Wood Stork Nest Monitoring Underway Monthly Wood Stork monitoring flights resumed in December. While we did have a relatively wet winter thus far, water levels are dropping quickly. Wood Storks were seen on the Caloosahatchee River in the initial stages of nesting, but have not been observed at our inland colonies (including the Sanctuary). We did spot a flock of White Ibises enjoying the vacant canopy as seen in the above photo. Read our update from the 2019-20 nesting season.

White Ibises.

Blair Center Update Hurray, we are now open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.! We have implemented timed ticketing to help reduce congestion on the boardwalk for everyone’s safety. We are also excited to announce that our new reservation system will be implemented in the coming month, along with a revised price structure with new discounts for members of the military and more economical pricing for our younger visitors. Finally, we have a number of new items now available for purchase in the store, including some bird-themed, drawstring pouches that were hand-made by one of our volunteers and donated to the store. We have a variety of other locally-made and artisanal products available. All purchases help support our mission. We hope to see you at the Swamp! Find admissions details here.

Misty morning on the boardwalk.

Prescribed Fire Season Underway On Friday, January 29, our Prescribed Fire Crew conducted its first prescribed fire of the season. The 232 acres are located on the Panther Island portion of the property and consist of restored pine flatwoods, wet prairie, and marsh habitat. Approximately 70% of the acreage successfully burned, leaving pockets of unburned areas for wildlife to use. Since the fire, Senior Resource Manager and Burn Boss Allyson Webb has already observed snakes, rabbits, deer, and birds in the area. Staff members have reported seeing bobcat tracks and a lot of green, new growth returning.

Prescribed fire at the Sanctuary.

Give Where You Live Collier Day a Success We are so excited about our successful, first-ever bid in Give Where You Live Collier, an annual, online fundraiser organized by the Community Foundation of Collier County. Each year, the foundation selects forty non-profits from a field of hundreds to participate in the 24-hour event. Through the generosity of 105 individuals, businesses, and foundations, the Sanctuary raised gifts totaling more than $18,000, with a portion being matched by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. In total, the event raised more than $6 million for 40 non-profits championing the greater good of the Collier community. Thank you to all who contributed!

Volunteers at the Ready! Have you seen this sign? The Corkscrew Learning Amphitheatre and Sanctuary for Students (CLASS) loop at the far north end of the boardwalk is typically only open for students, special events, and private groups. It has been closed since Hurricane Irma. In anticipation of our student and public programming resuming sometime this year, our Volunteer Boardwalk Repair Team is making repairs. This crew is also working on other parts of the boardwalk, including Ed Carlson and Dodson spurs. Upkeep of our boardwalk is an ongoing process, and we are very appreciative of the time and talents donated to the Sanctuary by our dedicated volunteers! While admissions income is often used to support these efforts, we are grateful to those supporters who have provided funding specifically for some of these repairs.

Volunteers repairing the CLASS loop.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the News Outlet: Fox 4 Now Headline: Big Cypress Basin provides $100,000 toward effort to restore ecologic function to wetland habitats Excerpt: Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has partnered with Big Cypress Basin to restore wetland habitats. Big Cypress Basin is providing $100,000 toward the multi-million dollar effort to restore ecologic function to wetland habitats within the Sanctuary taken over by invasive plants. Outlet: Florida Currents Headline: A Bird Watcher’s Paradise Florida’s position on the Atlantic Flyway and the diversity of resident waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds give residents a plethora of opportunities to view birds some people only dream about. In south Florida, the Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary between Naples and Immokalee was historically the largest nesting colony in the U.S. for wood storks. Outlet: SW Florida Spotlight Headline: Corkscrew SIGHTINGS: Stately limpkin has a haunting call and a vicious bill Excerpt: As I walked along the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, I heard a distinct and piercing call that sent shivers down my spine, like a banshee cry fading into the night. As I rounded a bend, I spotted a stately limpkin (Aramus guarauna) perched atop the boardwalk.    Outlet: Travel Agent Central Headline: Revitalize The Spirit With Outdoor Adventures In Southwest Florida Excerpt: Here are the top six outdoor adventures in Fort Myers and Sanibel for agents to keep top-of-mind for their clients. Journey into the heart of the Everglades in this natural protected wetlands in Estero. The boardwalk winds 2.5 miles through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, around a marsh, and into North America’s largest old-growth Bald Cypress Forest.   Outlet: Travel Awaits Headline: 8 Best Day Trips From Fort Lauderdale Excerpt: Fort Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of the United States, and its waterways and pristine beaches may make you just want to hunker down with your toes in the sand, sipping a cold drink. Here are eight of my favorite day trips, all within two hours of Fort Lauderdale. 6. Experience Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (You Won’t Egret It!). Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is less than a two-hour drive from Fort Lauderdale, going west across the Big Cypress National Preserve.

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