The 2011 Field Trip will be a partial day trip to the following wetlands, guided by the Everglades Foundation. Lunch will be included in the field trip
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
With over 221 square miles of Everglades habitat, the Loxahatchee Refuge is home to the American alligator and the critically endangered Everglade snail kite. In any given year, as many as 257 species of birds may use the Refuge’s diverse wetland habitats. The refuge is operated by the U. S. National Park Service and currently provides services including environmental education programs and research monitoring.
Monitoring efforts on the refuge include, but are not limited to, monitoring the quality of water entering the refuge, conducting alligator surveys in the marsh and canals, identifying the spread and control efforts of invasive exotic plants, and conducting wading bird nesting surveys.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
The name, Wakodahatchee, has an interesting history. It is derived from the Seminole Indian Language and translates as “created waters.” The created waters at Wakodahatchee Wetlands are an example of people giving something back to nature. Fifty acres of unused utilities land have been transformed into a wetlands ecosystem. By acting as a natural filter for the nutrients that remain, the wetlands work to further cleanse the water.
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands have attracted an abundant variety of wildlife including turtles, frogs and alligators. More than 140 different species of birds have been spotted at the site.
A three-quarter mile boardwalk winds through three of the wetland’s ponds, allowing visitors the opportunity to read interpretive signs and learn about water purification, wetlands ecology, natural history, and the interdependance of people and their environment.
Feature article on the Wakodahatchee Wetlands
