Adventures in Florida

Did you know there are 16 types of bromeliads that are native to Florida? This giant bromeliad is currently endangered due to loss of habitat and destruction from weevils. Learn more about how you can help save these plants:

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/frank/savebromeliads/floridas-bromeliads/Tillandsia-utriculata.html

In rare move: FWC to hand-feed starving manatees in Indian River Lagoon A grim statistic shows that more manatees have died so far in 2021 than any other year in Florida's history. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's data shows that 1,017 "sea cows" have died so far in 2021. That’s almost double the amount in 2020 and in 2019. Most of the deaths ar...

Over 85% of survey respondents favor breaching the Kirkpatrick Dam, restoring Ocklawaha Of over 10,000 responses to St. Johns River Water Management District's survey on the future of the Ocklawaha River, most favored breaching the dam.

The Hunter's Moon from a couple of nights ago at Bottoms Road near Panacea.

If you've been to this spring in the summertime, you've seen this amazing sight, hundreds of sunshine/striped bass taking refuge in the cool waters of Silver Glen Spring, off the St. Johns River. If this is one of your favorite spring experiences, here's a story you should know...

The fish you're seeing all came from a hatchery. Before the Rodman Dam was built across the Ocklawaha River, the St. Johns River supported a naturally reproducing Striped Bass population. But when Rodman Dam was completed, the environmental conditions needed for these guys to do, well, what they do to make more little striped bass, changed. There has been no documented case of natural reproduction of striped bass in the 50 years since the dam was built.

So the state began stocking a striped bass/white bass hybrid (called "sunshine bass" - hard for most of us to distinguish from striped bass, but look for uneven "stripes") in the river as gamefish. So when you see these fish, know that they and the current population of striped bass and striped bass hybrids in the Ocklawaha/St Johns system consist **exclusively** of stocked fish. A never-used dam prevents natural reproduction.

Scientists report that if the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam were breached and the natural riverway restored, abundance of Striped Bass and hybrid Striped Bass in the upstream reaches of the Ocklawaha River all the way to Silver Springs would likely greatly increase and their presence would be maintained year-round. Populations may once again be able to breed naturally, and these fish would be able to access the many springs that exist upstream of the dam as summertime thermal refuges.

It's time to breach the dam and . If you've ever delighted in swimming with these fish in Silver Glen, please take a few moments to let the district know that you support breaching the dam. They are taking comments until 5pm on October 22nd, so don't wait. Go to https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/free-the-ocklawaha

photo by Linda Petzl Wilinski

Ivory-billed woodpecker, more than 20 other species declared extinct by U.S. government

Walking into Monday like...
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FUN FACT: The Crested Caracara is the only falcon that collects material to build a nest. Other falcons lay their eggs in an old nest built by another species or in a scrape on the ground.
📸: Bruce Cochrane