The following are resources related to butterflies and dragonflies that were mentioned during or suggested by participants or the leader of the Dancing Colors and Tigers of the Sky Strolling Science Seminar held on March 8, 2013 at Bird Rookery Swamp. Enjoy.
If you have other to add, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Below are additional resources and information related to evolution by natural selection for participants of Strolling Science Seminar series. All resources below were recommended by Dr. billY Gunnels of FGCU.
The PBS series “Evolution”is wonderful. On a bonus, the series highlights a research project on a newt-snake evolutionary arms race that I worked on
Beak of the Finch by Jonathon Weiner is a wonderful book for people outside of evolution that does a lovely job describing the culture of scientific research and evolutionary biology. You can find it cheap at Amazon.com
Why we get Sick: The Science of Darwinian Medicine by Neese and Willams introduces the role of evolutionary biology in modern medical science. You can find it cheap at Amazon.com
The University of California at Berkeley provides a great websites with wonderful flash animations that walks you through the process of evolutionary biology.
The CREW Strolling Science Seminars are supported in part by a Public Outreach Grant from the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP). The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is a partnership to protect estuaries in southwest Florida from Venice to Estero Bay.
The CREW Strolling Science Seminars are supported in part by a Public Outreach Grant from the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP). The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is a partnership to protect estuaries in southwest Florida from Venice to Estero Bay.
After an outstanding first year of Strolling Science Seminars, we are happy to announce our second season of scholarly outdoor seminars for adults. The CREW Strolling Science Seminars is a series of six scholarly walking lectures – with some hands-on activities thrown in – designed specifically for inquiring adults. Each seminar engages participants in scholarly discourse and citizen science on a specific topic related to the watershed and wildlife of CREW.
Seminar leaders are experts in their fields – either academic professors or working professionals in environmental sciences. Gain in-depth knowledge, hands-on field experiences, and get access to exclusive online resources.
Fee per seminar: $15 CREW Members, $25 non-members
Seminole bat (Photo credit: FFWCC)
November 15, 2012—4:30 – 7:30 PM – The Mad Batters of CREW (Bats), with Kathleen Smith, FFWCC Biologist
Have you ever wondered how scientists catch bats or how they determine what species of bat is flying above you? Come learn about these fascinating creatures of the night in this seminar. We’ll dispel myths about bats, teach you their importance in our ecosystem, and tell you how you can help.
The presentation will describe native bat species found at CREW and their role in the ecosystem. Bats are critically important to the functioning of the natural ecosystem by consuming insects and agriculture pests.
Participants: Click herefor resources and more information about Bats
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Photo credit: Brenda Thomas)
December 15, 2012—9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Snake in the Grass: Not Always a Bad Guy (Snakes) WITH DR. JOHN HERMAN, FGCU PROFESSOR
Snakes may be the most maligned and misunderstood group of animals in the natural world; long-serving as a symbol of evil in many cultures. However, the reality is more closely outlined in a quote by noted American herpetologist Clifford Pope, “snakes are first cowards, then bluffers, and last of all warriors.” On this expedition you will learn how to safely observe and share outdoor areas with snakes, as well as their importance to the ecosystem.
Any ecosystem, including CREW, can only truly be healthy if all of its parts are filling their roles. We can’t pick and choose which parts to protect based on if we find them “cute” or “cuddly”. This seminar’s purpose is to bring snakes out from the shadows of fear and into the light of respect and protection.
Click herefor resources and more information about snakes.
January 5, 2013—9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Evolution & Natural Selection, with Dr. Billy Gunnels, FGCU
Evolution is the most powerful force in life, shaping all interactions and features of the natural and human environment. The beauty and diversity that you experience every moment of your life is a direct result of evolution. This process is so critical that the survival of every single species depends on evolution; a world without evolution would result in the extinction of all life on planet Earth. Furthermore, evolution is a never-ending phenomenon. Evolution is not history, evolution is not dead, and evolution is not static. Evolution is a dynamic phenomenon that can be observed during any walk through the woods, visit to the hospital, or bite of food.
Come join us as we examine the life altering reality of evolution and natural selection in the CREW. Dr. billY Gunnels is a dynamic, passionate, knowledgeable educator. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best teachers in southwest Florida.
Click herefor resources and more information about snakes.
