fall 2006 nature alley newsletter daggerwing nature center

8/9/2019 fall 2006 Nature Alley Newsletter Daggerwing Nature Center

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Nature-all

e

y

Walt Hackenjos,

Riverbend Park

Photographer:

Ed Kawecki

The WildTurkey is aconservation

success story. The Wild Turkeypopulation had dropped drasticallyduring the 19th and early 20th century,mainly due to hunting and habitatlosses. But as farmland returned toforest and wildlife management policieswere implemented, the populationbegan to recover. By the 1990s the

population of Wild Turkeys increased towell over one million and the specieshad even spread beyond its ancestralrange in some western states.

The Wild Turkey is native to NorthAmerica and is found throughout the48 contiguous states, southern Canadaand Mexico. Their preferred habitat in

the southern states is open woodlands

containing oaks, pines and hickory an

the open fields bordering them. Theyalso inhabit bottomlands with baldcypress, water ash and tupelo. Duringmost of the year, they feed on acornsnuts and seeds of various trees, bulbsof forbs and some fruits. This diet issupplemented with insects, beetles ansalamanders.

They prefer walking and running to flyiand even prefer to run if not closelypressed by predators. They are short

distance flyers that take off at a steepangle then beat their wings rapidlybefore gliding to the desired landingplace. Each evening they will fly into atree to roost.

The Wild Turkey is highly gregariousand maintains flocks as large as fortyindividuals. The flock is dominatedby the male called a Tom. They feedtogether and usually roost in the sametree when itis time to bed

down. They area non-migratoryspecies andtherefore remainon their territoryyear-round.

When courtshipbegins in lateJanuary, theToms will gobbleloudly to attract

Palm Beach Cou

Parks and Recreation Departme

Nature Centers and Natural Areas Progra

continued on page 2

Whats Inside:

Ask A Naturalist:Why are Birds of Prey so

different from other birds?

page 3

Natural AreasProgram:Prescribed Fire - A Land

Management Tool

page 4

Kids Corner:The Ruddy Daggerwing

Buttery

page 2, 6

Volunteer Spotlight:Abe Gaynes at Green Cay

Nature Center

page7

35 Wild Turkeys resideat Riverbend Park

Conserving green spacesand waterways is crucial forour very survival. Floridasparks hold a key topreserving whats preciousfor generations to come.


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Across

2. The Daggerwings favorite tree.It likes to lay its eggs here.

5. Type of animal

7. The number of body sections thebutterfly has

8. What the adult butterfly drinks

10. What the larval form eats

11. What their wings are made up of

Down

1. When does the Daggerwing like to f

3. The number of wings it has to fly

4. Name of the butterfly larval form

6. The primary color of this butterfly

9. How does the butterfly start out?

Happy Birthday,Daggerwing!

Join us for games, arts and crafts,and much more on Oct 7 as wecelebrate being in your back-yard for ten years. Thanks toour hard-working, friendly staff,and your continuing support,Daggerwing has come a longway since opening its doors in1996, and thanks to all of youwho voted, we will be expand-ing our facility to provide morespace and a new interactive ex-hibit hall that explores the won-ders of a wet forest. As we closeour eyes and blow out the can-

dles, it is our birthday wish thatyou and your family be here totake part in the festivities.

Beaten, But Not BrokenThe boardwalk was hit hard byhurricanes Frances, Jeanne, andWilma; however, downed treeshave been removed from theboardwalk and the damage hasbeen repaired. The boardwalk isonce again open for our visitorsto explore our wet forest in a dif-ferent way. Also, this spring wasone of the driest since our waterrestrictions in 2001 Despite allof this hardship, plans are be-ing made to remove the debrisclosest to the boardwalk and toreplant some trees to create themuch needed canopy for this en-vironment. Find pictures of ourboardwalk trails on our website:www.pbcparks.com/nature and click on Daggerwing.

America Recycles Day 2006Celebrate with us on Sat, Nov 18from 1-4 pm by making crafts us-ing recycled materials and par-ticipating in fun activities that willshow you how you can help ourenvironment. For more informa-tion about America Recycles Day,visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

continued on page 3

Animal Tracks continued

from page 1

females to theirterritory. After a female

appears, the Tom willfan its tail vertically,lower his wings and

drag them on theground, throw back his

head and inflate his crop.

Then he will begin his strut inhopes of impressing the female.

Actual breeding begins in lateMarch when a simple depression is

made in leaves or in the ground fora nest. The female lays an average

of fourteen eggs, which hatch in mid-

April through June, depending on whethe eggs were laid. The female does aof the incubation. The chicks can leavthe nest within days of hatching but sclose to the mother.

