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Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Aerial view of restoration area.
Marsh and Prairie Restoration Update
This past week marked three months since we mulched this section of Carolina willow with the Gyro-Trac (vegetation mulching) machines. All of the areas are filling up with water. We are starting to see results – Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and other wetland birds now have a new body of water to call home. Restoration is a lengthy process but the results will be worth all of our hard work, with great benefits for the Western Everglades and surrounding communities.Read more
Aerial view of restoration area.
Free admission promo.
Free Admission for Collier County Residents
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is inviting Collier County residents to visit with free admission on Saturday, September 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required, as the Sanctuary uses timed ticketing in order to reduce crowding at the entrance and stagger visitors along the boardwalk. To reserve your tickets, click here, choose the Sept. 25 date and your preferred time, and use the code “CCFREE” at checkout. You must have a Collier County zip code in order to use the coupon code. If you’re not a Collier resident, you can still visit for free any day of the year as a Friends of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary member
Volunteer at pollinator garden
Recognizing Our Summer Volunteers
Decades ago, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary became a sanctuary because the local community made it possible. Today, continued support by volunteers is crucial in maintaining these acres for wildlife and people. As the summer season ends, we would like to recognize and extend a sincere thank you to our amazing volunteers.
Volunteers help maintain our pollinator garden.
Dragonfly
Collier Mosquito Control District Proposes Expansion of Boundary into Conservation Lands
With more people moving to Collier County, it makes sense for the Collier Mosquito Control District (District) to expand their boundary of operations to add new urban areas. On July 13, 2021, the District received approval from the Collier County Board of Commissioners to make the expansion, but in addition to covering newly developed, urban areas adjacent to the Sanctuary, the new boundary also includes vast areas of public conservation lands.
Eastern pondhawk dragonfly. Photo: Arnold Collens
Water level graph.
August Water Level Update
Swamp water levels are about where we would expect them to be at this time of year but are on the low side of the average range. Our research and land management teams are hopeful that we will receive significantly more rainfall before we head into the dry season. At this time of year, fish and crayfish populations are continuing to reproduce and grow. Many tadpoles have emerged from the water by now: their lifecycles timed to allow them to escape the increase in predation pressure from fish. As we move into the fall months, we expect more wading birds to move into the system.
Water levels as of Sept. 1, 2021 (red line) compared with the range of levels recorded since 2000 (gray shaded area).
in the news graphic
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the News
Outlet: Naples Daily News
Headline: Some speculate afternoon rain different
Excerpt: Changing rainfall patterns could be problematic for native species, especially amphibians and other critters whose lives are tied to historic rain patterns. Shawn Clem studies rain as part of her job as research director of Audubon Florida’s Western Everglades Research Center She said overall rain totals haven’t changed in recent decades, but that the theory of changing daily patterns may hold weight. 

Outlet: Naples Daily News
Headline: Mastering the Capture of the “Super” Ghost Orchid
Excerpt: Nearly every summer, photographer RJ Wiley artistically captures imagery of an unusual orchid that only grows in swamps in Southwest Florida and Cuba. Called “ghost” because it is leafless, this orchid is difficult to spot throughout much of the year. When its blossoms unfurl, they seem to float, untethered, with drooping tendrils outstretched like arms. Like tiny ghosts.

Outlet: Southwest Florida Spotlight
Headline: Corkscrew SIGHTINGS: Largest known ghost orchid attracts attention worldwide
Excerpt: In the deepest corner of the swamp, a special orchid thrives. Clinging to the surface of bald cypress and pond apple trunks and limbs and barely noticeable throughout the year, the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is small, leafless and fragile. The specific climate and ecology of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary make the growth of this rare orchid possible.
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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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