Collier Seminole State Park Camping Trip

This past Memorial Day weekend, my family decided to take a two and a half day RV camping trip to Collier Seminole State Park. The park is unique with a variety of different habitats and ecosystems. Mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and pine flatwoods surround the area. Day one of the trip was to kayak up the Blackwater River. The river winds through the mangrove swamps and was full of wading birds: Roseate Spoonbills, Herons, Egrets, and Cormorants. Saltwater Crocodiles and the commonly known American Alligator swam across the river into large "cavelike" openings beneath the mangrove roots. Fish were also plentiful. Snook, schools of mullet, rolling baby Tarpon, and Seatrout infested the waters and sandbars. While paddling the majestic river, I can only imagine the importance of the mangrove swamps and the interconnected Florida ecosystems. The large fish in the sea depend on the mangrove swamps for spawns and nurseries; Alligators and other reptiles protect their hatchlings in the salt marshes; the wading birds also nurture and protect their hatchlings in the mangrove forests and prairies; and the deer and other larger mammals graze and thrive in the pine flatwoods. Viewing these natural areas always reminds me of the importance of conserving our natural resources and protecting its wildlife. I'm always happy to see families visit our wild places to introduce Florida's natural beauty to their children. It's very important families these days try to create a good impression of the Florida wetlands and other areas to their children, so we can enjoy these lands for future generations.

A Land Remembered (Part 1)

Recently, I started reading "A Land Remembered" by Patrick D. Smith. So far through 200 pages, the book provides excellent detail of the hardships families faced in early Florida during the 19th century. Families struggle to survive, but they stay together as one and fight through the "rough times." The MacIvey family escaped Georgia to the unknown lands in Florida to start a new life. At first the MacIvey family lived in the scrublands of North-Central Florida, but the ongoing Civil War and dangerous drifters convinced Tobias MacIvey (father and husband) to move even deeper into the undiscovered lands of the Kissimmee. Each day, Tobias and his son Zech hunt the woods as well as capture wild cows. As time passes by and the MacIvey family struggling each week, Tobias discovers the rewards of cattle driving. Tobias and Zech work together to drive the cows and along the way, hire a few men to work with them. Thus, the MacIvey Cattle Company was born. The MacIvey family and their fellow workers (Bonzo, Frog, and Skillit) traveled to Punta Rassa to sell their cattle and making enough money to buy supplies that will last them for months. After seasons of successful cattle driving, Tobias finds out that more wealthy men continue to buy off land in South Florida, making cattle driving more difficult.
Stopping here, the loss of land during the late 19th century immediately reminded me of the beginning of old Florida's end. Wealthier landowners continued to buy off the land for future development projects. The loss of land will eventually lead to environmental degradation, canal systems, the drying up of the Everglades, and the loss of wildlife. Patrick D. Smith's "A Land Remembered" thus far is interesting in how he presents not only the family struggles to survive, but the land's struggle to adapt to future exploitation.

"Earth On Edge" Video Review

I thought the video "Earth On Edge" does a great job reminding the viewer of some of the main environmental issues we face today. The video touched different areas of the globe and a wide variety of problems. Areas such as the midwestern United States and the impact of agriculture, South Africa's exotic trees causing water scarcity, and the negative impacts of the logging industry in Vancouver Island. In the midwest United States, growing crops and grazing cattle have destroyed most of the Great Plains. Fertilizers poisoned the Mississippi River and lead to the "dead zone" in the Mississippi delta. Today, more farmers are attempting to switch back to more sustainable methods. In South Africa, environmental activists have invited the local villages to help exterminate exotic European trees that threaten the water supply. Not only do the environmentalists recruit people to help cut down the trees, they also spread the words of conservation and the importance of saving their local environments. In Vancouver Island, logging companies have clear-cutted many forests, which have destroyed many rivers that serve as an important source for large mammals and fish. Today, the island's logging companies who depend on the trees for the survival of their economy, practice selective cutting which improves both their own lives and the wildlife.
The problems covered in the video really reminded me of the South Florida environmental issues. Deforestation and development, invasion of exotic plants and animals, and the negative impacts of agriculture all occur in our own backyard. This video would be an excellent learning tool for our local citizens to understand the wide array of issues we face today and how we must confront them.

Caloosahatchee River

The Caloosahatchee River connects Lake Okeechobee with the Gulf of Mexico and is an important resource for Southwest Floridians. Although the river seems "healthy", this river was listed in the top 10 most endangered rivers in America. When searching the history of the river and its human manipulation, it's clear why the Caloosahatchee is struggling. The Caloosahatchee was a meandering river, until the human population steadily grew in the area which forced the channelization and exploitation of the river. Flood control was the key issue, so the Army Corps of Engineers widened and deepened the river. Polluted Lake Okeechobee water releases played a huge role in destroying the seagrasses and other estuarine vegetation important for the fish, birds, and Manatees. Today if you were to go boating in the river heading inland, the river bottom is "mucky" with little grass. Fortunately, the river is slowly recovering after several years of no freshwater releases. Wildlife sightings have become more common and the fishing has improved. Every time I kayak the river and visit downtown Fort Myers, the Caloosahatchee reminds me of the environmental issues we face in Florida. All of these important issues originated from human activity and humans prioritizing their needs and interest before conservation.

