Preserving and protecting the water resources and natural communities of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
The CREW trails saw 51,664 people in 2021
Once in a lifetime panther pictures taken by guests at CREW Bird Rookery Swamp
Welcomed back third-graders, for the first time since 2019!
Florida Gulf Coast University students volunteered 2,012 hours
CREW Trust volunteers gave 4,425 hours in service
The NEW Purple Trail opened at CREW Flint Pen Strand
CREW Trust fundraiser began, Annual Trail Sponsors – look for signs at all trailheads
The 13th annual CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction is fast approaching – on February 29, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – and you may be wondering what your food and drink options will be on that special night at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Take a look at what’s on offer:
You don’t have to ask “What’s for dessert?” once you see these gourmet cupcakes at Cherie’s Sweet Treats tent. But you’ll have a difficult decision to make once you see the range of flavors. Some examples: Death by Chocolate; Key Lime; Key Lime with Coconut; Coconut with Raspberry; and Wedding Cake (vanilla). You’re sure to find one – or two or three – that you like. Cupcakes sell for $4 each.
Cherie sells her delectable goods at these farmers markets:
Thursdays, Coconut Point from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Fridays, Boca Grande from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturdays, The Promenade from 8:00 a.m to noon
Sundays, Sanibel from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cherie accepts credit cards for her sweets. Contact Cherie at cherie.vet@icloud.com or at 616-292-0339 to discuss custom orders. Find Cherie on Facebook.
Cherie may be best known for her gourmet cupcakes (see above) but her savory dishes and sandwiches are equally mouth-watering. A sample of the food she will offer at our concert: black bean quinoa bowl with orange vinaigrette dressing; farmers salad (with the option of adding a protein source); and a pulled pork sandwich. Sides and drinks will also be available. Cherie will sell meals for $15 (price includes drinks; price will be slightly lower if no protein is added).
The Lunch Box takes credit cards. Contact Cherie at cherie.vet@icloud.com or at 616-292-0339 to discuss her catering services.
Haney’s Cafe in Estero is a long-time local favorite specializing in homestyle cooking. For 15 years Haney’s has been offering breakfast and lunch from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Recently they’ve added barbecue to their menu, opening in the evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The News-Press Readers Poll has named Haney’s “Bonita Springs Best” for six years in a row and Haney’s barbecue as a “Best Barbecue” in 2019.
We are lucky that Haney’s is bringing the best of its menu to our concert in their food truck. You will be able to buy hamburgers, enticing sandwiches, chicken wings, chicken tenders, sides and – best of all – barbecue, including brisket and pulled pork. Check out the full menu at haneyscafefl.com.
If you like the taste of Haney’s food at the Concert, visit their Estero location at 18011 S. Tamiami Trail #9, Ft. Myers. Telephone: 239-437-1120. Caution: Haney’s is a very popular breakfast venue, so you might want to arrive early for your custom made omelet.
Once again the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs will be the bartenders at our concert, offering a selection of beer and wine. One great option on hand will be a craft beer brewed in honor of CREW made by our friends at Momentum Brewhouse. Momentum’s “CREW Brew” is always popular, so belly up to the bar early if you want to taste this locally made beer.
Momentum Brewhouse, a popular Bonita Springs watering hole, has moved since the 2019 Concert. It is now located at 28120 Hunters Ridge Boulevard, Units 1 – 3, east of I-75 and just off Bonita Beach Road. The new premises are larger and have permitted the addition of more craft beers, wine and coffee to their menu. Check out momentumbrewhouse.com to learn more or call 239-949-9945 to discuss special events.
Student groups visiting the CREW trails often express wonder and gratitude for the exposure to water, birds, habitats, trees and plants that we provide. Sadly some of them admit that they’ve never gone on an outdoor hike and some express a little fear. We design activities that they enjoy – teaching them how to use binoculars and spot birds; allowing them to dip net fish and invertebrates which they study through magnifiers before returning them unharmed to their habitats; walking under the canopy of a cypress dome; and investigating the soils of CREW and what it tells us about our environment. Sometimes they get their feet wet but they don’t complain. And by the end of their hike they lose their fear of the outdoors!
To support and enrich these programs, the CREW Trust has invested in necessary equipment such as binoculars, bird identification books, and dip nets. We handle these items with care and are able to use them for years with different groups. But every year we need to replace some items.
Your purchase of tickets for the 2020 Concert Under the Stars will support these field trip experiences. More importantly, you’re helping us to educate all of our guests on the importance of our watershed and why we need to preserve it for the benefit of all.
