Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve 

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is over 3,500 acres of intermingled wetland and upland ecosystems. The appearance of the Slough changes with the seasons from dry (October-May) to wet (June-September). During the rainy time of year, the cypress slough catches and slowly filters rainwater on its way towards Estero Bay. Animals adapted to life in wetlands, like alligators, turtles, otters, and wading birds, live at the Slough year-round. Additionally, many types of migratory birds use the Slough as a rest stop and feeding area.

Ben Griffin Walk

Although this field trip wasn’t my favorite, I still found it very interesting that we have a wildlife preserve so close to our school that people from all different places would come to see different species of birds.  It was nice to be out in nature, but I found it pretty sad that the peace and quiet was constantly disturbed by the highway nearby.  It reminded me of how much nature has been destroyed for development.  Just on the side of Ben Hill Griffin across from the town center, a huge plot of land is being torn down so that more human development can take its place.  I did like how most of the preserve didn’t have boardwalks going through it to give the animals some space away from humans watching them.  On the other hand, it was really neat to see the vast amount of different organisms all living in the same environment.

Nature Walk

During the nature walk, we were very surprised  by the diverse landscapes here in Southwest, Florida we well as being so close to campus. On one hand there was one large lake, as well and multiple smaller lakes surrounded by birds, fish and natural trees. On the second hand, there were many dry, old, fungus filled and what looked to be "dead" trees along the boardwalk. Many of the local trees looked like their branches were about ready to fall over and easy to snap. At the end, the overall trip was very different to learn what one ecosystem habitats locally with its multiple landscapes preserved within.

Local Birds and Alligator Trails

As a group, after observing the large lake then heading onto the boardwalk, we noticed alligator trails. For several minutes we observed where the alligator was actually going, whether in the water, or out. From the looks of it ,the trail was heading out to the water and it was pretty fresh since only the trail area was soaked. From the looks of his claws digging into the mud, he heading towards the water to hunt and observe. We looked around for several minutes to try and see one but there was no luck. We did however she multiple turtles from the size of your palm to the size of your torso all lined up against the land.

Also, after splitting up and heading on separate paths of the boardwalk, there were multiple birds spotted such as mocking birds, wood pecker and owls. We were able to chase a few of the wood peckers around and observe their different patterns, behaviors and sizes. The last one we spotted was very large for its size, close to the size of an adolescent pigeon just knocking away the wood on the tree trunks. Lastly, we spotted an owl, just minding its own business on the one the larger trees. It noticed we were around and I'm sure glad I was able to get a decent look at him in person and in the photograph.

Preserve

Six mile cypress slough was interesting because it's preserved right in the middle of Fort Myers. The main focus of the tour was to pay attention to all of your senses and take everything in on the boardwalk. A point was made about having a lack of natural environment in our daily lives, and the slough provided a way to unwind and relax. Our group didn't end up seeing much wildlife on the tour. The only notable species we saw was a soft shell turtle and a black crown night heron. Overall the trip was relaxing, but not very exciting.