You are on page 1of 4

Corkscrew Bird-a-thon record

Swamp Sanctuary Ed’s annual one-day Collier


County bird-a-thon to raise money
Along the for Corkscrew set a new record with
115 recorded species this year. Please
Boardwalk contact Lori to contribute.
May, 2008 www.corkscrew.audubon.org

Immokalee High, 4H get down & dirty for Corkscrew


Corkscrew continues to encour- In April, a 4-H group interested
age students to engage in direct con- in learning about native non-inva-
servation projects both at the Sanc- sive plants and native wildlife habi-
tuary and in their own tats chose to get its hands dirty. This
neighborhoods. This year two crew is a team of the Roots and
projects at Corkscrew were com- Shoots student action program de-
pleted with the help of student en- veloped and managed by the Jane
vironmental activists. Goodall Institute. Students, led by
The returning Immokalee High Corkscrew intern Dawn Beyer, be-
School LIFE team, led by Golden gan a new native songbird habitat
Apple winner Kelly Stevenson, was around the Blair Center.
instrumental in renovating the but- After a morning of hard work,
terfly garden by the Living Machine. Beyer led the group up Fish Farm
Stevenson’s students had helped Road to view a newly burned
maintain the garden several years area. Students and parents learned
ago, and Stevenson and her students how conservation lands are man-
agreed with Harry Bailey, the Blair aged and discovered how fire can
Center caretaker, that it was time to help keep native habitats healthy.
make some serious changes. Once the native plantings are es-
Over the course of a week, with tablished, the songbird habitat and
Bailey’s guidance, students did a full butterfly garden will not only bring
overhaul on the butterfly garden, re- birds and butterflies closer to visi-
moving old weeds and vegetation, tors but will serve as a teaching tool
lining the ground with weed block, for visitors to learn how they can
planting butterfly attractors, and fin- transform their own yards into a
ishing up with a layer of pine straw. natural haven for wildlife.

Quick ID Guide: Seasonal plants in the Lettuce Lakes


In addition to regular aquatic Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum
plants and new grasses, three large hydropiperoides), center, is a low-
plants thrive in the drying lakes. growing plant from 1–3 feet high
A problem plant is the exotic with medium green shiny leaves and
Primrose Willow (Ludwigia minute pinkish-white flowers.
peruviana), left. Its roots hold tus- Pigweed, right, also called
socks together, creating permanent Southern Amaranth (Amaranthus
islands. It is most noticeable in the australis), is a tall plant from 3–9
north lake and is recognizable by its feet high but occasionally much
bushy appearance, pale green leaves, when water returns to the lakes. Blooms taller. Its single trunk is reddish at the
and large yellow blooms. of both are attractors for butterflies and base. It will branch out and has small
The other two are dry season na- bees, and caterpillars feast on the yellowish flowers and eventually seeds
tive perennials that will slowly die back leaves, leaving large holes. that are reddish brown to dark brown.
What raptor found in Collier County is also called a “duck hawk”?
Bird Trivia Discover the answer at www.collieraudubon.org/birding.html
In Case a Visitor Asks
What are tussocks, where do they come from, and what do they do?
Tussocks in the lakes are clumps However, some plants become so
of peat that have broken loose from the established that when the water does
bottom and risen to the top. return, they and their tussocks become
When the lakes dry down enough small islands and remain.
that the peat on the bottom begins to The prime example is Pond Apple.
dry, air pockets form. If the summer At one time, the two lakes were one
rains come quickly enough, some of the large, continuous lake. Tussocks that
air pockets are trapped and cause floated to the top at the north lake
clumps of the peat to separate and float drifted southward where they were
to the surface. stopped by the boardwalk pilings. Pond
As the lakes dry down the follow- Apples took root and established a land
ing season, tussocks settle to the bot- barrier between the lakes. Primrose
tom, giving the surface its lumpy ap- When the lake bottom is dry, other Willow is beginning to do the same at
pearance and trapping more air beneath. plants besides Pickerelweed and Alli- the south end of the north lake.
Seeds from plants germinate and gator Flag begin to grow. Most, like Those long-handled trident-like
begin to grow. Their root systems hold Smartweed and Pigweed, are seasonal tools on the bypass trail by Box 5 are
the tussock together as a solid mass. and disappear when the water returns. used to break up tussocks so they sink.

