Naturalist's Blog

Florida Panther Sighting!

2012-01-26T17:34:00.006-05:00

On January 25, a resident on the resort walked her guests out to their cars after a nice dinner. As she said bye and looked down the road she saw a slender animal walking away into the shadows with a very distinct sway to it's walk and a long fluffy tail which turned up just before it touched the ground. Know what the animal is yet?

Florida Panthers have been known to roam Amelia Island occationally. Sightings occur about a few times a year, mostly at Fort Clinch, and pictures rarely turn up. Florida Panthers are native to all of Florida but are more commonly found in the Everglades and surrounding areas. In the sand at the top of the Sunken Forest, you can see proof of his appearance on the resort. Following a trail of raccoon foot prints, a distinct set of paw prints can be seen.

The resort doesn't have much roaming area for a panther or enough big game for him to hunt so he will probably didn't stick around long, but it's always spectacular to see this beautiful endangered species still survives!

Okefenokee Swamp

2012-01-09T11:25:00.008-05:00

On January 8th a few naturalist's got to take a trip to the Okefenokee swamp. The trip is to a close swamp area that is located in southern Georgia. This property is 438,000 acres with most being protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. We offer this off property tour at our guests convenience and try to take as many trips a year as we can. This wildlife area is very different from our property. The have a very wide range of animals, reptiles, birds, plants and trees. Yesterday we were able to see Sandhill Cranes in the swamp along with gators and many different kinds of lizards.

Buddy gettin' down!

2012-01-02T21:44:00.004-05:00

Today, Bob Seger came on the radio and Buddy was dancing up a storm! Buddy has been at the nature center now for about a year and a half and he's loving every minute of it! Between getting to watch the guests dance for him or all the treats he could ever ask for, Buddy is one spoiled nature center bird! Here are a few pictures from a year ago when he first arrived at the nature center.

Educational & Interesting Ecology

2012-01-02T21:16:00.003-05:00

For all you who love to learn something new everyday, we have a variety of ecology tours available at the nature center. If you want to learn about the marsh, beach, or maritime forest, we have the tour for you! Our tours are educational but also fun! Perfect for families or individuals, we have no tour minimum!

ALSO, starting this month we start a new tour called Treasure Seekers! Learn to navigate a compass and about cardinal directions.

Come learn how ye can be a pirate, matey!

Update on Mr. Whiskers

2011-10-23T22:35:00.003-04:00

In case you were wondering what happened to Mr. Whiskers (see post from August 31), we are happy to say that he found a loving home with an Omni employee! He came back so we could take him for a vet visit. He loved seeing the squirrels that we are raising, but somehow I don't think they were as happy to see him!

Getting in the Halloween Spirit!

2011-10-11T22:10:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of last week the Amanda's decided that it was too early to carve pumpkins but not too early to paint them! So... we found some interesting looking pumpkins/ squash and painted whatever we thought would fit them! Enjoy!

Maize

2011-10-10T21:38:00.004-04:00

This is Maize, a Miami corn snake that we are "snake-sitting" at the nature center. She's just a few years old, and is similar to Gator, our Red Rat Snake, but is smaller and has lighter, orange markings. Her (human) Dad has one more semester to teach up in Ohio before retiring here on Amelia. Visitors to the nature center enjoy seeing this sweet girl, and we enjoy spending time with her too. She's a good house guest, which for a snake means she's not messy and is eating and shedding regularly. We will miss her in December when she leaves, but I'm sure something else will come along then.

Wild Bill

2011-10-10T21:35:00.003-04:00

Meet Wild Bill. He's a fully grown Gopher Tortoise, around 30-40 years old. This lucky guy showed up, literally, on our doorstep one morning about a month ago. We came to work in the morning and he was sitting in front of the door with a few grapes. We do not know who put him there, if he was kept in captivity at all or was just found in the wild. His eyes were so sunken and cloudy that we weren't sure if he had any. He was pretty much just skin and bone and could barely move. After a week at the vet's office, receiving fluids, eye and nose drops, we picked him back up, and he looked much better!
We continued to give him the drops, and now his eyes look great and nose is cleared up. We put him in a large container of sand to roam around in, and every day he gets a little stronger and walks around more. The hardest part has been to get him to eat. He'll eat a few bites of banana, and sometimes we take him out to the dunes where he can eat his native vegetation, like dollar weed. He also likes to soak in a bucket of warm water.

