Latest Posts by sawgrassnaturecenter - Page 3

The Wildlife Among Us

Among Us is an online game that has become a sensation almost overnight. As the name implies, the game is focused on discovering the Imposter among the players before they are all killed. During this investigative process, players are also responsible for completing several tasks aboard their spaceship. When Camp Wild campers excitedly used their free time during snack and lunch to discuss the game with their fellow campers, I knew we could use this concept in our curriculum.

The next morning I set up tasks all around the education area of the nature center. The first station was a plastic frog dissection, fully equipped with all the vital organs typically searched for on live dissections with less mess. The goal of the second station was to organize the ladybug life cycle. The third station, the ”electricity station”, had corks painted in primary and secondary colors and attached to strings. For this station, campers had to “rewire” correctly by tying two primary colors to the secondary color they would make when blended. The fourth station was a fish tank that needed to be refilled and restocked. Campers quickly figured out the rain barrels stationed outside could provide them with the water necessary for this task. The fifth task was to assemble “solar panels,” or sun catchers out of marbles for clean energy. The sixth task was a bit more involved. 

Since we are an environmental camp based out of a nature center, the setting of the game was a nature center where the campers were playing the role of Wildlife Rehabilitators. Throughout the week they learned different types of animal classifications. Calling on this knowledge for the sixth task, wooden hearts representing “medicine” were scattered around the outdoor education area. Each time one heart was found, campers would have to sit down together and identify an imaginary animal to give it the proper course of treatment. They were given hints like “it’s cold blooded,” or “it’s a reptile,” and if they could properly identify the animal under a certain amount of time, they would successfully earn the medicine heart they found. If there was an animal that could not be properly identified, the medicine hearts were scattered and the task would start over again. 

Each task was created with an educational intent, but the campers were having so much fun, they didn’t even realize the valuable lessons they learned. The rounds were easily set up again after each imposter either won or was voted out of the nature center. For added fun, we let the campers create their own name tags in association with game colors. 

With respect to COVID protocols, all of the tasks were sanitized between campers and a limit of no more than two masked campers to each task allowed them to maintain social distance outside of their assigned seats. A fun, safe game and a successful educational tool that related back to something the camper’s already enjoyed guaranteed a successful event that is sure to be recreated for camps in the future. 

Got a nice video of a pollinator doing some pollinating. 

Art and nature go hand-in-hand more often than people think. Previous artist in residence, Jan Kolenda, came out to touch up our tortoise statue. This statue highlights some important tortoise features such as their leathery skin that is adapted to crawling across land, their dome shaped shells, and the scutes that make up their shell. 

SNC Staff took a stroll through one of our local parks, Tall Cypress, and spotted Beauty Berry and Red Lichen. It’s important now more than ever to immerse ourselves in nature for improved mental health. Look in your area for local parks and nature centers that are accessible to the public. Remember to stay safe and healthy. 

Tall Cypress was destined to be redeveloped into real estate until a Coral Springs High School Club called Save What’s Left began advocating for the area’s preservation and safety. The City of Coral Springs and Broward County through joint collaboration agreed to preserve and maintain the area. A phenomenal feat accomplished by teenagers. Remember anything is possible when you work together and never doubt the capability of youth!

Tis that very lit time of year…..

Video by snakebuddies🐍

This owl prefers to live in the ground rather than up in a tree. So for security purposes, he tricks his neighbors into thinking he’s a rattlesnake! 

The SNC received a grant to offer free educational programming to Title I Schools in South Florida. Here are some images from the virtual programming featuring Marsala the chicken and Big Red the Red Rat Snake. We still have plenty of funding, so if you know a Title I School that could use a virtual environmental education program, reach out at 954-752-9453! 

The SNC crew had a great time last night at the Coral Springs Drive Thru Holiday Experience. Our display even won the Commissioners Award! Thanks to everyone that came out to share the experience with us and celebrate 25 years of wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education!

Here is our Executive Director using Big Red, our resident red rat snake, for our virtual education program. One of the SNC’s main missions is to spread environmental education throughout South Florida. We are excited to pivot to a virtual, safe platform. Big Red was just happy to have a warm body to thermoregulate with in this #FloridaCold! 