As a CREW Trust member, you know how much the CREW Land & Water Trust relies on your membership dues and your donations to continue our work of environmental education, introducing people to our vital 60,000-acre watershed. Because of your generosity, we can continue to offer guided hikes on our trail systems to local elementary schools, FGCU, Ave Maria University, and other special groups. Our “Nature’s Peace” walks are for those with Alzheimer’s and also those with visual impairments so that they may also enjoy the serenity that nature has to offer along our CREW trails.
On February 29, 2020 (yes, it’s a Leap Year) we will be celebrating our 13th annual “Concert & Silent Eco-Auction” at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Tickets and more information are now available on our website (CREWtrust.org) for $15; children 12 and under are free to attend. If you wait to buy tickets at the door, the cost will be $20 per person. Sign up early and save $5 per ticket!
Don’t forget to bring a chair, but leave coolers and pets at home. Food and drink vendors will be available throughout the evening.
Happy New Year! No matter what your resolutions are, rest assured that the CREW Trust will continue to safeguard the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed so that you will have fresh water to drink, trails to explore and wildlife to view during 2016. In addition to purchasing CREW land and being watchdog over surrounding land use, educating the public is our best tool for protecting this precious watershed.
Help us continue to protect and restore the CREW watershed by supporting the 2016 CREW Concert.
This year’s Concert & Silent Eco-Auction will be held Saturday, Feb. 13 at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.It features the Sara Hadeka Band and Journey tribute band Chain Reaction. All proceeds from the CREW Concert support our education programs – from fun family hikes to school field trips to Strolling Science Seminars for grown-up kids.
We need your help, but time is running out. Please in the next week, become a sponsor, donate an item, and buy your tickets.
Here are three easy ways for you to support environmental education and the CREW Concert:
For more information, contact Brenda Brooks at 239-657-2253 or brenda@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com
For more information, contact Bruce Bunch at mr.brucebunch@gmail.com
Click the image above for general admission tickets. For VIP tickets, contact brenda@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com
Here’s a sampling of the education work we are doing:
Your support helps us continue and expand these important educational programs. Please stand with us and resolve to support the 2016 CREW Concert today! Your sponsorship, auction donation, or ticket will ensure that the CREW watershed continues to be protected for you to enjoy for many years to come.
Thank you for all you do for the CREW Land and Water Trust. We couldn’t do it without you!
Brenda Brooks, Executive Director
Jessi Drummond, Environmental Education Specialist
Attached are some photos from today: a Polystachya orchid in bloom with another on the same branch showing buds; one of two Tillandsia utriculatas with flower stalks that had fallen onto the trail and which I put up into trees, although much lower than they originally
were; and an Eastern Pondhawk eating a Halloween Pennant. I was just getting ready to photograph the pennant when the pondhawk swooped down, grabbed it, and flew to another perch.
Totally absent this week were Common Green Darners after there were 18 last week, and Limpkins when there were a half dozen last week and also the week before.
BIRDS
Anhinga – 3
Great Blue Heron – 1
Great Egret – 1
Snowy Egret – 11
Little Blue Heron – 12
Tri-colored Heron – 11
Green Heron – 5
Black-crowned Night Heron – 2
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 1
White Ibis – 3
Black Vulture – 37
Turkey Vulture – 9
Red-shouldered Hawk – 11
Mourning Dove – 2
Common Ground Dove – 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 15
Downy Woodpecker – 1
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Great-crested Flycatcher – 3
Barn Swallow – 12
Blue Jay – 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 3
Tufted Titmouse – 6
Carolina Wren – 9
Northern Mockingbird – 1
White-eyed Vireo – 10
Prothonotary Warbler – 2
Louisiana Waterthrush – 1
Northern Cardinal – 8
Red-winged Blackbird – 10
Common Grackle – 7
BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 9
Ruddy Daggerwing – 8
White Peacock – 11
Viceroy – 5
Common Buckeye – 1
Pearl Crescent – 2
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Brazilian Skipper – 8
Tropical Checker – 8
DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 43
Needham’s Skimmer – 2
Halloween Pennant – 1
Blue Dasher – 5
MAMMALS
White-tailed Deer – 2
Marsh Rabbit – 1
Gray Squirrel – 1
REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 25
Green Anole – 1
Brown Anole – 23
Pig Frog – 45
Greenhouse Frog – 3
Green Treefrog – 1
Cuban Treefrog – 5 “
Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. Who does weekly visits to Bird Rookery Swamp and very week sends us incredible stories of the magical 12 mile loop. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html
“Below are observations from BRS on June 6. Great day for butterflies with 19 species identified, plus three more skippers that I don’t know and haven’t identified. The attached photo shows two Silver-spotted Skippers, one Dun Skipper, and one Ruddy Daggerwing all feeding on the same Buttonbush plant.
