Walking around in Jackson

If you ever get to the Jackson/Pearl area check out C' Paws it's great food.

Burn on Sanibel

Yesterday we worked with Sanibel Capitva Conservation Foundation, J.N. Ding Darling NWR, Florida Division of Forestry, Sanibel City, Sanibel Fire Department, and Sanibel Police Department to burn about 60 acres in the middle of Sanibel Island. The burn was in a high traffic area along side one of the main roads to the beach access on the south side of the island. The burn went off without a hitch in large part due to all the assistance from the cooperators on the island and some very thorough planning. Here are the pictures, be careful out there in Florida it's getting dry!

Palm fronds can always cause problems.


The swamp buggy works the line around the jewelry store.


Andrew takes a strip of fire to the perimeter.


Looking back


Andrew got to experience the heavy spartina.


Brian checks out Andrew's handy work.


Burning along Tarpon Bay Rd, lot's of traffic, both vehicles and bikes along the bike path.


Tying off the marsh near the parking area in Bailey Tract.


Protecting the boardwalk.

You're doing it wrong!

A fawn tries to hide in the black, the camoflage doesn't work that well after a fire.

Late evening burns

Take advantage of the weather.

Today was a good day to burn, we had a favorable wind lined up with some natural barriers so we took advantage and burned.

James from Puerto Rico is up helping for the next few weeks.


PJ explains some tactics to Tracy.


I found a young snapping turtle coming out of the burn, I helped it to the other side of the road.

Revisiting the burn

A little less than a week after we burned this area the sawgrass is already pushing green shoots, I love following the native plant response to fire.

Saw grass and cypress trees less than a week after a prescribed burn

Birding trip

My mother is down Florida on a 10 day birding adventure trip. I managed to spend the other day with them while they were in the area. I can say I can't handle doing the birding thing, but I appreciated the birds I learned while I was out in the field with the group. I only have good pictures of the larger and slower birds, those little buggers are too small and move too fast to really get any good images of them.

White Pelicans - Sanibel Island


Red Shouldered Hawk


Mom hiking the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp


Bromeliad Bloom


Bromeliad Bloom


Checking out the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (I don't make these names up).