Category: Wildlife & Plants

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CREW Begins Aerial Treatment of Willows in Marsh

written by Deb Hanson and Kathleen Smith

Willows growing in marsh
Willows growing in marsh

If you’ve ever stood on the observation tower at the CREW Marsh Trails and looked out over the 5,000-acre marsh, you may have noticed that the sawgrass marsh is being overtaken by coastal plain willow shrubs. While coastal plain willow is a native species, under certain conditions it becomes invasive – out-competing the sawgrass, taking over the landscape and reducing open water habitat for wading birds. The Corkscrew Marsh at CREW has experienced this phenomenon and much of the 5000-acre marsh is now covered with willow.

Open Water Corkscrew Marsh
Open Water Corkscrew Marsh

The invasion of the Corkscrew Marsh by coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana) has altered the structure of the marsh community. Marshes dominated by coastal plain willow inhibit nutrient cycling and the maintenance of diverse biological communities as well as the use of prescribed fire as a management tool for controlling exotic plants and maintaining open-water habitat for wading birds (Frederick and Spalding 1994). So, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) jointly applied to the FWC Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement (AHRE) Sub-section for funds for the treatment of approximately 1,075 acres of willows in CREW. The objective of the project is to decrease coverage of undesirable willow in the marsh to allow herbaceous vegetation to increase in coverage, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat and creating more open-water marsh.

The application was funded, and aerial treatment (via helicopter) began at CREW on August 26th. Three different ratios of Glyphosate and Imazapyr are being used, tested and analyzed to determine which is the most effective treatment and what herbacious vegetation returns to the marsh post-treatment. The goal and performance standard that will be used to assess success of the project is less than 50% coverage of willow within the treatment site two years post-treatment.

Helicopter loading for aerial spraying
Helicopter loading for aerial spraying

The treatment area is in the central eastern and southern parts of the marsh. Aerial photomonitoring at 3-month intervals after initial treatment will be used to evaluate the response of the willow. Georeferencing markers have been established in the marsh to spatially reference aerial photos taken at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment (we may also supplement with on the ground photos).  This will be a long-term maintenance project with re-treatments and potential native plantings for years to come.

Helicopter taking off to go to marsh
Helicopter taking off to go to marsh

So, when you look out over the marsh during the next couple of years, watch for changes in the plant composition on the horizon to the east. Hopefully it will open the marsh and encourage new native species of plants to grow, providing better habitat for fish and wildlife and water storage and filtration for our drinking water supply.

 

 

(Thanks to Kathleen Smith of FWC for providing the photos and facts for this article!)

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Wild File Q & A: Witches’ Broom

This week we begin a monthly Q & A post about various natural history topics written by CREW volunteer naturalist, Dick Brewer. This month he tackles a frequently asked question from Bird Rookery Swamp visitors.

Q: What made the large platform up in the tree, and does anything live in it? (This can be seen at the 0.5 mile marker at Bird Rookery Swamp)

Witches broom in tree
A large Witches’ Broom growing on a cypress in Bird
Rookery Swamp above the 0.5 mile post. (Photo by Dick Brewer)

A:      It’s called a Witches’ Broom. It’s a dense cluster of twigs/needles growing from a central source, sort of resembling a broom. It is a symptom of stress found in woody plants, mainly trees but also shrubs. The stress results in a deformed mass of twigs and branches which often appear broom-like. It can be small or up to several feet across.

The term Witches’ Broom dates to medieval Europe when people looked up into trees and saw what looked like a mat of twigs woven together and believed that witches placed them high in the trees and even rested on them. As brooms were once fashioned together from bundles of twigs, and since witches were presumed to be responsible for anything unusual, the abnormalities gave rise to the common name.

Factors which may cause Witches’ Brooms include infestations of mites or aphids or parasitic plants like mistletoe, genetic mutations, infection by fungi or phytoplasmas (wall-less single celled organisms with unorganized nuclei), or adverse environmental conditions that kill the terminal bud of the shoots.

Those caused by genetic mutation may be stable, so people have been able to propagate them vegetatively as dwarf cultivars. Regardless of the cause, each one is the only one of its kind in the world and is genetically unique.

In Florida, many of the Witches’ Brooms are a result of a fungal infection from Sphaeropsis tumefaciens (reference: http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/jos/Sphaeropsis.htm). Plants in Florida known to be affected by this disease are oleander, holly, bottlebrush, citrus, crepe myrtle, ligustrum, and even Brazilian pepper.

On some of these plants, the symptoms produced are a knotty gall rather than the mass of twigs known as Witches’ Broom. Sometimes, Witches’ Broom can be caused when the tree is stressed from a branch that broke off by accident or was poorly pruned by a person.

Witches’ Broom can last for several months to several years, and while it may be unsightly to some people, it really poses no serious threat to a healthy tree or shrub.

Witches’ Brooms can be ecologically important. They tend to be inhabited by a wide variety of organisms apart from the causative one. Some species of moths rely on them exclusively for food and shelter for their larvae, and larger animals including many arboreal rodents such as flying squirrels may nest in them.

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Rare Amelanistic Pygmy Rattlesnakes Born at CREW

Earlier this summer a rare occurrence was discovered at CREW. A dusky pygmy rattlesnake gave birth to six offspring, three of which were amelanistic – meaning they lack the dark pigment (melanin) in their skin. According to Kevin Enge , a herp expert with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, this is extremely rare and to have three of the six born amelanistic is quite amazing. No amelanistic pygmies have ever been documented before in Florida.

It is likely these three would not survive long in the wild because their rare coloration makes them easy to see and more vulnerable as prey. Below is a picture of the adult (with typical coloration) and one of the three amelanistic juveniles. Pretty cool, huh?