The juvenile Barred Owl was on a limb over the pond at marker 6. It flew down into the grass one time where it caught and ate something very small; then, it flew back up to its limb and began hissing for an adult to bring it more food.
The otter family was in a water hold blanketed with Duckweed but each otter was quite successful at catching fish. The second photo shows one of the otters really chewing a fish it caught, first on one side of its mouth, then the other, and finally chomping with both sides.
The tail of the fish is still hanging out of the right side of its mouth in the fourth panel.
Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, June 6 ~ 7:35 am–1:05 pm
BIRDS
Anhinga – 2
Great Egret – 8
Snowy Egret – 2
Little Blue Heron – 1
Tri-colored Heron – 1
Green Heron – 1
Black-crowned Night Heron – 5
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 1
Black Vulture – 67
Turkey Vulture – 6
Swallow-tailed Kite – 3
Red-shouldered Hawk – 20
Mourning Dove – 1
Common Ground Dove – 2
Barred Owl – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 22
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Great-crested Flycatcher – 3
Blue Jay – 2
Tufted Titmouse – 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
Carolina Wren – 18
White-eyed Vireo – 17
Northern Parula – 3
Northern Cardinal – 22
BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 13
Spicebush Swallowtail – 4
Ruddy Daggerwing – 23
Zebra Longwing – 4
Queen – 1
White Peacock – 36
Viceroy – 3
Red Admiral – 1
Great Southern White – 10
Gray Hairstreak – 1
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Dorantes Longtail – 1
Brazilian Skipper – 5
Dun Skipper – 7
Fiery Skipper – 2
Least Skipper – 6
Silver-spotted Skipper – 6
Southern Brokendash – 3
Tropical Checker – 3
DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 33
Needham’s Skimmer – 4
Halloween Pennant – 3
MAMMALS
River Otter – 4
Raccoon – 3
Gray Squirrel – 1
REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 148
Brown Anole – 7
Green Anole – 1
Water Moccasin – 2
Green Treefrog – 18
Squirrel Treefrog – 4
Greenhouse Frog – 6
FISH
Brown Bullhead – 227″
-By Dick Brewer
Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. This is a special week as we are luck to get Dick’s observations from all three trail systems. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html
Great Egret………………………………………………… 6………………………………………………………………
Black Vulture……………………………………………… 3………………………………………………………….. 25
Turkey Vulture……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2
Swallow-tailed Kite………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 5
Red-shouldered Hawk………………………………… 3……………………………………………………………. 5
Barred Owl………………………………….. …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Limpkin………………………………………… …………… 1………………………………………………………………
Sand Hill Crane…………………………………………… 2………………………………………………………………
Mourning Dove…………………………………………. 11………………………………………………………….. 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker……………………………… 5……………………………………………………………. 5
Great-crested Flycatcher………………. …………… 1……………………………………………………………. 4
Blue Jay………………………………………. …………… 3……………………………………………………………. 2
Tufted Titmouse……………………………. …………… 1………………………………………………………………
Carolina Wren………………………………. …………… 4……………………………………………………………. 1
White-eyed Vireo……………………………………….. 5………………………………………………………………
Northern Cardinal……………………………………… 24………………………………………………………….. 10
Common Grackle………………………………………… 4………………………………………………………………
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS
Common Buckeye…………………………. …………… 1……………………………………………………………. 1
Great Southern White……………………. …………… 2……………………………………………………………. 8
White Peacock……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2
Viceroy……………………………………….. …………… 2………………………………………………………………
Zebra Longwing…………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Giant Swallowtail…………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 2
Pearl Crescent……………………………… …………… 1………………………………………………………………
Tropical Checker………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Bella Moth (Utetheisa bella)…………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 3
DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES
Halloween Pennant………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Regal Darner……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Blue Dasher…………………………………. …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 3
Needham’s Skimmer……………………………………… ……………………………………………………………. 7
Eastern Pondhawk……………………………………….. ………………………………………………………….. 13
Citrine Forktail………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Carolina Saddlebags…………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2
OTHER
White-tailed Deer………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Squirrel Treefrog………………………………………. 14………………………………………………………….. 14
Pinewoods Treefrog…………………………………. 10……………………………………………………………. 3
Green Greefrog……………………………. …………. 33……………………………………………………………. 4
Cuban Treefrog………………………………………….. 3……………………………………………………………. 4
Greenhouse Frog……………………………………….. 2………………………………………………………………
Red Rat Snake……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1
Brown Anole……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 6
Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, May 16 ~ 7:30 am-1:15 pm
BIRDS
Anhinga – 1
Great Egret – 6
Tri-colored Heron – 1
Black-crowned Night Heron – 1
White Ibis – 1
Black Vulture – 22
Turkey Vulture – 23
Red-shouldered Hawk – 18
Common Ground Dove – 11
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 3
Barred Owl – 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 22
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Great-crested Flycatcher – 3
Blue Jay – 2
Tufted Titmouse – 11
Carolina Wren – 23
White-eyed Vireo – 9
Northern Parula – 5
Northern Cardinal – 28
Common Grackle – 2
BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 6
Spicebush Swallowtail – 1
Ruddy Daggerwing – 16
White Peacock – 55
Viceroy – 5
Great Southern White – 5
Tropical Checker – 1
DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 46
Needham’s Skimmer – 3
Roseate Skimmer – 11
Halloween Pennant – 2
Eastern Amberwing – 2
Carolina Saddlebags – 1
OTHER
White-tailed Deer – 2
Alligator – 87
Brown Anole – 7
Soft-shelled Turtle – 1
Water Moccasin – 1
Green Treefrog – 56
Squirrel Treefrog – 4
Cuban Treefrog – 3
Greenhouse Frog – 8
Q: What should people do if they see a black bear on one of the trails?
