Author: CREW Land & Water Trust

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Trail Tech

Ready to hit the trails this season, but looking for a few fun new tools? Check out these apps for your smartphone  that can help take your trek to the next tech level.

You can use your phone for more than selfies, Mr. Bear.

IveGot1: This app from FWC is for reporting sightings of non-native invasive animals, like pythons, which have been spotted within the CREW Project. Get as much information as you can, including photos of tracks. Just remember when taking a photo to place something, like a coin or a pen or a tube of chapstick next to the track to help with noting the size. (http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reporting-hotline/)

WeatherBug: This app has a program within the app called Spark which will show how close lightning is to your location. When should you find shelter and get far away from lightning? We say follow the pool rule – if lightning is within ten miles, get to shelter. Florida is the lightning captial of the United States and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

PlantNet: Can’t remember the name of that pretty purple flower? You can jog your memory with the use of this app and maybe correctly identify the plant. This is part of a global project so, if your plant isn’t in the app, you can help by adding it! Check out this shot of a flower I took by our office, then searched for, and quickly identified!

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab: This app lets you load bird packs (birds in your area) so you can tailor the app to where you are, or where you are travelling to.

Peterson Bird Identifier & Field Guide: They had me at field guide. This includes over 800 species of North American Birds and looks enough like your hardcover field guide that you’ll feel right at home.

Audubon Bird Guide: Reviews say it is the best free bird field guide available and it lists nearby observations. You can log your sightings and connect to a social community of birders. And, if you love owls, check out the Audubon Owl Guide app.

AllTrails: This app is one we are starting to use ourselves to get our trails out to the world! This app lets you explore trails and check out reviews. It’s also helpful if you are looking to explore more trails in the area (and more of our trails) or heading out of town on vacation and want to scope out the local landscape.

 

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2017 CREW Stanley Hole Golf Tournament raises $16,000 for CREW Trust

On Friday, November 3rd, CREW members, friends and golfers gathered at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero for the 2017 Stanley Hole Golf Tournament!

Winners of the tournament were:

1st Place gross: Pinestraw of South Florida

1st Place net: Glase Golf, INC

2nd Place net: Benson Blackburn, LLC

The event raised $16,000 for the CREW Trust’s environmental education programs. This year, those programs include field trips for Collier County third grade students, field trips for Immokalee students and a new field trip in development called Soil ROCKS! aimed at second grade students.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to the following sponsors:

THANK YOU 2017 Sponsors!

 

 

Pension Financial

Mark Muller, P.A.

Turf Equipment Solution

O’Donnell Landscapes 

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Mosquitos and More this December with the CREW Trust!

Looking to fill out your already bustling December calendar? We have something for everyone this December!

For the insectually curious and those itching for a bit of fun, join FGCU instructor and President of the Florida Mosquito Control Association Neil Wilkinson for Mosquitos of the Marsh: a CREW Strolling Science Seminar on Friday, Dec. 8. You’ll learn about the life cycles and histories of fresh floodwater and natural container species of mosquitos common to Southwest Florida. From identifying adult mosquitos caught in traps set the night before to using dip nets to survey for mosquiot predtaors, this is sure to be a can’t miss event! For more information or to purchase tickets, head to eventbrite.com.

Tuesdays are TrailDays at the CREW Marsh Trail! Volunteer naturalist and spider enthusiast Janet Bunch leads our free weekly guided walks from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. What can you expect in December? From the small boardwalk, you might spy string lilies blooming. Butterfly sightings may include Gulf Frittilaries and Zebra Longwings, both often spotted close to Suzanne’s Pavillion. The view from the observation tower will still show lush green sawgrass as the water levels are just beginning to dry down from our very wet rainy season. Red-shouldered hawks are pairing up and filling the air with their boisterous calls. As always, what we see depends on the day, which makes each walk different from the last! Register today at eventbrite.com. Can’t make it out to the trails on Tuesdays? You’re in luck! December’s Saturday Walk will be at the CREW Marsh Trails on Dec. 9; register at eventbrite.com.

 

The wading birds are flocking to Bird Rookery Swamp and will join us on our Wednesday walks!! Egrets and herons and Roseate Spoonbills are filling in the small ponds and are even visible at times from the trail parking lot. String lilies are blooming throughout the swamp and you may even spy an adult or juvenille water moccasin swimming slowly around the bases of the cypress trees and knees. The pied-billed grebes are back in the small canal and we’re hoping to see little tiny grebes this spring. We’re still waiting on the full trail to re-open but our Wednesday walks will continue, covering the shell path and boardwalk, then expanding onto the grassy traim once the district completes repairs and restoration. Sign up for your free spot today at eventbrite.com.

Members, make sure your calendar is marked for our Member Appreciation Picnic on Saturday, January 13! Want to join in the fun, but aren’t a member? You can become a member today and you’ll receive an invitation to our picnic, our very popular wine and cheese social under the stars; our quarterly newsletter; and discounts on Strolling Science Seminars and other CREW Trust programs.

 

 

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Membership

Whether it’s a quiet sunrise walk along the trails, the first glimpse of a Swallow-tailed kite, or a field trip experience with your child’s school, we all become connected to the CREW Project.

The support of our members is vital to the CREW Trust’s environmental education programs, which help teach visitors of all ages about the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed and why it is important to preserve CREW and the plants and wildlife within its borders.

YOU can help those programs continue to grow!

Consider becoming a member of the CREW Land & Water Trust today. You can register online or find a membership form in the kiosks at one of our trailheads.

