As noted previously, one Prothonotary Warbler(Protonotaria citrea), an unbanded male, was seen and photographed by a visitorSaturday afternoon at the Goodson Lake. Denise Ecker, director of bird conservation, went out the next day, despite the myriad rain storms, and heard a Prothonotary Warbler singing and calling at the lake. It may have been the same bird, but she was not able to get a look at the bird in question.
Today, however, two banded Prothonotary Warblers were seen and heard right before the tower at Goodson Lake. The birds were A088 (aluminum, purple/white and double orange) and A035 (aluminum, purple/white, light green over red). A088 was first banded on 5/27/09 around #139 on the boardwalk. A035 was first banded on 4/8/09 around marker #151 on the boardwalk, which is at Goodson Lake. This makes the third year (at least) for each of these birds to be at the Francis Beidler Forest.
How many years have you visited the Francis Beidler Forest?
The Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) have returned to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest for the 2011 breeding season! Yesterday, Sally and Tracy Barnes spotted and photographed the first Prothonotary Warbler, which was an unbanded male. He may or may not be a resident for the summer, but he signals the beginning of the Project PROTHO season.
However, the first Prothonotary Warbler spotted by the staff of Audubon South Carolina was an unbanded male quietly foraging in the beaver-dammed area at the east end of Old Levi Mill Lake at Poinsett State Park. The best camera available was an iPod Touch, but the male Prothonotary Warbler can be seen in the zoom view.
If you would like a much better look at a Prothonotary Warbler, give the birds a week to settle into their territories and then take a stroll along the 1.75-mile, elevated boardwalk the old-growth swamp at the Francis Beidler Forest!
While many wait for word that the Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) have returned to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest or that the Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) has finally bloomed, we have news of a new species of moth identified as part of the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp.
Sarah Todd, the new seasonal naturalist for this spring, caught sight of an Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata) in the parking area as we walked toward the power line that crosses the swamp. Ironically, we were going to the power line to show Sarah where we envision a native plant plot to attract butterflies, dragonflies, and birds for observation and identification by visiting students. As the trip was to be quick and simple, we left the camera in the office. Stepping outside without the camera never ceases to be a mistake. The moth settled on the light-colored driveway, which contrasted nicely with its nearly-black wings. On the dorsal side, two large yellow spots on the forewing were opposite two large white spots on the hindwing. Bee-pollen-like orange on the front and middle legs and yellow tegula, or small appendages at the base of the wings, gave this moth a distinctive appearance. There was no doubt as to whether or not we had seen this moth before.
Although we missed the opportunity to capture an image of the moth, we have added it to our growing list of insects at the sanctuary. Images and additional information on the Eight-spotted Forester can be found here.
Other notable firsts today, Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) and Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) were both heard outside the outdoor classroom.
P.S. Brad Dalton was able to supply an image that he took at Beidler Forest in April 2007.
No, "Horse Sugar!" is not something one exclaims when seeing a snake from the safety of the 1.75-mile, elevated boardwalk while touring the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Horse Sugar (Symplocos tinctoria) or Sweet Leaf is a shrub or small tree with dense clusters of fragrant flowers. The name is derived from the fact that horses (and cows and deer) readily consume the leaves. Horse Sugar blooms between March and May and began blooming outside the office this past weekend.
Yesterday, we walked around the boardwalk in anticipation of the Prothonotary Warblers' return. Although we did not find any Prothonotary Warblers, we did complete the Swamp Snake Slam! Actually, one more Red-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster) and we would have completed a double slam. There are five species of snakes that are likely to be seen in the swamp from the boardwalk. Although spotting four of the five species is not unusual during the spring with its warm days and cool nights, seeing all five species during one trip around the boardwalk is a rarity. The experience is rare enough that we created a certificate awarded to anyone in a guided group or anyone that can show images of all five species.
