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Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Florida Panther Mount Donated to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects 13,000 acres of cypress forest, wet prairie, and pine flatwoods: important habitats for the endangered Florida Panther. Now, the donation of a taxidermied panther will help educators at the Sanctuary better tell the story about the work being done to keep these majestic animals roaming freely in our state.Read more
Sanctuary Director Lisa Korte, Ph.D., left, and former FWC Commissioner Liesa Priddy examining the taxidermied Florida panther.
Panther mother on trail camera
Speaking of Florida Panthers...
While we've been keeping an eye on the skies for Wood Storks, it seems a different kind of stork has visited the Sanctuary recently! This Florida Panther, captured by our trail camera on 10/31, has recently given birth.

In Florida, panther births can occur at any time of year but are most common between March and July. They will typically have 2-3 kittens. Females will not breed again until their kittens are a year and a half to two years old and able to survive on their own. We will be on the lookout for this family in the coming months.
A Florida panther captured by a trail camera in the Sanctuary.
Hydrologic Update
November water levels remain near our wet season peak thanks to rainfall from Tropical Storm Eta (Nov. 7-11). This extended period of high water is excellent for building up aquatic prey populations that will serve as the primary food source for wading birds as water levels eventually fall and we move into nesting season. Wood Storks have begun moving into our area but we have not seen many strong signs of nesting yet. How do we know when they are ready to nest? Their feet turn pink! We also see them carrying nest material. We will conduct our first Wood Stork monitoring flight of the 2021 nesting season in mid-December.
A Wood Stork photographed at the Sanctuary entrance on 11/24.
We've Expanded our Hours!
We are pleased to announce that we have expanded our hours! We are now welcoming visitors Tuesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the final admission at 1 p.m. The Sanctuary is closed on Mondays.

If you haven’t been back to visit the boardwalk yet, please note that advanced registration is required through our new timed-ticketing registration system to maintain safe occupancy on the boardwalk. Visitors may choose from five two-hour time slots: 8-10 a.m., 10 a.m.-noon, 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., or 1-3 p.m. Visitors should arrive at the beginning of their reserved two-hour time slot.

While we hope to return to full days and hours of operation, we are operating with reduced staffing due to the financial impacts of our COVID-19 closure. We greatly appreciate our dedicated staff members who are filling in at the admissions desk to offer these extended hours and days.
 
Youth Education Coordinator Debbie Lotter and Director of Research Shawn Clem, Ph.D. at the admissions desk.
Lunch and Learn: Climate Messaging on December 8
Is Audubon Florida gearing up to end the climate crisis or working to solve global warming? Do we want the sunshine state to be chock-full of renewable energy or clean energy? Does anyone actually agree on the difference between green and natural infrastructure?

In our webinar on December 8, Audubon Florida staff will explain how infrastructure and policies can strengthen all of the interconnected and critical components of our vibrant communities, including our natural environment. To cap off the conversation, we’ll dig into the emerging Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Compact – a collaborative effort between cities and counties to prepare for, adapt to, and prevent climate impacts. 
The "dome home" of Cape Romano, just south of Marco Island.
Holiday Shopping Online with Curbside Pickup Available!
Shop online and choose to have your order shipped, or pick up your purchase curbside on your next visit! Looking for a special gift for someone? Whether a birder, bird lover, an outdoor enthusiast, or an appreciator of unique gifts with a cause, we have something for everyone on your list! Brighten up your holiday decorations with our feathered friend ornaments. Our tall indoor/outdoor metal bird figurines will enhance the appearance of your home or garden. Don’t forget a special something for the little ones. Gifts are available for all ages. 

Go ahead - grab your drink, relax, and visit our online Nature Store to do your holiday shopping!

Please email us with any questions or if you would like additional information.
From top: Feathered Friends Ornaments, Indoor/Outdoor Metal Bird Figurines, Gifts for Children.
Year-end Giving for Conservation
As we approach the end of 2020, we hope you’ll consider supporting the Sanctuary with a year-end gift. This year has been challenging for all of us in so many ways; however, it is clear now more than ever how much we all rely on wild places like Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Year-end gifts will help us recover from the financial impacts of COVID-19 and further our work to protect, restore, and enhance the Sanctuary for wildlife and people. For more information on gifting vehicles or ways to give, please contact development manager Sarah Lathrop. Thank you for joining us to sustain the Sanctuary.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the News
Outlet: The Nature Conservancy Magazine
Headline: Secret Garden: Unearthing the mysteries of orchids
Excerpt: In 2018, conservation scientist Peter Houlihan and photographer Mac Stone set out to get proof of how the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), one of the most well-known but inscrutable flowers on Earth, reproduces.That October, Stone found himself strapped to a cypress tree, 50 feet in the air, checking a remote camera trained on the largest known ghost orchid, the “super ghost.” It’s located in the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the Florida Everglades. 

