Forest Management & Camp Caloosa

On Thursday, I volunteered at Camp Caloosa to assist in removing exotic tree and plant species found at Camp Caloosa. Camp Caloosa is located next to Babcock Ranch and is mainly made up of Pine flatwoods. Just like most of the woods here locally, the land is infested with melaleuca trees, Brazilian peppers, Australian pine, and invasive plant species. Our guide and forester, introduced the class to the primary exotic species that have taken over South Florida, their impact on the land, and how to properly exterminate them without stimulating even more growth (from spreading seeds). Once we reviewed the basics and were able to identify the "unwanted" trees and plants, we had the opportunity to cut down the invasive species with machetes and saws. After several hours of cutting down a thick area of melaleuca trees, we noticed a huge difference. The area seemed more open and capable of providing a habitat for wildlife. Thick clumps of melaleuca and other exotic trees prevents Florida Panthers, Gopher Tortoises, Bobcats, White-tailed Deer, and other keystone species from living in the area. We witnessed several areas that have been managed using controlled fire burns that destroy dead pine and invasive plant/tree species. These areas now support a wide variety of wildlife and has reached its original state (before the invasive plants have taken over). Forest Management is an important field in maintaining a healthy woodlands environment and here in Southwest Florida, we need to make sure we properly exterminate exotic trees to sustain native plant growth.