Here are our documentation photos:
Red-bellied Water Snake
Eastern Cottonmouth
Banded Water Snake
Brown Water Snake
Greenish Rat Snake
Although we did not find our primary quarry, the Prothonotary Warbler, we will continue to search each day until they return. The office pool ranges from an early date of today to the slightly tardy date of the 29th. Stay tuned!
Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) have returned to the swamp around the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest. They winter south to Panama and throughout the Caribbean islands. The heron gets its name from its habit of foraging mainly at night. In the swamp, these herons can be seen in the dim light slowly wading through the shallow water looking with their large eyes for crayfish moving in the detritus.
In past years, the Yellow-crowned Night Herons have been conspicuous in all wet areas touched by the boardwalk. However, last year the birds were mainly absent from view. As the swamp itself appeared not to have changed along the boardwalk, the lack of heron sightings was puzzling. The mystery was solved during a reconnaissance for cover board sites during planning for the herp-themed summer camp. As we walked along the edge of the swamp near #112 on the boardwalk, we came upon the beaver dam and the knee-deep water being pooled on the upstream side of the dam. We already knew about the beaver dam and reported its presence in this blog. However, we had not realized how the consistent water level behind the dam had changed animal behaviors.
Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are not denizens of the swamp, but we had begun to hear their familiar honk-like calls coming from the treeless power line right-of-way north of the center where open water pooled like pond. The chattering call of Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon) became more frequent within the same power line corridor. Although Yellow-crowned Night Herons did not seek the open water and sunny environs of the power line corridor, they were actively hunting in the water behind the dam and beneath the tree canopy. We found a half dozen Yellow-crowned Night Herons in the narrow band of trees between the dam and the power line corridor (see map). Turtles, snakes, and big fish also found the consistent water depth more to their liking.
If you visit the Francis Beidler Forest and see a Yellow-crowned Night Heron stalking a crayfish, you'll know by the waggle of the bird's tail end that it is prepared to strike with its large bill. We all tend to waggle in anticipation of good eats!
The 1.75-mile boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest was completed in 1977. Hurricane Hugo made a mess of it in 1989, but much of the boardwalk remains the original 1977 lumber. Through it all, the boardwalk has allowed visitors the chance to safely venture into the heart of the old-growth swamp to experience the peace and serenity that have characterized the area for thousands of years. Visitors can hear the sounds of birds, insects, and breezes that have echoed through the 1000-year-old trees for ages, take relaxing and informative walk back into time, and see a swamp the way nature intended.
Unfortunately, the boardwalk is showing its age and needs your help. Please help us build a stronger, longer-lasting, "greener" boardwalk by funding a portion of this new trail. We will be using three different sustainably-grown, naturally-durable tropical hardwoods. All three are incredibly rot-resistant and should last three times longer than pressure-treated wood. Costs will approach $2 million. Your support will make it possible for people from all over the world to continue to experience this natural wonder.
You may mail your contribution to:
Francis Beidler Forest
336 Sanctuary Rd.
Harleyville, SC 29448
(put "Boardwalk Fund" in the memo line) or donate online at Beidler Forest Boardwalk Fund.
The January-February 2011 edition of Audubon Magazine contained an article highlighting the Francis Beidler Forest.
The sun continues to shine at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Although the temperatures remained in the 60Fs, spring is in the air for the resident plants and animals. Trees like Redbud (Cercis canadensis) are blooming and Red Maples (Acer rubrum) have gone to seed. Bald Cypress, which are usually some of the last trees produce leaves, are greening along with the rest of the forest with Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) and Butterweed (Senecio glabellus) set to bloom. Today's song of the Northern Parula(Parula americana) begins the countdown for the return of the Prothonotary Warblers(Protonotaria citrea)at the end of the month.
Over the last few days there have been numerous reports of Common Snapping Turtles(Chelydra serpentina) moving about in search of a mate, Spotted Turtles(Clemmys guttata) on logs near #1, and numerous Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) in and around Goodson Lake.
