Monthly Archives: November 2023

Last week was our Thanksgiving camp here at Sawgrass Nature Center. We offer our educational learning camp during school breaks for children who want to be outside exploring nature and learning more about the world around us. They do this through different games, activities, and lessons that are offered throughout the week based on the theme of that week.  

The theme for this week was renewable resources and energy. We explored this topic by playing fun games and doing activities including using solar ovens to help demonstrate solar energy (and make yummy smores) and building pinwheels to learn about wind. This week also included lots of animal visits from some of our educational ambassadors that helped the campers learn more about the world around us and how humans interact with it.  

Our next camp is during winter break and is offered for two weeks. Below is a link with more information about the camp as well as the registration form. 

December 26^th-29^th Watery Wonders  

January 2^nd-5^th Native Apex Predators  

Here are some ways you can help reduce energy emissions in your daily lives: 

• Use energy-efficient lighting  

• By using LED lightbulbs and other alternatives, you can help conserve energy and save some money because traditional incandescent bulbs tend to waste around 80% of their energy  

• Home gardening  

• The plants in home gardens help the overall environment in different ways. Some indoor plants help purify the air while tree canopies outside the house can shade your home and reduce energy usage.  

• Wash on cold  

• By washing your clothing in cold water instead of warm, you avoid the energy costs for heating the water. This has many benefits for your clothes too including less stretching and fraying and minimal bleeding of colors.  

• Air dry what you can  

• When possible, try hanging clothing out to air dry instead of using a dryer. By doing this, it helps prevent wrinkles, wearing, and shrinkage from the heat. As a bonus, your clothes smell SUNSHINE GREAT! 

Green Friday is a worldwide movement that coincides with the day designated as Black Friday. While Black Friday focuses on getting great deals, Green Friday is meant to promote a more mindful approach when shopping. This is done by encouraging consumers to buy from more ethical and sustainable brands or choosing not to shop to help curb the overconsumption of goods. The idea is to support brands that work to help improve the world around us and become more conscious about how our shopping and consumption habits affect the world. 

You can do this by researching the brands you choose to buy from and how they source, manufacture, and distribute their products. You can also investigate their corporate culture by seeing the causes they support and the certifications they may have. This can be done through the company’s website most of the time. Below are some items to look for on a company’s website to look for when trying to support a company that is sustainable.  

• Sustainable certifications  

• Certifications are a great indicator of the values of the company and what they want to support. Good sustainable certifications to look for include the B Corporation certification, 1% for the planet, and climate neutral. These certifications are given to companies that benefit the planet which includes neutralizing their carbon footprint and giving away a percentage of their profit to certified environmental organizations.  

• Product distribution/sourcing   

• Another thing to look for is where a company chooses to source their products from and how they handle their distribution. Sourcing closer to their warehouse or using more environmentally friendly distribution methods are ways companies can reduce their carbon footprint. This includes limiting carbon emissions through the movement of products and limiting their contribution to landfills.  

• Product waste  

• The ways companies choose to dispose of their products is another vital thing to look for when trying to be more sustainable. Companies like Patagonia offer the ability to repair their items to reduce waste. Other companies will take advantage of broken-down products and reuse them in other ways. This is a process called cradle-to-grave where parts or the entire product gets recycled into something new.  

While shopping this holiday season, be sure to be mindful of the items you buy and companies you choose to support. Do your research and take time to consider what you need rather than rushing into a purchase at a sale- who knows, you may end up saving money in the long run. 

To learn more about the cradle-to cradle certification follow the link below 

Cradle to Cradle Certified® – Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (c2ccertified.org) 

As we enter November, we have entered the dry season here in the Everglades. The Everglades have two distinct seasons that are categorized by the water levels in the area. The wet season comes with a period of intense rains that typically lasts from April or May to October or November. The dry season typically occurs from November to April as the weather starts to cool off. During these months there is usually less humidity during the day and clearer skies leading to less rain. This period causes the area to dry up with the water levels changing dramatically each month depending on the amount of rain in the environment. These seasonal changes bring about balance within the ecosystem by helping maintain the health of the ecosystem.  

While this abrupt season change may seem like a lot to handle, the organisms within this area are adapted to handling the drastic change in the weather. Plants like sawgrass have long roots that help ground them during the intense periods of rain and allow them to access water that is deep underground in the dry season. American alligators dig holes in the ground that fill up during the wet season and stay filled during the dry season providing not only them, but other organisms with water and shelter. Other organisms work to retain water during this time to ensure their survival. Plants are adapted to utilize the water they have around them at whatever level is available. Lichen and moss take moisture from the air whereas local succulents store water in their roots and leaves to access later.  