February 8, 2013—9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – “It’s a Zoo Out There” – Identification and Ecology of Exotic Plants and Animals with Roger Clark and John Cassani
Participants will learn about hydrological impacts that cause or contribute to invasion of exotic plants and how to identify some of the most common exotic plants and animals occurring in different habitats at the Corkscrew Well Field, which is a Lee County Utilities water plant. Howard Wegis with Lee County Utilities will give an introduction to the wellfield and the relationship of water use to healthy native plant communities. Additionally, we will discuss the impact that exotic plants and animals have on native biota at the well field and methods used to manage exotic biota.
Understanding the impacts of altering ecological processes will provide a broader understanding of how ecosystems are changing as a result of hydrologic alterations and exotic biota impacts which often follow. Examples of how exotic plants and animals affect competition, predation, disease transmission and parasitism will be provided in the context of ecosystem function.
Julia butterfly (Photo credit: Rich Leighton)
March 8, 2013—9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Dancing Colors and the Tigers of the Sky: The Butterflies and Dragonflies of CREW Wildlands, with Dr. Clyde E. Sorenson, NC State University
A master storyteller and teacher, Clyde has been voted a favorite professor by students at NC State University. South Florida is a uniquely tropical region in the continental United States, and its insect fauna dramatically illustrates this. Of the 155 regularly occurring butterflies in Florida, 88 can be found in and around CREW properties; about 25 of these won’t be found any further north! There are also about 130 species of dragonflies and damselflies in the state. Among all these species are some of the most spectacular insects in North America, and every one of has an important and interesting role in the ecosystem it inhabits. Come learn about this unique and beautiful sub-tropical diversity!
Many of the butterflies of CREW have important relationships with native host plants which may be scarce in the rapidly developing, non-protected areas surrounding the properties. All of the dragonflies and damselflies of CREW rely on healthy, high quality aquatic habitats during their immature phases, and all play critical roles as vigorous predators of other arthropods both in the aquatic habitats of their youth and the aerial habitats of their adulthood. During this presentation, we will not only address identification of these insects; we will also try to impart an appreciation for their ecological significance.
Click herefor resources and more information about butterflies and dragonflies.
Panther at CREW – 2012 (Photo credit: Bob Melin)
April 26, 2013—9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – The Panther Tale, with Marc Criffield, FFWCC Panther Biologist
Florida panthers are where it’s at! Come and learn what a panther is, why kittens have a tough life, how to catch a panther, and how much space a panther really needs! Panthers are one of the most recognizable and endangered species in Florida as well as the official state animal and only the citizens of Florida can save them!
Participants will gain the perspective that CREW provides a habitat island in a sea of development and intensive land use which is critically important to help maintain the Florida panther in its current range and sustain the species into the foreseeable future. Click here for resources related to Florida panthers.
The Strolling Science Seminars are supported in part by a Public Outreach Grant from the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP). The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is a partnership to protect estuaries in southwest Florida from Venice to Estero Bay.
Other Adult Education Opportunities: The CREW Trust offers other specially designed interpretive hikes and field trips for adult groups – from garden clubs to leadership teams to local businesses. These hikes typically last 2 to 3 hours and include information about the history of CREW, the importance of the watershed to quality of life, water and wildlife issues, and natural history of the land. To schedule a hike for your adult group, email or call the office using the contact information on our home page.
We hope summer is treating you all well. It’s quiet time at CREW, while the rainy season sets in and the tourists are away, and it’s been a couple of months since our first Strolling Science Seminar series ended with a delightfully enlightening session on Pollinators led by FGCU professor, billY Gunnels. In that session billY told fascinating stories of plants and animals – both generalists and specialists – and their quest to achieve pollination, one of the most important biological processes on our planet. Aside from the obvious ecosystems that need pollinators, we humans also depend on pollinators for food, drink, fiber, and medicines.
But worldwide there is “evidence that pollinating animals have suffered from loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plant and animal species, diseases and parasites.” (http://www.pollinator.org/pollination.htm) Because one of the goals of the CREW Strolling Science Seminars is to inspire people to engage in some form of citizen science, we wanted to share this pollinator resource we’ve come across recently – the Pollinator Partnership. Their mission “is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.”
You can use their resources to learn how to plant a pollinator friendly garden, to get involved with pollinator monitoring, to use pollinator-promoting farm practices, to volunteer, and much more. Learn the natural history and current research on bees, hummingbirds, and other important pollinators. Of course, billY might have a different thing or two to say about honeybees! 🙂
There’s even a planting guide for the Outer Coastal Plain Mixed Province, which includes most of Florida. So check it out and help all the pollinators out there do their jobs. After all, our ecosystems and our food sources depend on them!
