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Monthly eNewsletter

Keith Laakkonen Named Sanctuary Director We are thrilled to announce that Keith Laakkonen has taken the reins as Sanctuary Director! Keith is a Southwest Florida native who for the last seven years has worked as Florida DEP’s Director at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve (RBNERR) in Naples and as regional administrator for DEP’s Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. In this capacity, he led his team of around 40 staff in land management, applied research, and oversight of the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center and other facilities at RBNERR as well as three other state Aquatic Preserve offices from Tampa to Naples, and much more. Please join us in celebrating his arrival.Read more about Keith.

Keith Laakkonen. Photo: Renee Wilson/Audubon

Happy Retirement, Marshall Olson! Earlier this month we celebrated Marshall Olson, Director of Conservation and Interim Sanctuary Director, as he retired from full-time employment with Audubon. He was instrumental in our marsh and prairie restoration program, a champion of advanced safety practices, and among many other things, a key member of our prescribed fire program, with which he plans to continue working as a volunteer. Thank you, Marshall, for all your contributions to Corkscrew, Audubon, and conservation!

Marshall Olson with a special gift from staff. Photo: Renee Wilson/Audubon

Prescribed Fire Season Under Way The gentlest hint of smoke is picked up on the breeze, and in the distance, a smoke plume dances into the sky. These cues indicate that prescribed fire season in Florida is underway, including at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Each year, the prescribed fire team aims to burn 1,300 acres. Prescribed fire is a vital tool in the Sanctuary’s conservation toolbox and serves multiple purposes, including protecting neighbors from catastrophic wildfires, promoting healthy habitats for wildlife, and maintaining wetlands like marshes and wet prairies. Learn more about the prescribed program at the Sanctuary.

Prescribed fire. Photo: Allyson Webb/Audubon

Scroll past the news for more information and events!

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the News Spend time in nature at Corkscrew Swamp or CREW trails https://www.swspotlight.com/articles/spotlight-news/spend-time-in-nature-at-corkscrew-swamp-or-crew-trails/ “Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is one of the few places where you can experience an ancient bald-cypress forest without getting your feet wet,” said Renee Wilson, senior communication coordinator at Audubon Florida & Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, located at 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples off Immokalee Road). Ghost orchid may receive federal protection https://bonitasprings.floridaweekly.com/articles/ghost-orchid-may-receive-federal-protection/ https://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/ghost-orchid-may-receive-federal-protection-2/ Conservationists may soon realize a long-sought goal for an iconic symbol of Florida’s rich and often fragile biodiversity — federal protection under the Endangered Species Act for the rare ghost orchid. The ghost orchid’s current range in Florida includes the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and additional conservation and tribal areas in Collier, Hendry and possibly Lee counties. Where have all the wood storks gone? One-time nesting capital now nearly bereft of birds https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2022/12/14/where-have-all-the-wood-storks-gone-corkscrew-swamp-no-longer-a-nursery/10756242002/ Time was, thousands of wood storks nested in Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. In 1913, Audubon Society bird warden Rhett Green reported 100,000 wood storks in the swamp. The stork colony is the reason the sanctuary exists in the first place, says biologist Shawn Clem, research director of Audubon Florida's Western Everglades Research Center at the sanctuary. “Wood storks had such a presence here that Audubon sent a warden to live on this property to protect them from plume hunters,” she said. Next came logging, another threat the sanctuary was designed to eliminate. Collier County Commission approves another rural village https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/2022/12/14/collier-county-commission-approves-another-rural-village/69724685007/ Collier County commissioners have approved another rural village with thousands of homes. With two new faces on its board, the commission voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the project, known as Brightshore. County staff and the county's Planning Commission both recommended approval. Brad Cornell, Southwest Florida Policy Associate for both Audubon Western Everglades and Audubon Florida, said his environmental groups support the RLSA program because they don't want to see more sprawling development like in Golden Gate Estates, where residents have to drive a long way and fight traffic "to get to their commercial." Public hearing held for land redevelopment project between Everglades Blvd and Immokalee Rd https://nbc-2.com/news/local/collier-county/2022/12/13/public-hearing-held-for-land-redevelopment-project-between-everglades-blvd-and-immokalee-rd/ A proposed land redevelopment could change nearly 700 acres of cleared farmland in unincorporated Collier County. “There’s going to be new development as all these people move to Florida, and the question is what kind of development and where are we gonna put it? Is it going to be sustainable, is it going to be resilient in the face of something like Hurricane Ian, is it going to keep our water safe and clean,” said Brad Cornell, the policy head at the Audubon Western Everglades. Where have all the wood storks gone? One-time nesting capital now nearly bereft of birds https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2022/12/14/where-have-all-the-wood-storks-gone-corkscrew-swamp-no-longer-a-nursery/10756242002/ Time was, thousands of wood storks nested in Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. In 1913, Audubon Society bird warden Rhett Green reported 100,000 wood storks in the swamp. The stork colony is the reason the sanctuary exists in the first place, says biologist Shawn Clem, research director of Audubon Florida's Western Everglades Research Center at the sanctuary. “Wood storks had such a presence here that Audubon sent a warden to live on this property to protect them from plume hunters,” she said. Next came logging, another threat the sanctuary was designed to eliminate.

