Diario del proyecto Earlham Florida Term 2022

25 de enero de 2022

Epilogue:

I am told that my soul suffers every winter- I don’t think I’ve ever denied that. But now as I look out the window and see the veneer of snow with frozen dirt peeking through, thermometer reading a high for the day of 17°F, I reflect that my resolution for the year was to be more positive. So: I am warm inside the house, my bed is super warm, soft, and snuggly at night, I am not in a broken tent*, and I think my family did miss me when I was sunning myself in Florida. On a super positive note I have successfully spent one whole month of winter below 30° of latitude** (Mexico to visit family in December and then Florida for the J-term). Continuing the positivity, a group of 13 Earlhamites (12 students and myself) left on Jan. 4th and all returned on the 21st after 4000 miles of travel (healthy, though stinky). That is how I usually define a successful fieldtrip- returning from adventure with life and limbs intact. In our case, though, we were also all much richer – in experience, community, and of course, natural history. On this trip there were many firsts for members of the group- from seeing many ‘lifer’ species, to going on a rope swing into a gator-infested clear blue spring (ok, gator-present but not visible), to chumming for sharks in kayaks with 16 freshly fileted mullet corpses, to seeing an owl poop, to pooping in the woods (sadly not with the owl), to nearly being capsized by a giant stingray, to tracking a Florida panther (one of only ~200 in the wild!!!), to….

As the de facto person in charge of the trip it is my honor to say how awesome this group was. Unbidden, this same message was repeated to me by many independent parties throughout the trip, though my favorite was when they were referred to as ‘well behaved kids’. I really could not have asked for a better group. I learned volumes from them and admire them – they are much better students than I will ever be. Most of all, they were very good at tolerating and at times embracing my ‘leadership style’, which was likened to benign dictator.

Usually on trips like this there is something that throws a wrench in the gears. That is, despite planning and anticipation, there is always something unanticipated like bad weather, injury, sickness, car trouble, malaise, anguish, fire ants, etc. Other than fire ants, we were trouble free…and with the fire ants we gave as good as we received, so touché. Repeating, everything went exactly as planned! Even the bit of rain we had brought great things- like crocs, manatees, and heaps of wading birds (at someone else’s underwater campsite). Just to be clear, the crocs and manatees were at the docks, the birds were at the flooded campsite.

In conclusion, thank you to all of the students, alums, friends, and strangers that supported this trip. Especially thanks to the alums who have donated in the past so that we can offer programs like this without transferring additional burdens onto the students.

By Chris Smith, Associate Professor of Biology at Earlham

*One of my tent poles broke after week one and the other pole snapped in the second week – my dome tent became an unstable teepee.
**Being able to escape midwestern winters by doing research in the (sub)tropics was what initially made the Midwest seem habitable --- that was the offer by my PhD adviser at Illinois now 20 years ago. I haven’t managed to escape the winter too many times.

Publicado el 25 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

24 de enero de 2022

Return to Richmond

After leaving Richmond 18 days ago, today marked our return. Our journey spanned nearly 4000 miles by van, and the adventures really began the more we traveled by way of foot and watercraft. Our 17 nights were spent at 9 unique locations, some of which were more challenging to get to than others. The real meat of the trip, or hummus, depending on who in our crew you ask, lies within the tales we won’t soon forget, and today’s long haul back our second home of Richmond gave us plenty of time to reflect on these memorable moments of our journey. Between the NPR podcasts and 2000s’ throwback playlists (yes, the 2000s are now throwback territory), tales of vibrant birds, reptiles, and sunsets were recounted. The trip was smooth, with a few stops for gas, and one for Chipotle, being the only hold-ups. The sight of falling snow sparked excitement for some and agony for others, but certainly served as a reminder of the stark differences in climate between the southeast ecosystems we had spent the past weeks studying and our home away from home in Indiana.

The special group of novice naturalists, armed with the guidance of their fearless leader Chris “Antz” Smith, open ears and minds, and an avid distaste for mosquitoes, extracted every ounce of knowledge they possibly could from their one-of-a-kind firsthand field experiences. All Earlhamites returned to Richmond safely, and we look forward to formally sharing our experiences at our Presentation of Learning in the near future. Thanks for keeping up with us!