His progress is encouraging, so he will probably be just fine. He will probably not be able to be released, and in that case we'll keep him here at the nature center to teach people about this important species, which is unfortunately is threatened.

Another Day at the Office...

2011-10-10T21:30:00.002-04:00

So here we are, trying to put our heads together and plan things for the nature center, when Buddy the macaw and Buttercup the guinea pig decided that we should take a break and spoil them. Between Buddy's squacks and Buttercup's squeaks, they can be hard to ignore! (not that we mind).

Howl-o-ween Pet Parade and costume contest

2011-10-10T21:28:00.002-04:00

It's almost time for our annual Howl-o-ween
Pet Parade and Costume Contest!
Dress your pet in their favorite
Halloween costume and join the fun.
Prizes will be given for best costumes!
Details
• Friday, October 28
• 5:00 p.m.
• The Spa & Shops
• Call the Nature Center at 904-321-5082 or
pre-register the day of the parade by 4:45 p.m.
• Costume contest begins at 5:30 p.m.
A $10 suggested donation will benefit RAIN,
a charitable organization dedicated to
Rescuing Animals in Nassau County.

Daisy and Marvin

2011-10-10T21:23:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we received a baby squirrel, who we named Daisy. She was about 5 weeks old, so we had to feed her formula around the clock for a few days, but then she began to eat some solid foods too, like nuts and rodent block. A couple days after we got her, someone brought us another squirrel that was a little older, named Marvin. She had raised him for three weeks, and knew he needed to be released soon, but didn't know exactly when or how. So, we put him in our larger cage to let him run around until we can release him.

It's important for these little squirrels to learn how to be a squirrel, and not that they are people, so we always have two together if possible. So, we decided to put the two of them together, even though we were a little worried because Daisy is smaller than Marvin.

It's hard to see in this picture, but Marvin in in his box on the right, peeking out the back left corner into the other box that we set up for Daisy, who stayed inside at first. Not much happened other than a few peeks at each other the first day they were together. By the next morning, though, little Daisy had taken over Marvin's box! So much for being worried about her, she turned out to be the dominant one. After a couple of days they got used to each other and now they use the same box and play together all the time. Daisy is the pesky little sister, always running around, even hiding under the towels to surprise Marvin. We'll keep the two in their cage for another month or so until they can be released.

Hummingbird

2011-09-21T22:31:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, a local resident was shopping at a home improvement store when he noticed this hummingbird laying upside-down in a plant saucer full of water! Thankfully the bird didn't drown, and the man brought it into us. We fed it some sugar water, and it still did not fly off. So, we tried again about an hour later, and then then she did fly off. We have hummingbirds who frequently visit our feeder and flowers, so this one should do just fine around here.

Beach mice

2011-09-10T22:44:00.002-04:00

This summer the recreation department found these little beach mice living under a trash can near the sand dunes. Unfortunately, the mother was found dead nearby. So, we took them to the Wildlife Coalition in Jacksonville where they lived with a foster mom for about a month. I picked them back up about a month later, and they were a little bigger and a lot quicker (and had sharper teeth!). So, we released them close to where they were found.

These little mice are cute, but they are also essential to the health of the sand dunes. They help repopulate sea oats which are critical to dunes. They are also food for alot of other animals living in the dune system. Some subspecies are are threatened, so it's great that we were able to return these to the wild.

Ungrateful gull on the bridge

2011-09-10T22:41:00.002-04:00

I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago, and spotted this sea gull on the side of the bridge to Amelia Island. I thought it was an odd spot for a bird to be, so I turned around and crossed the bridge again, but decided it was too dangerous to stop on the bridge. So, I crossed again and parked at the foot of the bridge, and walked up near the top to the gull. (not fun in the August heat!). I got up to the gull, but right before I grabbed him he ran/flew into oncoming traffic. I just had to turn my head because there was a car coming that I was sure would hit him. Luckily, it didnt, and I was able to catch him. I carried him back down the bridge to my car, with him trying to peck me the whole time. Luckily I didnt have far to drive to work, because everytime I'd turn the wheel, he'd go right for my fingers! Talk about beign ungrateful to someone who saved your life! When I got it I put him in a carrier, and then we took him down to BEAKS where he could recover.

Leatherbacks on Amelia!

