I went to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on June 11, 2011 around one o’ clock in the afternoon. I asked the woman at the front desk where I could find the living machine. She explained to me that the living machine was located in a room on the left before exiting the building. She also mentioned that it has been under maintenance since she started her job last December; I was not able to view it. After my trip I read about the living machine and read that it was a series of steps used to clean and conserve water.
As I began walking on the trail I noticed a series of trail signs that later on helped me understand everything I was looking at on my trip. The Pine Flatwoods are right at the beginning of the trail. They need control burning in order to stay healthy and so that other plants do not crowd them making them disappear. The Pine Flatwoods support the slash pine, saw palmetto and native grasses. As local populations grow they leave less and less areas for the Pine Flatwoods to grow. Slash pines got their name because early pioneers would cut a slash in the tree to use the sap for pine tar, and oils found in disinfectant, insecticide, and turpentine.
The hardwood hammock tends to have interiors that are shaded and more humid providing a great environment for small birds, lizards, and mammals.
The pond cypress grows in still waters and is harvested for qualities that are desirable for railroad ties, docks, bridges, and boat building.
The coastal plain willow is the only naturally occurring willow in Florida and if it is not controlled by fires it can take over an area hovering over native marshes and prairie plants. The willow’s leaves and inner bark contains salicylic acid which is commonly found in aspirin. Many Native American cultures took advantage of the trees and plants for medical purposes.
Lichens are found on eight percent of the earth’s surface vegetation and are good indicators of air pollution because they are sensitive to sulfur dioxide and chlorine.
Cypress knees grow upwards from the ground from the cypress’ wide spreading root system. They provide additional support in unstable soils which help the tree to withstand strong winds.
An ecotone is where two different habitats meet. They are critical for courtship, mating, and foraging for food. This was located near the overlook also known as stop number nine on the trail.
I found the strangler fig to be very interesting because of what they look like. They look like a tall tree with many vines shooting down the tree but really they are roots that are growing down the tree. These roots hug the tree’s trunk so close that it appears as though they are strangling it.
When I arrived at the lettuce lakes I was a bit disappointed because there was barely any water. I saw alligators in a tiny little puddle of water, and they looked miserable. I later asked the woman at the front desk why there was no water. She informed me that I had come at the wrong time of the year and that the water is usually drained from the lettuce lakes in the beginning of the spring because the temperatures begin to rise and little rainfall is occurring. The lakes begin to come back in the summer and fall times when there is heavy rainfall.
I saw a nursery log towards the end of the trail. A nursery trail is usually a cypress tree that has fallen down and ferns quickly take root and provide nourishment for other plants, insects, mammals, reptiles, and birds.
I noticed that there was a different trail that is open when the other one is not while walking on the boardwalk. This trail was closed off when storks were nesting. I read of why this is so after my visit and it is because the wood stork has struggled for survival and that the sanctuary has the largest historic colony of nesting storks in the nation.
I saw many lizards and many birds on this trip but my favorite sighting was of the alligators. This trip was a hot one especially since I had come at the wrong part of the day. I learned an extremely valuable lesson on this trip and that was to wear bug spray. I got bit up like crazy, which then turn out to be an allergic reaction the next day. Overall I liked this field trip because I was able to go at my own pace and actually read all the signs that described what everything was.
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