Category: Things to Do at CREW

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Four reasons to add a hike to your Thanksgiving plans

Turkey. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Pie. Salted Caramel Pecan Pie.

Can you tell we really love pie?

We also like wearing normal pants to work and leaving our elastic waist pants at home, which means a little friendly exercise may be in order this weekend. And if you’ve got serious pie plans like us, we’ve got four reasons you should hit the trails this holiday weekend.

Reason #1: Burn, baby, burn

According to Livestrong.com, one hour of hiking burns between 430 and 460 calories if a person weighs 160 pounds. The amount of calories burned doesn’t just vary based on weight; it also varies based on terrain. Because most of Southwest Florida is flat, we probably burn less calories, but the article says nothing about how the high humidity makes us sweat buckets. And, since Americans consume between 3,000 and 4,000 calories during Thanksgiving Dinner, a few hours on the trail Thursday before turkey time might be a good idea.

Reason #2: Nature therapy

Trail running, forest bathing, communing with nature, hugging the trees – however it is that you enjoy the outdoors, you are getting actual benefits. Spending time outdoors can have significant positive impacts on your health – including reducing stress. Hit the trails and hike away the family drama or Black Friday shopping trauma – whatever you need to escape from, let the fresh air and warm Florida sun wash it all away.

photo credit: Bill Zaino

Reason #3: Make memories

We see it all too often during our education programs – today’s kids just don’t have the freedom and opportunity to run wild outside. Make some memories this weekend with your kids and grandkids and take a hike. Not sure what you’re doing? Grab a map at the kiosk and head out to the observation tower at the CREW Marsh trails – there and back is a very manageable (approximately) one mile hike. Your curious guests may ask a ton of questions but remember that, to enjoy nature, you don’t have to KNOW nature. Not sure what that purple wildlfower is? Download an app ahead of time to identify it OR just call it a PPW (pretty purple wildflower). Or completely make up a name because your six year old niece has no idea whether or not that flower is called a Pecanpie regretticus.

Reason #4: Florida fall

Yes, we actually do have fall here in Florida. It’s the tail end of our fall wildflower season and the red maples are turning glorious color and dropping their foliage. If you truly miss the smell of falling leaves, head out to the CREW Marsh Trails and scuff your feet through the thin layer of maple leaves that is collecting on the boardwalk. The cypress trees in Bird Rookery Swamp are changing colors as well and will soon briefly lose their needles. And don’t forget about the animals – the red-shouldered hawks are really active right now as they prepare for mating season. Unlike most animals on the trails, the noisy shrieks of the hawks completely overpowers any loud little children you’ve brought with you.

 

If you do hit the trails this weekend, please remember to do so safely – take water, wear closed-toe shoes (to protect against fire ants), grab a map from the kiosk and turn back towards the parking lot before you feel tired. And remember to practice the leave no trace principles – leave nothing but footprints.

 

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Register today for our weekly guided walks at the Marsh Trails

It’s the almost November, which means cooler temperatures, blooming wildflowers and time to register for our weekly guided walks!

Volunteer naturalist and spider enthusiast Janet Bunch returns for her second season leading our Marsh Trail interpretive hikes. Her walk takes guests through pine flatwoods and oak hammocks to the observation tower overlooking the 5,000-acre sawgrass marsh before traversing the short boardwalk and heading back to the trailhead.

Guests will learn about the plants and animals that call the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed their home and engage in lively, scholarly conversations with Janet and other CREW Trust Volunteers.

The walks are free but registration is required. Please visit our eventbrite page to register. Guided walks are held each Tuesday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. November-March, excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

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SFWMD announces public invite to Water Resources Analysis Coalition’s (WRAC) quarterly Recreational Issues Forum

The following is a press release from South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The CREW Land & Water Trust encourages all people who enjoy using the CREW Project trails for recreational purposes to attend this meeting. 

Oct. 17, 2018
Public Invited to WRAC Forum to Provide Input
on Recreation Program at CREW Management Area
The quarterly Recreational Issues Forum will be on the road in Fort Myers next week
 
Several miles of trails provide a variety of recreational opportunities for all ages at the CREW Management Area. Click on the image for a larger version.
 