The Wild Turkey can live up to twelveyears and the male can weigh up tosixteen pounds.

Visit Riverbend Park, where a family o

approximately thirty-five Wild Turkeyshave been residing for the past severayears. They are a very wary bird and cbe hard to find in spite of their size, soyou may have to visit more than oncefind them!

Davey Daggerwin

Maze Solution

2 pbcparks.com/nature Nature-alley Fall 200

(solution

on

page

6)


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Daggerwing continued from page 2

Winter CampIts never too early to plan aheA lottery system will be impmented this year to ensure eqaccess to camp registration.

Fri, Dec 1: Registration begby mail, fax, or drop off at 9 a

Tues, Jan 2 - Fri, Jan Camp from 9 am to 4 pm. P

ticipants must be between ages of 9 and 12. Visit our wsite for registration form anmini-schedule.

Animal EncounterMeet Fritz, our Gopher Torto

Daggerwing Nature Cenhas a variety of local reptand amphibians on dispto help you learn about yneighbors close by. Fritz been a resident of the nacenter for about six years. has been one of our ambassadin our reptile program as was a beloved favorite of mvisitors. Visit him during regular operating hours see him in his spacious hoor join him on one of his dwalks in the afternoon. Eitway, you are sure to becomfan of this gentle creature learn more about the statusthis threatened species. Colopicture of a gopher tortoisethe Fun Pages on our websit

You are Needed!We are looking for a few gvolunteers to help with our dactivities on Tues-Sun. Plecall Danica Walcutt, VolunCoordinator at (561) 488-995

For more information abDaggerwing Nature Cenour programs, or birthday ebration, visit www.pbcparcom/nature and click Daggerwing.

ask

Naturalist

Clive Pinnock, Okeeheelee Nature Center

Birds of Prey or Raptors are differentin three major ways: First, they haveforward-facing eyes, while the eyesof other birds are placed on the sidesof their heads. Second, the beaks ofraptors are designed for eating meat,making these birds carnivores. The thirdand most importantdifference is thatraptors have sharp,powerful claws or

talons which they useto catch and kill theirprey.

Lets look at thedifferences we justmentioned morecarefully. Forward-facing eyes giveraptors greaterdepth perception. Aspredators, raptorsmust constantly

be adjusting thedistances betweenthemselves and theanimals theyre chasing so they cansuccessfully catch them. The fleeingprey have also developed ways ofavoiding capture, so the pursuingraptors must be able to see and makethe necessary adjustments to secure ameal.

Beaks made for tearing flesh areessential to birds that eat other animals

to survive. The beaks of raptors dontcrack seeds or crush fruit; thereforemany have sharp edges and arehooked to properly consume their meal.Raptor beaks also come in differentcolors depending on the species (ex.Adult Bald Eagles have yellow beakswhile Ospreys have black beaks) and

sometimes dependingon the age of the bird(ex. young Bald Eagleshave dark beaks).

Claws or talons areattached to toespowered by relativelylarge muscles at thetop of the birds legs.Depending on theraptor, the crushingpower exerted bythe combination ofmuscles and tendonsthroughout the feetcan be hundreds of

pounds per squareinch. This, added tothe fact that eight

talons (four on each foot) are used tograsp and secure the prey, makes for avery effective method of capture.

Raptors are a fascinating group of birdsand there is much to be learned abouttheir life span, their importance in thewildlife community, breeding, huntingtechniques, and much more.

Why are Birds of Prey so different from other birds?

Look for Okeeheelee Nature CentersRaptor Chapter Program!

Nature-alley Fall 2006 pbcparks.com/nature


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Greg Atkinson, Natural Areas Program

Fire is a natural phenomenon.

Most natural fires occur from

lightning strikes. Native

Americans and early

settlers were some

of the first to

recognizefir

Memberships & Animal Adoptions:Since opening in Feb 2005,many individuals and families

have generously donated tothe Friends of Green CayNature Center, Inc., our non-prot organization that directlysupports the Nature Center, andhave become members and/orhave adopted our exhibitanimals. We would like torecognize our special friends:

2005 Memberships:Yale & Muriel Auerbach,Mr. & Mrs. William Beattie,

Sherri Berlin, Grayson &Shirley Brown, Paul &Sherry Cummings, Jo & ColeFelman, Shirley & HaroldFidler, Paul & Marilyn Flaum,Barbara Gellner, Betty &Jerry Gross, Karl & HarrietHarris, Helen Knipper, NinaRahn, Warren Resen, Fred &Helen Rosenbauer, Dr. Alfred& Barbara Rosenblatt, Ernie& Arista Salzstein, YvetteSchachter, Carl & Joan Turin,Milton & Virginia Walzer,Gerald Weiss

