syracuse). There is a Facebook group for anyone interested in the Festival to communicate with like-minded individuals.

Reminder: The next event on the 2019 Naturist Tour is the Young Adult Naturists Spring Fest: Full Bloom Music Medley, April 12-14, 2019, at Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort in Loxahatchee Groves, FL (near West Palm Beach). Check the 2019 tour schedule for event dates. The theme of this year's tour is Naturists Relax Naturally.

Naturists make connections in Florida's capital

Representatives of B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) visited Tallahassee, Florida's capital, the second week of March with the lobbyist for South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB) and AANR. With the purpose of educating state government about the significant place that nude recreation has in Florida's tourism industry, they conferred with legislative committee chairs, members of the Governor's staff, and the new President and CEO of VISITFLORIDA_®, the state's official tourism marketing agency.

SFFB and B.E.A.C.H.E.S. have follow-ups planned with the new South Florida regional manager of VISITFLORIDA_®.

The Body Sacred nude yoga retreat at Cypress Cove

Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, FL (near Orlando) hosts The Body Sacred nude yoga retreat, May 17-19, 2019. The weekend-long retreat features two leading figures of the nude yoga movement in the U.S., Isis Phoenix and Luna Phoenix, along with Dr. Lloyd Sparks, who leads a forum on nutrition and fitness.

The retreat is open to anyone with prior nude yoga and/or nudist experience, but space is limited. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to register soon. Registration for the full retreat costs $299. Lodging is not included, and participants staying outside the resort are subject to daily ground fees. Click or tap for details and to register.

Hoe a row in the buff on World Naked Gardening Day, Saturday, May 4

For the fourth consecutive year, people are gathering at Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort in Loxahatchee Groves, FL (near West Palm Beach) to learn, grow, and laugh in celebration of the annual World Naked Gardening Day on Saturday, May 4 and International Permaculture Day on Sunday, May 5. Get details and RSVP.

World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) is celebrated on the first Saturday in May. This year's 15th annual observance is on May 4, when people are encouraged to tend their portion of the world's garden unclothed, as nature intended. WNGD was co-founded in 2005 by Jacob Gabriel, an avid horticulturist and naturist activist in Seattle, WA, and Mark Storey, who is consulting editor of N (Nude & Natural, The Magazine of Naturist Living), the quarterly publication of The Naturist Society. Mark continues to lead the project.

Mark Storey, WNGD co-founder

The WNGD website, which is sponsored by ClothesFree International, states, "Gardening has a timeless quality, and anyone can do it: young and old; singles or groups; the fit and infirm; urban and rural. An elderly lady in a Manhattan apartment can plant new annuals in her window box. Families can rake leaves in their back yard. Freehikers can pull invasive weeds along their favorite stretch of trail. More daring groups can make rapid, clothes-free sorties into public parks to do community-friendly stealth cleanups.

"Why garden naked? First of all, it's fun! Second only to swimming, gardening is at the top of the list of family-friendly activities people are most ready to consider doing nude. Moreover, our culture needs to move toward a healthy sense of both body acceptance and our relation to the natural environment. Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, [but] it [also] reminds us — even if only for those few sun-kissed minutes — that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet.

"Events like WNGD can help develop a sense of community among people of every stripe. Taking part in something that is bigger than any one household, naturist group, or gardening club can move gardeners with an au naturel joie de vivre toward becoming a community. And, in the case of WNGD, it's fun, costs no money, runs no unwanted risk, reminds us of our tie to the natural world, and does something good for the environment."

WNGD's aspirational slogan is: "Make World Naked Gardening Day every day!" Find out more.

Last chance for early bird discounts for GNI's 2019 men's nude Gathering

The above clip is an overview of the GNI Gathering. Watch additional GNI Gathering videos.

Check the previous Gathering's app for a sample of what to expect!

April is the final month of eary bird discount pricing for this sunmer's edition of Gay Naturists International (GNI)'s signature nude event for men, the 34th Annual International Gathering of Male Naturists, also known as the GNI Gathering or Naked Camp. Through April 30, 2019, registrants can save up to $40, depending on the length of stay selected. (Regular pricing kicks in on May 1, 2019.)

The Gathering takes place in a rustic, but comfortable resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, August 16-25, 2019, with shorter attendance options available. The location is about an hour-and-a-half's drive west of New York City, and GNI provides optional bus transportation from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Midtown Manhattan.

Nearly 600 men come together at The Gathering for up to ten days of naked fun, camaraderie, education, and relaxation in a beautiful, rustic but comfortable setting with a lake; two heated pools; gym and courts for tennis, volleyball, and other sports; wooded trails; and rolling, manicured grounds.

The registration fee covers housing in dormitory-style cabins (camping optional; RVs welcome, but utility hookups are not available), all meals, snacks, and beverages (including beer and wine), and events, activities, and entertainment (except the optional Body Electric massage weekend workshop, Yoga Foundations for Life weekend retreat, and add-on excursions, which require additional fees).

Regular programming includes seminars and workshops, sports and tournaments, massage and yoga, contests, shows, parties, bonfires, a nightly, naked Dance Club with live DJs and fantastic sound and lights, and much more! The Gathering is open to men aged 21 or over, regardless of orientation. Get info and register.