April Sightings

A Swallow-tailed Kite perches on a bare limb at A Gray Squirrel and Hispid Cotton Rat share A Downy Woodpecker awaits its mate from its
the north lake (April 18). seed below the Bunting House feeder (April 8). hole along the Plume Hunter Spur (April 22).

How Does That Work?


Treefrog’s foot uses dual method to stick to wet, slippery things as well as dry surfaces
Tree frogs’ feet aren’t nearly as the toe pad jut through the film and In another test, the researchers dis-
powerful as those of the well-studied make direct, dry contact with a surface. covered that the mucus has a watery
gecko, but their traction is good enough This arrangement enables the tree frog consistency, causing it to flow away
that they can grip the underside of a wet, to toggle between wet adhesion, which quickly so that a pad can directly con-
slick leaf. Now, researchers have evi- is useful on rough surfaces, and dry fric- tact a surface.
dence that the tree frog’s foot may be tion, which gives the frog a grip on The mucus channels not only pro-
surprisingly sophisticated. smooth terrain. vide the mucus film but also serve an
Unlike a gecko’s toe, which uses Each toe pad consists of hexago- important role in frog traction. On wet
dry, sticky hairs to clutch a surface, the nal skin cells that are covered in surfaces, they funnel away excess fluid.
pads on the bottom of a tree frog’s toe cleatlike bumps. Mucus-filled channels On dry or uneven surfaces, or when a
are coated with a mucus film, enabling separate the cells. By studying images frog hangs upside down, the mucus cre-
the pads to cling to a surface by wet of frogs walking on glass, researchers ates surface tension and viscosity, or
adhesion, like the force that makes a determined the thickness of the pad’s extra clinginess. The channels also al-
damp piece of paper stick to a window. mucus film. In many areas, there ap- low the hexagonal cells to conform to
But it turns out that wet adhesion peared to be no film at all. The tops of contoured terrain, like that of a leaf.
is only part of the picture. Researchers all these bumps actually touch the sur-
have found that microscopic bumps on face. from Science News, by Eric Jaffe
Profile
Prescribed Burns
For thousands of years, fire has Additionally, there are numerous
played an important role in shaping the ecological benefits. Burning enhances
landscape of South Florida. Historically, habitat used by wildlife including endan-
natural fires usually occurred during the gered species including the Florida pan-
summer wet season, started by lightning ther, gopher tortoise, eastern indigo
from thunderstorms. Because the ground snake, and red-cockaded woodpecker.
February 8: burn by Blair Center conducted;
was wet, the intensity and severity of the Many people worry about wildlife mor-
ground bare fires were limited. tality due to fire, but this is actually rare.
This natural cycle changed as man Animals are more directly impacted by
altered the landscape of South Florida. the alteration of their habitat.
Large areas were drained for human use Certain species of plants only appear
and natural fire patterns were disrupted. the first one to two years after a burn.
Now, controlled or prescribed burns are Many trees benefit from fire. The naked
used to try and duplicate the beneficial seeds of pine and other species such as
effects of natural limited fires. wiregrass are favored by access to bare
Prescribed burns are one of the land mineral soils. Thus burning increases
management tools used at Corkscrew. minerals and nutrient in soil and opens
March 13: grasses and first fronds of These burns are a very cost effective way up bare patches for seeds to take root.
palmettos begin to emerge of managing the land, and the reasons Ultimately, a land manager desires
behind the frequency and time of year a mosaic of different ecological transi-
depend on the desired impacts on the tional stages for plant communities that
ecosystems to be burned. can be maintained of time with burning.
Without fire, hardwood species eventu-
TIMING AND LOCATION ally come to dominate an area. For ex-
Marsh and savannah areas burn ev- ample, over time without burns the wet
ery one to three years. This is beneficial prairie off of the boardwalk at Cork-
for numerous grasses and wildflowers screw would likely transition into a
because fire can enhance seed germina- mesic pine flatwood.
March 28: ferns, grasses, ground cover tion. There are additional benefits to
growing; palmettos begin to flower
On the other hand, pine flatwoods, burning such as controlling disease and
high pine, and shrub wetlands often burn insects, and the clearing of overgrown
in intervals of three to seven years. riparian areas. Think of the abundance
The season of the burn also impacts of new, highly nutritious green shoots
the vegetation. Pine trees are at a higher growing a month after a prescribed burn.
risk of mortality in the fall because of These higher nutrient grasses and forbs
higher energy demands in the winter are better for herbivores such as deer,
combined with new growth emerging in which are often sighted foraging in re-
the spring. cently burned areas.
