Monthly Archives: September 2024

From pumpkin spice lattes to red scarves and flannels, piles of leaves in the front yard and a crisp breeze in the air, carved pumpkins on doorsteps or Halloween candy in the store, wherever you go it’s nearly impossible to ignore the upcoming festive season- autumn! For most people, this season marks the shift into colder weather and festive holidays back-to-back. Although it can still be a lot of fun to celebrate, most Floridians do not get to experience the staple autumn seasonal changes. The climate of south Florida is one that is much warmer on average than other parts of the U.S. and is a lot more stable over the course of the entire year. This leads to an autumn season that looks a lot closer to summertime than any color changing autumns seen in the movies. As the shift into winter happens, the air gets colder, and the days get shorter. In Florida, however, this shift in temperature is tiny. The average winter temperature in south Florida is 24?C (75?F). For many U.S. citizens, this is vacation weather!

In order to understand why Florida’s autumn looks the way it does, it is important to understand what autumn is. Why do seasonal changes happen? What makes the leaves change color in the fall? The first day of autumn this year falls on Sunday, September 22nd. The first day of fall is also known as the Autumn Equinox. This is one of four special days of the year, each marking a new season: the Winter and Summer Solstices and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes. As the earth rotates around the sun every year, it is not aligned perfectly vertically. The earth is tilted on an axis at an angle of 23.5?. Because of this tilt, there are two sections of the year where one hemisphere of the earth will be closer to the sun or further away from the sun, making it hotter or colder, and two sections of the year where both the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth are at equal distance from the sun. The point at which your hemisphere of the earth is closest to the sun is known as the Summer Solstice and the point at which your hemisphere of the earth is furthest away from the sun is known as the Winter Solstice. The two points where both the northern and southern hemispheres are equal distance from the sun are known as the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes. These both mark a transition towards the next solstice, temperatures cooling down as you get further away from the sun, or temperatures heating up as you get closer to the sun.

Being in the northern hemisphere, the Autumn Equinox falls in September every year as we prepare to head into winter. One of the most notable phenomena of the autumn season is the changing of the leaves from bright green and blooming to shades of orange, brown, yellow, and red. This happens because, as the days get shorter and average daily temperatures start to drop, the chlorophyll within the leaves starts to break down. Chlorophyll is the chemical found in almost all species of plants that give the plant its green color. Without the chemical, other compounds in the leaves will start to become more prevalent, showing off a different color.

Although not many of the physical autumnal seasonal changes can be seen in Florida, there are still many things to do to celebrate the fall season and the Autumn Equinox. Get ready to decorate with beautiful fall colors, grab a pumpkin spice latte, and carve some pumpkins because autumn is quickly approaching. Happy fall y’all!

Whether it’s the tropical rainforests of Brazil, the vast grasslands of Argentina, or the freezing biome of the Andes mountains, Latin America is teeming with different kinds of life of all shapes and sizes. When picturing the biodiversity of Latin America, the Amazon Rainforest is most likely to come to mind first. With the lengthy Amazon River cutting straight through the middle of the lush forest, the abundance of life here is seemingly endless. There are jaguars, macaws, dolphins, giant centipedes, ocelots, anacondas, anteaters, capybaras, cougars, turtles, monkeys, and the most beautiful butterflies you’ve ever seen. And this is only to name a few.

                As spectacular as this may sound, this is far from the only place in Latin America to offer this level of diversity. The country of Guatemala is located in Central America sandwiched in between Mexico on its northern end and El Salvador and Honduras on its southern end.  About one third of Guatemala’s natural land has remained untouched by humans. In fact, the country actually has the highest number of endemic species out of all other Central American countries with 16,000 native plant, animal, and insect species living there.

Some of the most eye-catching plant and animal species are native to Guatemala. The Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot (Amazona auropalliata) is endemic to most of Central America. This colorful bird has bright green feathers with random flashes of different reds and blues, and most have a yellow patch of feathers on the back of their head, giving them their name. Here at the Sawgrass Nature Center, we have two Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrots who were both surrendered pets. Their names are Sinbad and Alice.

