Day 3 - Beaches and Grasses and Gators . . . oh my!

Today we traveled south from Bonita Springs toward the Everglades.  Along the way we stopped at Barefoot Beach to meet with a local ranger to learn a bit about being a ranger and the variety of ecosystems of the area.  Then it was onto the Everglades for a hike at Fakahatchee State Park followed by a tram tour at Shark Valley, and finally ending with a night hike at Anhinga Trail.

Barefoot Beach ~ by: Gabriel Deutschman-Ruiz.

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin

Photo by Veronica S-P.

First thing in the morning, we head for the beaches. We met with the park ranger who talked to us about what it is like to work in the field. We learned that park rangers usually work in a hierarchy and rangers usually can travel throughout the state that they work in to work on any parks. On the beaches, we found many organisms and shells. There a lot of shore birds such as black-bellied plovers, short-billed dowitchers, ruddy turnstones, brown pelicans, and the biggest find of the day... a coconut. Unfortunately, it didn't have any juice to extract from it. Nor were we able to crack the sucker open. We also found a porcupine fish stranded on the beach. Other great findings included some anoles (small lizard), shellfish egg columns, sea sponges, coral skeletons (hard and soft), gopher tortoise, and a zebra long-winged butterfly. We were sent on a scavenger hunt on the beach. We had to take pictures of the items on the scavenger hunt. We were on the hunt for autotrophs, 1st & 2nd level consumers, detritovores, herons, animal nests, and many other occurrences in nature. This scavenger hunt will last from Barefoot Beach to the Everglades. It'll last for the next few days. The winner of the scavenger hunt (based on point value of findings) will have first dibs on props for a presentation towards the end of the trip. We also discussed the benefits of sea grass and barrier islands to the ecosystem. Sea grass provides a buffer for incoming waves along with buffer islands. Overall, the beach was very interesting and we learned a great deal about beach ecosystems.

Fakahatchee State Park ~ by: Veronica S-P.

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin

After lunch we stopped at Fakahatchee State Park where we were able to walk on a boardwalk through the Everglades. Before we got off the bus we talked about biodiversity and how it is necessary to maintain life in ecosystems. This is because all the different species and organisms have important jobs and functions that allow the ecosystem to function properly. When we started out, we saw many Lubber grasshoppers and Anoles (small, fast lizards). The grasshoppers are huge and very colorful. The biggest ones were orange, yellow and red while the smaller ones were a darker green color. Before getting on the boardwalk, we spotted a turtle head and an alligator head poking out of the water. We could tell that the alligator was young. Once we got on the boardwalk, we were surrounded by gigantic Bald Cypress trees. Many of the trees had Strangler Figs hugging them. We learned that this is a parasitic relationship because the trees' growth is inhibited when the Strangler Figs wrap around them. Later on our hike we saw epiphytes, such as bromiliads, which are plants that grow in the air, usually attached to tree limbs. The roots of these plants absorb moisture and carbon dioxide directly from the air.  We also stopped to listen to a woodpecker in the distance. We thought we may have heard an alligator mating call, which sounds similar to the sound of

Photo by Veronica S-P.

a woodpecker. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach the gator hole at the end of the boardwalk because a tree had fallen, blocking our path. A gator hole is very important because the gators are able to keep the water they need to survive in the hole. The wetland we visited was a flood plain, meaning that it is not wet year round. By digging the gator holes, the alligators are able to have a year long water supply to survive. Gator holes are also home to insects and small animals that need water to breed. After coming upon the fallen tree, we turned around to head back to the bus. On our way out, we were able to see a turtle sunning itself on a log. Turtles have to sun themselves because they are ectotherms (cold-blooded) meaning their body temperature is only as warm as the air temperature. So they warm themselves by sitting in the sun. We headed back to the bus to continue onto our next stop, Shark Valley! While driving to Shark Valley we were able to spot a gator in the water next to the highway. My favorite parts of the hike were standing next to the towering Bald Cypress trees and watching Mrs. Sutterlin try to catch a grasshopper (she was successful) :)

Shark Valley Tram Tour ~ by:  Brita J.

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin

Following our visit to Fakahatchee State Park,we took the short drive over to Shark Valley. On the way there, we had a discussion about biodiversity and its importance to an ecosystem. We also conversed about invasive species and their effect on an environment. We considered these topics when we arrived at Shark Valley. Contrary to its name,there are in fact, no sharks in the park. However, their was an abundance of alligators. We were able to have an up close and personal experience with several alligators while on the tram. Most of them were found submerged in water or lying on the bank. We quickly learned how to spot these reptiles by the trails they create in the saw grass. We also learned about alligators and their importance to their ecosystem. Alligators are considered a keystone species in the Everglades. This means that many other organisms depend on this animal just as bricks in an arc depend on the key stone to maintain stability. Alligator holes, created by the alligators themselves provide reservoir  of water during the dry season. Many other organisms that depend on moist environments like the gator flock to the holes, creating an extremely diverse ecosystem.

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin

Another highlight of the tram tour was when the tram stopped we were able to get out and walk through some periphyton. This spongy like substance holds a surprising amount of water, providing a moist environment during the dry season (the current season in the Everglades). This moisture is needed by frogs and other amphibians as a place to lay their eggs.  Along the way we also spotted many different kinds of birds including many Great Blue Herons. We also learned about an invasive species of the Everglades, the Burmese Python. Brought here as pets, the pythons grew large and became too much of a burden for their owners and were released in the Everglades. They thrived in Florida's conditions, growing in population. The swarm of pythons began to eat up all of the small organisms needed by other animals. Pythons today remain a large problem, Ways of controlling python numbers are scarce. Cold temperatures are the only effective way of killing off some of these menaces. To sum it up, Shark Valley was an interesting place to examine, first hand, the role each animal plays in their environment and how one harmful organisms can effect a whole ecosystem.


Anhinga Trail Night Hike ~ by: Dakota M.

As the day was coming to an end and the sun was beginning to set, we headed to the Anhinga Trail. The faster the sun set and the darker the sky got, the more stars began to show. 1 star, then 10 stars,then a thousand, and then a billion stars shown in the sky. We looked at the sky and studied the stars as our teachers showed and described the stars in the sky.  They showed us the constellations of the night. I saw the Big Dipper. Did you know that if you followed the two stars farthest from the handle of the dipper, they lead you to the North Star? We also identified the Orion's Belt which points to Spika.  Fun fact: The Orion's Belt is a winter constellation and it sets during the summer. The night life is even more alive and amazing than

Photo by Veronica S-P.

the day life. The nocturnal life comes out and its like a whole other world. We saw alligators eating frogs and swimming around as we walked around the trail. We used a flashlight to see eye-shine, which shows you all the alligator eyes as you shone the light over the water. We heard the chirping of the bugs and the crying of the owlets as they cry out for their mommy. It is really something else to just sit out in nature at night and just watch the stars and listen to the night life. You completely forget about everything else and just relax and enjoy life. My favorite part was just laying on the trail and staring up at all the shining stars in the dark, night sky.