Category: Cypress Dome Trail

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Strolling Science Seminars 2014-2015

We had a great Strolling Science Seminar (SSS) series this season (say that 5 times fast). The SSS series started in 2011-2012 to provide adults with scientific knowledge from local experts. The experts engaged the participants in outdoor scientific study and enabled them to conduct citizen science as part of local, national, and global projects. Each event is filled with laughter, science, and new knowledge.

This year we were lucky to have:

  • Mad Batters of CREW- Kathleen Smith, FWC Biologistbat sss
  • Mosquitoes of the Marsh: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly- Neil Wilkinson, FGCUmosquito
  • Fire & Water: Primal Forces Shaping CREW Wildlife Habitats- Jim Schortemeyer & Joe Bozzo, SFWMD

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  • The Gopher Tortoise: How Protecting One Species Actually Protects Hundreds- Dr. John Herman, FGCUjohn herman and group
  • Birding with the Master- Dr. Bernie Master & Tiffany Thornhill, FWC

Birding with the master 2015

We will start planning the 2015-2016 series of strolling science seminars this summer. If you have any ideas, comments, or contacts that you would like to share  for a SSS event please email Jessi Drummond at education@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com, or call 239-657-2253. All ideas are welcomed!

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Small Game Season Opens December 6th at CREW

 

Raccoon (photo by George Luther)
Raccoon (photo by George Luther)

Small Game Hunting Season at CREW opens December 7th and runs through January 4th, 2014 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Specific Small Game season regulations for CREW are listed below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers, campers and horseback riders – during hunting seasons. Trail hikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.

Small Game Season:December 6 through January 3.

Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Hunting license, management area permit, migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds), and state waterfowl permit and federal duck stamp (if hunting waterfowl).

Legal to Hunt – Gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.

Regulations Unique to Small Game Season-
Hunting with bird dogs and retrievers is allowed.
Hunting with centerfire and rimfire rifles is prohibited.

The CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.

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New: Self-Guided Tour for the Cypress Dome Trails

Today November 6th 2014 a group of wonderful Florida Gulf Coast Students (FGCU) helped CREW Trust staff install number markers for the first self-guided tour for the Cypress Dome Trails. The FGCU students are currently taking Colloquium with Brenda Thomas (our wildflower expert). Their Service-learning project was to work with CREW Staff to upgrade and clean-up our hiking trails. We had a beautiful morning walking the 6 mile trail completing the yellow, green, and white loop.

Students posing for a picture in the swamp

The Cypress Dome Trails opened in 2008 and since then we have added benches, bird houses, short cuts, and now a numbered self-guided tour. The self-guided tour brochure was also created by a group of FGCU students for their Civic-engagement class. You do not have to do the numbers in order, just have fun reading the descriptions and observe.

Students Putting up a Trail Sign

Now visitors can download the self-guided tour map and brochure by scanning a QR code at the trail head or visiting this link before you hit the trails. Enjoy and discover the Cypress Dome Trails at your own pace.

*Give it a try and tell us what you think by commenting below.

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CREW Guided Walks Begin in November

Bird Rookery Swamp TrailIt’s been a long, hot summer, but the cool fronts are moving through and the rains are getting scarce, and that means it’s time for us to crank up our regular Guided Walks at the CREW Trails. Starting in November – and running through April – regular guided walks will be held at the CREW Marsh Trails (led by Dr. David Cooper) and at Bird Rookery Swamp (led by George Luther, Bob Melin,  Chrissy Podos, and Jack Shine). This year, we’re adding a third “regular” walk at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails (led by Dick Brewer). Guided walks include some history of CREW and interpretation of the natural world found at each site.

Each trail is unique and each walk leader has his/her own special talents and stories to share. Come on out for one or all three. These CREW walks are free, but pre-registration is highly recommended since they often fill up, and registered participants get first dibs on space.

CREW Marsh Trail Walks with Dr. David Cooper
1st and 3rd Tuesdays and 2nd Saturdays (November – April)
9:00 AM – noon
Get more info and register here: http://2015crewmarshwalks.eventbrite.com
Bird Rookery Swamp Trail Walks
with George Luther & Bob Melin
Wednesdays (9 – 11:30 AM) – November through April
1st Sundays (1:30 – 4 PM) – November through April
4th Saturdays (9 – 11:30 AM) – November through August
with Chrissy Podos
1st and 4th Thursdays (9 – 11:30 AM) – February and March
with Jack Shine
2nd and 3rd Thursdays (9 – 11:30 AM) – February and March
Get more info and register here for all BRS walks: https://crewbrs2015.eventbrite.com
CREW Cypress Dome Trail Walks with Dick Brewer
3rd Fridays (November – March)
9:00 AM – noon
Get more info and register here: http://2015crewcdtwalks.eventbrite.com
CREW Marsh boardwalk
CREW Marsh boardwalk

Happy Trails – see you out there!

 

 

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Sneak Peek: CREW Fall Schedule of Events

Sunflowers at Cypress Dome Trails

Fall is right around the corner and that means cooler weather (we hope) and more trail activity, including visitors and school groups coming to CREW to learn and play. We’ve got some fabulous programs planned for you this year. Here’s a sneak peek at our fall schedule. For full details and/or to register for CREW programs, check out our list of events on Eventbrite (or use the calendar on the CREW homepage to scroll through the months and see what’s coming).