These months also tend to attract other animals as well. Migratory birds and other migratory animals spend time in the Everglades during the cooler months due to the favorable conditions in the area compared to other areas of the country. The dry season provides access to food and shelter for these birds and other animals as they migrate to other areas south. The milder season is also usually accompanied by a nesting season for many animals. Rookeries (which refer to the group of breeding animals as well as the nesting area they use) are prominent within the Everglades where groups of migratory birds utilize the trees to nest and raise their young. These animals choose to escape the cold to reproduce in a warmer climate before making the journey back just in time to escape the rainy, humid wet season in the spring.  

 Here in Florida, there is a large diversity of animals that live throughout the different ecosystems that exist here. In southern Florida alone, the Everglades provide different ecosystems that house thousands of unique organisms. In these areas, all organisms serve a valuable purpose in the overall health and balance of the ecosystem. A great example of this is the apex predator- the organism on top of the food chain within that ecosystem. These animals help keep the balance within the food chain in the ecosystem by keeping other organism’s populations at bay. In Florida, we have many examples of apex predators around the state that are vital to maintaining balance in the ecosystem.  

American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis 

The American alligator is a well-known animal, especially here in Florida. They are seen in local lakes and ponds and have sometimes wound up in pools or backyards. However, this has not always been the case for these reptiles. The American alligator population was almost entirely wiped out because of overhunting and habitat destruction. Although alligators were always hunted by indigenous populations, around a century ago, the skin and meat of alligators proved to be very valuable to the public which led to overhunting. Because of the loss of most of the alligator population, the ecosystem of the Everglades quickly changed.  The American alligator was later discovered to be a keystone species or a species within the ecosystem that serves a specific role that affects the overall health or balance of the entire ecosystem. Because of protection afforded to the species through the Endangered Species Act, the populations today have made a comeback and are considered a success story of an endangered animal.  

Florida Black Bear, Ursus americanus 

The Florida black bear is one of 16 subspecies of the black bear and is the only bear species that is found here in Florida. Florida black bears eat mostly plants, insects, and carrion which does not describe what you typically think of as an apex predator. However, since there are few other animals that hunt and eat black bears in Florida (besides humans), they are at the top of the food chain. While the black bear populations in Florida have diminished over the years, scientists estimate that around 4,000 black bears still reside in Florida today. The main issues that black bear populations face in Florida are urban development and habitat fragmentation. Their habitat has been broken up by roads and development increasing interactions between bears and cars which have caused many casualties. The black bear requires from 15 to 300 miles of habitat to survive depending on food availability and the quality of habitat. Many Florida organizations are working to protect and reconnect land that is still available to help ensure the survival of this population.  Work is being done to educate local communities on how to protect the bear populations and learn how to live with them in Florida.  

Florida Panther, Puma concolor 

The Florida panther is a subspecies of the mountain lion. This species is found in southern Florida around swamplands such as the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. The species is currently listed as endangered on the endangered species list due to overhunting in the 1960s by ranchers concerned about their cattle. The low population left the species vulnerable to major threats such as mercury pollution, disease, and low genetic diversity. Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to be an issue facing this species with the increase of urban development. The Florida Panther was one of the first animals to be placed on the endangered species list which has helped improve the population over the years. The local populations have grown from around 20-30 wild panthers in the 1970s to around 200 wild panthers statewide today.  

National bison is always celebrated on the first Saturday in November. This national day celebrates and recognizes the importance of the American Bison. Now we may not have any here in Florida, but American Bison have played a fundamental role in the expansion and growth of the indigenous people’s populations here in the US- specifically in the Midwest. The indigenous relied on the bison populations (among other things) for food and resources. They would eat the meat the bison provided and utilize the fur for coats and shelters. Today their role is just as important for the ecosystem of the Great Plains here in the US. The bison help maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem by providing food and shelter to many organisms. The American Bison is considered a keystone species in the Great Plains based on the way they walk and move through their environment. The bison will move through their environment and help aerate the soil around them. This allows the growth of different species of plants within the environment. Their fur also provides a way to help distribute the seeds of native plants in the area. The seeds get caught on their fur coats and will get distributed as the bison roams around the environment. These are two of the many services that these animals provide for the grassland ecosystems they live in. The plants that grow and flourish because of them also provide food and shelter for other animals in the ecosystem.  

While there are no bison here in southern Florida, the impact they have on their environment is important to recognize. Many different species here in Florida are also considered keystone species and are being threatened. Species like the gopher tortoise and American alligator here in the Everglades are examples of more local keystone species. Both of these species impact the environment around them in very specific ways that impacts the entire ecosystem. Below is an article that shows how important these native keystone species are to areas and why we need to protect them.  

Native keystone trees, flowers and shrubs keep keep food web healthy (floridatoday.com)