With chicks to feed, Barred Owls (Strix varia) are increasingly visible as they perch low above the water hunting crayfish. The images below show one individual with a crayfish in its talons and then in its beak. It did not immediately eat the crayfish as it had consumed another only moments before catching the latest crayfish. However, before we departed the crayfish disappeared into the owl and the owl flew to a near perch over the shallow creek channel.
Being accustomed to people on the boardwalk or unwilling to depart their sunny spot, animals around the boardwalk are photogenic this time of year.
As a computer virus continues to hold the education department computer hostage, posting to the blog has been difficult for the last two weeks. Therefore, this posting will contain vignettes from that period.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was held Feb. 18-21. Details of the count can be found on the GBBC webpage as well as results from previous years via tables and maps. On Feb. 18th, we spent the day counting birds in Summerville. Our day began at Azalea Park from 8:30 am to 9:15 am. We walked clockwise around the perimeter of the park on both sides of Main Street. We saw the typical collection of backyard birds.
At 9:30 am we arrived at the Ashley Ridge High School and met Ms. Amy Litz's AP biology class of 24 students. After a brief explanation of the GBBC, some basic bird identification techniques, basic binocular usage, and the various bird-related apps on the iPod Touches, we walked around the perimeter of the campus. In the open and seemingly-inhospitable parking area, we spotted Killdeer. Around the retention pond and the wetland forest beyond, we saw or heard a variety of backyard birds, including Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren and Blue Jay. Overhead, a half a dozen or more Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures slowing rose on the rising warm air "thermals" patiently waiting for something to die. During the second group, Ms. Minde Wheeler's environmental science class, we spotted a Loggerhead Shrike, which impales insects and small mammals on thorns or barbed wire as gifts to impress a female. Suddenly, birds became more interesting to some in the group.
By 12:30 pm, we were by the old Murray Sand pits off of US Hwy 17-A. We saw Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, an American Kestrel and a Bald Eagle screaming by thousands of feet overhead. After lunch, we headed to Middleton Place and its mix of forest, garden, freshwater, and salt marsh. Some of the birds that we saw were the only ones of those species reported in the "Charleston" (any associated zip codes) location.
These were all in the old rice field:
Blue-winged Teal 5 1
Green-winged Teal 9 1
Ring-necked Duck 1 1
This was in a garden pond:
Mute Swan 1 1
On Saturday, Feb. 19th, we hosted two walks around the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Although the day did not prove fruitful in the swamp (many species that we normally see and hear went undetected), we did spot 20 Sandhill Cranes in a field of Henbit just down the road from the sanctuary.
Last weekend was warm, which lured many reptiles out of their winter shelters. Visitors coming off the boardwalk reported seeing the alligator swimming in Goodson Lake, several species of turtles (Eastern Mud, Spotted, Common Snapping, and Yellow-bellied Slider), numerous lizards (skinks and anoles) and four of the five species of snakes (Eastern Cottonmouth, Brown Water Snake, Banded Water Snake, and Greenish Rat Snake) that one would expect to see in the swamp. The least numerous of the snake species, the Red-bellied Water Snake, is the only species yet to be seen this year. Most of the snakes are not moving around, but remain just outside their wintering den as nights can still be cold and all the cool days have yet to pass.
Tuesday was the first day of work for our new seasonal naturalist, Sarah Todd. We'll introduce her in the coming week. Much of this week was spent getting Sarah ready to lead groups around the boardwalk and along the canoe trail. Both along the boardwalk and the canoe trail, Yellow-throated Warblers are singing. With the leaves still off the trees and other birds not back from migration, it is possible to get good shots of these birds, especially as they sometimes move well down from the tops of the trees. Warmer days have the alligators more active and visible. Sarah stated, "How dramatic." as a 8-foot alligator launched off the bank at our passing and rocked our canoe with the water it disturbed. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are also singing while Atamasco Lilies, though not in bloom, are showing themselves above the ground. Finally, Barred Owls are active as the female is either sitting on eggs and requiring her mate to feed her or chicks have already hatched. Along with visitors, we have had excellent photographic opportunities of owls catching and eating crayfish along the boardwalk between #12 and #15.