2011-08-31T22:13:00.004-04:00

We were very fortunate this year to have two leatherback sea turtle nests on the island. Almost all of our sea turtle nests are loggerheads. Since it's so rare to have a leatherback nest, tons of people showed up to watch as volunteers excavated the nest. After the hatchlings hatch and then emerge from the nest, they head down to the surf. A couple of nights later, a volunteer from the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch digs up the nest and counts the number of eggs hatched and unhatched, and babies that hatched but did not live. Hatchlings that failed to climb out of the nest but are still alive get to hitchhike down to the surf where they're released. If you'd like to see a sea turtle nest excavation, go to www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com, and then click on "excavation schedule" on the left hand side. The season is coming to a close, and we are happy to report 154 nests this year!

Mr. Whiskers takes over

2011-08-31T22:07:00.004-04:00

If you've been following our blog through the years, you know that cats have often taken over our office. We now have Mr. Whiskers, who's decided to take over the whole nature center! He is about 4 or 5 months old and was found loose in an apartment complex parking lot. Amanda Clark could not leave this sweet boy there, so he's here at the nature center until we can find him a good home. He loves everyone that comes in, and escorts them around the nature center.

He even takes phone messages for us!

Mr. Whiskers also helps us keep track of the other animals. Here he is checking on our Burrfish, and keeping an eye on Buttercup the guinea pig.

Mini-me gopher tort

2011-08-19T22:30:00.003-04:00

A couple of months ago, this tiny gopher tortoise was found with a bad eye. Sand had probably irritated it, so we treated it with some eye drops to make sure the baby was ok. Gopher tortoise babies usually hatch in the fall, so this one was probably about 8 months old. We named her Gypsy and kept her in an enclosure with our resident gopher, Gophina, who's about 6 years old (they dont reach adult size until age 12 or older).

Gypsy acted like a typical little sibling. Gophina would bob her head at the baby and sometimes head-butt her. We scolded her, but after a few days realized that it was all due to Gypsy egging her on. The two seemed to have a love-hate relationship. Gypsy was released today close to where she was found. Does Gophina miss her? Maybe in a small way, but I'm pretty sure she's happy to go back to being the spoiled only child! And I'm sure Gypsy is happy to be free again to roam!

EcoExplorer's camp!

2011-07-26T22:14:00.003-04:00

The last two weeks the nature center hosted week-long camps for kids from 6 to 12. The kids enjoyed lots of fun activities, including kayaking, fishing, seining, biking, crafts, games, etc., as well as field trips. Trips included a boat ride, Jacksonville Zoo, Fort Clinch and Jekyll Island. Exploring Fort Clinch.

Playing "hawks and sparrows"
Learning about the marsh at Drummond Point park.

Destiny is a free possum!

2011-07-24T13:21:00.002-04:00

We got a little possum in a little over three months ago (see previous posts). It grew really big, really fast! Last weekend we took him (yes, we learned it was a boy) to a wildlife rehabilitater who lives on 22 acres of private land so he'll be safe. She put him in an outdoor cage and then after a few days released him. He wandered off and did great! We will miss him around the nature center but know he'll be able to follow his instincts in the wild.

Here's a flashback from shortly after we got him!

White Oak Plantation

2011-07-16T22:36:00.009-04:00

White Oak Conservation Center is one of the world's premiere wildlife breeding, research, and training facilities. Luckily for us, it happens to be located less than an hour northwest of Amelia Island. It spans 600 acres and is surrounded by 6800 acres of pine and hardwood forest and wetlands. For more information about this unique center, see their website: wocenter.org

Last month, Christina, Levi, and I got to go on a tour with this summer's recreation interns in an open-air bus. White Oak is just beginning to open up to the public. So, we got to check it out and decided to offer tours there. Call the nature center at (904)321-5082 if you are interested in going with us! As our tour guide pointed out, we were perhaps the only people in the world petting a baby white rhino right then! This is George, who could not be raised by his mother, and therefor loves people because they bottlefed him.
This female Cassowary is huge, and we got to hear her make a unique call. I felt like I was seeing and hearing a dinosaur!
There are at least 33 cheetahs in the breeding program, including this one who ran up to the fence to chase our bus! We were glad for the fence between us!
A few of the giraffes loved coming over to eat a snack of local vegetation.
After we were back on the bus, this little (well, for a giraffe) baby was eager to check us out from a safe distance, although Mom still kept a really close eye on us.
Very rarely seen in the wild, or even in zoos, we got a great look at this Okapi!

Laugh Out Loud!

2011-07-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

Just thought you might want a laugh today!

Buttercup needs a home!

