Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge

Last week we visited the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge which is the northern section of the Everglades. The visitor center has reopened Thursday - Sunday 9-4 so we went in to see what was new. We found out that there was a ranger-led walk that started in 10 minutes at the Marsh Trail so we hurried to the meeting spot. This is offered every Friday at 10am and it was the first day of the tour. There are several other events that take place each week.

We met Lowell Markey at the meeting place and ended up being the only participants. Lowell went on to explain the history of the Everglades and how the Water Conservation Areas came in existence. While we were sitting there, we could hear the Sandhill Cranes calling each other. He mentioned a book, The Everglades: River of Grassby Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Then we started our walk around one of the drainage areas. Here are the many things we observed:

• Sandhill crane
• Everglades
• Cabbage palm - state tree
• Strangler Fig
• West Indies Mahogany tree
• Wax Myrtle - edge tree; the leaves were very fragrant
• Catbird
• String/swamp lily
• Giant Leather fern
• Pickerel weed
• Arrowhead plant
• Duck potato - white flower with yellow button
• White water Lily - not invasive
• Cocoa plum - plum is almost black when ripe
• Sea grape
• Sawgrass - marsh plant; blade is v shaped with sharp edges
• Red tassel flower
• Turkey vulture
• Spanish needle
• Wild poinsettia
  

Lowell showed us the four different habitats of the Everglades. We saw the fruit/seed pods of the Mahogany tree and the Cocoa Plum. As we were leaving the parking lot, a family of raccoons came running down the grassy path. They looked so cute!

Original photo by Pat Hensley