Wood Stork Monitoring Flight Shows Nests at the Sanctuary The second Wood Stork survey flight of the 2023 season was conducted on January 10, and nesting activity was observed at three of the five known colony sites in Southwest Florida. The three sites with activity were BC-29 (west of SR-29, north of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge), Lenore Island (Caloosahatchee River west of I-75), and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary! Wood Stork nesting is an increasingly infrequent occurrence at the Sanctuary and nesting activity encourages us that regional and on-site restoration efforts may be working. We are hopeful that Wood Stork nesting will increase with continued progress on our marsh and prairie restoration that is improving foraging habitat. If this year’s nesting effort proves to be successful, it will be only the seventh successful nesting effort at the Sanctuary since 2007. We did have successful nesting at the Sanctuary in 2021 with 18 nests. The third flight of the season will take place in early February. Learn more about Wood Stork life history.

Nesting and roosting activity at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Wood Stork colony (01/10/2023). Photo: Jacob Zetzer/Audubon

Now Offering Guided Forest Bathing Meditation Shinrin-yoku, or Japanese forest bathing, refers to the practice of immersing all of your senses in the healing forest to reduce stress hormones, improve mood and sleep quality, and increase immune function. Connect with the forest and listen to the sounds around you: singing birds, wind through the trees, and quiet. Breathe in clean, fragrant air and soak in the sights of the tree trunks, branches, and leaves. This is a sensory-guided meditation experience. Learn more about and register for Guided Forest Bathing Meditation.

Forest bathing meditation with Candyce Strafford.

Rainfall and Swamp Water Levels Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary received less rain than the average for December. Water levels continue to fall as we move through this early part of the dry season and levels are within their typical range for this time of year. The aquatic prey base for wading birds like herons and egrets and many other aquatic predators grows as more water is added to the system through the rainy season. Now that the rains have slowed, water levels are falling which concentrates fish and other aquatic prey in shallower water. This is important for tactile feeding wading birds such as Wood Storks and White Ibis since they cannot target individual fish, like herons and egrets, and instead must rely on moving their bill through a high density of prey. We typically see good wading bird nesting years throughout the Everglades following large rain-making tropical systems, like we saw in 2018 following Hurricane Irma. With this in mind, we continue to monitor wading birds in our area to see what our post-Hurricane Ian conditions may bring. Read more

Graph showing rainfall data collected at the Sanctuary by month for water year 2023.

NEW: Book Your Wedding or Remembrance Ceremony Did you know that you can now host your wedding or remembrance ceremony at the Sanctuary? Make your special day memorable and be surrounded by the magic of Corkscrew. Contact Cecilia Benalcazar to discuss the details of your event, cost, and availability at 239-375-9151 ext. 106. Read more The Young wedding at the boardwalk amphitheater. Upcoming Events Check out these upcoming tours and events! Jan. 13 | School’s Out Day Program Jan. 13 | Member Lecture: Natural Climate Solutions Jan. 21 | National Squirrel Appreciation Day – save 10% on any squirrel items purchased in the Nature Store! Jan. 23 | Sunset Stroll Jan. 24 | Early Birding Walk Jan. 31 | Early Birding Walk Feb. 3 | Guided Forest Bathing Meditation Feb. 6 | Night Walk   View our calendar of events. People enjoying the boardwalk. Photo: David Korte

DONATE

Donations and memberships provide crucial support for conservation work at the Sanctuary. The Blair Audubon Center and boardwalk are open daily with timed admissions from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Online tickets are required at www.corkscrew.audubon.org/visit.

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