General
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Walk
Slowly and Quietly
Most Wildlife Will
be Scared Away With Load Noise. The
Quieter You are,
the More You Will See.
-
Stop
Often
You Would be Surprised
How Much You Can Miss!
Look To Both Sides,
Look up, Look Down.
- Look Closely
There May be a Camouflaged
Animal or an Interesting Plant.
Small Insects May
Be on the Trees or Under the Boardwalk.
- Listen Carefully
The Rustling of Leaves Means There is Wildlife Close By.
A Distant Woodpecker
Could be Heard Tapping.
Listen to Wood Stretching
as the Trees Sway With the Wind.
The Sound of Water
Means There is a Stream Nearby.
Hear the Insects
and Birds Calling to Each Other.
- Take in the Scents
Take Time to Enjoy the Natural Air.
Experience the Woody
Scent of a Swamp.
Enjoy the Scent of
a Nearby Flowering Plant.
- Touch Your Surroundings.
Feel the Different
Leaf Textures.
Explore the Trees
and the Various Barks.
- Sit on the Boardwalk
and Relax.
This is My Favorite
Part ! You can Look All Around You
and Listen,
Hear, and Smell Everything.
Escape From Everyday
Stress and Anxiety.
There is a Great
Sense of Peace Out in the Middle
of A Nature Trail
!
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![Mangroves](images/general1.jpg)
![Babbling Brook](images/general2.jpg)
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Insects
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- Insects Are Very Interesting
to Watch. The Variety in Shape
and Color is Amazing
! From a Spiders' Web to a Scavenging
Beetle, Insects are
All Over Nature Trails.
- To find Insects, Sometimes
You Have to go Hunting
- Dead Trees
Beetles, Ants, and Other
Burrowing Insects are Found in Dead
Tree Trunks or Fallen
Branches.
- Under Leaves and
Tree Branches
Many Insects Prefer
the Shade and Protection Under Leaves.
- In and Around Air
Plant Roots
The Roots of Air Plants
Provide Cover and Moisture for Insects.
- Near Flowers
Butterflies and Various
Beetles Feed on the Nectar of Flowers.
- On the Waters'
Surface
Several Aquatic Beetles
and Spiders Can be Found Near or
On Water.
- Many Beetles, Caterpillars,
and Butterflies are Attracted to Specific
Host Plants. Look
For Their Favorite Food Plant and You'll
Probably Find Them
!
- High Speed Film is
Recommended When Photographing Insects Because
of Their Fast
Movements
- Macro Lenses are Essential
to Get Good Close Up Shots
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![Spider](images/insect1.jpg) |
![Beetle](images/insect2.jpg)
![Dragonfly](images/insect3.jpg)
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Plants
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- A Variety of Plant
Life Can Be Found in Nature Centers.
Trees, Shrubs, Vines,
Ferns, Aquatic and Air Plants, Wildflowers
Moss, Orchids, Etc
!
- Each Different Habitat
You Visit Will Have Different Groups of Plants.
For Example:
- Coastal Areas Will
Have Salt Tolerant Dune Plants and Mongroves.
- PineWood Forests
Will Have Slash Pines and Shrubby Understory .
- Different Plants Can
Be Found in Different Places
- Ferns
There are Many
Different Types of Ferns in Florida. They Vary
in Frond Characteristics,
Size, Shape, and Color.
- Trees
Depending On Where
You are, Different Trees Predominate.
Cypress Swamps
Will Have Cypress Trees and Maples.
Mangrove Forrests
Will Have Mangrove and Pond Apples.
Take Note of the
Different Bark and Leaf Textures.
- Vines and Shrubs
These Type of
Plants Usually Produce Brightly Colored Fruits
and Berries. Many
are Fragrant.
- Aquatic Plants
Some Aquatic
Plants are Tiny and Stay on the Surface
of the Water.
Some are Large
and Produce Flowers Like Water Lillies.
Ferns Can also
be Aquatic.
- Airplants
These Include
Bromeliads, Spanish Moss, Orchids, and the Various
other Quill Leaf
Pines.
Most Air Plants
Have Beautifully Colored and Unusual Blooms .
- Moss and Lichens
These May Seem
Plain and Boring at First but When Looked at
Close up, They
are Very Detailed and Amazing ! They Can be
Very Colorful
and Have Many Different Shapes and Textures.
- Wildflowers
Wildlfowers Can
Be Found Anywhere You Go.
They Can be Very
Colorful and the Variety is Almost Endless
in Florida.
- Macro Lenses are Recommended
When Photographing Close Ups of
Flowers or Leaf Structures
- Wide Angle Lenses are
Good for Large Trees
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![Berries](images/plants3.jpg)
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![Moss](images/plants2.jpg)
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Animals
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- To Be Able To See Animals,
the Main Thing To Remember is
To Walk Slowely and
Quietly
- Animals Can Be Found
in Many Places
- Alligators
May Be Found Anywhere in Nature
Parks in South Florida !
They Prefer to Stay Near Water
or in Swamps But are Seen
Frequently Basking in the
Sun.
- Snakes
Seen Hiding Under Plants or
Rocks. Some Stay Near Water Like
the Brown Water Snake.
- Turtles
Usually Found In or Near Water.
Some Land Turtles Like the
Gopher Turtles Crawl Into
Dugouts They Build.
- Lizards
Found in Trees, Under Foliage,
or Even on the Boardwalk.
They are Really Qick and Will
Usually Take Off When Spotted.
- Frogs
Usually Seen Near Water or
Hiding in Foliage but I Have Seen
a Few Right on the Boardwalk.
- Crabs
In Mangrove Areas, Fiddler
and Mangrove Crabs are Common Sight.
They Can Be Seen in the Mud
in Coastal Areas. Land Crabs
Go Farther Inland and Make
Holes in the Sand to Hide.
- Birds
Bird Watching is A Favorite
in Nature Parks. With a Good Set of
Binoculars or Zoom Lense,
Birds are Seen in Trees, Swamps, and
Open Marsh Areas.
- Squirrels and Raccoons
These Guys Can be Seen in
Trees and Scavenging for Crabs on Land.
- Bigger Mammals
Use Caution if You Spot a
Florida Panther, BobCat, or Wild Boar.
Remember to Keep Your Distance
and Respect These Wild Animals.
- Most Parks Have "Sightings"
Notebooks at the Nature Center Offices or
Building. Check These
Out to See Where Wildlife Has Been Sighted
by Other Visitors
and Park Employees.
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