-Reece Zonts, first year from Elgin, IL

Publicado el 24 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

20 de enero de 2022

Scrub Sage and the Devious 'Dillos

Jan 19
One way to describe the morning was: early. A chorus of red junglefowl replaced our alarms and made us quickly get up and break breakfast bread for the day. After stretching our limbs and soaking in the morning sun, we hopped in the van and began the second leg of the long haul north. Our eyes set on Archbold Research Station, we drove up past fields of sugarcane and oranges, as well as multiple teakettle lakes, complete with a high population density of octogenarians. Apart from agriculture and natural landscapes, we saw pump stations in charge of facilitating water levels for the Everglades, which was pretty neat-o.
After arriving at Archbold, the Earlhamites set up the standard sandwich station and served up succulent sustenance. Mark Deyrup, semi-retired ecologist and ant taxonomist, was our guide for the day and after polishing off a hearty peanut butter, lettuce and mayo sandwich, he picked up his tote and beckoned us to join him. We headed to an old fire break to begin faring the Florida scrub. Soon after entering the unique habitat atop some of the highest points in peninsular Florida, Mark told us stories about local flora and how they have adapted to the acidic, sandy environment of the scrub. For example: curled, thick, waxy, hard leaves are present here for water retention. Additionally, characteristics of fauna in the scrub reiterated the dichotomy of fire adaptation. On one hand, plants such as palmettos have a more complex rooted structure which allows them to survive and regrow after fires. Mark told us a story about an ambitious ecologist who was interested in dating the lifetime of palmettos. Much to their dismay, the palmettos never died, which let them to the conclusion that the same roots may have been around for a very long time and sprouted genetically identical growth fire after fire. On the other hand of fire adaptation, slash pine invest in trunk growth to gain altitude early on so that when a fire comes through, the tree may be tall enough to survive the burn.
As we moved through the scrub, Mark shared with us lots of anecdotes from the tracks in the sand to prescribed burn stories to the signs around the paths made to illustrate practical uses of what many conservative passers-by would consider to be a pointless use of conservation. The knowledge he gave us about ecology, conservation and the scrub habitat was deep and very appreciated by the Earlhamites.
Next, we hopped back into our vans and chugged on Publix, where grub was gathered prior to stopping at our home base for the night, Highlands Hammock State Park. Once we set up tents and configured the campsite, some stayed back at camp to prepare for dinner or take some much-needed quiet time and others hopped back into a van with hopes of seeing the elusive scrub jay, an endangered species endemic to the Florida scrubs and Florida’s only endemic bird. Attempts to spot the jay were futile, but birders were able to see “a prickly pear cactus with really long spines” and many a mockingbird who posed as scrub jays.
Dinner comprised of grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, assorted potato salads and mini muffins a la Chef Chris. Once dinner was finished and cleaned up, we realized that it was only 7:30 PM and there was much more time for activities. The group concensed on a night hike through the “Big Oak” trail, and we quickly set out towards the trail head. Soon after arriving, we spotted white-tailed deer and had to pry Firepit (Nathan B.) from a staring contest with them. Some Earlhamites thoroughly enjoyed the hike, comparing the likes of it to Disney World. For others, it was like walking through a prehistoric habitat due to the sheer magnitude of some oak trees and palmettos that surrounded us. Notable animals that we saw/heard on our walk included: armadillos, white-tailed deer, feral hogs, and barred owls. Towards the end of the trail, we took a left turn and entered an ancient graveyard… or so we initially thought. Turns out, planted trees covered with deer-proof netting have an uncanny resemblance to old headstones when viewed from afar with a high-powered flashlight.
After the night trail, the Earlham thirteen got back to camp exhausted and slept like logs.

  • Charlie Burton, Senior
Publicado el 20 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Jan 18th Parking, and pie on a stick.