Lake Trafford Restoration

Lake Trafford, located in northeast Collier County, is the largest freshwater lake south of Lake Okeechobee. This lake was once a popular fishing destination for Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and Bluegill. Due to the agricultural lands in Immokalee, large amounts of dead hydrilla, and algae blooms, the fish population declined rapidly. Tons of muck covered the lake bottom preventing Bass and other fish from nesting. The large algae blooms lowered the oxygen levels, which sped up the fish kills. Thankfully, Lake Trafford is slowly recovering from dredging and restocking the lake with native freshwater fish species. As reported on the FWC website, wildlife biologists recently stocked the lake with 150,000 fingerling Largemouth Bass; hoping the lake will return to its glory when it was considered one of Florida's premier fishing lakes.
I've gone fishing in Lake Trafford several times and always wondered when Collier County will ever consider restoring the lake. Lake Trafford is an excellent attraction because of its history, birdwatching, and its natural beauty. Not only does the lake prosper, so does the local economy in the Immokalee area. When the fish population increases to their healthy levels, tourists and fishermen will return to the lake; while this will spark the openings of fish camps and other businesses that will draw in money to the local community (I only mention the economy in my opinion because there are usually two sides of the issue that must be satisfied: the environmentalists and the economists). By next year, the FWC also plans to stock the lake with more fingerling Bass due to threats from exotic fish species such as the Blue Tilapia and the Mayan Cichlids.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Recently, I visited the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary for the first time. During the guided tour, we saw a variety of habitats with different plant and animal species. On the boardwalk, we witnessed pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and cypress swamps.
Each habitat had its own characteristics. The pine flatwoods was mainly consisted of slash pine, saw palmetto, wax myrtle, and cabbage palms. We encountered brown anoles and discussed the impact of exotic species in South Florida, ribbon snakes, and black racer snakes. Our guide also gave us historical background info on each plant species (plant uses during settlement in the 1800s) and went over the purpose of controlled burns and its positive impact.
After walking through the pine flatwoods, our next stop was the wet prairie. The wet prairies act as a watershed or water passage during the wet seasons. Water travels southward towards the gulf and this water rejuvenates the Everglades and the wetlands. Deer, Panthers, and Black Bears also use the wet prairie as a travel corridor between different habitats. We encountered a juvenile Alligator in this habitat as well.
Next was the Cypress Swamp. A cypress swamp is a wet area dominated with cypress trees. There are mainly two types of cypress trees: Bald Cypress and Pond Cypress. Bald Cypress live for many years and are typically the cypress trees with the large trunks. Cypress are capable of surviving Hurricanes and other violent storms due to their interlocking root systems. We also encountered and discussed symbiotic relationships between ferns and cypress trees and lichens (algae and fungus). Along the way we were lucky enough to see "Bubba" the large Alligator, a Red Shouldered Hawk, a Florida Banded Water Snake, Fishing Spiders, and the dwindling native Green Anole.
Overall, the trip was interesting and full of fun nature facts. We're fortunate that the National Audubon Society has protected this sanctuary for us and future generations to see and enjoy.

Python Season In The Everglades

Florida is an ideal habitat for a variety of reptile species. Unfortunately, this allows exotic snakes and lizards to live in South Florida. Pet owners often release exotic species into the environment due to its large size or inability to take care of it. Hurricanes are also to blame in this environmental issue; storms causing damage to homes have allowed pets to escape into the wild. Over the years, the growing number of exotic species found in the Everglades have escalated. Exotic reptiles found in this sensitive wetland have harmed native wildlife in large numbers. Monitor Lizards and multiple species of pythons that originate from South America and Africa are examples of exotic reptiles that are found in the Everglades today.

On the CBS news website, I reviewed an article titled "Monthlong Florida Python Hunt Begins." Florida issued a Python hunting season that includes the harvesting of Burmese pythons, Indian pythons, African pythons, Green Anacondas, and Nile Monitor Lizards. Hunters can kill as much as possible during this monthlong exotic reptile hunting season.

While reading this article, I definitely support the state's decision to eradicate these exotic animals. Although some may feel they can be captured and released to their native habitat (which I also agree), the hunting season can also draw in money. The money is then used for environmental protection of our wetlands and other threatened habitats. I feel the state needs to be more strict with exotic pet owners as well as the importation of exotic animals into our state. I hope over time these snakes can be removed from the Everglades, but it will be a tough challenge.

Lake Okeechobee Water Releases

I searched through the News-Press website and found a disturbing article for those who are concerned about our local environment. Recently, the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Jacksonville District informed citizens at a public meeting in Lee County of possible freshwater releases into the Gulf. They claim the lake is almost three feet higher than normal for this time of year due to a wet dry season. The purpose of draining the lake is to prevent possible breaching in the Herbert Hoover Dike.
After finishing the article all I can imagine are the rivers of algae that will invade the seagrass beds and mangrove forests. These important habitats are fish nurseries and will threaten the fish population as well as other species that depend on the health of the estuaries. Not only will the wildlife suffer, but the tourism we depend on for our local economy.
Thinking through the issue a little more, I realized Florida's natural environment has been threatened from human activity throughout its history. Channelization, canal systems, agriculture, and construction/development are examples of human activity that have had a negative impact on Florida's biodiversity. Canal systems have conflicted with the natural watersheds and have caused serious draughts in the Everglades; agriculture has led to countless fish kills due to fertilizers and other poisons; development has shrinked the amount of woodlands for Florida Panthers and other threatened species.
Back to the main issue, I do not agree with the decision to release freshwater into our estuaries. The negative impacts are too great and I think the Herbert Hoover Dike can support a slightly higher water depth.