Fort Myers, FL – Outdoor enthusiasts will have an opportunity next week to provide input and support for the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) current recreation program at one of Southwest Florida’s premier public lands.
The Water Resources Analysis Coalition’s (WRAC) quarterly Recreational Issues Forum will focus on the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) Management Area. The CREW area offers several recreational activities, including hiking, bird watching, camping and hunting. The forum will be held:
Day:
 Monday, October 22, 2018
Time: 5 p.m.
Place:
SFWMD Fort Myers Service Center
2301 McGregor Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901
SFWMD and its partners – representing environmental groups and governmental agencies – manage CREW for its numerous benefits to water storage and wildlife preservation.
In April, SFWMD completed restoration of 1,000 acres of Southern CREW in Lee County, allowing the area to return to its natural hydrological conditions of periodic inundation. The restoration project benefits the entire Southwest Florida ecosystem and its residents by restoring wetlands and historic sheetflow of water, improving regional flood protection, drainage and increasing water storage and aquifer recharge capability.
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Chirp chirp CHECK! Take these wildlife checklists with you when you hit the CREW Trails.

Our volunteer naturalist of many years, Dick Brewer, is well known on our website, blogs and social media for his hours of work as a citizen scientist in the field and for his almost-weekly critter counts.

Now you, too, can complete a critter count! Even if you aren’t quite sure what animals are out there.

Dick has combed through years of observations by himself and others and created two wildlife checklists: one for Bird Rookery Swamp and one for the Cypress Dome Trails. The lists have everything from alligators to skippers, bitterns to bats. Check them out and print a copy for your next visit to the trails!

CYPRESS DOME TRAILS wildlife checklist

BIRD ROOKERY SWAMP Wildlife Checklist

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This week’s Bird Rookery Swamp critter count

Wondering what there is to see – or what may be seeing you – at Bird Rookery Swamp this week? Check out volunteer naturalist Dick Brewer’s critter count!

Bird Rookery Swamp

Monday, September 24 ~~ 7:05 AM – 1:25 PM

temperature: 76..0-93.8º ~~ RH 88.8-56.1%

sky: mostly sunny ~~ wind 0-5 mph

BIRDS

Anhinga – 5

Great Egret – 1

Snowy Egret – 1

Little Blue Heron – 2

Green Heron – 1

Black-crowned Night Heron – 3

White Ibis – 1

Black Vulture – 7

Turkey Vulture – 3

Red-shouldered Hawk – 20

Mourning Dove – 4

Common Ground Dove – 2

Belted Kingfisher – 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker – 26

Pileated Woodpecker – 6

Great-crested Flycatcher – 5

Eastern Wood Pewee – 1

unknown flycatcher – 1

Carolina Wren – 16

Blue Jay – 3

Tufted Titmouse – 6

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 3

Northern Mockingbird – 3

White-eyed Vireo – 29

Louisiana Waterthrush – 3

Northern Cardinal – 13

Common Grackle – 4

BUTTERFLIES

Tiger Swallowtail – 4

Palamedes Swallowtail – 23

Viceroy – 5

White Peacock – 49

Ruddy Daggerwing – 3

Phaon Crescent – 10

Cloudless Sulphur – 2

Barred Yellow – 1

Brazilian Skipper – 4

Eufala Skipper – 3

Three-spotted Skipper – 53

Tropical Checker – 13

Red-waisted Florella Moth – 2

DRAGONFLIES

Eastern Pondhawk – 22

Halloween Pennant – 12

Needham’s Skimmer – 3

Blue Dasher – 9

Eastern Amberwing – 1

Citrine Forktail – 3

HERPS

Alligator – 57

Brown Anole – 13

Pig Frog – 7

MAMMALS

White-tailed Deer – 3

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CREW Trust announces 2018-2109 Season Programs

We’re very excited for this season’s programs and crossing our fingers for no large weather events and good trail conditions!

Registration for our 2018-2019 programs will open on Tuesday, September 4 for all CREW Trust Members. Non-member registration will open one week later on Tuesday, September 11. You must be a current CREW Trust member to register during our first week, so please make sure your membership is up to date or join today online at crewtrust.org/become-a-member/.

Hikers at Bird Rookery Swamp by Bill Zaino

 

Strolling Science Seminars

Our scholarly walks for ages 18 and older are always a hit and sell-out quickly! This year we have four set dates and will have a pop-up Strolling Science Seminar on Prescribed Burning when conditions are conducive to hosting that event.

November 8: Mad Batters of CREW: Join CREW FWC biologist and bat expert Kathleen Smith for a batty evening at Bird Rookery Swamp! This a hands-on experience for a small group of participants. We will set up and monitor mist nets and learn about the different bats that call Bird Rookery Swamp home.