The day started off slowly as we had to green light for sleeping in from Chris. We all woke up at the late morning hour of 8 showing how we have settled into the routine of the camping lifestyle. After a yogurt and Publix special breakfast bread breakfast, we set out for long key state park. We followed the single road in the keys southward over various bridges and islands, ohhing and ahhing every time we reached the top of a bridge and were greeted by an aquamarine ocean vista.
Arriving at the park we set out to hike the park's nature trail and learned about the poison tree, that had good and bad news that came with it. The good: it is great habitat for white crowned doves (exciting the birders of the trip) and the bad: if touched, it can cause itching, and a severe rash (bad for everyone). The one mile loop was somewhat quiet other than a rather bored looking college group being lectured at (not us. Lets go experiential learning!), but still yielded some cool sightings: a short-tailed hawk, red-tailed hawk, bald eagle, ghost crab, antlion larvae, a delicious smelling plant called sea lavender, and sadly, no white crowned doves.
We then broke for lunch and a little bit of snorkeling. Chris led the charge into the sea grass beds, snorkeling as some of us set up lunch, and others patrolled the beach in search of coral, shells and hermit crabs. As Chris returned to sandy salami, and no silverware (oops) the Nathe/ans took a turn with the snorkels. Though they have the same name they had very different ways of snorkeling. Firepit (Nathan B) swimming along normally, and Slimjim (Nathen P) choosing to bear crawl face in the water and bottom in the air, in an effort to keep his shorts dry.
After lunch, we piled into the vans and headed south towards key west and the southernmost point in the continental united states. Spirits were high, and the rumor of ice cream was running rampant. Unfortunately, the drive was still about two hours, but sworth it. Upon arriving we discovered how difficult it would really be to park two, twelve-passenger vans in the bustling tourism center of the keys. Logically we headed to the nearest park to solve our predicament and serve as a base to go find ice cream.
The park, as well as having parking, turned out to have a beach, as well as a café that served ice cream and key lime pie on a stick. Many of us got the pie being in the Florida keys, and we headed to the beach with some very friendly doves and we were able to put our feet in the water and look out to sea where we knew Cuba was just out of sight, and only 90 miles away. Firepit (Nathan) disappeared almost immediately in search of marine life and was later found way out on a rock spit crouching over a tidepool, perhaps being the first person to make the scramble in black skinny jeans. Unfortunately we still had to make the two hour drive back to our campsite were starting to think about food again although we didn’t leave without seeing a sandwich tern so that probably helped. Driving back, we were treated to a beautiful sunset and the promise of fish tacos and a swimming pool upon return to camp.

Nathen Peck, (sophmore Biology)

Publicado el 20 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Sundiver Snorkeling and Kamping in the Keys

Jan 17

Nathan Brophy- first year

As the sun rose so did thirteen Earlhamites, after a quick breakfast and packing of tents plus other camp supplies, we were ready to hit the road. Due to the shoreline, it took us around two hours to cover approximately 20 miles. Our first stop was “SUNDIVER- Snorkeling Tours” (which you can visit at wwwsnorkelingisfun.com.) There, we found a pick nick table to have lunch, which consisted of our classic assorted sandwich toppings on either a bagel or bread. Changing into swimwear, we first encountered the issue of there being only one bathroom, causing a bottleneck in the changing process. Afterwards snorkels were passed around. COVID meant we had to purchase the snorkels instead of renting them.