Yesterday's canoe trip yielded only one snake and alligator sighting, but several fine looks at birds of prey. At two locations, Barred Owls flew silently overhead and perched in nearby trees. Our passing may have disturbed their crayfish hunting. Without leaves on the trees, we had a clear look at a Red-shouldered Hawk as it wheeled overhead possibly calling to its mate. Finally, as we entered Singletary Lake, we flushed what appeared to be a Cooper's Hawk from the lake's edge. The bird had difficulty taking off, so we investigated the site. We found a prodigious pile of feathers and the cranium and upper bill of what may be a female Wood Duck. A solitary male Wood Duck flew from the lake as we entered. As they are often seen in pairs, his mate may have been lunch for the hawk. No other parts of the body were left, so it seems the hawk was able to depart with its meal.
Today, we posted a pre-visit video for teachers to use to introduce students to the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp. Currently, the video is located on YouTube, but will be posted soon to the educators page on the Francis Beidler Forest webpage. If you know a teacher, please let them know what and where we are, so that we can share the old-growth forest with their students!
Mac Stone is in the news again. His video of Burrowing Owls made it onto NPR's Science Friday. You can read about his experience photographing the Burrowing Owls and watch the video he created from the images here.
Two months ago a fellow photographer and friend of mine, Neil Losin, had a feature article in Birder's World magazine about burrowing owls. The editors used one of my images for the opening spread and we stayed in touch over the winter. Just recently, they changed their name to Bird Watching Magazine and contacted me about using a few of my images for their members to download as wallpapers. If you'd like access to these photos and other great bird photography check it out! And wait... the best part... is it's totally free!
Obviously, we made the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp the star, but there are plenty of supporting actors in the video. Depending on your computer, you may need to let the video buffer for a few seconds before beginning to view it. You may recognize the audio from a previous video.
While working as a seasonal naturalist, Mac took thousands of nature photographs within Four Holes Swamp. Mac's amazing photographs filled our new brochure and guidebook drawing visitors to the swamp, while presenting beauty that shatters the stereotype of this freshwater wetland. Mac's 5-minute video captivates viewers and shows the swamp at times of the day and from vantage points not accessible to most visitors.
Today's newspaper article details how an image shot by Mac Stone on Mallard Lake within the Francis Beidler Forest won a commendation in the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest held by the BBC Wildlife magazine and the British Natural History Museum in London.
The new seasaonal naturalists have arrived at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest!
Tara Bailey is a former middle and high school teacher as well as a freelance writer, certified City of Charleston tour guide, and former volunteer at the South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey. Her children have been coming to Francis Beidler Forest for Swamp Camp for the past several years, and when she decided to enter a new career realm, she couldn't think of a better place to combine her loves of natural and cultural history. She lives in Summerville with her husband and three daughters.
Elizabeth grew up in Rock Hill, SC where she chased frogs and lizards at an early age. She went to college at Coastal Carolina University where she earned two Bachelors degrees: one in Marine Science and another in Biology. She then moved to Charleston, SC and entered into the Masters program of Marine Biology at the College of Charleston.While earning her masters degree, she worked with the Department of Natural Resources studying Diamondback terrapins as well as with U.S. Fish and Wildlife monitoring Loggerhead sea turtle nests in Cape Romain. She also volunteered as a SCUBA diver and was the herpetologist intern for the South Carolina Aquarium.After finishing graduate school, her interest in reptiles lead her to Four Holes Swamp and the Francis Beidler Forest.
