Wildlife Education - Blog Posts

This little guy is an Eastern Screech Owl. Although small, he is considered fully grown. An eye injury sustained from a car collision keeps him from thriving in the wild on his own, so he will remain with the SNC as a permanent resident and educational ambassador. 

The Eastern Screech Owl is considered a bird of prey. So its sharp talons and curved beak have adapted to ripping and tearing prey as opposed to the straight and long beak of something like a heron that has been adapted for fishing. 

Anyone can turn their backyard into a Nationally Certified Wildlife Habitat by providing some important features like food, water, and shelter! Learn more by checking out this website: https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/certify

This video displays perfectly how some fun backyard features can be wildlife friendly! 

“A variety of wild animals visiting a water fountain”

(via)

Decline of the Everglades Snail Kite

The Everglades Snail Kite is a hallmark of Florida wildlife. Found in central and south Florida, this magnificent bird of prey thrives in swampy, wetland habitats (Audubon Society, 2020). Unfortunately the population of this seasoned hunter has dropped at an alarming rate.

The Everglades, a vital habitat to the Snail Kite, has been significantly reduced in size due to expanding infrastructure and construction of surrounding human populations (National Park Service, 2019). Fortuitously, organizations such as the Everglades Foundation have worked tirelessly throughout the years to restore and conserve the Everglades which is home to many of Florida’s unique species. (The Everglades Foundation, 2020).

But habitat loss is not the only struggle the Everglades Snail Kite faces. Their curved beaks are adapted specifically to feed on its namesake: Florida Apple Snails, or Pomacea paludosa. While there are several species of Apple Snails currently located in Florida, Pomacea paludosa is the native species of apple snail to Florida. There is some debate over whether local populations of the Florida Apple Snail may be a separate species from Pomacea paludosa (Schad, 2018), but we will only be referring to Pomacea paludosa for the purpose of this article.

One might think that the addition of new types of apple snails to Florida would mean the expansion of food for the Everglades Snail Kite, but that does not seem to be the case. Their beaks are so specifically adapted to the smaller, curved shells of the Pomacea paludosa, that the Everglades Snail Kite cannot use its beak successfully to feed on larger species of Apple Snails that are invading Florida wetlands. This poses another problem where the larger species of invasive apple snails are outcompeting and displacing the smaller Pomacea paludosa. The Everglades Snail Kite is facing food loss in addition to habitat loss.

But all is not lost. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, located in Fort Pierce, Florida has successfully completed research on the practice of captive breeding the Florida Apple Snail with a long-term goal of finding ways to replenish wild populations of Pomacea paludosa (Garr, Amber, Helen Posch, Margaret McQuillan, Megan Davis, 2012). These practices, if safely regulated and approved, could be used to help replenish the population of the Everglades Snail Kite by providing it with more food. Regulations and controls are needed to ensure that captive populations would not introduce new bacteria, or diseases to wild populations.

The Everglades Snail Kite is not the only endangered species in Florida, but it is a wonderful example of how—when united—people have the chance to improve many environmental problems.

Audubon Society, 2020. The Everglades Snail Kite. Audubon Florida.

[https://fl.audubon.org/birds/everglade-snail-kite]

Schad, Morgan. 2018. The Discovery of a Forgotten Species in an Unexpected Location: Pomaceamiamiensis in Palm Beach County. Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.

The Everglades Foundation, 2020. About. [https://www.evergladesfoundation.org/about]

Garr, Amber. Helen Posch. Margaret McQuillan. Megan Davis. 2012. Development of a captive breeding program for the Florida apple snail, Pomacea paludosa: Relaxation and sex ratio recommendations.

Aquaculture. Volume 370-371, Pages 166-171.

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0044848612006163?via%3Dihub]

National Park Service. 2019. Restoration of Everglades National Park. U.S. Department of the Interior.

South Florida Natural Resources Center. Everglades National Park.

[https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/upload/RestorationFactSheet%20Lo%20Secure.pdf]

Interested in supporting a mighty cause? The Sawgrass Nature Center is working hard to bring free environmental education and career building resources to Title I students in South Florida. As our community begins to recover from a wicked pandemic, we believe that it is important to lend a hand to the families most impacted by it.

The Sawgrass Nature Center is participating in A Community Thrives, a program that supports community improvement ideas with grants up to $100K. To qualify for a grant, we need to meet a fundraising goal from our own network. Help us raise awareness and funds for our project by making a donation online from September 21st through October 16th.

The goal of our project is to bring environmental education to students through a virtual adaptation of our educational programs such as Meet Your Wildlife Friends. Programs like this are typically offered to students at an average minimum price of $180. We want to be able to bring these resources to Title I schools that do not have the funds to pay for the programs themselves in the form of a four-step program or two-step program.

The four-step program will be geared towards older students with the first two steps being a volunteer and professional skill building workshop. The third step will be a professional education program that provides them with an opportunity to get an immersive experience in environmental science. The fourth step is a volunteer opportunity at the Sawgrass Nature Center’s own community garden. This will grant students experience in agriculture, hands-on work, and time in a professional environment.

The two-step program will be developed for a younger crowd. The first step will be an optional craft seminar that is adapted to the teacher’s curriculum and our animal friends. The second step will be the Meet Your Wildlife Friends program, where we bring out our Educational Animals for students to interact with and learn about.

Our community needs resources for dynamic virtual learning opportunities that will complement their regular instruction. We believe it only fair that the resources we offer be made to as many students as possible regardless of socio-economic distinction.

When it comes to community building, the Sawgrass Nature Center believes in a bottom-up effect. Students in our community are the next to step into the work force, the next to inherit the world we leave behind for them. The future is in their hands. Our program shares with them education on nature around them and how to best be responsible for our environment and the wildlife that inhabit it. Our goal is to also provide older students with the skill and professionalism necessary to put that education to best use in the workforce and higher academics. We believe we are watering the seeds of future growth.

https://acommunitythrives.mightycause.com/story/Elzntf