Our inaugural season of Strolling Science Seminars (SSS) – scholarly hikes for adults – wrapped up on Saturday April 28th with FGCU professor of animal behavior billY Gunnels leading a hike on “Pollinators” at the CREW marsh. Ten folks eagerly listened and asked questions as billY showed various flowers and discussed the enchanting and sometimes puzzling pollinating behaviors of bees, wasps, butterflies, and other insects.
It was a fabulous end to our first-ever SSS series, and we look forward to another great series next fall and winter. If you have suggestions for topics or speakers for our adult-only scholarly science hikes, let us know!
On Sept 13, 2012, Deb Hanson gave a presentation about the Strolling Science Seminars at the CHNEP Land Stewardship Conference. You can view a pdf of her PowerPoint here, or view her talk with audio here.
This year, we are excited to be offering a new series for adults only called CREW Strolling Science Seminars. These Strolling Science Seminars are a series of six half-day scholarly hikes for adults at the CREW Trails. Each seminar engages you in citizen science on a specific topic related to the watershed and wildlife of CREW.
Seminar leaders are experts in their fields. Gain in-depth knowledge, hands-on field experiences, and get access to online resources. You’ll be able to go home and engage in a citizen science project of your choosing. Register for one or all six seminars. Participants who complete all six will receive a certificate.
Seminar hours: 9:00 AM — 12:00 PM
Fee per seminar: $10 CREW Members, $15 non-members, or for the whole series $50 for CREW members/$75 non-members
December 2, 2011—Florida Black Bear Ecology, with Kathleen Smith, FFWCC Biologist – Come learn all about black bears – how they live, behave, and interact with their environment. Learn about human-bear interactions, too and how you can help protect this charismatic mammal.
January 6, 2012—Fire Ecology for Species Management— with Ayounga Riddick, SFWMD & Roger Clark, Lee County Land Stewardship – Come see how and why prescribed burns are conducted, learn the importance of fire in Florida’s ecosystems, and get your questions answered by land mangers who use fire as a management tool.
February 4, 2012—CREW Through Animals’ Eyes, with Dr. Billy Gunnels, FGCU – This strolling session will give you a whole new perspective about how animals see the world. Come learn about animal behavior from their point of view and get a heads up on some cool citizen science projects.
March 2, 2012—The Fascinating World of Insects!, with Dr. Clyde Sorenson, NC State University – A master storyteller and teacher, Clyde has been voted a favorite professor by students at NC State University. In the words of his students: “He is extremely interested in insects and he transmits this enthusiasm to his class.” Clyde says: “In terms of species diversity, insects are the dominant forms of life on this planet, with about a million species identified so far, and perhaps millions more yet to find. In terms of biomass- they out-weigh us many fold. It’s not surprising, then, that insects are critically important to the functioning of virtually all terrestrial ecosystems on earth. Come meet some of our chitinous fellow beings and learn about some of the many ways insects impact our lives, for good and for bad, on a CREW Strolling Science Seminar.”
April 6, 2012—Fun with Frogs, with Dr. Win Everham, FGCU – “Dr. Disturbance” will share why frogs are such an important animal to monitor and give you some hands-on practice. He’ll show you how the SW Fla Amphibian Monitoring Network works and help you get started on frog ID and monitoring, too.
April 28, 2012—Pollinators, with Dr. billY Gunnels, FGCU – Learn how flowers trick insects into pollinating and which insects (and other animals) pollinate which flowers and trees. All the spring flowers will be in bloom, so you won’t want to miss this in-depth session on species interactions. You might be surprised at some of the secrets these plants and animals keep!
To register, send your payment along with this SSS Registration Form at least one week prior to the seminar date to CREW Trust, 23998 Corkscrew Road, Estero, FL 33928 or call us for more information.
The Strolling Science Seminars are supported in part by a Public Outreach Grant from the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP). The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is a partnership to protect estuaries in southwest Florida from Venice to Estero Bay.
Other Adult Education Opportunities: The CREW Trust offers other specially designed interpretive hikes and field trips for adult groups – from garden clubs to leadership teams to local businesses. These hikes typically last 2 to 3 hours and include information about the history of CREW, the importance of the watershed to quality of life, water and wildlife issues, and natural history of the land. To schedule a hike for your adult group, email or call the office using the contact information on our home page.
The following are resources related to butterflies and dragonflies that were mentioned during or suggested by participants or the leader of the Dancing Colors and Tigers of the Sky Strolling Science Seminar held on March 8, 2013 at Bird Rookery Swamp. Enjoy.