After some waiting we, along with around fifteen other tourists, boarded the SUNDIVER III, a 40 foot converted snorkeling vessel crewed by Captain Rob, First Mate Tim, and of course, Greg. Departing from the dock, it took us 30 minutes to reach the reef. There we noticed that the sea was very choppy and shallow, and the tide was only falling. Parts of the reef itself were sticking out of the water. The shallowness of the water combined with Captain robs warning that the coral was “Sharper than a box of new razors” made some of the Earlhamites anxious about jumping in. Nevertheless, with snorkel in hand and flippers on feet, we made the plunged into the cool waters. Opening our eyes, we were transported into a new alien world of colorful mounds and structures of coral and sponges. Darting in and out of these formations were a plethora of fish. Gliding over this ecosystem we observed and explored the fish city. Our resident aspiring marine biologist, Nathan Brophy, was able to provide some possible identifications for few of the fish that were seen. The most common were assorted grunts, most likely bluestripe and french. A few tangs were spotted as well. Some highlights were; a type of pipe fish encountered by Thea, some “stripey bois” observed by Josh, and a very curious puffer which swam alongside Brophy until a wave shot him towards the puffer, making it flee and disappear into the reef. Additionally a grunt was spotted by many which had a second fish, probably a cleaner wrasse or goby, attached to its back, most likely feeding on dead skin and Algae. A few minutes before exit, Brophy and Chris discovered a beautiful Queen Parrot Fish, well over a foot long. With brilliant iridescent blue and purple scales, the fish was a sight to behold. Climbing back on the SUNDIVER III, thirteen shivering students excitedly discussed what they saw in their brief view into the watery world. Even discussing with First mate Tim, who was clad in Sponge Bob socks, crocs, blue shorts, and pink shirt, all topped with a tie-die bucket hat. Conversations with him were just as unique and colorful as his attire.

Back on dry land, we disembarked and changed, some of us scrambling to find a bathroom after consuming a little too much sea water on our snorkel adventure. Once refreshed, we hit the road to our next campsite on Key Largo. En route, Kokomo by The Beach Boys blasted within van thirteen. After a bit of driving, we arrived at Key Largo Kampground, where we found it was much nicer then we expected. Containing not only laundry but also a whole plethora of recreational activities, including: volleyball, Corn-hole, shuffleboard, a heated pool, and Bingo from 7 to 8pm! Once camp was settled we went on our ritualistic voyage to the closest Publix, which was actually within walking distance! Later the ingredients purchased at Publix were used to create one of the best meals we have ever made: quesadillas. After eating our fill, laundry was done, conversations and showers were had (although separately) and a handful of individuals decided to splash about in the heated pool. Eventually we all gathered back at the campsite and headed to bed, wondering what the next day will bring.

Publicado el 20 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

19 de enero de 2022

Shark Valley, Shlurping, and Showers

January 15th

The day began with an early departure from Trail Lakes Campground (AKA Skunkape Headquarters). The groups made their way to Shark Valley, located in the renowned Everglades National Park. We set foot down a 1.4 mile walking trail for an up-close look at local species. Tourists were nearly tripping over the American Alligators sunbathing on and near the trail, who didn’t seem to bat an eye at the humans passing by for photos. Over the course of the walk, we also saw many birds, including a wood stork, a few great blue herons, a green heron, many anhingas, double-crested cormorants, boat-tailed grackles, northern mockingbirds, palm warblers, and even a purple gallinule, which was new to many of us. Other intriguing sights included the abundance of gars (a primarily freshwater species of fish), as well as a few baby alligators. After this magnificent spectacle of so many cool species, we set off for Flamingo Campground. Along the way, we spotted an area that had recently been treated with a prescribed burn, which was especially exciting, as we learned details about this process back at Tall Timber’s Research Station a few days back. When we arrived to our campsite, groups split off to prepare their dinner. We went to bed satisfied with full bellies and tired bodies after our journey of the day.

January 16th

After a restless night full of strong winds and flimsy tents, we awoke for our day of rest with another ominous weather forecast hanging over our heads. We were expecting storms for around 4 hours of the day, and were forced to pack up the campsite, leaving no trace for the rain to wet. A group of birders left for a nearby trail shortly after breakfast to see as many species as possible. Chris and Charlie then took off for a bike ride around the local trails within the Everglades National Park, and the 11 remaining campers embarked on a drive to a nearby trail in attempts to add new species to our birding life-lists, as well as enjoy the natural landscape before the expected storm. About 30 minutes into our hike, the rain began to fall with speed increasing at an exponential rate. Campers fled back to the van, and Nathen (AKA Slim Jim) was spotted sprinting down the trail at full speed, both to escape the rain and avoid mosquitoes. The group then visited a dock at the campground, where a family of manatees was spotted “shlurping” the fresh rainwater off the surface of the marina. A large crocodile was also among the species spotted in this area. As we grew delirious while taking cover in the van, we were greeted by other campers, who informed us that half our campsite was flooded (thankfully our tents were elsewhere), drawing in hundreds of black skimmers and laughing gulls. In addition to these species, we spotted a juvenile yellow-crowned night heron, and some upset campers discovering their submerged tents. Once the rain stopped, we returned to our site, set up our tents, and began a pasta cook off. Each group won one of the three categories: best tomato based dish, best use of mushrooms, and best comfort food. Everyone’s a winner! After the competition, Ben worked over a stubborn fire to make a berry dessert for the group.