November 10: Not-So-Naked-and-Afraid: Roger Hammer, wildflower expert, amazing story teller and friend of CREW has also worked as a consultant on the television series Naked and Afraid. Think you could survive 21 days with no clothes and no supplies in the wilds of CREW? Roger will tell you what to do – and what not to do – along with a lot of stories from his time on the trails and time working on the shows.

December 7: Exploring the Outdoors with your Inner Child: Our weekly guided walk guests at the CREW Marsh trails often see Ricky Pires’ field trips or the CREW Trust’s field trips in action and ask us “What are those kids doing?” If you want to learn about CREW from a kid’s point of view, join Ricky and Jessi Drummond, our former education coordinator, for dip netting, scent stations and more! Plus you’ll get to play some games like Oh Deer! and Save the Wildlife Bingo.

February 23: Descent with Modification: Natural Selection: On this walk with Jack Berninger, participants will discuss the foundation principles that explain how all life developed on planet Earth. The pillars of this foundation are variations; reproduction, selection and time. These supports will be viewed in the flora and fauna as you stroll the trails.

Prescribed Fire: Thaddeus Penfield and Joe Bozzo, our CREW South Florida Water Management friends, will lead a pop-up strolling science seminar in January or February on prescribed burning. They will discuss the role of fire in the natural history of the landscape and show how they use fire today to manage the acres within the CREW Project.

 

Specialty Walks

October 20: Fall Wildflower Walk: Join Brenda Thomas for a stroll along the trails where you’ll see the bounty of Florida’s fall wildflowers! And, if you’re lucky, it might be pine lily time.

January 26 and March 9: Birding with the Master: It’s the return of Dr. Bernie Master! After a year spent travelling the world, Dr. Master is back and leading two birding sessions in Bird Rookery Swamp. These sessions are for everyone from serious birders to beginners.

April 13: Spring Wildflower Walk: Springtime means a new rush of color on the trails! Participants will stroll through the CREW Marsh Trails with Roger Hammer, author of several wildflower books including The Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers. 

 

Free Guided Walks

Our free guided walks schedule has changed this year and walks will be offered on select dates at Bird Rookery Swamp and the CREW Marsh Trails.

Save the Date: 2019 CREW Concert Under The Stars & Silent Eco Auction: February 16, 2019 5-9 p.m. featuring the High Voltage Band at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.

Registration for members opens on September 4; for non-members on September 11. All programs require registration; visit eventbrite.com after registration opens. CREW Trust members will receive an email on September 4 when registration opens.

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2018-2019 Hunting Season starts Saturday

Cypress Dome Trails – hunters should expect wet trail conditions with mud in many areas.

 

The 2018-2019 hunting season begins Saturday, August 4 with archery season, which ends August 14.

The Cypress Dome Trails and Caracara Prairie Reserve are locations where hunting takes place during hunting season. Signs will be posted at the trailheads to inform other user groups about the current hunting dates. Hunting also takes place within the Flint Pen Strand unit but the trails are not yet complete and the parking lot is not open at this time. Hunting season does not take place on the CREW Marsh Trails or in Bird Rookery Swamp.

There are several quota hunts within the CREW WEA each year :

Archery – August 4-12, 2018

Muzzleloading Gun – September 1-3, 2018

General Gun – November 17-25, 2018 

Small Game Season – December 1-30, 2018

Spring Turkey – March 2-5 and 6-10, 2019

Please check MyFWC.com for updated information during the 2018-2019 season.

Hunting on the CREW Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA) is regulated by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Hunting is an important management tool, helping to control potentially devastating wild hog populations and maintaining healthy populations of other game species.

For more information about current hunting regulations for CREW, getting quota permits, and season dates, check the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. To learn more about and sign up for FWC Hunter Safety Courses, visit myfwc.com/hunting/safety-education/courses/.

Trail Conditions 

Information and directions to the CREW Trails

2018-2019 CREW Wildlife and Environmental Area Hunting Brochure

 

 

 

 

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What you can see this week at Bird Rookery Swamp: Kites, limpkins and calico pennant dragonflies

Volunteer naturalist and CREW Trust citizen scientist Dick Brewer shared his most recent critter count and photos from Bird Rookery Swamp. We hope you find time to hit the trails and maybe catch a few glimpses of these birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals!

