Preserving and protecting the water resources and natural communities of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
We are happy to announce an additional Spring Wildflower Walk has been added to our spring schedule. Local authors and wildflower experts, Glen Stacell and Dr. Gary Schmelz have agreed to lead a walk at the CREW Marsh Trails on Friday, April 4th. Register today for this one-time walk. Click the link below to register…
Wildflower Walk with Glen Stacell and Gary Schmelz on April 4, 2014, 9:30 AM to noon
Other CREW guided walks can be found here.
Check out the article on Florida Black Bears by CREW’s environmental education specialist, Deb Hanson, in the current issue of Southwest Florida Spotlight magazine (p. 43) – on shelves and online now. Deb is writing this monthly column for Spotlight to highlight interesting wildlife and plants that can be seen at CREW.
What topics would you like to see covered in future columns?
General Gun Hunting Season at CREW opens November 23 and runs through December 1, 2013 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Specific General Gun season regulations for CREW are listed below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.
The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers – during hunting seasons. However, camping and horseback permits will not be issued during this hunt season. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.
Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Quota permit, hunting license, management area permit, deer permit (if hunting deer) migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds), and state waterfowl permit and federal duck stamp (if hunting waterfowl).
Legal to Hunt – Deer with at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length, wild hog, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.
Regulations Unique to General Gun Season –
The CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.
Good morning from CREW. #sunrise #swfl #crewtrails
It’s that time of year. When birders get giddy and other folks who actually pay attention to things outside their cars and houses begin to notice different flying objects within their view. At CREW, the signs are obvious – the seasons are a-changin’. Water levels are high, the weather is hot and humid, and the maple trees are starting to turn burgundy while the cypress needles hint at turning brown. But the most dramatic changes right now are in the air.
Our feathered friends are heading for their winter homes, and that means some are leaving southwest Florida, some are arriving for their winter stay, and some are just passing through. During the past two weeks, the swallow-tailed kites have been seen circling in groups of 10, 20, 30 and more, staging for their trip back to South America. This week, the tree and barn swallows have been racing through the skies in their characteristic swooping, circling flights chasing after flying insects like dragonflies, damselflies, and wasps. And Joe Bozzo, the SFWMD project manager for CREW, spotted prothonotary warblers and Louisiana waterthrushes at Bird Rookery Swamp already.
So, if you want to catch some of this amazing migratory action, grab your binoculars and come on out to the CREW trails to see what you can find. The CREW Marsh Trails are a designated Great Florida Birding Trail site, and I’ve heard bitterns calling in the seasonal pond several times during the last two weeks. The Bird Rookery Swamp boardwalk and the trail just past the boardwalk is a regular “hot spot” for great migratory birds. Joe says to watch for yellow-billed cuckoos, red-eyed vireos, prairie warblers and black-throated blue warblers. Last year the orange-crowned warblers and Baltimore orioles were common sightings there, too.
Let us know what you see – post it here as a comment – so others can go see it, too.
The CREW Trust is pleased to announce an exciting schedule of 2013-2014 CREW Strolling Science Seminars. These seminars are scholarly walks for adults through the CREW trails, led by experts who engage participants in in-depth discussions about specific topics related to the CREW watershed. This is the third season for these scholarly walks at CREW. The past two years of seminars have been funded partially by CHNEP Public Outreach grants.
This year’s seminars include:
For details about each seminar and to register, go to the CREWTrust page on Eventbrite and scroll to the title of the seminar you want to know more about.
The CREW Land & Water Trust thanks David P. Browne, Esq., Board Certified Wills, Trusts & Estates Lawyer, who has stepped up to be our major sponsor for the 2013 CREW 10K Trail Run and 1-Mile Fun Run on October 26, 2013.
This is the 2nd annual CREW 10K Trail Run organized by CREW runner and volunteer, Phil Nissen. Phil is known by many across southwest Florida as the founder of the “Caloosa Trailheads“, an informal group of trail runners. The run takes place at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails and Caracara Prairie Preserve Trails – through marsh and mud, ditches and sloughs, along cattle paths and beautiful back country where bears and deer reside.
Come on out for a fun day with other runners who enjoy the outdoors and excitement of off-road running. There will be a 1-mile fun run as well for families with smaller children. Snacks and water will be provided.
For more info or to register, click here. It’s free, but donations to the CREW Trust are greatly appreciated.
Andrew West, accomplished photo-journalist with the Fort Myers News-Press, publishes weekly online videos which represent his views of southwest Florida and his experiences photographing for a variety of news stories.
This week Andrew has created a spectacular video about his experience with high waters and a snake at CREW. His photography is stunning and his narration speaks to the magic that is CREW. Be sure to take a few minutes to watch this fabulous piece “Andrew’s View: High Waters and a Snake” from the News-Press website. It’s worth it!
Saturday, August 10th, 2013 marks the beginning of a 9-day Archery hunting season at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Archery season regulations for CREW are excerpted below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.
The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers – during hunting seasons. However, camping and horseback permits will not be issued during hunt seasons. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.
Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Quota permit, hunting license, management area permit, archery permit, deer permit (if hunting deer) and migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds).
Legal to Hunt – Deer with at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length, wild hog, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.
Regulations Unique to Archery Season-
CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.
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