2006 Memberships (through June):Paulette Abrams, Dan & CindyBodenstein, Dean Boyce &Rachel Ebert, Alexa & WarrenEndes, Marvin Fleisher, EthelGoldreich, Alice A. Hain,Hershel & Korene Hausman,Ann Z. Henderson, Ann & JayLitt, Kristen Murtaugh, Esther

M. Nitto, Polly Pook, IrvingRosenblatt & Betty Solomon,Natalie Schwab, Marion

Schwartz, Robert & LaurieWeaver, Miriam Zimmer

2005 Animal Adoptions:Alligator: Hayley Abadi,Casey Flaum, SamanthaFlaum, Ryland F. Mahathey;Cuban Tree Frog: Helen

continued on page 5

Green CayNature CenterGroup ProgramsBarbara Serio, Green Cay Nature Center

The Green Cay Nature Center had itsgrand opening in February 2005. Withina month, staff visited 120 2nd graders atPine Grove Elementary School. On March18, a group of college students fromFAU came to Green Cay Nature Center& Wetlands for an educational lesson onwater purification. Thus began a steady

flow of student visitors from The PalmBeach County School District, local privateschools, home school, and summer/winter camp, and other special interestgroups for educational field trips at theGreen Cay Nature Center. Green Cayhas also been popular for self-directedtours of the Nature Center & Wetlands.At first, the school groups visited for aneducational walk-through of the NatureCenter and the Wetlands, which providedenvironmental education through various

educational

displays, anddocent guidedboardwalk tours throughthe wetlands habitat.

The GroundworkPrior to the 2005-2006 school year,Green Cay Nature Center staff initiatedbrainstorming sessions with volunteers,docents and members of the schooldistrict interested in developing school

programs curriculum, useful materials,and informational packets. To recruitvolunteers and to help facilitate andassist with the programs, training andorientation workshops were developed aimplemented by the Nature Center staff

Today, Green Cay Nature Center is able provide nature based programs tailoredto meet the needs of our community asoutreach and field trip opportunities forthousands of students in and around

Palm Beach County. From March 2005through May 2006, 2500 studentstook part in forty-eight school programsincluding nine outreach programs.

The following is a list of the schools,public and private, as well as home schogroups who have had that opportunity atGreen Cay Nature Center. We applaudtheir teachers for sharing their interestthey share in environmental education wtheir students. We look forward to

School Programs at Green Cay Nature Center are tailored to the

educational level of the class and provide memorable eld trips.

Prescribed Fire - A Land Management Tool



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Green Cay continued from page 4

Knipper; Peninsula CooTurtle: Sophie Berman, NicMeanor; Red-bellied SliTurtle: Mr. & Mrs. WillBeattie; Red-eared SliTurtle: Karen Harkin; RiOtter: Vicki Brown

2006 Animal Adoptions (through JAlligator: David & JaBindman, Robyn HalBrandon Kalp, Natalie SchwFlorida Softshell Turtle: PaBill Chapman, The Reid FamGreen Tree Frog: Polly PoPeninsula Cooter TurJennifer & Rachel BindmPig Frog: Ron Weiner & LuLee; Red-eared Slider TurAlice A. Hain, Beth S. MorScarlet King Snake: GrMelissas

If you are interested in learnmore about becoming a memor adopting an animal, plevisit our website.

Programs and EventsGreen Cay has a variety ofupcoming programs and evesuch as:w Boardwalk Toursw Night Hikesw Story and Craft Time

w Naturalist Programsw Science for SeniorsFor more information aboutall of our opportunities, visitour website or call the naturcenter.

Calling All Kids!Kids! For nature fun at homgo to the Activity Page linkthe Green Cay Nature Centewebsite and print out the actity of the month. Complete

the puzzle, bring it to the frodesk of Green Cay Nature Cter and get a prize! Look fornew puzzle and get a new preach month!

For more information abGreen Cay Nature Center vwww.pbcparks.com/natand click on Green Cay.

as a beneficial tool and they

adapted it to achieve specific

objectives such as reduction of

heavy underbrush, opening up

areas to promote better grazing

which provided for improved

hunting. New grasses could

support livestock and homes could

be constructed in open areas

created through the use of fire.