BIRDS
Black-bellied Whistling Duck – 6
Anhinga – 1
Great Egret – 3
Little Blue Heron – 6
Tri-colored Heron – 3
Black-crowned Night Heron – 2
Black Vulture – 8
Turkey Vulture – 9
Swallow-tailed Kite – 3
Red-shouldered Hawk – 8
Limpkin – 8

Mourning Dove – 5
Common Ground Dove – 5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 23
Pileated Woodpecker – 8
Blue Jay – 1
American Crow – 1
Tufted Titmouse – 2
Carolina Wren – 13
Northern Mockingbird – 5
White-eyed Vireo – 10
Northern Cardinal – 20
Common Grackle – 4

BUTTERFLIES
Tiger Swallowtail – 7
Palamedes Swallowtail – 19
Viceroy – 10
Queen – 3
White Peacock – 33
Ruddy Daggerwing – 20
Phaon Crescent – 15
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Barred Yellow – 1
Brazilian Skipper – 3
Least Skipper – 1
Tropical Checker – 3

DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 35
Needham’s Skimmer – 3
Blue Dasher – 31
Band-winged Dragonlet – 5
Little Blue Dragonlet – 2
Calico Pennant – 2

HERPS
Alligator – 33
Green Anole – 1
Brown Anole – 15
Pig Frog – 88
Green Treefrog – 3
Southern Leopard Frog – 7
Water Moccasin – 1

MAMMALS
Raccoon – 1

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Time to get WET! Check out our tips for taking a walk in the water

During the winter, when the majority of our visitors frequent the CREW Project’s trails, our trail conditions are mainly dry with near-perfect weather each day.

But for those of us who live here year round, we see a completely different side of the trails, with pea-soup-thick humidity, daily afternoon thunderstorms and trails covered in water – the kind there is no tip-toeing around.

Taking that first step into the water can be unnerving. And asking other hikers can either be encouraging or a total nightmare when they send you links to videos of floating masses of fire ants.

(don’t go Google that. REALLY. Don’t. Just trust me.)

We reached out to some of our favorite wet-walk enthusiasts to you help get you prepared and hopefully inspired to take that first step, or dip, on the trails.

Why do you love wet walks?

I love the connection with the energy and life around me. It feels so much different and so much stranger when the water is swirling around my legs. I am in an intimate connection with the swamp. – Brenda Thomas, FGCU and former CREW Trust education coordinator

On a hot and humid summer day, the water is cool and refreshing. – Dick Brewer, CREW Trust volunteer naturalist

Summers are so hot and walking into the water is instantly refreshing. It’s much cooler than you think it will be. -Anne Reed, CREW Trust communications strategist

We might not have mountains in Florida to make you feel humble but a swamp walk sure can! -Jessi Drummond, CREW Trust education coordinator

I love wet walk because you get to see things you don’t see in the dry season and from a totally different perspective. -Janet Bunch, CREW Trust volunteer naturalist

What is one must-have item for wet walks/wet hikes?

A walking stick for balance and for estimating the depth of the water ahead. -Dick Brewer

I recommend long pants. If you are anxious about being in the water, something covering your legs can ease the anxiety. If the water is deep you will likely feel vegetation brushing against your legs and you won’t be able to see what it is. You’ll feel a bit more protected with a layer on your legs. -Brenda Thomas

The must-haves are a bottle of water and a change of clothing (underwear included) or a giant trash bag for the way home! -Janet Bunch

A walking stick. Pro tip – have a way to measure the depth of the water on your walking stick. -Jessi Drummond

Lightweight hiking pants. They don’t soak up the water and then dry relatively quickly. Oh, and make sure you can tuck them into your socks – I have had way too many pine needles creep up my pants during wet walks. -Anne Reed

What is one piece of advice or one tip you have for folks going on their first wet walk?

One important thing to remember about wet walks is to stand up straight. If you are leaning forward and you slip, you’ll go right down. A corollary to this is that you feel with your leading foot and don’t transfer your body weight until you are sure of your footing. Long pants and long sleeves will sae you from a lot of bug misery. -Janet Bunch

The water really isn’t as dirty as it looks, so don’t let the color intimidate you. It’s just brown because of the tannins in the leaves. -Jessi Drummond

Take turns being in front if you go with a group of people. It’s a lot like cycling – you can draft off the lead hiker so pushing the water with your legs doesn’t take as much energy. But if you are drafting, it’s only fair to take your time at the front too because pushing all of that water is hard work! -Anne Reed

Have a towel and a dry set of shoes, and possibly clothes, waiting in the car. -Dick Brewer

Take your time! You need to enjoy every moment you are in the water. Experience the connection and the enrgy and the emotion. Plus, the greatest risk in the water isn’t the things swimming in it – it is you tripping and falling, especially if there are cypress knees hiding under the surface.