A: Florida Black Bears are the only bear species that inhabit Florida. Safety tips are different with different species of bears due to their varying life histories. The following safety tips refer to black bears and not necessarily brown bears, Grizzly bears, or other bear species.
Think of a black bear as a large, stray dog in your neighborhood. Precautions you’d take with a stray dog apply to black bears too. Don’t make direct eye contact (a threat gesture), don’t run, and don’t turn your back to it.
First, make some noise (clapping hands, bell, whistle) so the bear knows that you are there. Surprising any wild animal is not a good thing.
Stand tall and make yourself look larger by raising your hands above your head. Adults should pick up and hold small children.
Then, back away slowly and get a safe distance away from the black bear. Just like dogs, black bears have a chase instinct and will go after something running from them even if they do not mean any harm. Once you are at a safe distance, you can snap a few photos and enjoy the moment.
Black bears in the wild are shy animals and generally not aggressive towards people. Exceptions would be a black bear that is strongly food conditioned and smells any food you are carrying, and a female black bear who is protecting her cubs. If you see a small cub seemingly by itself, back off immediately. The mother black bear is somewhere very close, and she is watching her cub and she is watching you.
A black bear is a large, powerful, wild animal. It pays to be cautious and to not provoke it, so know a little about black bear behavior before meeting one.
If a black bear stands on its hind legs, it’s not a threat; it just wants to get a better look and smell of the situation.
However, stamping its front legs, jaw popping (snapping its jaws together to make a popping noise), huffing (blowing air out of its nose and mouth quickly), or bluff charging (rushing toward a person but stopping before physically making contact) means it is nervous, and you need to back away from the black bear. Allow the black bear plenty of room to escape, which is all it really wants to do.
If a black bear does approach you and attack, hold your ground and fight back.
If camping at CREW, never store food or any heavily scented items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) in your tent. Always store it in a hard topped vehicle, hung from a tree at least 10 feet off the ground and 5 feet away from trees, or in a bear proof container that can be purchased at an outdoor recreation store. Food coolers are not bear proof containers. Click here to camp at CREW.
Online resource:
http://www.myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/black-bears
By: Dick Brewer
Winter is one of our busiest seasons for environmental education programs out on the CREW Marsh Trails. So, don’t be alarmed if you find yourself on the trails along with 120 kids.
The CREW Marsh Trail is an exciting outdoor classroom for kids from both Lee and Collier Counties. Jessi Drummond, our Environmental Education Specialist, takes 3rd graders out on a “Walk through the Watershed” where they spend time dip-netting, getting to know where their water comes from, and the importance of protecting the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
Ricky Pires, from FGCU’s Wing of Hope Panther Posse Program, brings 4th and 5th grade students to the CREW Marsh Trails to teach them about the Florida panther, its habitat and research. FGCU college students help to lead the Wings of Hope field trips, giving them valuable service-learning experience.
Both of these programs, plus a variety of private and home school groups use the CREW trails to help educate the kids of all ages about CREW. As part of our mission to protect the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, these educational programs are important to developing support for the watershed and engaging people in its protection.
So, remember, the next time you go out to the CREW Marsh trails on a weekday from 10 AM to 1 PM, you may find kids exploring nature. Be glad they are there.
Anyone is welcome to come see the magic in action and experience the joy of children outdoors. For more information on CREW’s Environmental Education programs, click here.