#MyGivingStory contest is now LIVE! Share why you give and you could win a GlobalGiving gift card AND a $1k - $5k grant to your favorite nonprofit on #GivingTuesday!  Enter by visiting the #GivingTuesday Facebook page or going to www.woobox.com/kxdcce. And remember to share and vote - it’s a social media contest, so the most “liked” stories will enter to win!

This year the SNC has rescued and rehabilitated over 900 wild animals in South Florida. Help us continue our mission by donating here https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/ this #GivingTueday. 

My friend and I pulled off the highway to go check the old boardwalk for gators and we saw this beauty. Someone must have tossed a nickel/dime/quarter on her back and it didn’t fall off the entire time we watched her floating around beneath us.

Wow I found an avocado just laying on the ground!

Whoops! Never mind, looks like it was a shy little friend from the order Testudines!

It's feeding time for the SNC's resident Great Blue Heron. Their long, sharp beaks are perfect for fishing. And these guys will flip fish vertically in their mouths so they go down easier.

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. 

I am part of a club at my collage where we help to educate others on reducing their water and energy waste! Follow us on Instagram at chicogreencampus for more stuff like this!

This red-tailed hawk was brought to the SNC after colliding with a car. While rehabbers were able to save his life, he permanently lost an eye. This means he will not be able to survive on his own in the wild. Instead, he will remain a permanent resident at the SNC. 

The red-tailed hawk has a trilling, raspy scream. This is the cry used by Hollywood directors almost any time a bird of prey is on screen. 

Importance of Volunteering

If you are a high school student, volunteering is probably a requirement for graduation. Finding an organization to volunteer with can be challenging, especially during a global pandemic. There are a couple of resources that can help you find opportunities. Before we get to those, I want to encourage you to think about your interests and what you hope to get out of your volunteer experience. I also want to encourage you to look beyond fulfilling a graduation requirement. Volunteering provides you with experience that you can list on your resume and if you stay with an organization for a while, it can lead to references and letters of recommendation. I always remind my volunteers to treat their volunteer position like a job. Just because you are not getting paid does not mean you’re not acquiring work experience.

Where to look

Hands on Broward is a database of volunteer opportunities in Broward County and it allows users to search for opportunities based on their interests and location. Volunteer Connect is Volunteer Florida’s opportunity portal. It runs on the same software as Hands on Broward and is another resource I recommend to anyone interested in volunteering.

Different organizations use these platforms in different ways. At the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital we use Hands on Broward to recruit episodic volunteers. This means that volunteers that sign up for these opportunities are not making a long-term commitment to us. You can volunteer once or multiple times, but you are limited to the dates and times posted.

If there is a specific organization, you are interested in start by visiting their website. Often, organizations will have volunteering information online. Be sure to read the requirements carefully and follow the instructions provided. If you have questions give them a call or send an e-mail if one is provided. Depending on the organization some volunteer opportunities will have age requirements. For example, our volunteer program has two different tracks based on age: Junior Volunteers are aged 13-17 and Adult Volunteers are 18 and older.

How to be a great volunteer

I am fortunate to work with amazing volunteers daily. They show up and do great work every single day. Our most successful volunteers understand our mission and how it relates to their assigned position. It is for this reason that I encourage volunteers to find something that aligns with their interests and goals. Please start your search early so that you are not scrambling to complete your hours with only months left to spare. Due to Covid-19 a lot of volunteer programs are operating at a limited capacity if they are operating at all.

Lastly, use volunteering as an opportunity to practice important skills such as speaking on the phone and writing professional e-mails. If you need to excuse yourself from a shift or need to ask a question it is a good idea to do it yourself rather than rely on an adult to do it for you. I love hearing from my volunteers and I especially like to see students taking an active role in the management of their volunteer role.

Learn more here: https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/2020/11/17/finding-volunteer-opportunities-for-high-schoolers/

Dogor is the 18,000 year old pup that was found within the Siberian Permafrost, yet is not quite a dog nor a wolf, but a puzzling connection to both. 

Dogor has been miraculously preserved within the permafrost, with its fur, teeth and even whiskers incredibly intact. Radiocarbon dating has placed the animal at 18,000 years old and researchers have suggested that the animal passed away at just 2 months old. The name Dogor means “Friend” in Yakut, a language spoken within Eastern Siberia. 

