Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

For this blog, I just wanted to share a couple of the amazing things that we saw at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Walking through such a diverse environment shows you how different conditions can be, even if their only a few feet away from each other. All-in-all, I felt that this field trip really got us out into the environment to experience these elements for ourselves. 

 One of the first things we came across was a Red Shouldered Hawk. This magnificent bird is a usual sign of nearby tall trees and an area rich with water, such as the swamp. It's usual prey ranges from mice to frogs and snakes. 

 Next, we stopped at the point on the boardwalk where you could clearly see the distinction between the levels of elevation from higher up to down in the actual swamp. We discussed prescribed and mechanical burns and the pros and cons of each. We also discussed how the burns affect the different species in the area and how some can become more dominant during certain clearing procedures. 

We also saw a few deer in this area that aren't easily visible in the pictures.

 One of the first things we saw as we started into the swap area were scratches in the tree bark. These were made my cats on the board walk to make their territory.

Next we came across a patch of Blood Lichen. This is a symbiotic algae that is found in areas that have good air quality. It is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. It is an air plant, or epiphyte, that grows on other plants. 

We then saw a patch of Royal Fern. 

Next we passed some Alligator Flag. This plant is very prevalent in the area and grows in large patches. Much of it grows in the middle of the cypress dome as well. 

Next we saw my favorite part of the day which was the Resurrection Fern. Also called Century Fern, it is an epiphytic fern that goes back to green from brown with a very small amount of water. I like to think of it as the zombie fern. 

Next we saw an alligator sunbathing with her babies. She was laying near a gator hole that she had created. Alligators are a keystone species. 

Primrose Wild Flower

Swamp Hibiscus (Red Flower,
Resembles Cannabis) 

Bracken Fern

Pickerel Weed

This is a picture of Strangler Fig. These vines are using this tree for support. Usually this is a harmless relationship, but can kill the tree is the fig gets large enough to shade it our. The fig produces a fruit and its seeds can germinate from the top or the bottom of the tree. 

Willow Tree

Rabbit Foot Fern

Cypress Knees

Live Oak