September 2014

  • September 24 – 30 – National Take a Child Outside Week (why not bring them the CREW?)
  • September 26 – CREW Board of Trustees Meeting at Estero Community Center
  • September 27 – Mushroom Walk w/ Ben Dion (SOLD OUT – waiting list)

October 2014

  • October 4 – Sunflower Festival – Pepper Ranch (CREW will have a table there)
  • October 4 – Field Trip Specialist Teacher Training (for Collier 3rd grade teachers)
  • October 18 – Fall Wildflower Walk with Brenda Thomas
  • October 19 – Ding Darling Days – Family Fun Day (CREW will have a table there)
  • All month long – Lots of elementary, high school and college field trips 

November 2014

Raccoon (photo by George Luther)
Raccoon (photo by George Luther)

December 2014 – Bicycle tour at Bird Rookery, Geocaching, and more….

See you on the trails – let’s do this!

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Summer Rains Mean Wet Trails

Wet trailhead CDT June 30 2014As the rainy season picks up and we get rain events bringing 3 or 4 or more inches at a time, the CREW Trails, as you can imagine, begin to get wet. As of this week (July 1, 2014) trail conditions are as follows:

At the CREW Marsh Trails:

  • Marsh Trail and Alternative Marsh Trail – Some dry spots, but puddles and stretches of several inches of water to a foot deep in places along the marsh edge.
  • Oak Hammock Trail – One to 4 inches deep in places.
  • Pine Flatwoods Trail – One to four inches deep in places.
  • Campsite Gate 3 – needs 4-WD vehicle to access.

At the Cypress Dome Trails:

  • Green and White Loops – completely under water, depth from one to 6 inches.
  • Blue shortcut from Yellow to Green Loop – inundated with 3 to 6 inches of water.
  • Yellow Loop – some dry patches, wet in low areas near seasonal ponds.
  • All trails mowed on June 26th.
  • Campsite – dry and accessible.

At Bird Rookery Swamp:

  • Most of the trail is still dry. A few soft and wetter spots between map points 3 and 6.
  • Water rising fast.
  • Grass getting tall.

Of course, how wet the trails are depends on the frequency and amount of rain. A few days without and it’ll dry down. But as the ground gets saturated, even small rain events will fill the low spots with water.

Either way – wet or dry, summer is abuzz with life on the trails. So , come get your feet wet and enjoy the essence of summer in the swamps and marshes of CREW!

 

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1-Year Old Panther Killed Near CREW

This morning (6/25/2014) a one-year old, uncollared, female Florida panther was hit and killed by a vehicle on Corkscrew Road just north of the CREW Cypress Dome Trails. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials have the panther and will be sending it to Gainesville for a necropsy. According to FWC, this is the 17th panther death in 2014, the 12th from vehicle collision.

dead panther 6-25-2014

CREW is a wildlife corridor and provides essential habitat for panthers, bears and other wildlife. Unfortunately, the proximity of these protected lands next to Corkscrew Road and the all-too-often speeding traffic along it means wildlife deaths are inevitable. The CREW Trust encourages everyone who travels Corkscrew Road (CR 850) to observe the panther speed limits (55 mph in daylight, 45 mph at night) and to be extra-observant for all wildlife. If you don’t travel that road, please remind your friends and neighbors who do to watch for wildlife and drive the speed limits.

If you see a dead or injured panther on the road, report it immediately to FWC Wildlife Alert at 888-404-3922.

 

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Eagle Scout Project Beautifies Cypress Dome Trailhead

Eagle Scout candidate, Kevin Link, completed an outstanding project at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails last week. Here, he shares some of the process via video. Thanks to Kevin and all of his team for an extraordinary project to help beautify and provide shade and seating at the Cypress Dome Trailhead and parking area and to help educate people about native plants and landscaping.

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New Bluebird Boxes at CREW

Brian Beckner, owner of Native Bird Boxes, has generously donated four new hand-crafted bluebird boxes to the CREW project and is installing them today at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails with the assistance of FWC biologist Kathleen Smith and CREW Trust Executive Director Brenda Brooks. These boxes will enhance habitat and encourage bluebird nesting on CREW properties. If you’re hiking at the Cypress Dome Trails, keep your eyes open for bluebirds in the coming seasons and report any activity you see to us here or via email to crewtrust@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com.

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Brian Beckner and Kathleen Smith place a new bluebird box on CREW lands

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Small Game Hunt Season Opens Dec. 7th in CREW

Raccoon (photo by George Luther)
Raccoon (photo by George Luther)

Small Game Hunting Season at CREW opens December 7th and runs through January 4th, 2014 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Specific Small Game season regulations for CREW are listed below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers, campers and horseback riders – during hunting seasons. Trail hikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.

Small Game Season:December 7 through January 4.

Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Hunting license, management area permit, migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds), and state waterfowl permit and federal duck stamp (if hunting waterfowl).

Legal to Hunt – Gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.

Regulations Unique to Small Game Season-

  1. Hunting with bird dogs and retrievers is allowed.
  2. Hunting with centerfire and rimfire rifles is prohibited.

The CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.

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