Our standards-based curriculum focuses on two units, “Birds” and “Wetland/watersheds,” with grade-specific lessons, some of which can be found on our webpage. Other webpage links point to our species lists and images and our blog, which provides images and examples of school visits as well as mini-lessons for a plethora of natural sciences topics. An online education department calendar allows teachers to see what dates are currently available prior to scheduling their swamp visit. We can comfortably accommodate 100 students or four groups at any one time.
Check out the education department's calendar to see when space is available for your students to visit the unique, old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp. All the logistical information for your trip can be found here.
Today, 4th grade students from Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary School visited the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest.
As noted previously in this blog, beavers(Castor canadensis) have constructed a dam in the swamp. Unfortunately, the dam cannot be seen from the boardwalk and it is not feasible to take 70 students off the boardwalk along the rain-soaked swamp edge to see it. However, the recent rains have created drainage channels along the low, educational boardwalk next to the nature center. Using the natural terrain and drainage pattern along the low boardwalk, students were given the opportunity to direct their guide in constructing dams of sticks and leaves. Two sites, one with a single channel and one with a broad flood plain, were used to demonstrate how a beaver dam can change the habitat.
The South Carolina science standard addressed was: 4-2.6Explain how organisms cause changes in their environment.
Once at the first site, students were asked to discuss the following within their small groups:
What do beavers eat? (plant material, especially cambium)
What do beavers build? (dams, lodges)
How do beavers build their structures? (using logs, branches, mud, leaves)
Where do beavers build their structures? (dams in channels of flowing water, lodges in pooled water)
Once students shared their answers, each group had the opportunity to suggest where a beaver might construct a dam at the site. Though most would have preferred to jump off the boardwalk and into the water and mud, we were certain that those responsible for the laundry would want to have a word or two with us. Therefore, we opted for the next best thing. With great excitement, students/beaver engineers directed their guide on how and where to construct the dams using nearby sticks and leaves. Who knew there were so many expert dam makers in our community?
After observing the results, the group moved to the second site and repeat dam construction procedures. The second site was a better representation of what the beavers have accomplished in the swamp. There was not one obvious channel to block and natural features (trees, logs, and high ground) were incorporated into the dam's construction. After observing the results of the second dam, students discussed the following questions within their small groups:
How did the dams immediately affect the habitat upstream from the dam? (water pooled; deeper, more-consistent levels of water behind the dam; some plants may be in the water more often than before)
What species might benefit from the change in habitat? (trees or aquatic plants that need or can tolerate constant flooding; fish; frogs; water snakes; wading birds that eat those species; dabbling ducks and geese; bitterns that like thicker, marsh-like habitat)
How do dams immediately affect the habitat downstream from the dam? (less water, other plant species may be able to grow in the drier conditions)
Over time, how will the habitat behind the dam change? (sedimentation will fill the pool and create higher ground and meadow-like conditions and eventually habitat as seen along the swamp’s edge; or the habitat may attract the attention of an alligator, which may eat the beavers allowing the dams to fall into disrepair and the swamp to reclaim the area)
Since the actual beaver dam would remain out-of-sight, students used the iPod Touches to view the beaver dam video and peruse the beaver-related images. Students could also look in the other image folders for species that they previously identified as having benefited from the beavers’ damming activity.
By the end of the activity and boardwalk tour, the students were expert dam engineers and had no problems writing a letter to the editor for or against the presence of beavers and their construction work in the swamp.
Although we have walked more than a thousand times the 1.75 miles of boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, each trip provides us with a first of some sort. On Tuesday, it was too easy as Bells Elementary School from Ruffin, SC had never made a visit to the Francis Beidler Forest. Being in a swamp was a first for most of the fifty students and visiting the old-growth of Beidler Forest was a first for all of the students.