The location and the time of discovery were kept secret until after the young dispersed in order to prevent collectors from trying to find and collect them to sell. We assume that nature has taken its course, because after about five days the snakes had all moved on and haven’t been seen since early July.

Juvenile amelanistic pygmy rattlesnake
Juvenile amelanistic pygmy rattlesnake

 

 

Adult dusky_pygmy_rattlesnake
“Momma” Adult dusky pygmy rattlesnake

 

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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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Trailwalkers…

It’s always a treat when we get photos from the remote sensing trail cameras that CREW volunteer Bob Melin and Ricky Pires of FGCU’s Panther Posse/Wings of Hope program maintain out on the CREW lands. If you’ve hiked the trails, you may have seen these cameras. They help us monitor wildlife when we aren’t there.

Today, Ricky sent us these beautiful shots of a bobcat hiking the trails recently. Isn’t it fun to know what critters you might see when you come visit the CREW?

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FWC Seeking Input on Bear Management in South Florida

bear flyer topThe Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is holding three public meetings to get input on bear management in south Florida – including the area near and around CREW. The Florida black bear was taken off the endangered species list two years ago – a testament to the recovery efforts to save this umbrella species.

Now, southwest Florida is seeing an increase in human-bear encounters – which don’t always end up good for the bears. People and bears can co-exist, but human actions play an important role in how well that works. These public meetings will provide information on bears and opportunities for the public to make comments.

Come learn and get involved. Your voice and your actions will make a difference for bears in southwest Florida. Meetings in our area are:

  • Naples – June 26
  • Lehigh Acres – July 1

bear flyer bottom

Download the full Bear Management Workshop flyer 

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Bear Sighted at Bird Rookery Swamp

A Florida black bear was sighted at Bird Rookery Swamp today by CREW volunteer George Luther as he worked to remove some downed trees off the trails. The bear was seen twice within 30 minutes along the grassy tram trail.

Bear at BRS

So next time you are there, be on the look out for these magnificent creatures who make their home in Bird Rookery Swamp.

Have you seen a bear on the CREW Trails? Tell us when and where.

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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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CREW Strolling Science Seminars: Lessons Learned

We’re wrapping up the third year of the CREW Strolling Science Seminars – our scholarly walks for adults – and we want to publicly thank our seminar leaders who planned and led these fun, hands-on walks at CREW. Much thanks to Kathleen Smith, FWC’s CREW biologist for her session on Florida Black Bears; to FGCU student, Ben Dion, and Dr. William Sanders for their session on The Lives of Fungi at CREW; to Dr. billY Gunnels for his all-day scientific method session called Science in A Day; to Mike Duever for showing us how plant communities respond to Hydrology; to Jack Berninger for a fun seminar about Ferns; and to Ian Bartoszek for his lively session on the American Alligator.

We also want to thank the 113 folks who registered and attended these seminars. Their participation makes it all work!

  • 98% of participants rated the Strolling Science Seminars as Excellent or Very Good
  • 93% would recommend these seminars to a friend
  • 98% rated our seminar leaders as Excellent or Very good
  • 65% said they would share what they learned with others

So, what did they like and learn? As we scanned the participant surveys, we were delighted to discover these insights:

“This was my first attendance at a CREW event (and very definitely not the last). I appreciated the warm welcome and the introduction to other attendees. Three hours packed with information, enthusiasm and laughter. Thoroughly enjoyed it.”

  1. From the Bear seminar: “Kathleen Smith, FWC biologist was well prepared, knowledgeable and pleasant. She answered all questions even if they were off topic. Very informative. I learned a lot about black bears that I didn’t know before.”
  2. From the Fern seminar: “I had never heard of the Azolla event. Learned this is a very important and helpful fern. We saw 15+ different ferns. We learned how ferns reproduce. He also gave us hints on how to tell them apart. We saw that the spores are in different places depending on the type of fern.”
  3. From the Hydrology seminar: “I learned that in Florida two feet of change in elevation can take you through five different ecosystems. (Excellent visual evidence) Maintaining constant water levels is not a good idea even if possible because diversity of plant life needs periods of drought and flooding to create various species that acclimate to changing conditions.”
  4. From the Fungi seminar: “Don’t eat the blue latex ‘shrooms, and orchids need mycelium to grow.” And… “Lichens incorporate cyanobacteria to fix nitrogen.” and “Most of the fungi is underground. What is seen is only the reproductive part. This underground part is being used to further several ecological goals such as filtering pollutants and replacing Styrofoam packing materials.”
  5. From Science in a Day: “As a longtime hiker I finally took the time to stop and understand the spiders in the canopy..prior to this they were just something I brushed away. Then I learned about Cabbage Palm “Boots’ , Wax Myrtle, etc. I also learned I can write a rap song in 5 minutes.” And…”I would have loved to have billY [Gunnels] for a professor, and I wished I had been exposed to these kinds of experiences and these sorts of people when I was a student, as I feel my life would have been much different.” And…”The scientific process is complicated Learning is easier when you are having fun.”

“Nature attracts a diverse, curious population.”

Thanks to CHNEP for partial funding of this environmental education program and to all our participants for making this year’s Strolling Science Seminars such a great success!

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Celebrate Spring Wildflowers with Special Hikes at CREW

Skyflower
Skyflower

The CREW Trails are spectacular showcases for wildflowers in the springtime. The CREW Marsh Trails and the Cypress Dome Trails are particularly bountiful. We are already seeing a few grass pink orchids (Calapogon tuberosus) popping up along the trail edges, along with sneezeweed, shiny blueberries, marsh pinks, violets, a variety of milkworts, and much more.

To celebrate and help you enjoy these flowers, we have two special wildflower walks scheduled for early April:

glen stacell wf hike
Glen Stacell
Roger Hammer
Roger Hammer
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