National Audubon Society

It is May, and we are in the last month of our dry season. This month water levels will approach their annual minimum while we await the arrival of our summer rains, which typically begin in late May or June.

The good news? Our Wood Stork colony has chicks, with many more at some of the other locations we monitor nearby. Read more.

Wood Stork nests at Lenore Island in Lee County.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Receives $1.2 Million from Publix

On Earth Day Publix announced that it is contributing $2 million to restore wetlands in the Everglades, with $1.2 million of those funds earmarked to support 500 acres of the marsh and prairie restoration at Corkscrew SwampSanctuary! These funds will help us restore wetland habitats within the Sanctuary so that they better clean nutrient pollution from our groundwater and watershed, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in our community, hold floodwaters during severe weather events, and provide habitat to a myriad of wildlife species that call these wetlands home.

Read the Publix press release.

Wading birds.

Corporate Conservation Partner Spotlight: Naples Trust Company

We are pleased to recognize Naples Trust Company as one of the Sanctuary’s corporate conservation partners. They have supported the Sanctuary for three years.

“Preserving Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is an investment in water quality, flood protection, and many ecosystem services that are critical for our community and region. We are proud to support this important work,” said West McCann, President of the Naples Trust Company and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Board Member.

Corporate Conservation Partners recognize the urgent need to invest in our community's environmental health and future by providing critical mission support for Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Learn more about Naples Trust Company.

Helping Keep the Sanctuary Free from Plastic Pollution

At Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, we take water quality seriously and work hard to protect these pristine natural resources for wildlife and people. Even though we have a policy prohibiting food on the boardwalk, plastic pollution is still appearing on a regular basis, polluting our Sanctuary and potentially harming wildlife.

Luckily, our Clean Water volunteer team of Mike and Michele Bizub is removing trash they find on and near the boardwalk area every week and recording their findings. The most commonly found item? Single-use plastic water bottles. The data they collect will be used to educate students and the larger public on the harmful effects of plastic pollution.

On Earth Day, we hosted a contest inviting visitors and Facebook followers to tell us how they reduce their plastic use. Frances M. of Collier County was the lucky winner of a guided tour on the boardwalk. Congratulations!

Plastic litter left on the boardwalk.

#HalfMyDAF Challenge – Attention Donor Advised Fund Holders!

The national #HalfmyDAF matching grant initiative is in action again this year, made possible by philanthropists Jennifer and David Risher. Anyone who makes a grant to the Sanctuary and has committed to granting half the money from their DAF before September 30 gives us the chance to receive dollar-for-dollar matching grants. The first matching grant opportunity takes place on May 15, so we hope you’ll act quickly! Learn more about the three easy steps it takes to double your impact at Corkscrew Swamp.

Thank you to Chicago native and Naples newcomer Nancy Gillis for putting us on the board for a matching grant!

Learn more about this opportunity.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Featured on Local TV Broadcast

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was featured on the April 24 episode of "Animal Outtakes," a broadcast television show that airs on Saturday mornings in the Sarasota area. Each week, host Marcia Panuce takes viewers on a tour of Florida's animal kingdom. The program is also available on ABC7's digital channels and Roku. In this episode, viewers learn about the importance of wetlands and the role that the Sanctuary plays with regard to protecting water quality, providing habitat for Florida panthers, and more.

Watch the episode.

Screenshot of Animal Outtakes episode.

Alligator flags and other wetland plants.

Safety Corner: Deer Flies

Alligator flag (Thalia geniculata), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), and broadleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) are a few of the wetland plants that are resprouting in the marshes now that winter is over. As the thermometer shows, summer is here, but that won't be official until the rains arrive.

What other season is it? Deer fly season! Deer flies and yellow flies belong to the family Tabanidae. According to the University of Florida/IFAS, “deer flies are yellow to black, have stripes on the abdomen, and possess mottled wings with dark patches. Yellow flies are yellowish with the same body shape of deer flies, but have dark purple to black eyes marked with fluorescent green lines.”