Prescribed fire is a very important

and valuable land management

tool. It is one of the most versatile

and cost effective tools land

managers use. A prescribed

burn is an intentional fire set

under carefully controlled

conditions to achieve certain

land management objectives.

These conditions involve specific

requirements for time of year,

temperature, humidity, wind

direction, wind speed, and

moisture content of the

vegetation to be

burned. Within

Florida

approximately two million acres

are treated with prescribed fire

each year. Prescribed fire is

used to reduce hazardous fuel

buildups and provides increased

protection for people, their homes

and the forest against devastating

wildfires. For more information on

how you can take action to protect

your home/community fromwildfires go to www.fl-dof.com/

wildfire/fire_mitigation_index.html.

Other uses include disease control

in young pines, improving habitat

for wildlife, range management,

preservation of endangered plant

and animal species, and the

maintenance of fire dependent

ecosystems. During the year,

Palm Beach Countys Parks andRecreation Departments Natural

Resource Section conducts

several prescribed fires within

Park property to achieve specific

objectives, such as listed above.

For more information about our

Natural Areas Program contact

Greg Atkinson at (561) 963-6736.presentingqualityprograms againduring the upcomingschool year.

American Heritage School

Boca Prep School

Coral Reef Elementary School

Del Prado Elementary School

Diamond View Elementary

Discovery Key Elementary

FAU Dept. of GEO Sciences

Hagen Road Elementary School

Hillel Day School of Boca Raton

Home School Groups

Lake Worth Middle School

Leadership Academy West

New Horizons Elementary

Palm Beach Maritime Academy

Palm Springs Elementary

Park Vista High School

PineGroveElementary

Plumosa Elementary School

S.D. Spady Elementary SchoolSantaluces High School

Seminole Trails Elementary

Westgate Elementary School

If you would like to learn more about theschool programs offered at Green Cayor would like to schedule a program foryour class /grade level, please call 966-7000 or visit us on our website at www.pbcparks.com/nature.



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School Programs 2005-2006

During the 2005-2006 schoolyear, we presented programsto 157 individual classes orgroups, from thirty-seven dif-ferent schools or institutions.We served 2814 students and539 teachers and chaper-ones (3353 total individuals).Programs were presented toclasses from 12 different cit-ies, including Ft. Pierce, BocaRaton, Pahokee, and BelleGlade. We held programs for

nineteen different regular pub-lic schools (including 3 pub-lic charter schools), fourteenprivate institutions, a public

library, and two private playgroups.

Hurricane Wilma caused hav-oc with our scheduling. Wehad to cancel many scheduledprograms in October and No-vember because the schoolswere closed and then because

the park was closed. We wereable to reschedule some of theschools, but many never cameat all. Some principals can-celled all eld trips becausethe students missed so manydays of school.

This year the cost of busesbecame a real concern for

many schools and we had toaccommodate more studentsat a time (3-4 classes) so that

the groups could afford tocome. Private schools had lessdifculty with transportationand costs; as a result, anincrease in private schoolgroups and pre-school groupswas noticeable. Friends ofOkeeheelee gave grants to twoTitle One schools to help thempay for buses. Our fee is still

continued on page 7

Help Davey Daggerwing Get to the Wet Forest

(solution

on

page

2)

The Ruddy Daggerwing ButterflyColor the body black.

Color the stripes in the wings brown.Color the wings orange.


Ruddy Daggerwing

Puzzle Solution

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SpotlightVolunteerOkeeheelee continued from page 6

very reasonable at only $1per student.

Also this year, we introduseveral new programs: Fiing Florida (KindergarteNature Detectives (2nd gradand Raptor Mania (5th gradAll of the programs were w

received. The raptor progrwas especially popular, our 4th grade SWAMP pgram is still our most requed program, which we held41 classes this year.

Schools:Pioneer Park Elem.

Hammock Pointe Elem.

Citrus Cove Elem.

Lake Worth Christian School

Pine Grove Elem.

Trinity Lutheran School

St. Anastasia School

Diamond View Elem.

Greenacres Library

Heritage Elem.

Highland Elem.

Lake Worth Head Start

Manatee Elementary

Panther Run Elem.

Planet Kids

St. Andrews Fine Arts Presch

Suncoast Christian AcademyTrinity Christian Academy

Lantana Middle School

Glades Academy

Cypress Trails Elem.

YWCA of PBC - R.P.B.

Elbridge Gale Elem.

St. Peters Child Enrichment C

St. Therese de Liseux Presch

Wellington Christian

ABC Childrens LearningAcademy

Belvedere ElementaryForest Hill Elem.