Publicado el 19 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Gator Hookers and the Questionable Shrimp

Jan 14

After some of us spent the better part of a day praising the Earth’s beauty and vowing to never again forsake it for kayaks and the open waters, we woke up to the thrill of a “free day”. Earlhamites diverged into two groups and therefore journeys due to separate interests.
The first group decided to take their curiosity to Loop Road where the trailhead to Gator Hook Trail began. The allure or fright of Gator Hook, depending on who you asked, was the immersion it offered with a trail that necessitated wading through knee-deep waters.
The trail began with limestone, most complete with some incredible solution holes, and incredible views on either side of tall grass marsh. As we walked through, we observed an impressive amount of gator… trails. Flattened grass on either side of the path suggested passage of alligators, but we were unable to confirm with a sighting. Soon, the trail led us into the entrance of a wooded area. From here, the growth of cypress knees on the trail controlled our gaze by forcing us to keep an eye on the ground ahead of us. Because of this, we were able to see and identify some beautiful organisms, including a small garter snake, a trove of ferns, a carabid, and many wading birds. Upon encountering the first unavoidable pool of water, some squealed with glee, some with contempt, and some with the realization that we were, in fact, a long way from the plush accommodations of Tall Timbers. The water was cold and crystal clear, giving a clear view into the wood, stone and growth that lay beneath the surface. As we continued down the path, off-topic conversations transitioned to quiet hiking, with the exception of the “Squeak! Squeak!” of Slim Jim’s (Nathen) sandals.
Pretty soon, the water welcomed us and we entered a sensational cypress swamp. As we traversed and trudged through the trail, we saw loads of bromeliads, particularly cardinal air plants, all up and down the cypress trees. The most disconcerting find in the wetland was a tie between a poison ivy plant which opened our eyes to the reality that there was poison ivy everywhere and a fresh boot track obviously laid down by the resident skunk ape as a red herring. After some time hiking the trail became less and less maintained and we decided that, although there was no clear indication, we had passed the furthest point of the trail.
On the way back, we walked with purpose and took a brief pause to see if staying still for a few minutes would bring any wildlife closer to us. We succeeded tremendously, and the mosquitoes that immediately began ravaging us caused us to continue at a brisk and hand-waving pace. Finally, on the way out, a massive python disguised as a small branch cost Charlie his ambition to lead and a pair of underpants. Overall, the wet hike proved to be a memorable experience and a great use of a free day.
The second group tired from our journeys, to and from, and our stay on the island decided that instead of a hike it was time for a day of rest. We set out with intentions of becoming tourists for the day and enjoying our time as so many other visitors do. We set out for Marco Island.
The first destination of the day was a location reported to have had burrowing owls. As we pulled up to the site we all confused to houses. Just like any street the road were lined with mailboxes and driveways, and while the mailboxes were very fun, being in the shapes of pelicans, manatees and dolphins, we were disappointed to realize that this was not where we would find our owls. We turned to leave and noticed something. The lot on the corner didn’t have a house on it, but it did have a few small sections of grass were roped off, and each roped off section contained small pile of dirt, an owl burrow.
With a new hope of owls, took the chance to stop for some truly tourist activities. First we found a local coffee shop for iced coffee and croissants. As we sat on the patio to enjoy, we considered what the other group must be up to, whatever their hike was like it could not be as pleasant as sitting in the sun with coffee and croissants. We took our touristy trek through some of the neighboring shops looking through everything from swimsuits to sunglasses. By the time we got back to the van we were ready to find some owls.
This time we were prepared. We knew what we were looking for. As we turned down new streets, we spotted more and more roped off sections until one of them contained a mound of dirt a good bit taller than the others, a mound that turned its head as we turned down the street. There were shouts of joy and excitement. Everyone had their binoculars pointed out the windows of the van at the bird who stood guard of its burrow just across the street. Pictures were taken, cuteness was appreciated, and we had accomplished the biggest goals of the day.
It was time for a break. We headed to the beach. Everyone was excited to do their own thing at the beach. Josh headed straight for the observation tower with camera and binoculars in hand, Sophia patrolled the beach in search of shells, and Nathan searched the water for anything and everything marine biology. We could tell that the local wildlife was used to getting fed by humans when a snowy egret approached us, seemingly looking for food and when we didn’t provide any stood within arm’s reach of another woman. This stay at the beach was made far more pleasant knowing that at any point in time we could leave the sand behind. We did just that after deciding it was well past time for lunch.
After a meal of Chipotle and Starbucks, we had just enough light left in the day to stop at an ebird hotspot. As we pulled up we notice a few other cars, and just down the trail are several other people with binoculars and cameras pointing out at a field filled with different species of birds. The egrets, herons, and white ibises we had seen countless times along our trip stood alongside limpkins, black-bellied whistling ducks, and roseate spoonbills. The most exciting was the snail kite, which we first noticed perched on a pole, but also got to watch as it swooped down to catch one of its signature snails. Truly a successful day for birding and tourist things alike.
When we reconvened as one big group, we unwound and let the sun set over the tree line. Afterwards, we set out once again, this time all of us went to Loop Road armed with high powered flashlights to see what lurked in the waters and woods at nighttime. Some highlights from this excursion included: disturbing a barred owl mid-bowel-movement, seeing trees full of white ibis and yellow-crowned night herons fishing, spotting a wild Deere (John Deere, that is), and spotting the reflection of multiple gators both above and underwater. Once we got back to camp at Skunkape, Chris cooked up various assortments of “hot dogs” and the group enjoyed these dawgs along with a diverse array of potato salads and chips. Overall, it was a full day and we all went to bed in our tents, hammocks, and vans happy.