With the recent heavy rain, the swamp along the boardwalk went from mostly dry with water in a few shallow creek channels on Friday to shallow water along the entirety of the boardwalk on Tuesday. We observed numerous Eastern Mud Turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum) swimming below the water's surface as they investigated newly-submerged areas for food. Juvenile White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) were scattered along the walk in groups of 3-4 birds probing the shallow water with their curved bills. Several species of woodpeckers seemed to be announcing the progress of our walk to the other swamp residents. Normally, the job of annoucing our presence in the swamp is left to the Barred Owls (Strix varia). Though the owls were not vocal as we walked back toward the center for lunch, they did make a silent, low pass ahead of the group and perched nearby in the open for all to absorb a lengthy, first-time look at the species.
At one point during the tour, a sharp-eyed fifth grader spotted a small, smooth, reddish caterpillar on the boardwalk handrail. We had never seen the species of caterpillar and did not have a field guide to identify this first for us. Unfortunately, we did not have a camera available, so we did not capture an image to use for identification later in the office. The next time we come across the species will be our first time to identify it for our insect list.
Finally, we spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) that had captured a giant, green caterpillar and was attempting to subdue its prey for easy consumption. We have seen cuckoos before, but never one with prey. We could not positively identify the caterpillar, but its size (approximately 12 cm or 5" long!) eliminates the vast majority of caterpillar species. A prime candidate is the Royal Walnut Moth's (Citheronia regalis) caterpillar (a.ka. Hickory Horned Devil). Field guides use words like "behemoth" to describe this fearsome-looking though harmless caterpillar. Possibly out of fear of dropping its prized meal (easily 12 times the RDA for caterpillar protein), the cuckoo continued to move lower in the canopy with the squirming caterpillar in its sturdy bill. Once on the ground, the bird repeatedly and vigorously beat the caterpillar on the ground. The cuckoo flew off before we could see the act of caterpillar consumption, but tenderized or not, the pickle-sized caterpillar was going to be a challenge to swallow!
On Saturday, ten volunteers joined two of the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest staff as part of the TogetherGreen Volunteer cleanup of the swamp along U. S. Highway 78. Unfortunately, another twenty volunteers were expected, so the entire targeted area was not cleaned. However, those volunteers that showed did a tremendous job during the three hours of work!
Dressed in orange vests and armed with litter grabbers provided by Keep Dorchester County Beautiful, volunteers hit the treeline south of U. S. Highway 78. The majority of the litter was located from the edge of the road, down the steep embankment, and approximately six feet into the treeline. Previous high water in the area concentrated much of the litter at the base of the road embankment. The main reason for targeting this area of the swamp was to eliminate the litter, nearly all of which was floatable, before the next round of high water washed it downstream. The rain of the last few days has caused the water at Bridge Lake (where US Hwy 78 crosses the water at the east end of the yellow-shaded area) to rise five feet. Sadly, the red-shaded area shows where we were able to clean and we did not reach Bridge Lake. Some of the litter we did not collect may well be on its way downstream to the Edisto River.
During our daily commute to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, we have observed lightweight trash escaping from garbage trucks rumbling along U. S. Highway 78. However, easily 95% of the trash we collected consisted of beverage containers (glass beer, liquor and soda bottles; plastic soda and water bottles; aluminum beer and soda cans; foam coffee cups; and paper soda cups) that were likely thrown from a passing vehicle. It is possible that some of the lightweight beverage containers blew out of garbage trucks, but the glass containers or the plastic bottles partially-filled and capped were certainly launched into the swamp by motorists. Unless attitudes change, the 0.4 miles that we cleaned will inevitably fill with litter to match the remainder of the highway right-of-way.
Remember in school when you asked, "When am I ever going to use this math?" Well, sharpen your pencil because it's time! Twelve individuals working for three hours along 0.4 miles on one side of a road will pick up how many bags of trash? One, two, three...carry the nine...and the answer is 103 bags or one full dump truck! Remember, that's 0.4 miles on ONE side of the highway...that's lousy math.