Outlet: Naples Daily News
Headline: Heavy rains expected in Southwest Florida as Tropical Depression Eta moves north Excerpt: More inland, at the 13,000-acre Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, rainfall was higher than average in October. The sanctuary's research director, Shawn Clem, said the potential rainfall forecasts from Eta could exceed the average monthly totals historically seen during November. "Thing about this storm now is that it looks like 3 inches, which is 80% higher than the whole month's average," Clem said. 

Outlet: Naples Florida Weekly
Headline: Florida panther mount donated to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Excerpt: Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects 13,000 acres of cypress forest, wet prairie, and pine flatwoods: important habitats for the endangered Florida panther. Now, the donation of a taxidermied panther will help educators at the Sanctuary better tell the story about the work being done to keep these majestic animals roaming freely in our state.

Outlet: Audubon.org
Headline: As a blind bird photographer, each shot I take is a revelation
Excerpt: I was born with a congenital condition called Septo-Optic Dysplasia, and as a result, I’m almost totally blind in my left eye and legally blind in my right. I spent the better part of the last decade honing my skills as a dog portrait photographer, but a 2016 visit to Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Florida, reignited a passion for connecting with the natural world. That trip to Corkscrew gifted me with up-close encounters with wild birds, unlike anything I had experienced.

Outlet: Southwest Florida Spotlight
Headline: Corkscrew SIGHTINGS: Yellow-crowned night heron has a vicious bill
Excerpt: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is home to a variety of wading birds, including the yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea). Birders and wildlife enthusiasts can identify this species by their stocky bodies, short, thick necks, and short legs. Yellow-crowned night herons breed and nest at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Outlet: Naples Daily News
Headline: These 5 nature escapes in Naples will have non-residents ready to move
Excerpt: Spending time in nature doesn’t have to be restricted to vacations, though. If you live in a city like Naples, Florida all you have to do to enter nature’s playground is walk out your front door. Venture into an otherworldly ecosystem at the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the Western Everglades. A 2.5-mile boardwalk winds through a landscape of wet prairie, marsh, pine flatlands and North America’s largest old growth Bald Cypress forest. A feast for your eyes, this easy walk will have you taking out your camera at every turn — and sharing #fun on social media.

Outlet: Grandeur Magazine
Headline: Getting His Feet Wet
Excerpt: “Tom Maish is completely dedicated to Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. As a volunteer, I can count on him to do whatever work needs to be done,” says sanctuary director Lisa Korte. “He has been instrumental on repairs for the boardwalk following Hurricane Irma. He is equally comfortable researching materials for repairs as he is doing the actual repairs. As a member of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Sustainability Board, I can count on Tom for sound and reliable advice in the best interest of the Sanctuary.”

Outlet: WGCU News
Headline: Environmental Roundup
Excerpt: As our region cleans up after Eta, it may (or may not) be helpful to learn that yes, hurricanes are staying strong, even over land, thanks to climate change. If you’re looking for some socially distanced activities, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is now open, with timed ticketing.

Outlet: Naples Florida Weekly
Headline: Take a Hike 2
Excerpt: But there’s another Sunshine State out there, an active place away from the beaches and fairways and mammoth sports stadiums. It’s a Florida of trails and woods and fields and, in some places, small hills (we don’t have any big hills, anywhere). From the Florida Hikes website: “Florida’s best and most extensive boardwalk hike tunnels deep into Corkscrew Strand, weaving between old-growth cypress trees under a majestic canopy of swamp forest.” The National Audubon Society has managed the 315-square-mile swamp since 1912. About 15 miles east of North Naples, it’s part of the Atlantic Flyway for bird migration and is considered a gateway site for the Florida Birding Trail. 

Outlet: SW Florida Spotlight
Headline: Corkscrew SIGHTINGS: Crane numbers swell as migrants join Florida’s resident population
Excerpt: During late fall and winter in Florida, you may notice an increase in the loud, rolling, trumpeting calls of sandhill cranes (Grus Canadensis). Their unique sounds are made possible as a result of their long windpipes that coil into the breastbone; this anatomical feature allows for the development of a lower pitch and harmonics which in turn add to their rich calls.
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Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
375 Sanctuary Rd., Naples, FL 34120 USA
(239) 348-9151 | corkscrew.audubon.org

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