  • Charlie Burton, Senior and Abby Shuck, Junior
Publicado el 19 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

17 de enero de 2022

Galavanting to Gullivan

Jan 11

While we were all excited to go to White Horse Key, many of us were dreading the paddle. We had endured around 8 or 10 miles on the Turner River the day before, and were about to go through about 12 more. We got up around 7, had our traditional oatmeal breakfast at 8, and were out of Trails Lake by 9:15. We arrived at the Collier-Seminole State Park around 9:45, and we set out on our kayaks and canoes at 10:30.
The first several miles of our paddle went relatively smoothly; we steered through calm waters, with dense mangrove forests on either side of us. We stopped at a muddy sandbar/oyster bar to have a lunch of muenster cheese sandwiches, hand delivered by Miette, who had stepped into the water, not realizing how deep she would sink into the mud. She decided that, since she was already in the water, she might as well save us the mess and bring us all food herself (like a true Quaker). We finished off our lunch with hot, melty Clif bars, and continued on our paddle.
Around this time, two of our three canoes, steered by Josh, Nathen, Ben, and Hannah, were joined in holy matrimony. They became one being, a single vessel, by holding a tarp up to the wind and making the best damn sail boat any of us had ever seen. While many of us were doubtful, the wind filled their sails (tarp, rather), and they zoomed away, taking the lead of our pack of boats with very little effort, while we watched with excitement and chagrin.
As we left the river and entered the bay, we were surprised by a majestic pod of dolphins, either 2 or 3 of them. They were hunting fish, and breached the surface in the process, giving us a beautiful show. However, as we waved fair well to the dolphins and steered further into the bay, the waters and strong winds became increasingly perilous. Our vessels were being thrown around by the choppy waves like a shoe in a washing machine; constantly rocking back and forth, being turned off course, and filling with salty, salty water.
Against all odds, 13 soggy Earlhamites arrived at an island, although not the one we intended to camp at. We ended our paddle at Gullivan Key, the island immediately north of White Horse Key. We pulled our boats up onto the shore, set up our tents, and Chris made gourmet quesadillas as the sun set beyond the waves. We ate dinner and sat around a beach campfire, and went to sleep shortly after.

