Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Historical Timeline

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary celebrates its 65th year in 2019. I personally have always had an interest in the history of places and how they came to be. While doing a little research into Corkscrew's history, I decided to compile some of the major events that led to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary that we know today. I hope you enjoy this timeline and learning about our history!

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Historical Timeline

1900 Audubon member Frank M. Chapman launched the first Christmas Bird Count.

1901 State-level Audubon groups joined together in a loose national organization.

1905 National Audubon Society founded.

1905 National Audubon began protecting the wading birds nesting within Corkscrew Swamp.

1912-1917 Rhett Green protected Corkscrew colonies.

Camp of Rhett Green.

1913 Rhett Green begun serving as a guide for people like Thomas Gilbert Pearson, F.M. Phelps, Oscar E. Baynard and W. F. Blackman who were documenting the bird life found at Corkscrew.

1917 T.G. Pearson estimated that the Corkscrew old growth bald cypress forest supported 100,000 Wood Storks.

1918 President Wilson signed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

1944 Systematic logging of South Florida cypress forests started in Fakahatchee strand south of Corkscrew.

1954 Audubon buys the last great stand of bald cypress trees in Florida's Corkscrew Swamp. 5,680 acres were secured (640 acres were a gift from Lee-Tidewater Cypress Company) and the Corkscrew rookery became Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

1954 Florida Meeting Banquet. Watson B. Hastrip, Director and
Secretary, Lee Tidewater Cypress Company, and John H. Baker.

1955 Audubon warden Hank Bennett transferred to serve as Corkscrew's first manager.

Hank Bennett explores the Lettuce Lake. 

Photo: Allan D. Cruickshank.

1955 Sam, Bob, and Fletcher Whidden began construction of a boardwalk into the swamp.

1955 Collier Enterprises (now Collier Company) leased to the National Audubon Society, at $1 a year rental, 3,200 acres with the condition that the lessor shall donate the land to the society subject to the society’s purchasing that standing timber for a total of $25,000.

1956 Original boardwalk, totaling 5,600 feet, was completed.

1958 Monitoring of Wood Stork nesting and daily water levels began (still continues today).

1959 James Callaghan from the National Audubon Society builds 900 ft road from entrance of Sanctuary to boardwalk and gatehouse.

Gatehouse constructed by James Callaghan of National Audubon Society.
Photo: George Porter

1960 Immokalee and Sanctuary road construction completed providing improved access to the sanctuary.

1960 Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary officially open to the public. Admission charge was $1 and free to children under twelve.

1960 Boardwalk rebuilt.

Boardwalk Map 1960s.

1960 Hurricane Donna causes devastating damage to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and boardwalk repairs took place.

September 18th, 1960 after Hurricane Donna.
Photo: Donna N. Sprunt.

1962 Sanctuary Director house built.

1963-1966 National Audubon Society purchased the timber at the stated price and received a gift of 2,880 of the original 3,200 acres.

1963 Phil Owens hired full-time and eventually became the Director.

1964 U.S. Department of the Interior recognizes Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary as a Natural National Landmark.

Carl W. Buchheister, M. Stanley Josephs, Superintendent, 

Everglades National Park, on occasion of presentation of plaque

 on behalf of Department of Interior to Corkscrew establishing it as a

  “Registered Natural History Landmark.” March 23, 1965.

1965 Gulf American Land Corporation announced its plan to establish the Golden Gate Estates housing development. In partnership with the Ford Foundation the NAS purchased 2,640 acres adjacent to sanctuary’s southern border.

1968 Boardwalk extended into a loop.

Boardwalk Map 1970s.

1983 Ed Carlson becomes Sanctuary Director, serves until 2012.

1994 Living Machine wastewater treatment system built.

1996 Current boardwalk built.

Beginning of new boardwalk 1996. Photo: Clyde Butcher.

2000 Blair Audubon Center completed.

2007 Rare Ghost Orchid discovered at Corkscrew.

2009 Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.