Meyer Jewish Academy

Palm Beach Maritime Acade

Palmetto Elem.

South Olive Elem.

The Progressive School

YWCA of PBC - WPB

For more information log owww.pbcparks.com/natureclick on Okeeheelee.

Kelli Kirchofer,

Green Cay Nature Center

Green Cay Nature Centeropened in February2005, and Abe Gayneshas volunteered with usright from the start! Hehas been (and continuesto be) a dedicatedvolunteer who has loggedan outstanding 195hours of service withinthe first year.

When Abe came to GreenCay, he was interestedin making a difference in the communitythrough education. He immediatelybegan training for a docent position whichrequires extensive knowledge in wetlandecosystems, water treatment, and theplants and animals found here. Althoughhe did not have much background in thisarea, Abe jumped right in and learnedas much as he could, and still strivesto continue learning! As a docent, he

leads guided tours and educates visitorsabout the wetlands. Abe has also helpedwith our school programs by learningthe programs and helping to teach thestudents about various topics. He is anincredible asset to our team and we areglad to have him!

Abe has always had a kind heart andgiving spirit. Previously, Abe volunteeredfor two years with the I Have a Dream

foundation, where hehelped disadvantagedchildren with their studiesto help them betterthemselves and theircommunities. He also wasa docent for two yearswith Gumbo Limbo NatureCenter, educating thepublic about sea turtles,in particular his specialtyarea - the Loggerhead SeaTurtle.

Abe is a WWII veteran who

received five campaignstars. After coming home

from the war, he married Yola, and theyhave been married for an incredible sixtyyears! Abe also created a wholesaleand retail paint business after the war,and was successful with that endeavorfor twenty-five years. He then decidedto retire and enjoy the prime of his life!Abe enjoys tennis, traveling, and visitinghis family, having two grown children,five grandchildren, and two great-

grandchildren.

Today at age eighty-four, Abe is a healthyand vibrant individual who says he getsmore out of volunteering than he putsin. To him, volunteering is incrediblygratifying because he gets to meet newpeople (both local and from other parts ofthe globe), he gets to continue learning,and he gets to educate others to makehis corner of the world a better place.

Abe Gaynes

Open for guided tours only, Riverbend Park is considered by most to be a jewel in Palm

Beach Countys park system.

Five miles of waterways and fteen miles of access roads and trails have been carved

into over 680 acres of diverse marsh and subtropical terrain making this park a splendid

resource for hiking, canoeing and kayaking.

Surround Yourself With the Beauty of Old Florida at Park information:(561) 748-2028

Canoe Outfitters of Florida:

(561) 746-7053



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Nature-alleyFALL| 2006Palm Beach County

Parks and Recreation Department

Nature Centers and

Natural Areas Program

2700 Sixth Avenue South

Lake Worth, Florida 33461

(561) 966-6600www.pbcparks.com

Riverbend Park9060 Indiantown Road

Jupiter, Florida 33478

(561) 748-2028

Natural Areas Program2700 Sixth Avenue South

Lake Worth, Florida 33461

(561) 963-6736

Loggerhead Marinelife Center14200 U.S. Highway 1

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

(561) 627-8280

Palm Beach County

Board of County Commissioners

Tony Masilotti, ChairmanAddie L. Greene, Vice Chairperson

Karen T. Marcus

Jeff Koons

Warren H. NewellMary McCarty

Burt Aaronson

County Administrator

Robert Weisman

Assistant County Administrator

Jon Van Arnam

PalmBeachCounty

Parks&RecreationDepartment27006thAvenueS.,LakeWorth,FL33461

ADDRESSSERVICEREQUESTED

PRSRTSTD

USPOSTAGE

PAID

WESTPALMBEACH,FL

PERMIT#1060

Daggerwing Nature Center11200 Park Access Road

Boca Raton, Florida 33498

(561)488-9953

Green Cay Nature Center12800 Hagen Ranch Road

Boynton Beach, Florida 33437

Phone: (561) 966-7000

Okeeheelee Nature Center7715 Forest Hill Blvd.

West Palm Beach, Florida 33413

(561) 233-1400

BOARDWALKS / NATURE TRAILS OPEN DAILY SUNRISE TO SUNSET

EXHIBITS & NATURE CENTERS HOURS:

Mon: Closed; Tues-Fri: 1:00 - 4:30 pm; Sat: 8:15 am - 4:30 pm; Sun: 1:00 - 4:30 pm(Closed Sundays during the summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day)

fall 2006 nature alley newsletter daggerwing nature center

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