April 21: small cabbage palm in center
To protect hardwoods, early spring
sending out new fronds; wildflowers emerge burns need to be avoided because the BURN UNITS AT CORKSCREW
plants have used up their energy putting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is sec-
out new leaves and are less likely to re- tioned off into burn units. These burn
cover. Areas such as hammocks will units help use fire as a management tool.
burn more infrequently. Firebreaks are usually already in place
and need only be refreshed instead of
BENEFITS OF BURNS newly made, minimizing soil distur-
One benefit of these fires is reduc- bance impacts which often favor inva-
tion of hazardous fuels, thus increasing sive plant species. These units also help
protection for people, facilities, and even with recording the frequency of fires.
July 25: palms leafed out, grasses and forests. These burned areas become fire- Fire units often follow borders be-
wildflowers blooming breaks during wildfire outbreaks. tween different vegetative communities.
Profile
The wet prairie is a different burn unit needs must be made. The area to be fire is likely to behave. However, fire
than the pine flatwoods around the Blair burned and how it will be burned is also behavior can and does shift throughout
Audubon Center. The wet prairie is on noted. Another consideration is how the day as the temperatures rise and
a more frequent burn rotation then the any wind might impact surrounding relative humidity begins to go down.
flatwoods. areas. Wind conditions that would put Throughout the day, weather is moni-
smoke over roads, airports, etc. are tored for changes.
ADVANTAGES AND RISKS avoided. This is calculated using a After a successful test fire, crews
There are disadvantages and risks smoke screening test. proceed with the burn. On the down-
associated with prescribed fires. For the These are parts of a burn prescrip- wind side of a burn, a backing fire is
personnel, it is a hot and tiring all-day tion and are required for every burn. initiated. This is to give added protec-
process with risk to personal health Firebreaks or plow lines are put in or tion downwind of the area being burned
from smoke inhalation, injuries due to replowed as needed ahead of time. (burn unit). The burn unit, weather con-
falling or tripping over unseen debris, These act as access roads for burn crews ditions, and objectives of the burns de-
and overheating and dehydration. If as well as to help contain the burn termine how other ignition techniques
fires occasionally get outside of a burn within the desired area. will be used. It often requires multiple
unit perimeter, staff must work quickly On the morning of the burn, if techniques to get the area burned.
and efficiently to suppress these. weather is favorable, the Florida Divi- The edges of the unit are constantly
Other risks include fires burning sion of Forestry and local fire stations being evaluated and observed through-
too hot and moving too slowly, which are called for permits using the burn out the burn for spotovers. A spotover
can lead to burning of tree roots or, de- prescriptions. is when wind blows an ember outside
pending on soil moisture conditions, Once permitted, the fire crew in of the designated burn unit, and these
even the ignition of peat. Because of protective gear along with equipment must be put out immediately.
the complexities associated with pre- such as radios, water tanks, flappers Once the unit has burned and the
scribed fires, burn crew leaders must (used to smother creeping flames), fire is out, the perimeter of the burn unit
be trained and certified. rakes (used to cover small flame with is checked for smoldering logs, burn-
sand or dirt or to clear vegetation from ing snags, and other hazards that could
PLANNING AND BURNING an area), and bladder bags (backpacks cause problems later and problems are
Planning a prescribed fire takes with water that can be used to put out monitored or extinguished.
training and knowledge of the ecosys- small flames in unwanted areas) will Prescribed burns are an extremely
tems, topography, weather, and fire be situated according to the prescrip- useful land management tool that helps
behavior. tion at the site of the fire. control exotics, perpetuate fire-depen-
Before a burn is conducted, a deci- First, a test fire is started. This al- dent species, improve aesthetics, and
sion about the kind of weather the burn lows the burn crew to assess how the enhance wildlife habitat.

Anatomy of a Prescribed Burn WIND DIR. Key to the chart


Prescribed burn managers try to
find a natural firebreak, such as a
creek (1) 1 or they create one with a
8 tractor. From there, they set a down-
wind backfire (3). 2 This creates a
burned out area (2) 3 at which spot
the headfires, set in successive ig-
5 nitions –55, 6 6 , and 7)
7 will stop. Crew
2 3 members patrol a handline (4) 4 to en-
1
6 sure that the burn is contained. A
brush truck (8) 8 equipped with water
7 or foam is on hand to control the
fire if it shifts direction or intensity
due to wind or other unforeseen
conditions.
4
Chart from Florida Department of Forestry

You might also like