Research and conservation staff assemble highlights from their fieldwork each month. Here are some reports from June 2021.

Land Management

Corkscrew:

• Broadleaf species (Peruvian primrose willow, coastal plain willow, etc.) treatment is ongoing in different restoration units of the North Marsh.
• Scleria and invasive grasses treatment was completed in one of the restoration units.
• Scleria treatment in the North Marsh has begun.

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Panther Island:

• Invasive grasses treatment is ongoing, targeting as many deeper water areas accessible with ATV at this time; transition to wet prairies next month.
• Scleria treatment has begun.

 

Research

• Trail camera monitoring has resumed. Locations include those near the most recently shredded restoration sites. Cameras have captured images of many medium-sized mammals, deer, hogs, and panthers in the vicinity.
• Two temporary data loggers were installed in wells in Bird Rookery Swamp. These will be in place until South Florida Water Management District installs permanent stations (1-2 yrs).
• Two temporary data loggers were installed in wells within the Sanctuary. These will be in place until they are replaced with solar-powered, telemetered wells (like what we installed in the central marsh transect) -- hopefully later this summer.
• The research team has been assisting the public engagement team with daily observations of the ghost orchids.
• The FWC panther team continues their bobcat-trapping effort around the fish farm and their trail camera monitoring.
• A team from USDA collected Salvinia minima from the boardwalk in late May.

 

Marsh & Prairie Restoration

• Gyro-Trac work for the year finished on 6-18-21.
• 200 acres were mulched.
• Post restoration photos for 2021-A were taken after one month. One month photos for 2021-C will be taken the week of 7-5-21.
• Aerial mapping of the central marsh has begun.
• Two trail cameras were set up in restoration site 2021-A. 2021-B and 2021-C will also be receiving a camera if conditions permit.
• Phase 2 has begun in 2021-A.

 

Wildlife sightings

• 18 deer were spotted in restoration site 2021-A. Numerous deer have been foraging in each site.
• Sandhill cranes were foraging in 2021-B along with large flocks of other wading birds.
• Several Crested Caracaras have been spotted along Fish Farm Road.
• Glossy Ibis and many other wading birds foraging on Panther Island.
• Wood Ducks were seen in the cypress area of Panther Island.
• Deer foraging in units burned on April 1, 2021 at Panther Island.

 

Hydrology update

The water level just came above ground at the B-gauge on June 21. At the lowest/dryest point in the dry season, the water level was 1 foot below the zero mark on the B gauge (that was on June 1, the first day of Water Year 2022). As water levels come up, aquatic fauna is dispersing and reproducing. Frogs, toads, crayfish, and live-bearing fish, in particular, take advantage of this time of year when they can produce young in standing water that has a very low density of predators. This time of year, aquatic fauna biomass in most shallow areas is dominated by tadpoles.

RAINFALL:

We received 12.6 inches of rainfall in June 2021. This is typical for us for June.