Corkscrew Sanctuary

As I was walking up to the visitors center I noticed the interpretive signs. After reading them I learned that the endangered Wood Stork only inhabits the swamp during the dry months of the summer and early spring to mate. I have never seen any kind of stork in person so I was a little disappointed that we would not see them considering it is late June, but was excited to see other forms of wildlife and vegetation. After reading that the swamp is filled solely by rain water I was expecting the water level to be pretty low since we haven't had much rain yet this summer. I then learned about the Plume Birds being hunted almost to extinction for their feathers, at this point I knew that Corkscrew Sanctuary was someplace special. It is one of the last remaining functional parts of the Southwest Florida Ecosystem, and is preserved in order to maintain the existence of some very rare forms of life including the rare bald cypress. Inside the visitors center I learned that the strangler fig is a source of food and shelter for many wildlife creatures. It wraps itself around a host and it is unknown as to whether it feeds off the host or not. 

As we started down the boardwalk the first thing I noticed was a measuring unit sticking out of the ground to measure the water depth. There was no water, in fact it was almost completely bone dry, except for the little bit moisture that appeared to be in the soil. It appears that the changes to the drainage system in order to accommodate agriculture and population growth has greatly effected the natural wetlands of Southern Florida. Redirecting the natural water flow has caused wetlands to dry up, which greatly impacts the wildlife in the areas affected. Because the area is so dry, it cannot support wildlife. I saw no animals, only insects, because there is no food for them. The lettuce lakes were not lakes at all, but instead flatter areas of shorter vegetation growth where you could determine were once full of water.

While I was there I did get a very rare opportunity to see a Ghost Orchid. This orchid is endangered and only blooms once a year. Corkscrew sanctuary had a scope set up on the boardwalk to view the orchid since it was too far away to see with the naked eye. There were seven blooms and more buds ready. It was beautiful! I only wish that I could have seen it close up.

Corkscrew Sanctuary was a wonderful experience for me. However, it was very disappointing to see the lack of wildlife in an area that once thrived with it. To see everything so dry was very unsettling. Freshwater releases need to be made in order to sustain the life of our estuaries and the wildlife that depend on them for survival.