Jan 12

We woke to the sound of gentle waves crashing against the sand. While we ate our breakfast of champions (oatmeal, obviously), Chris deemed that it would be a free day to do what we wanted. We all explored in one way or another; while some of us set out to paddle the bay in kayaks, others stayed behind and walked the circumference of the island, looking in the tidal pools at sea shells and marine life. We saw hermit and horse shoe crabs, comb jellies, mollusks and snails, a giant sting ray, ospreys, reddish egrets, brown and American white pelicans, sanderlings, american oyster catchers, ruddy turnstones, anemones, and a fisherman who sold us mullet (the fish, not the haircut) for about a dollar a pound.
After buying about 16 pounds of fish, Chris cooked it up for our lunch (as well as dinner, since there was so much left over), and many of us either ate it on its own, or on bagel sandwiches. Shortly following lunch, most of us got back in the water to keep exploring the tidal pools, but some of us stayed behind and took naps on the sand or in hammocks. As the sun was going down, we finished off our fish in an early dinner, with Nathan "Fish Champ" Brophy leading us to victory, by eating approximately 3 or 4 fish fillets (about 2 fishes worth). We made smores around a campfire, and turned in for the night around 9 or 10.

Jan 13

While we had planned to set for another early morning (estimated leaving time was 8 am), we woke up to rain on our tents and hammocks around 7 am. We ate dry bagels for a quick breakfast, deconstructed camp in the rain, and surprisingly only had about a 30 minute delay, getting back on the water by 8:30.

The water in the bay as we were leaving the island was very calm, much different from two days prior. We paddled through the bay back into the mangroves with much more ease than before, and much less water in our boats. We continued through the beautiful mangroves, where the water stayed pretty calm and still. We made it back into the Collier-Seminole State Park around 12:30, and promptly drove to Pollo Tropical, for a much needed and very delicious lunch.
Following lunch, we retreated to Trails Lake, where we reconstructed camp and took the rest of the afternoon for ourselves. Most of us showered and changed clothes, and did laundry (since we were covered in a layer of salt and sand). We opted for hot dogs and veggie dogs for dinner, eaten around yet another campfire. We finished eating, hung out around the fire to avoid the mosquitos as much as possible, and went to bed around 10.

  • Sophia Gilkey and Nathan Brophy, first years
Publicado el 17 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

