Last week we had the pleasure of going on a field to the Corkscrew Sanctuary out in Immokalee. I had actually never been there and had heard nice things about the place from some friends who had recently gone. All in all it was a nice time.We had a fabulous guide who was very knowledgable, yet laid back. Our tour went rather quickly because we were on a time limit, so I plan on going back on my own accord. I would like to walk around at my own place and check out every part of the snactuary. Next time though, I will make sure to bring bug spray! The mosquitoes were hellacious!
We learned about things such as an ecotone which is where to ecosystems meet. This is an example. You have the cypress swamp and the pine trees. In the middle is the transition zone, the wet praire.
We learned about Alligator Flag. It is a type of flat that grows in swamps. Our guide said it is called Alligator Flag because if you see this type of plant, you know there will be water which is where alligators like to be and the swamp is kind enough to wave its warning flags.
We also came across the brightest and largest grasshopper. I had personally ever seen. It was bright orange with some red and yellow thrown in. She told us it was a cricket, but it is a grasshopper. It is called the Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper.I read that this is the most distinctive of its specie because of its size and color. It cannot fly because its wings are too small. :( The lubber does contain toxic substances it uses to defend itself. If its color alone isn't enough to warn predators he is deadly, predators learn shortly after ingested him. It makes some small mammals such as opposoms violently sick and may kill some birds.
The coolest thing for me was learning what was edible out in the swamps. I learned the native Muscadine grapes are edible. We also came across Pond Apples which our guide said was suppose to taste like a cross between a pineapple and soap detergent. I read it can be made into jam, but the taste was not "preferable". I learned that it is a family member of the Cherimoya. This fruit is native to South American countries like Peru, where my mother is from. My friends parents have a Peruvian restaurant here in Naples that serves some deserts with Cherimoya ice cream that is just delicious! Our guide said that if grafted part of a Cherimoya branch to the Pond Apple tree, we could grow Cherimoyas. I think that sounds like a fabulous idea!! I would love to be able to experiment with Cherimoya dishes since the Pond Apple doesn't have such high reviews in the taste department. This is a picture of a Cherimoya that is NOT taken by me, but I wanted to add so you can see the similarities between these two fruits that are family yet native to two different countries very far away from each other. That idea is pretty neat.
A picture of Camp Flying Eagle
The coolest thing for me was learning what was edible out in the swamps. I learned the native Muscadine grapes are edible. We also came across Pond Apples which our guide said was suppose to taste like a cross between a pineapple and soap detergent. I read it can be made into jam, but the taste was not "preferable". I learned that it is a family member of the Cherimoya. This fruit is native to South American countries like Peru, where my mother is from. My friends parents have a Peruvian restaurant here in Naples that serves some deserts with Cherimoya ice cream that is just delicious! Our guide said that if grafted part of a Cherimoya branch to the Pond Apple tree, we could grow Cherimoyas. I think that sounds like a fabulous idea!! I would love to be able to experiment with Cherimoya dishes since the Pond Apple doesn't have such high reviews in the taste department. This is a picture of a Cherimoya that is NOT taken by me, but I wanted to add so you can see the similarities between these two fruits that are family yet native to two different countries very far away from each other. That idea is pretty neat. 
For our first assignment, we had to walk around our neighborhood. I am currently in the process of moving, so things are a bit chaotic at the moment. I did the assignment while walking my boyfriend's dog Jack one day. He lives in a pet-friendly community and I wondered what kind of impact this had on the limited vegetation surrounding and inbetween this community. Is it a benefit or does it further polllute the trees and plants that are still standing to have high concentrations of dog waste seeping into the ground?