Both species lay eggs on emergent vegetation in the marsh and females, like mosquitoes, require a blood meal to produce eggs. Their bites can be painful. To avoid being stung, dress accordingly: wear long pants and sleeves and a hat. Flies don’t seem to be as aggressive first thing in the morning, so consider an early visit next time. They'll stop biting after a few weeks.

Reserve your tickets.

Alligator flags and other wetland plants.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the News

Outlet: Travel Awaits
Headline: 11 Reasons To Visit Florida’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Excerpt: If you plan to visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida, bring your camera and your sense of wonder. This is a back-to-nature experience that rivals any in the Sunshine State.

Headline: Publix Commits $2 Million to Everglades Restoration Supporting Florida Freshwater Conservation
Outlets:
Publix.com
Business Wire
Street Insider
Yahoo Finance
Valdosta Daily Times
3BL CSRWire
WTXL Tallahassee
Progressive Grocer
Excerpt: In continuation of its commitment to water stewardship, Publix is contributing $2 million to remove invasive trees and plants in 1,000 acres of wetland in the Florida Everglades. The company is funding projects at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the saline glades in Everglades National Park that will restore the health of these habitats and return an estimated 174 million gallons of water per year to the local environment.

Outlet: WGCU Public Media
Headline: Collier County Planning Commission Meeting Thursday, April 15
Excerpt: The Collier County Planning Commission is meeting at 9am Thursday about Bellmar Village, a planned development in Eastern Collier County. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida worries the development is in the midst of prime panther habitat. Audubon Florida does not share these same concerns.

Outlet: Naples Daily News
Headline: Rivergrass, Longwater and now Bellmar: Collier planners recommend approval of another rural village
Excerpt: After a long-winded hearing, the Collier County Planning Commission decided to recommend approval of a another controversial rural village planned by Collier Enterprises. Other environmental groups involved in the development of the RLSA supported the project, including the Defenders of Wildlife, the Florida Wildlife Federation and Audubon.

Outlet: WGCU Public Media
Headline: Environmental Roundup April 16, 2021
Excerpt: Earth Day is coming up (April 22), but for many people every day is Earth Day. Celebrate with us all year long by observing time daily sitting with nature. This week also sees National Orchid Day (April 16)—another natural beauty you can celebrate all year long, and especially this summer, by visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary's Ghost Orchid, which is likely to bloom later this year.

Outlet: WINK News Ft. Myers
Headline: Collier County deputy records encounter with Florida panther
Excerpt: The Collier County Sheriff’s Department posted a video to its official Twitter account of one of its personnel, community service deputy Brandi Ahrens, recording a very close sighting of a Florida panther. It’s an eye-opening experience after a panther spotted was also spotted at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary a few weeks ago east of Bonita Springs.

Outlet: WGCU Public Media
Headline: National Geographic Explorer & Conservation Photographer Carlton Ward, Jr.
Excerpt: A feature story in the April issue of National Geographic magazine highlights the importance of a network of public and private lands that runs throughout the state called the Florida Wildlife Corridor — and the crucial role it plays to help ensure Florida wildlife’s long-term survival. A female and three kittens explore Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a reserve of old-growth cypress forest surrounded by encroaching suburbs on three sides.

Outlet: A Boomer’s Life After 50
Headline: Nurturing Myself in Nature at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Excerpt: As the world honors Earth Day (April 22) this week, it’s a perfect time to tell you about my trip to Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the Western Everglades. It was a great way to spend a morning nurturing myself in nature during my month-long stay in Naples, Florida this past winter.

Outlet: Flamingo Magazine
Headline: The Arts & Adventure Collide in Paradise Coast
Excerpt: Paradise Coast, which encompasses Naples, Marco Island and Everglades City on Florida’s southwest coast, abounds with natural beauty. In the Everglades, explore an unspoiled maze composed of estuaries, mangroves, swamps and forests where endangered wildlife like alligators and the Florida panther, as well as native botanicals such as ancient cypress trees, remain. Hike across the 2.5-mile boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary north of Naples.

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Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
375 Sanctuary Rd., Naples, FL 34120 USA
(239) 348-9151 | corkscrew.audubon.org

© 2024 National Audubon Society, Inc.

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