Generally, genetic analysis can quite easily discern whether a discovered canine is a wolf or dog, but in this instance, the genetics suggest that it could be an ancestral link to both. Interestingly, Dogor lived at a time in canine evolutionary history when dogs and wolves began to branch off from each other.The general scientific consensus is that dogs and wolves split from a common ancestor, however, the process of how “dogs became dogs” is certainly contested, and Dogor could be a crucial piece in that puzzle.

If Dogor is determined to be a dog, it will be the oldest ever discovered. The next oldest, the Bonn-Oberkassel puppy, was discovered in Germany and was clearly determined to be a dog of around 14,000 years old, buried with a man and a woman. 

The progression of climate change is melting the permafrost more rapidly, and discoveries like these are becoming more and more commonplace.

Images via Sergey Fedorov/The Siberian Times

This orphaned baby raccoon was brought to the SNC after being found by a South Florida resident. Most baby raccoons do not have a fighting chance without their mom in the wild. Luckily, this little guy has grown quite a bit and will soon be ready to be prepped for release back into the wild. 

Often times, when people find abandoned babies in their neighborhoods it is because mom has died due to human activity. Wildlife rehabbers and nature centers are imperative to continuing breeding populations for wild animal species that are most impacted by human development and activity. 

Florida box turtles have a typical lifespan of 30-40 years, but some can live to 100 years old! Despite being called a turtle, these guys prefer to stay on land, similar to tortoises. But they can be found in damp, swampy areas. Our resident box turtle is a surrendered pet and because it is too domesticated, it wouldn't be able to survive out in the wild.

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)

This Monday, the SNC was able to unclog our gator pond thanks to help from our resident Reptile Expert Will Nace and City of Coral Springs’ Parks and Rec Department. This joint effort was all for the good of Wally, our lovely gator. 

Check out our resident red-shoulder hawk. A Florida native, this bird of prey has a distinct call that is uses to signal we are encroaching on his territory. Does this call sound familiar to you? 

Red-Tailed Hawks can be found all over North America! 

Why do snakes yawn? While wildlife biologists do not have a definitive answer, it is like that it is because they are hungry! We can confirm that this video was caught right before feeding time.

Writer Beware makes posts on which publishing houses to avoid at all costs, which words to look for and which words to watch out for in contracts, and several other things that will keep you in control and knowledgeable about the publishing process.  I’d suggest reading through the website if you want to avoid getting ripped off, cheated, or scammed.

Our resident yellow-naped parrots love talking to the SNC’s Executive Director, probably because they’ve known her longer than any other staff here! Their incredible memory and bonding behaviors lead to some interesting dynamics. 

Parrots are known for their impressive mimicry. Vocal mimicry is the ability to imitate speech or noises. There are many possible reasons why vocal mimicry abilities could be an evolutionary advantage. Improved communication could help with the mating process and imitating predators might scare away competition.

Sometimes humans are just the best! A very good (and brave) Samaritan brought this eastern diamondback rattlesnake into the hospital after it was hit by a car. Look at this beautiful angry serpent!

That head wound looked pretty concerning so this baby went for a CT scan to assess the damage to its skull and soft tissue.

It might seem crazy that this wild snake could survive a tire to the head, but rattlesnakes are incredibly tough critters. Their heads are so muscular that when they’re struck by a car they can often survive with minimal damage to the bony structures of the head. In this case, the trauma from the tire forced those impressive facial muscles through the skin without breaking any cranial bones. Fortunately, an incredibly skilled exotics veterinarian was able to surgically repair the damage. Here it is after surgery!

This baby did great after the procedure and recovered beautifully. After several weeks in a wildlife rehabilitation facility, this rattlesnake was well enough to be released into the wild. You gotta love a happy ending! I know venomous snakes can get a bad rap, but just because they’re a little scary doesn’t mean they don’t deserve our love and respect.

Someone got a bath today! The rainy weather in Florida is not always a bad thing. Florida’s climate is vital for restoring our water system, supporting lush tropical growth, and great for keeping things clean.