New Forest Walks, Orchid Restoration, Conservation Update

June 10, 2015

The Big, Bald & Beautiful

New Forest Walks & Conservation Update

NEW! Free, Guided Morning Walks

Offered Tuesdays, 9:30-11 a.m.

We are now offering complimentary boardwalk tours on Tuesday mornings beginning at 9:30 a.m. The tour is 90 minutes long and follows our one-mile boardwalk loop. A Corkscrew environmental educator will conduct the guided walks, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of the awakening swamp, from its cypress forest and lettuce lakes to its pine thickets and open prairies. This gentle, pristine wilderness dates back 600 years and offers visitors a glimpse of long-ago Florida and a premier environmental learning experience.

Cost: Free; no charge beyond price of admission

Limit: 12 people

Day: Tuesdays

Time: 9:30-11 a.m.

Sign up upon arrival

Ancient Forest Tour

"The Big, Bald & Beautiful"

Wednesday, June 17, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Reflections of an egret,

the symbol of Audubon.

Corkscrew's ancient bald cypress forest is the world's largest, and has been protected by the National Audubon Society since 1954. Join a special 2.25 mile tour through the forest on Wednesday, June 17, from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. We'll highlight history and ecology, tell tales from our fascinating history, and meet our landmark cypress trees, some of

The DaVinci Tree, one of our

12 "Landmark Trees"

the most distinctive in the forest. There is no charge for the walk beyond the price of admission, and space is limited to 10 people. This is a 2.25 mile walking tour that takes about 3 hours. There are occasional opportunities for rest along the way. The Ancient Forest Tour will be led by Sally Stein, Corkscrew's director of public programs and an expert naturalist.

Cost: Free; no charge beyond price of admission

Limit: 10 people

Day: Wednesday, June 17

Time: 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Sign up upon arrival.

Tips for Summer Forest Walks

Summer walks through our lush forest are a great way to cool off in gentle breezes and in the shade of our giant bald cypress trees. The slow moving river that flows through the forest is populated by mosquito fish whose diet is what most of us think of as pests!

In Bloom

Keep an eye out for wildlflowers during your

nature walk. Scarlett Hibiscus, Pickerel weed, and Sagittaria are in bloom, as well as this pale meadow beauty.

Orchid News

The population of orchids, including the endangered ghost orchid, is so reduced that scientists are looking for ways to improve their genetics. To help with the research, Corkscrew is partnering with Fakahatchee Strand Preserve and the Atlanta Botanical Garden on a long-term, wide-ranging orchid project. Recently, botanists from the Garden collected thousands of seeds from a single pod of Corkscrew's famed super ghost orchid. In the Garden's lab, the seeds were tested for viability. Some will be propagated in Atlanta. Many of the viable seeds were returned to Corkscrew and, along with cigar orchid plants, placed in a range of different environments within the old growth forest, where their growth will be monitored. The goal of this research is to improve orchid genetics, introduce a bigger and better genetic pool and recover some of the loss of our native habitat.

Read the Naples Daily News Cover Story About the Super Ghost Orchid Seed Collection

Conservation Update

Our Work Beyond the Boardwalk

Restoring wetlands that have become degraded by invasive species, agriculture, and abandoned ditches and roads within our 13,000 acres is one of Corkscrew's most important missions. We are strategically located at a junction of formerly vast wetlands that kept our waters and coastal areas pristine. We recently used a gyro track to remove wide swaths of above ground willow, a natural invasive. The goal: A natural wet prairie as part of the rehabilitation of the Western Everglades. If you are interested in Florida conservation, please support our efforts at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Support Conservation at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Your support benefits the restoration, science, advocacy and eduction programs of the Sanctuary. These four planks provide the solid foundation for a hopeful vision of Southwest Florida's future.

Scientific data from field research guides our work and best practices.

Restoration and stewardship are the key strategies that keep wetland systems intact and reestablish water levels and plant communities.

Advocacy helps protect undeveloped land and maintain a legal framework of state and federal environmental laws.

Education of visitors, residents and students increase ecological literacy, broadens constituencies and diversifies support for conservation.

Your donation helps Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary create its vision for a healthy Western Everglades ecosystem.

Click to Contribute

About the Sanctuary

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary comprises nearly 13,000 acres of fragile land owned and protected by the National Audubon Society since 1954. It is Southwest Florida's premier outdoor environmental learning center, with a 2.25 mile boardwalk and a visitor center with a nature store, tea room and classrooms. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, including Panther Island, received a Ramsar Designation as a Wetland of International Importance in 2000. Corkscrew is also an Important Birding Area and a Gateway to the Florida Birding Trail. The Sanctuary is located just northeast of Naples, 15 miles from I-75 on Immokalee Road (Exit 111). Call 239-348-9151. Visit Corkscrew.Audubon.org.

The Sanctuary is open daily year-round from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Entrance fees cover two consecutive days of admission and are $12 per adult; $6 for college students with ID; $4 for children six to 18 years old, and free for children under six. National Audubon Society members who present their ID card are offered a 50% discount ($6) for two consecutive days' admission.

The mission of Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is to protect the natural resources of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, its surrounding watershed and the Western Everglades, and to influence Everglades restoration, for the benefit of birds, other wildlife and people through land management, science, education, restoration and public policy advocacy.