Photo Essay: Yellow Fever Creek Preserve

by Erin White

Lee County Conservation 20/20 has launched a "TAKE A HIKE" Ranger Series of events for April 2013. This series is intended to familiarize participants with some of the less visited preserves in Lee County, FL.

Led by Ranger Mickey Miller, the series kicked off with a trek through Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, located on Del Prado Parkway North in Cape Coral, FL, just north of Kismet Blvd.

A mixture of naturalists, hikers, birders, and photographers showed up for the innaugural hike. The threat of rain did nothing to diminish the spirit and enthusiasm of the hike participants. Overcast skies are better for photography, anyway!

Yellow Fever Creek Preserve is comprised of open flatwoods with a variety of wetlands sprinkled in. There is also a "fishing hole" on the property, a man-made remnant of the property's former use as farmland. The trails are mowed-yet-still-primitive fire lanes that curcumnavigate the property and ocassionally cut through habitat.

Much effort has been made to free the property from the suffocation of invasive exotic trees, such as melaleuca and Brazilian pepper. Restoration of the habitat has improved water flow and made it a friendly place for wildflowers and animals to flourish.

On this particular venture, we saw hawks, swallow-tailed kites (pictured), toads, and eagles, plus "evidence" (scat talk!) of bobcats, coyotes, and rabbits, all along the trails. We found shiny blueberry, prickly pear cactus and paw paw growing, all of which are favorites of the gopher tortoise. It was therefore no surprise when we eventually came upon a gopher tortoise den, dug into a sandy hill, partially hidden behind some tall grasses.

Although this was not the primary purpose of the hike, we did a bit of trash-collecting along the trail. Many of us confess to carrying a trash bag when we venture out into nature; it's important to remove things like bits of plastic and balloons to prevent wildlife injuries and remove non-biodegradables from the habitat. Overall, there was not much to pick up, but we were glad to have the trash bag when we did find something. Our most interesting find was "the mystery shoe". There was only one; safe to assume, I guess, that it's not mating season for this species.

We've got a few additional photos on the Florida SEE Facebook page. For more information about Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, please visit the preserve's web page - or find Conservation 20/20 on Facebook , where you'll find additional photos from our TAKE A HIKE tours as they occur.

BACK to The Florida SEE Grapevine, April 2013


Photo Essay: Yellow Fever Creek Preserve by Erin White Lee County Conservation 20/20 has launched a "TAKE A HIKE" Ranger Series of events for April 2013. This series is intended to familiarize participants with some of the less visited preserves in Lee County, FL. Led by Ranger Mickey Miller, the series kicked off with a trek through Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, located on Del Prado Parkway North in Cape Coral, FL, just north of Kismet Blvd. A mixture of naturalists, hikers, birders, and photographers showed up for the innaugural hike. The threat of rain did nothing to diminish the spirit and enthusiasm of the hike participants. Overcast skies are better for photography, anyway! Yellow Fever Creek Preserve is comprised of open flatwoods with a variety of wetlands sprinkled in. There is also a "fishing hole" on the property, a man-made remnant of the property's former use as farmland. The trails are mowed-yet-still-primitive fire lanes that curcumnavigate the property and ocassionally cut through habitat. Much effort has been made to free the property from the suffocation of invasive exotic trees, such as melaleuca and Brazilian pepper. Restoration of the habitat has improved water flow and made it a friendly place for wildflowers and animals to flourish. On this particular venture, we saw hawks, swallow-tailed kites (pictured), toads, and eagles, plus "evidence" (scat talk!) of bobcats, coyotes, and rabbits, all along the trails. We found shiny blueberry, prickly pear cactus and paw paw growing, all of which are favorites of the gopher tortoise. It was therefore no surprise when we eventually came upon a gopher tortoise den, dug into a sandy hill, partially hidden behind some tall grasses. Although this was not the primary purpose of the hike, we did a bit of trash-collecting along the trail. Many of us confess to carrying a trash bag when we venture out into nature; it's important to remove things like bits of plastic and balloons to prevent wildlife injuries and remove non-biodegradables from the habitat. Overall, there was not much to pick up, but we were glad to have the trash bag when we did find something. Our most interesting find was "the mystery shoe". There was only one; safe to assume, I guess, that it's not mating season for this species. We've got a few additional photos on the Florida SEE Facebook page. For more information about Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, please visit the preserve's web page - or find Conservation 20/20 on Facebook , where you'll find additional photos from our TAKE A HIKE tours as they occur. BACK to The Florida SEE Grapevine, April 2013
The Florida SEE Grapevine - April, 2013