Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

         I visited Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on Sunday, May 15, 2011.  Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary consists of a 2.25 mile boardwalk trail weaving through Corkscrew’s diverse habitats, native birds, and local wildlife.  This preserve has the largest strand of old growth Bald Cypress trees in North America (Buchheister, 1957).  As I walked across the boardwalk, I noticed five different habitats including pond cypress, lettuce lakes, central marsh, bald cypress, wet prairie, and pine flatwood.        

The plants of the Pine Flatwood habitat were very interesting to me.  Plants growing in this environment need to be able to quickly recover after a fire.  Some of these plants are the slash pine, sabal pine, saw palmetto, and yellow-eyed grass (Audubon Corkscrew Swamp).  For example, slash pines have thick bark and high needles that are resistant to fire damage.  They can also tolerate seasonal flooding in the summer and fall.   The sabal pine has berries that ripen in the spring and provide nourishment for nearby animals.  The saw palmetto is the most commonly found plant in the pine flatwoods (Audubon Corkscrew Swamp).  Myrtle wax can grow very easily.  This can become a problem when younger, smaller plants are not receiving the sun they need to grow and thrive.  Controlled fires can be used to make a more hospitable environment for these other plants.  The yellow-eyed grass serves as a source of food for the wild turkey in the environment (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center, 2011).  It is fascinating to see how each plant is specifically designed to survive or sustain life for another species. 



Air Plant

Some of the most interesting plants I saw were in the Cypress Forest/swamp.  The swamp in this area will develop when the conditions are right. These plants included the bald cypress, strangler fig, air plants, water lettuce, and lichens.  The bald cypress has a large, thick trunk to withstand the elements of nature, which seems to be a good adaptation since some trees are up to 500 years old.  The strangler fig copes with the environment by creating relationships with other stronger trees so that it can thrive in this environment. Their roots can be seen growing up or down the host tree.   Because there is so much water found in these types of habitats, air plants have evolved.  The constant water conditions have forced flowering plants to find alternative locations and build their foundations from other host organisms.  Water lettuce has thrived because of the almost constant water conditions in the environment.  It provides habitable environments for other animals including small fish and crayfish (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center, 2011).  Lichens are found in almost any dense forest area and create a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.         



Wet Prairies



Another interesting habitat I would like to talk about is the wet prairies.  The wet prairie thrives from a combination of fire, poor soil, and flooding (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center, 2011).  Some plants in this habitat include the sand cordgrass, St. Johns-wort, buttonbush, blue flag iris, and water dropwort.  The sand cordgrass is very plentiful in this area.  It is mostly used to facilitate fire through the prairie which allows space for other grasses to thrive and grow in its place.  St Johns-wort, buttonbush, blue flag iris, and the water dropwort all bloom in the summer or spring and produce flowers and vegetation that nourish the nearby insects and animals.     

Animals of the wet prairie include: egrets, white-tailed deer



Great Egret



Animals of the lettuce lake include: little blue herons, alligator, marsh rabbit

Animals of the central marsh include: raccoon, green anole, cardinal

Animals of the Bald cypress forest include: grey squirrel, pileated woodpecker



Green Anole



American Alligator

Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Water is a vital element to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  Since only rain water feeds Corkscrew Swamp, the water level is mostly dependent of the Florida seasons.  The rainy seasons in Florida are summer and fall.  Consequently, this is when the water levels are higher.  During winter and spring, when rain is infrequent, the water level drops.  The natural landscape and flow of water allow the area to retain and detain water when it is needed.  The dry season actually allows new plants to establish themselves in the area.

The present relationship of people to environment in Corkscrew Swamp seems to be beneficial to both, although this was not always the case.  During the 1940s cypress forests in Florida were being destroyed and used for their timber.  At the same time Congress sent engineers to build canals, dikes, and levees to control storm water and control Everglades for agriculture (Buchheister, 1957).  We have seen the damages of our actions from the past years.  Water is now contaminated with chemicals and the natural flow of water is not enough to support the wildlife, especially the wading bird population.  In the 1990s the federal, state, and local government agencies joined forces to restore the natural sheet flow to the ecosystems (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center, 2011). In time the quality of water will be improved for both people and animals in southern Florida.

While walking along the boardwalk I noticed some inventive ways the people of Corkscrew Cypress Rookery Association were using to help save the environment.  For example, the entire boardwalk is built of a hardwood that will never need chemicals or any treatment to sustain it.  Another amazing invention at Corkscrew Swamp is the living machine.  The living machine is a natural water restoration system.  It uses natural resources like bacteria and algae to disinfect the water flushed in the bathrooms (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center, 2011).  The water is cleaned thoroughly and returned to the toilets for use again.  As quoted from a Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary tour guide, “The water is said to be more pure than water that comes from municipal water treatment plants.”  I believe this invention truly reflects to idea of sustaining and respecting the environment we live in.   I would not change a thing about Corkscrew Swamp.  I think the whole atmosphere is very serene and relaxing.  It is like you are entering a paradise where you can get a break from the hustle and bustle of the world.  This environment makes you feel like you are miles away from anything stress related. 

I am grateful for my time at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and would recommend a visit to anyone who has not been there before.  My advice is to visit and give yourself time to take in all this place has to offer.

*All pictures were taken complementary of Theresa Boyne.

References

Audubon corkscrew swamp sanctuary.  Retrieved on May 15, 2011 from

                http://corkscrew.audubon.org

Buchheister, C. (1957). The acquisition and development of the corkscrew

swamp sanctuary, 1952-1967. Retrieved from http://corkscrew.audubon.org/Information/Buchheister.html

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center. (2011). Companion field guide [Brochure]