The Francis Beidler Forest once again has been awarded a TogetherGreen Volunteer Days grant to aid in the effort to increase volunteer participation at the sanctuary while simultaneously achieving their conservation goals. Sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales USA, TOGETHERGREEN VOLUNTEER DAYS are events designed to connect people with enjoyable opportunities to make a difference for conservation in their neighborhood. Beidler Forest Center Director, Mike Dawson says, “Volunteerism is the key to shaping a healthy environmental future. It gives people a chance to make positive changes; to learn more about the pressing issues affecting local wildlife and habitat; and to meet others with shared interests.”
Tomorrow from 9:00 AM til noon, Audubon staff and volunteers will be traipsing through the swamp woods that parallel State Road 78 where it crosses Four Holes Swamp (shaded yellow area) in search of all manner of litter and trash in an attempt to clean up this important stretch of the swamp. This is the route that garbage trucks take on their way to the local landfills and unfortunately an embarrassing amount of trash and litter blows out of these trucks along the way and ends up in the swamp bottom. They plan to attack the road and woods edge armed with trash bags and as many volunteers as can be mustered and hopefully clean up the entire road frontage. The project is not just about beautifying the main approach route to the Beidler Forest, but will also be good for water quality, as when the water level rises in the swamp, much of the debris is carried off downstream. Volunteers should dress for the weather, long pants are recommended and bring some work gloves (and a “picker upper” if you have one!) Drinks, TogetherGreen T-shirts, hats, or totes and free passes to the Beidler Forest will be available to all participants.
Plan on meeting at the small county park located at the intersection of Highway 78 and 178 (see push pin on map). Please call 843-462-2150 for directions or more information. To learn about other volunteer opportunities at Beidler Forest, go to http://www.beidlerforest.com/ and hit the Volunteer tab!
One requirement of the grant is a presentation to teachers at the Fall 2010 Geofest. The iPod Touch allows us to put an incredible amount of data into the hands of students while they are on the boardwalk and in the middle of the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp. For example, students can call up the satellite image shown below and see the boardwalk drawn onto the swamp. If we are standing on the backside of the boardwalk south of the fork, we can ask the students, "Why does the image look lighter to the west of the boardwalk than it does to the east of the boardwalk?" From the boardwalk, a quick glance to the west reveals that the elevation of the land is slightly higher causing the area to be dry, which in turn allows different types of vegetation to grow in that area. Looking to the east, students can see land at a slightly lower elevation, which allows water to accumulate thereby allowing wetland-adapted species of plants to dominate. Seems like a simple concept, but it would be difficult for most students to visualize, if they had the same satellite image, but were sitting at their desk in a classroom.
The iPod Touch can also hold gigabytes worth of data in the form of images, video, audio, field guides, research projects, student-generated text or audio, a seemingly-infinite number of apps, and our own boardwalk-specific app. With these tools, especially our boardwalk-specific app, we provide students the ability to answer our questions as well as those that they develop.
Although the Francis Beidler Forest is unique and we find it to be a wonderful place to work, there would be little incentive for students to visit if they already knew all the answers regarding the swamp and the rest of our natural environments. However, without the ability for students to find the answers on their own, the only other form of instructional delivery is for the guide to verbally present all the information. Not all students learn well that way and even those that do will appreciate some instructional variety.
We currently have 10 iPod Touches available for use with visiting school groups and are working towards a set of 25 (2 students per unit). Check our education department calendar to see what dates are available for your students to visit!
Since its purchase in 1969, the Francis Beidler Forest has been studied and lists have been compiled cataloging the plants and animals within its boundaries. Some groups of animals have been studied more thoroughly than others. Insects remain a critical component of the swamp ecosystem, but have received little direct attention. We continue to add species to the list as we discover them in the process of completing our regular duties. Birds are another story.