Members receive quarterly newsletters, reduced admission to specialty programs and are invited to attend members-only events. Questions about becoming a member? Feel free to email allison@crewtrust.org or call our office at 239-657-2253.

CREW Marsh Trails
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Registration is now open for our 2017-2018 Season’s Programs!

Join local experts, volunteer naturalists and CREW Trust staff this season on one of our free guided walks, Strolling Science Seminars or specialty programs!

Members receive a discount on paid registrations and also access to our two members-only programs: our very popular Wine and Cheese Social and Member Appreciation Picnic!

Our first program of the season is Saturday – the Fall Widlflower Walk with Brenda Thomas! It’s sure to be picture-perfect as we’re already seeing Pine Lilies blooming along the trails.

Sign up today: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/crew-land-amp-water-trust-1047111831

Free Weekly Guided Walks

Registration required; visit crewtrust.org

November-March, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Tuesdays: CREW Marsh Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Road (CR 850), Immokolee, FL 34142; 15 miles east of I-75 on Corkscrew Road.

Wednesdays: Bird Rookery Swamp Trail, 1295 Shady Hollow Blvd, Naples, FL 34120.

February-March, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Thursdays: Flint Pen Strand Trails, 15970 Bonita Beach Rd. SE, Bonita Springs, FL 34135.

 

Strolling Science Seminars

Scholarly walks for guests 18 years and older. Visit crewtrust.org for time, location, event description and to purchase tickets.

November 4: Making Wildlife Observations Count with Dr. Win Everham at Bird Rookery Swamp 9AM-12PM

December 8: Mosquitos and their role in SWFL ecosystems with Neil Wilkinson at CREW Marsh Trails, 9AM-12PM

March 15: Swallow-tailed kites with Dick Brewer at Cypress Dome Trails, 9AM-12PM space is very limited

April 7: Butterflies of Southwest Florida with Dr. Brian Bovard at Bird Rookery Swamp 9AM-12PM

Specialty Walks and Tours

             Registration and tickets may be purchased through crewtrust.org.

October 14: Fall Wildflower Walk with Brenda Thomas, CREW Marsh Trails 9AM-12PM

November 11: Saturday Walk at the Cypress Dome Trails 9AM-12PM

               December 9: Saturday Walk at the CREW Marsh Trails 9AM-12PM

               January 6: Bike Tour at Bird Rookery Swamp 8AM-12PM

               January 13: Saturday Walk at Bird Rookery Swamp 9AM-12PM

               February 3: Bike Tour at Bird Rookery Swamp 8AM-12PM

               February 10: Saturday Walk at Flint Pen Strand 9AM-12PM

               March 3: Bike Tour at Bird Rookery Swamp 8AM-12PM

               March 10: Saturday Walk at Flint Pen Strand 9AM-12PM

               April 7: Bike Tour at Bird Rookery Swamp 8AM-12PM

April 14: Family Fun Day at the Cypress Dome Trails TBA

 

2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction

               Saturday, February 24, Riverside Park in Bonita Springs, 5-9 p.m. featuring the High Voltage Band. Tickets available at crewtrust.org.

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Register now for the 2017 CREW Stanley Hole Golf Tournament

 

Ready to tee off for a great cause?

Join CREW Trus staff, members and friends at the 2017 CREW Stanley Hole Golf Tournament on November 3, 2017 at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero.

The CREW Trust hosts two fundraisers each year and our golf tournament continues to grow in popularity. This year team names are returning, like Team Rattlesnake, and additional sponsorship opportunities are availalbe for those that would like to support the fundraiser but are unable to participate in the event.

Single player registration is $100 and Hole Sponsors/Team Entry registration starts at $600.

Registratoin deadline is October 27, 2017. You can download registration and sponsorship forms on the event’s website (crewtrust.org/2017-crew-stanley-hole-golf-tournament/) and stay up-to-date through the event’s Facebook page.

2017 CREW Golf Tournament Registration Form Fillable PDF

2017 CREW Golf Tournament Registration Form

2017 CREW Golf Tournament Underwriting Opportunities

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Hurricane Irma impacts CREW Trail Systems

Hurricane Irma damage at the CREW Marsh Trails

Prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma, the South Florida Water Management District closed all CREW trail systems, including the CREW Marsh Trails, Cypress Dome Trails and Bird Rookery Swamp.

The CREW Office, which is shared by CREW Land & Water Trust, FWC biologists and SFWMD staff, sustained property damage during the storm, including two residences on the property. Staff and volunteers began clean-up this week at the office, which remains closed at this time due to lack of power and water.

CREW Staff have begun surveying the trails and there is a lot of damage from fallen trees, to the point where some trails are not only impassable but appear to no longer be there. The conditions are unsafe for visitors and the trails remain closed at this time.

Trees down in the Popash Slough at the CREW Marsh Trails

Clean-up will be a slow process and, as trails open, we will update the public on our website and Facebook pages. We appreciate your patience during this time and assure you that our staff and volunteers will work diligently to restore the trails and open them to our visitors and friends as soon as possible.

Wondering how you can help? The CREW Trust has a small assortment of trail clean-up tools and replaces them often, usually with funds we receive from grants or community partners. Due to the large amount of work that needs to be completed in order to restore the trails, and the large amount of volunteers we will have helping us, we need more pruners, loppers, saws, work gloves and carts for hauling wood. If you would like to donate supplies directly to the CREW Trust, please email Anne (anne@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com). You can also donate online through our website and designate that the funds be used to purchase equipment for trail clean-ups.

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Views from the trails this week