14 de enero de 2022

Jan 9-10: Trey and Jay's Jungle Cruise

The group began the trip towards south Florida in good spirits, after clean showers and multiple loads of laundry. "Bye Tall Timbers!" we called out in unison as we waved to the Lion's Mane and Longleaf Pine. I-10 to I-75 South was often a monotonous drive, full of pines, country clubs, and Florida drivers. Chris kept the group awake with some walkie-talkie banter: placing McDonald's orders, asking questions in Spanish, or sometimes just making static noises to confuse and annoy. Pennsylvania residents were delighted by the familiar sight of Wawa gas stations, but sadly, Cade missed the exit, and the group resigned themselves to stopping at a very French gas station: Café Risqué. After refueling, the travelers broke bread (and Pringle) before hitting the road once more.
As the vans neared Tampa, one of the vans had a run-in with an unfortunate turtle who had wandered too far into the road. Miette led the leading van in three ‘Hail Mary’s before pressing on. Nearing Naples, Snowy Egrets became as frequent as pigeons, and golf courses even more so. One such egret fell prey to a Ford F-150 that had just whipped around both vans, in a somber display of the fragility of the Everglades.
Finally, we arrived at Trail Lakes Campground, the Skunk Ape Headquarters and the gate to the Everglades. The group was greeted by a man in a Ball State t-shirt, reminding them that it is, in fact, a very small world. Despite the mosquitoes, the group made camp, cooked in their groups, and prepared themselves for a full day of paddling to follow.
We started the morning by browsing the tchotchkes at Skunk Ape HQ and visiting the resident reticulated python. We then drove a few minutes down the road to Big Cypress National Preserve to begin our adventure in the Everglades.
We met up with our guides at the put-in: Trey, a friendly dude with an enviable beard, and Jason, a self-proclaimed “beach-rat” who loved mother nature and ex-wife jokes. We paddled the Turner River in double kayaks, which Jason dubbed “polyethylene divorce machines,” but all of our partnerships remained intact by the end of the day.
First, the group explored some of the coolest plant spots upstream in the mangroves, lush with orchids, bromeliads, and air plants. We continued down the river, getting up close and personal with alligators, shorebirds, and crabs. Paddles were broken down to enter the mangrove tunnels, a tight and twisting maze of roots and branches. As the mangroves closed in over our heads, thick branches became more helpful than paddles, and we quickly became practiced at branch-steering. Even the most skilled Tarzan-ers, however, were often vulnerable to kayak-jams.
After a river-side sandwich lunch and a brief encounter with a Sierra Club trip, we continued our paddle into the widening river and across the bay, reaching our pick-up spot in time to watch the sun setting across the water. We drove to our first non-campsite dinner and ate on a beautiful but buggy patio, giving a few of our members an opportunity to try alligator in their tacos. After a grocery run at Publix, rated by Charlie as the best bathrooms on the trip, we returned to Trails Lake for the night, in preparation for our next big adventure.

Publicado el 14 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

09 de enero de 2022

Winging it On The Wacissa

The morning started before dawn for a handful of bird-obsessed students. Their quarry an endangered, black and white checkered, flying fellow known as the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Their quest was fulfilled when they came across a trio of the birds shortly after sun up. The Red-cockaded was by far the most notable species observed on the early morning venture, but others such as the Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, and American Kestrel were among the notables of the 25 species seen on the walk, all before breakfast!

After the birders reconnected with the rest of the squad, the baker's dozen fueled up and whipped down to the Wacissa river. A quintet of solo kayaks, pair of double kayaks, and a couple of canoes dipped their bellies in the water shortly before noon. While paddling about, reptiles, and more birds, were plentiful. American alligators, Anoles, and Map Turtles were seen soaking up the Saturday sun, as multiple species of Egrets and Herons, a pack of Vultures, and a Bald Eagle ('Merica!) flew overhead. The gang briskly paddled up stream for a short bit to reach what has been dubbed as Big Blue, a 50-foot-deep spring caused by the karst formation of the area. Big Blue is one of a number of springs that feed the Wacissa. Upon arrival at Big Blue, lunch was unpacked and consumed, and then the crew engaged in a swinging time.

Nathen (Slim Jim) Peck was the first to mount the platform and grab hold of the rope. He began a monsoon of launches, as everyone took turns swinging from the platform and flying into the depths of Big Blue, only to resurface moments later. The highest rated launches were Slim Jim's pike, Hannah's plummet, and Thea's scoot. Once the Quakers returned to their vessels, they began to paddle back to the boat launch location. The voyage was knocked back only slightly by the wake of one of Florida's famed fan boats. This was one of the least enjoyable "new encounters" of the day. However, some friendly locals enlisted the crew in heaving the hull of a fan boat back to an upright position, and the gratitude of the Floridian's, as well as a less disruptive encounter with a fan boat, boosted the gang's morale before dinner time. As the evening meal was prepped, guitar strings were plucked, and Earlham's most novice choir hollered a number of tunes such as "Cows Have Guns" by Dana Lyons, heard earlier in the day on Florida State University radio. The meal satisfied all hunger, and the squad then dispersed to prepare for tomorrow's travel.

The day's most notable sights were certainly Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, American Alligators, White Ibis, a large Eastern Snapping Turtle, a Bald Eagle, and Big Blue!

  • Reece Zonts, first year from Elgin, IL and Ben Sniegowski, third year from Media, PA
Publicado el 09 de enero de 2022 por crsmithant crsmithant | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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