2010 Panther Island Mitigation Bank (2,778 acres) land transferred to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

2014 Landmark Cypress Tree project launched in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the rescue of the old growth cypress forest from logging.

2017 Hurricane Irma causes significant damage to the boardwalk.

2019 Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary recognized as a Wetland of Distinction by the Society of Wetland Scientists.

-Amy, Education Intern

References: National Audubon Society History, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary History

A Young Wolf Joins the Pack

Greetings! My name is Dana Ista Noble and I am the newest Resource Intern. 

I graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science specializing in Ecology.

I had found my passion in Conservation Ecology back when I was in elementary school where I won a poster that says Keep The Wild Alive and illustrates some of the well known endangered species. 

To this day I still have that poster framed in great condition hanging on my wall motivating me to keep moving forward towards my passion.

I had followed the efforts of the World Wildlife Foundation as a little girl dreaming of working for them as an ecologist and actually making a positive impact in the world. Every birthday I had all I asked for of my parents was a donation to be made to the World Wildlife Fund and I am proud to call myself a member of their organization.

In middle school another building block was placed on me when my science teacher gave me a newspaper article headlined Lessons From The Wolf. This article illustrated how the reintroduction of the wolves at Yellowstone National Forest restored the trophic structure of the land and allowed new flora to be able to grow again. This set my passion on fire and I want nothing more than to be an ecologist specializing in apex predators; specifically wolves and large cats.

While in college I volunteered with the Ridge Rangers of Florida Fish and Wildlife and did restoration work. I was also part of the Conservation Ecology club where we did volunteer projects for wildlife rehabilitation sanctuaries and other field work. I also worked with a graduate student conducting water tests from the Florida Aquifer. My ecology professors also allowed me to be part of their field research and restoration efforts of mangroves and oysters beds at Mosquito Lagoon.

After I graduated I spent 6 months working for Americorp where I worked for the National Park Service along the southeastern coast of the United States. The majority of my work was done in the Great Smoky Mountains where I did vegetation work similar to my current position here at Corkscrew. 

My last project working at the Smoky Mountains, the NPS manager who was my boss gave me a magazine that is all about the Yellowstone Wolf project and I nearly cried. I hope I'll reach my dream some day.

In the near future I want to be able to go to Nepal in order to join the conservation ecology team in their research on the Snow Leopard. With that experience in research I can get closer to my dream of being a conservation ecologist that makes a positive impact for those species.

For now I am learning land management strategies because without a healthy land the other species would vanish and die out.

"Everything has a Spirit - Honor that"

FGCU's 2019 Biodiversity Conference

Last Thursday, March 14th, I attended FGCU's 2019 Biodiversity Conference. This is the second conference I have attended since being at Corkscrew (the first being CISMA, 2/26) and I have to say, they are a nice way to escape the office. It is cool to be able to compare this Biodiversity Conference with the one I attended previously because they were very different experiences for me. The CISMA conference seemed to draw a much more diverse and scientific crowd and provided presentations by a variety of people, in a variety of fields. The Biodiversity Conference drew some scientists, but its crowd was much more varied and included a number of environmental activists. I think this is due to the nature of this conference, which is that it focused on one heated topic: Red Tide in Florida.

Sarah Walters Burnsed (Marine Finfish Biologist, FWC)
giving her presentation about red tide in Florida

The conference was organized with a morning session, afternoon session, and closing remarks. The morning session included a panel with people from 3 different fields: Science, Vet Medicine, and Policy/Law. There were six people total, each who gave a brief presentation about red tide from their own perspective. These presentations were interesting in that they gave some dimension to this hot-button issue. I enjoyed learning from the policy people in particular. After the panelists gave their presentations, it was time for questions. Some of the questions were well thought out and made sense for the topic, while others were directed to a specific panelist or aimed to create controversy. All together the morning session was interesting to an observer like me.