Perhaps an even more fascinating species of bird native to Guatemala is the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). The bird is colored a dark, almost iridescent green color with a red belly and a short and cute yellow beak. The males have a long pluming tail of green and white feathers to attract a female partner. The Resplendent Quetzal can be found in a central region of Guatemala along a mountain range known as Sierras de las Minas. The habitats here are commonly known as “cloud forests” because they are forests found at high altitudes filled with mist and fog.

In ancient Maya culture, quetzal feathers were highly prized and symbolized power, wealth, and connection to the divine. The feathers were used to adorn the headdresses of royalty and priests, representing the god Quetzalcoatl and serving as a symbol of fertility and abundance.

This bird acts as a great representation of the beautiful wildlife Guatemala has to offer, so much so, that in 1871 the Resplendent Quetzal was deemed the national bird of Guatemala and can be seen on the Guatemalan flag and coat of arms today. The Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ) is also the national currency of the country.

Guatemala is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots all around the world with a plethora of species besides these beautiful birds. Some of these unique Guatemalan fauna include the Black Howler Monkey (Alouatta pigra), the Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura pectinate), the Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus), the Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii), the Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata quichensis), the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the Guatemalan Goby (Gobiomorus dormitor), and the Maya Cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus). Because of this biodiversity hotspot title, the wild areas of Guatemala are considered critical ecosystems, which ensures that the diversity and culture of Guatemala must be preserved and sustained. September 15^th is Guatemala’s Independence Day so this is the perfect time to learn more about this astonishing country and find out some ways you can help protect its native culture and biodiversity. Guatemala is a must-see bucket list item, so if you ever get the chance to visit, go check it out!

If you were to ask all the people in your life what their favorite animal was, almost all of them would be able to name a certain wildlife friend that they dubbed their favorite ever since they were a kid. Many children will pick lions, giraffes, monkeys, snakes, dolphins, otters, and so many other cute and commonly known animals as their favorite member of the animal kingdom. But, as you may know, most of the animals the average person can name off the top of their head only account for a small fraction of all the wildlife in the world!

September 4th is known as National Wildlife Day and it is the perfect excuse to learn about some bizarre wildlife you may have never heard of, while also learning about the conservation efforts for all the animals you know and love!

Florida is one of the most biodiverse places in the entire world, meaning it has one of the largest arrays of species of animals out of anywhere in the world. In the U.S. alone, Florida is ranked in the top five of states with the most endemic species, and it is also ranked in the top ten of states with the most plant and animal species. Some of these wonderful animals include things like alligators, owls, snakes, herons, turtles, panthers, racoons, and so much more.

The American Alligator is arguably the most thought of predator on the Florida Everglades. The genus and species name for the animal is Alligator mississippiensis and this animal is known for many of its strengths. However, did you know that baby alligators, because they are much smaller than an adult alligator, must have a lot of adaptations to help them stay alive? Some of these include a striped pattern on their body to help them camouflage into their surroundings, a strong tail to use as a weapon, and even urinating on their predators!

There are over 40 different native snake species found in Florida, and almost 4,000 in the entire world! Snakes are some of the most abundant wildlife and they have many different characteristics depending on the species. Many snakes are excellent at camouflage and have striped patterns along their body to keep them hidden from predators. Most snakes are also known as ambush predators, which means they prefer to hide and wait for their prey to come by so they can jump out and attack! Despite what most people think, some snakes are great climbers too! They have

specialized scales on their bellies that allow them to climb up the bark of trees and even sides of buildings.

When many people think of large Florida animals, the Florida Panther comes to mind. This is one of the most essential species to Florida’s ecosystems and is also one of the most protected species too! Did you know that the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) is actually the same species as a mountain lion or a cougar? They have different common names depending on where they are found! At one point in the 1970s, the Florida panther became so endangered that there were as little as 20-30 individuals left in the wild. This was due to a massive amount of habitat fragmentation and loss. Today, population numbers are rebounding, but the species is still heavily protected.

If you want to help preserve the members of the animal kingdom, there are many things you can do to help.

· Do some research on the endangered species in your area and what their anthropogenic threats are.

· Take some time to learn what the current conservation efforts towards this species are and how you can contribute.

· Learn about the many wildlife species that exist in your direct area and what you can do every day to protect them!