Being that the National Audubon Society formed from grassroots efforts to end the killing of birds for the fashion industry and continues to work for the protection of birds and their habitat, it is no surprise that the bird list for the Francis Beidler Forest is extensive. Additionally, thousands of people a year have been looking at birds after the completion of the boardwalk in 1977. There are very few surprises when in comes to birds at the Francis Beidler Forest. That's part of what makes yesterday's bird sighting interesting.
Previously in this blog (May, June), we have covered beavers (Castor canadensis) and their return to the Francis Beidler Forest. Yesterday, we wanted to take the Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and capture coordinates for the beaver dam (shown in blue) in order to show its location on maps of the boardwalk area. The water level is quite low, so walking along the low dam was not difficult and we were out of the office. A short dam near the nature center keeps water from leaking up a low draw, while the 1/4-mile section of dam ties the lodge under the powerline to the high ground near the fork of the boardwalk. There is another 1/4 mile of dam that runs north from the lodge to the swamp across the powerline right-of-way, but we ran out of time and did not gather its coordinates. Good excuse for another day out in the swamp.
Along the way, we saw or heard a Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), a Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), a Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), and a juvenile White Ibis (Eudocimus albus). All of these birds were taking advantage of the pooled water and altered habitat created by the beavers' dam. We were certain that we had not detected all of the animals benefitting from the beaver activity, but we were surprised when an American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) lifted from the tall grass on one side of a swollen creek channel and quickly dropped into the vegetation cover on the other side of the channel before we could take a picture. Bitterns of any sort have not been seen within the boundaries of the Francis Beidler Forest due mainly to the lack of suitable habitat. However, with the powerline right-of-way being kept clear of trees and the beavers pooling water that normally would have quickly drained to the Edisto River, the habitat in that small portion of the swamp now has the feel of a marsh...and bitterns feel comfortable in its dense cover.
It was another day in the swamp, but as always, it was something new and exciting!
Tara Bailey, seasonal naturalist at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, had the following printed in the Summerville Journal Scene.
Published Thursday, September 09, 2010 1:31 PM
Summerville Journal Scene ®
The photographer was looking for snakes, specifically. He had photographed warblers, damselflies, spiders, and two deer, but the legless reptiles of Biblical notoriety had so far proven evasive.
It was frustrating, because the Audubon Center at Beidler Forest in Harleyville is a home to snakes, mostly water snakes, though it’s always a treat to spot the very top of the food chain - the cottonmouth. The photographer left the boardwalk with his camera card full of wildlife, though void of snakes, but soon another man appeared and reported that he’d had great success in finding both a brown water snake and a cottonmouth.
He told the photographer the specifics of their locations, so the two of us went back onto the boardwalk – he, to photograph; me to guide him to the snakes. We kept our eyes focused on sunny spots within stumps and on logs, in wild, viney growths, and wherever else a snake might enjoy absorbing heat. No luck.
However…
There’s no such thing as an eventless walk through a swamp. It would be like a dry ocean or a quiet Christmas. If you keep your peripheral vision on guard, slate-tinted immature ibises come into focus while stalking minnows in the tannin water. Branches fall to the ground, and somewhere in the tree is the source of the timbering. Bubbles suddenly appear on the water’s surface, and an unidentified sound is coming from, you think, the left.
Who knows what spies you from above the leaves, below the mud, or within the hollows of ancient cypress and tupelo trees…
What life you discover is but a mere sampling of what exists within the Beidler Forest’s 16, 000 acres, 1,763 of which is virgin growth – one of two primary growth forests that remain in the state. And what you can’t see, you almost certainly can hear. The photographer was also on the lookout for pileated woodpeckers, which were teasing him with their calls, yet remaining concealed within the forest. The moment the photographer drove away, the large, red-crested bird flew overhead and crossed to another stand of 1,000-year-old trees. Not the photographer’s lucky day.
At least, not for finding snakes and woodpeckers. But the photographer didn’t leave disappointed. He’d driven hours to get here and promised to return, calling it one of his “hotspots.” For no matter what one encounters out here, there is always life in the heart of the swamp.