After an hour break for lunch, it was time for the afternoon session. This session was cut up into three workshops: Science, Policy, or Education. Conference participants could only attend one, so I picked policy because it is something I have a keen interest in. The workshop was nothing like I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be more about the policies and laws behind the issue of red tide in Florida but it was more about the activists being able to get on their soapboxes and complain about environmental issues. Although it was interesting, I didn't get much out of it personally.

All the organizations who sponsored the Biodiversity Conference.
Most had representatives at the conference.

The closing remarks were probably the best part of the conference because we discussed and summarized thoughts from all three workshops as the main group. It helped reinforce the big picture, which is more my style. I liked hearing about what we could do as individuals to help aid in reducing the threat of red tide in Florida. Overall I think this was a good conference to attend to observe the differences between some scientific conferences and to see how they are not all created equal.

If nothing else, it was a fun way to escape the office work for a day.

- Kendall, Conservation Intern

Another one fledges from the nest

Collecting minnow traps on a CHILLY (40 deg) morning

It feels bittersweet to be wrapping up my final week as an intern at Corkscrew. While the last 6 months have absolutely flown by, I've also somehow learned an incredible amount since I arrived here in September. Before this internship, I had never worked in a wetlands ecosystem before, and I certainly didn't have a solid understanding of the Everglades. From fish sampling to wading bird surveys to prescribed burning, I've gotten my feet wet, so to say, and have had the incredible opportunity to experience the beauty of southwest Florida through the lens of a field biologist.

Assisting in my first (HOT) prescribed fire

All the amazing wildlife that Florida has to offer allowed me plenty of opportunities to expand on two of my favorite hobbies -- birding and nature photography. It certainly doesn't hurt to live just a few steps away from the boardwalk! By far the best part about living on site was being able to access the swamp during the quiet hours of dawn and dusk. The cacophony of singing Carolina Wrens, the harsh calls of chatty Red-shouldered Hawks, and the convincingly hog-like grunts of Pig Frogs are all sounds that have become comfortingly familiar to me. I've even grown fascinated by creatures that I've never really had an interest in before, like snakes!

Male bobcat on the boardwalk at dusk

Ringneck snake found on a herp survey

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Big Cypress Research Symposium 2018

Working at Corkscrew for half a year truly allowed me to immerse myself in the vastly unique world of South Florida in a way that no other experience could have done. I am incredibly grateful for all the mentors and coworkers I've worked and lived with day and night, and who ultimately have become my good friends. For now, I'm excited to begin my next adventure working on an endangered grassland bird research project on the other side of the continent in Oregon this summer!

Feel free to reach me at my email address, larajones26@gmail.com, if you'd like to keep in touch with me beyond Corkscrew!

~Lara

A Guide to Invasive Species of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Feeling inspired by National Invasive Species Awareness Week, I wanted to create a guide to invasive species of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Because there are many invasives that affect the sanctuary, I decided to focus on some of the most common, most problematic, or most managed species at Corkscrew.

What is an invasive species?

According to the USDA Executive Order 13112, an invasive species is a non-native species (including seeds, eggs, spores, or other propagules) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.

MAMMALS

Common Name(s): Wild Hog, Wild Boar, Feral Pig

Scientific Name: Sus scrofa

Origin: Europe, Asia, North Africa

Introduction: brought by Spanish explorers and settlers in the 1500s

Ecological Impacts: compete with native animals for food, consume native plants and animals, disturb soil and ground vegetation

Management Strategies: permitted hunting on private property and in wildlife management areas

REPTILES

Common Name(s): Brown Anole, Cuban Anole

Scientific Name: Anolis sagrei

Origin: Cuba, Bahamas, Cayman Islands

Introduction: first reported in 1880s, introduced by cargo

Ecological Impacts: competes with and consumes eggs and juveniles of the native Green Anole

