Sunday, May 23, 2010

Field Trip #2: Woodmont Natural Area



The second field trip for this course was Corkscrew Swamp, however as I reside outside of SW Florida, I was forced to get an alternative place pre-approved by Professor Davis. Unfortunately, there weren’t any locations that fit the criteria in my area but there was one about 35 min from my house and that was the Woodmont Natural Area in Tamarac, FL. My experience at the Woodmont Natural Area was excellent as I really enjoyed the field trip as there was so much to see and it was really relaxing. Woodmont natural area is about 21.1 acres and the habitat is pine Flatwoods and cypress stand. Some of the species that can be found in the area are hawks, various wood warblers, owls, woodpeckers, and wading birds. My favorite part of the trip was walking up the boardwalk and watching the amazing view of all the trees and animals.

As I arrived at the park, I immediately noticed the entrance to the park and there was a large sign there (see picture below) with the park rules, brief history and a trail map. The first thing that came to mind was how clean and organized the place was with many signs, benches and it was constructed excellent. As I began walking through the area, the second sign read “Woodmont Wildlife” (see picture below) and that discussed the variety of birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and amphibians present at the area. Two of the largest and most secretive birds that I encountered were the Great Horned Owl and the Pilieated woodpecker. There were also a variety of butterflies and along the canal banks, there are a variety of water birds present and they are fish, frogs, and turtles. There was a sign that said some mammals that have been observed at Woodmont are the gray fox, raccoon, opossum and armadillo.

Towards the end of the trail, I came across the Cypress Basin swamp and there was a sign that gave some very informative insight of the swamp and what I can expect to see in it (see picture below for more details). I really enjoyed my experience at the Woodmont natural area and the only thing that I disliked was the heat (I went during the afternoon) and the lack of a water fountain in order to keep hydrated. Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect but as I left, I gained a lot of knowledgeable information about the natural area.

I would definitely visit the Woodmont Natural area again as it was very serene. It would be easy for anyone to visit the area and have an idea what to look for as the signs and boards are very helpful and it is truly just an incredible experience for people of all ages and all backgrounds. I personally wish I was educated and had the opportunity to visit places like this growing up but factors like growing up in a large city and not taking a course like this never provided me with this opportunity. Places like the Woodmont natural area are very important and need to be supported and kept up in order to create a similar opportunity for people who try to visit in 10 or 20 years from now. This is the primary reason behind my service-learning project as I will volunteer for the Anne Kolb Nature center (if approved by Professor Davis).
















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