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting


AMPHIBIANS

Common Name(s): Cuban Tree Frog

Scientific Name: Osteopilus septentrionalis

Origin: Caribbean

Introduction: 1920s by cargo

Ecological Impacts: competes with and preys on smaller native tree frogs

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting

FISH

Common Name(s): Brown Hoplo

Scientific Name: Hoplosternum littorale

Origin: South America

Introduction: 1950s, aquarium release and/or aquaculture escape

Ecological Impacts: possibly competes with native fish, consumes native invertebrates

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting

Common Name(s): African Jewelfish

Scientific Name: Hemichromis letourneuxi

Origin: Africa

Introduction: 1960s, aquarium release and/or aquaculture escape

Ecological Impacts: aggressive behavior, consumes small native fish and invertebrates, may compete with native fish

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting

INVERTEBRATES

Common Name(s): Island Apple Snail

Scientific Name: Pomacea maculata

Origin: South America

Introduction: 1980s, pet trade

Ecological Impacts: consumes native plants, competes with the native Florida Apple Snail

Management Strategies: collection and removal of adult snails and egg masses

PLANTS

Common Name(s): Melaleuca

Scientific Name: Melaleuca quinquenervia

Origin: Australia, New Guinea

Introduction: early 1900s, landscape ornamental

Ecological Impacts: fast growing, displace native plants

Management Strategies: regiment of prescribed fires, manual removal, herbicide application

Common Name(s): Old-World Climbing Fern

Scientific Name: Lygodium microphyllum

Origin: Africa, Southeast Asia, South Pacific islands, Australia

Introduction: 1960s, landscape ornamental

Ecological Impacts: dense canopies smother native plants

Management Strategies: regiment of prescribed fires, manual removal, herbicide application

Common Name(s): Brazilian Pepper

Scientific Name: Schinus terebinthifolius

Origin: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay

Introduction: 1800s

Ecological Impacts: produces dense canopy which shades out other plant life, poor habitat for wildlife, alters natural fire regimes, related to poison ivy and may cause allergic skin reaction

Management Strategies: regiment of prescribed fires, manual removal, herbicide application

Common Name(s): Water Hyacinth

Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes

Origin: South America

Introduction: 1880s

Ecological Impacts: produces dense canopy on water surface, shades out native submerged plant species, lower dissolved oxygen concentrations, can increase flooding

Management Strategies: manual removal, herbicide application

POTENTIAL THREATS (no confirmed sightings at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, but may become present in the future)

Common Name(s): Burmese Python

Scientific Name: Python bivitattus

Origin: South Asia

Introduction: 1980s, pet trade

Ecological Impacts: very few predators, prey on and reduce native species populations, prey on threatened and endangered species

Management Strategies: monitoring of bird and mammal populations, capture and removal, public reporting

Common Name(s): Green Iguana

Scientific Name: Iguana iguana

Origin: Central and South America, Caribbean

Introduction: 1960s, pet trade

Ecological Impacts: consumes a wide variety of vegetation, considered a nuisance by property owners, burrows can damage infrastructure

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting

Common Name(s): Argentine Black and White Tegu

Scientific Name: Salvator merianae

Origin: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

Introduction: Early 2000s, pet trade

Ecological Impacts: preys on native species, consumes the threatened Gopher Tortoise juveniles

Management Strategies: capture and removal, public reporting

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Volunteer at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

At Corkscrew, removal of non-native plants and animals is an ongoing process. One way you can help is to volunteer with our resource management team. 

Be a responsible pet owner

Before buying an exotic pet, please ask yourself a few questions. How big will this animal eventually get and what does it eat? Will you be able to care for this animal for the length of its life? If you have an exotic pet already and are no longer capable of caring for it, please don't release it. There are hobby groups, local museums, zoos, pet shops, and other programs that can assist. For additional help, contact FWC's adoption hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1.

Educate yourself

Educating yourself and others on the invasive plant and animal problem is also a great way to help. Another avenue is contacting your local, state, and/or federal representatives and voice your concerns about the impacts invasive plants and animals are having. To learn more about the Audubon Florida's efforts in the war on invasives, please visit the Florida Invasive Species Task Force page. 

Report sightings

-Amy, Education Intern

Additional resources: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Invasive Species, Florida's Nonnative Fish & Wildlife, USDA National Invasive Species Information Center

Newest Intern- Kendall

Hello Everyone!

My name is Kendall Williams and I am the newest Corkscrew Conservation Intern! I am very excited to be here.

I am originally from Tampa, FL and I just graduated from the University of Florida in December of 2018 with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Throughout my time at UF I did some really cool things. I took a class that was all about learning wildlife techniques such as the capture of mammals, herpetofauna, and birds, and how to perform vegetation surveys. One of the highlights of this class was catching alligators off an airboat with my bare hands! This class was the thing that cemented in my head that conservation was what I wanted to do. It also opened my eyes to my true passion: Fisheries. This passion hit me so hard and so fast that the next week I had added a Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences minor to my degree. The dream right now is to work on freshwater fish in the pacific northwest of the United States.

Another cool thing I was lucky enough to do while at UF was study abroad. I went to Melbourne, Australia for a semester and absolutely LOVED it. I took mostly classes that pertained to my conservation major but also took an Australian history class that was very interesting. I traveled around the country a lot, including to Brisbane, Sydney, Cairns, Uluru, and camped under the stars in the Australian Outback. I made many good friends and many great memories. It was a trip I will never forget.

Although college and UF was a great experience, I am excited to be in the workforce and focusing on the conservation work performed here at Corkscrew. I can't wait to see where these next six months will take me!

Thanks!

Kendall

Beyond the Backcountry

One of the many rewards working for a great organization such as Corkscrew is their partnership with other conservation groups! Through the sanctuary's relationship with Rookery Bay Reserve a few other interns and myself had the opportunity to go shark tagging as well as trawling with the reserves fisheries biologist. Shark tagging involved going out about two and a half hours before sunset to get into the bay were we would be setting up our longlines and gill net. The first photo below is a gill net, a large net hanging from a line with buoys on each end and smaller floats along the length of the net to keep it at the surface of the water. The longlines are pretty much the same except instead of a net hanging from the line there are baited hooks. The deployment of these two devices is very similar. From the back end of the boat you set the anchor located on one side of the line, as the boat moves forwards you slowly let out the line or gill net making sure they are not twisted.  We set the gill net between two baited longlines. 

Once your survey equipment is all set up you sit and wait, constantly checking to see if any of the floats are bobbing or underwater. This means that something is either caught in the net or on the line. We wanted to be able to know exactly when a fish got caught so that our reaction time was quick and they wouldn't be struggling on the line or net too long helping to prevent injury and stress. After seeing a float go under, we approach a few floats away and grab the line on top of the water, slowly lifting each portion slightly out of the water to check and see if we had anything caught. Not 10 minutes after being out there we caught a smalltooth sawfish! Now, we had to be very careful when bringing this endangered species on board because they could cause injury easily with their rostrum. The sawfish was placed into a kiddie pool on the boat that was prefilled with saltwater. This is so the gills can be kept underwater allowing them to breathe. A few measurements were taken and a tag was inserted just below the dorsal fin, then the 6 foot sawfish was released back into the water a little ways away from the gill net and longlines to avoid recapture.  

After processing a captured fish the protocol is to recheck the gill net starting at the end and lifting the net up out of the water working your way through the entire length. This is to make sure no other animals were captured while processing your previous catch. Nothing was found in the gill net and none of the longline floats were down so we went back to waiting. About a half an hour before it was time to start bringing in all the equipment excitement struck! One of the floats on the gill net was frequently moving up and down. As we checked the net we found a juvenile lemon shark! This catch was exciting because after we got him into the pool we were able to see he still had his umbilical cord scar, meaning this little was only a few months old! Due to the presence of the pool this lemon shark was able to swim around in circles keeping water moving over its gills reducing the stress of processing. Again, the shark was measured and tagged before being set free and bringing an end to our evening! but not before posing for a quick snap shot :)