2011-07-11T22:11:00.002-04:00

We have had a lot of different species come into the nature center for rescue, but never before have we gotten a guinea pig! This one was found in some one's backyard, an odd sight to see when you look out your back door! The family brought it into us knowing that we'd take care of her. We were all scared she would bite, but it turns out she's as sweet as she could be! She's won over all of the naturalists, and many guests who've come to see her, too. Being outdoors did take its toll on her, her back feet had some burns on them, she favors one of her legs, and we're treating her for ear mites. Nothing a little TLC can't fix! No one has come out to claim her (we are calling her Buttercup) so if you know anyone who would like a very sweet girl, very tolerant of children, let us know!
P.S. we thought leash training would be a good way to show her off. You can tell by her disapproving look what she thinks of it.

Cumberland Island

2011-07-05T22:53:00.005-04:00

About a month ago, we took a group out to Cumberland Island. There were lots of new foals to look at, as well as baby wild turkeys (look carefully, there's two in this photo). It was a great getaway for the people participating in their conference. Another group recently went to Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, and we have upcoming group trips to Fort Clinch State Park and White Oak Conservation Center. See other posts for more photos and info on these great places.

Bird Express

2011-06-05T08:18:00.002-04:00

Since our bird vet is about an hour away, we like to economize. So, when our parrot, Buddy, needs to go in to get checked, Amanda brings her bird, Doc, who was rescued from our property, and Christina brings her bird, Amelia, as well. Doc is a blue-headed conure and Amelia is a Hahn's Macaw. If you are going to be traveling a while with three parrots, it's important to bring lots of snacks (for the birds, a.k.a. bribes) as well as some ear plugs.

This is Amelia in her travel cage. All birds got checked and also a wingy/beaky/pedi. Rumor has it on the way back a couple of french fries were slipped in, too. Spoiled birds? Never!

Yulee Primary 2nd Graders

2011-05-25T14:43:00.003-04:00

The first week of May we had the second grade of Yulee Primary come visit us at the nature center. We did a beach scavenger hunt, played a sea turtle survival game, and showed the kids a few of our resident critters. A couple of the classes sent us the sweetest thank you notes, so we thought we'd share some of them.

Destiny still fulfilling her destiny

2011-05-24T20:03:00.003-04:00

Update on Destiny:

She is doing very well, big and healthy. She is a little over 2 months old now and will probably be released after another month. She is lapping milk and will soon be introduced to wet cat food. Enjoy the pictures!

Destiny's destiny

2011-05-05T21:12:00.006-04:00

Update:

We named the opossum Destiny. She has been doing great! Her appetite has continued to increase and she is getting stronger everyday. If things go as planned, Destiny is to be released back into the wild when she is ready to survive on her own. Keep checking in for more updates on her.

Possum update

2011-05-03T21:46:00.005-04:00

Our little possum that we got a couple of weeks ago is doing great! We are so proud of her, she gets bigger and stronger by the day. Here is a possum-sized yawn!

Baby Opossum

2011-04-18T20:04:00.006-04:00

The Nature center got a call last week about 5 baby opossums that were orphaned. Some of the babies were beat up with bruises, their eyes were shut but they had a little hair- they were almost at the age their eyes will open. At this age, they would still be in the mother's pouch. They were very cold and VERY dehydrated when we received the babies so unfortunately, 4 of them did not make it through the first night. There is still the one survivor though and it is doing better every day. There is no guarantee that it will make it any length of time but we are doing our best to keep it as healthy as we can. We will post updates on its story every so often so check back soon.

Why armadillos do NOT make good pets

2011-04-09T22:37:00.003-04:00

Even though we put three boards and two bins on top of our armadillo, Hokey Pokey's cage at night, she still managed to escape last night. She had great fun knocking over trash cans, buckets, store items, and pretty much whatever else she came across in the nature center. It was not hard to figure out where she was, we just followed her path of destruction, which led us to a pile of garbage bags. The cardboard box was full of trash can liners, and Hokey Pokey had taken every single one out and piled them under the corner of a desk. After a few minutes of pulling out the bags, there was a very warm armadillo in the very back. It amazed me that she could get so many of the bags pulled in around her to make her "bed". Now, we are boarding up her cage like Alcatraz at nights, so we'll see how long it takes her to escape again!

The Nelson's Trip to Okefenokee Swamp!

2011-04-07T09:55:00.006-04:00

On 3-29-11, three naturalists- Christina, Jacob, and myself, took the Nelson family on an all day tour of the Okefenokee Swamp. The week leading up to our trip was very warm but a cold air system came through the night before and made it a bit chilly. That was actually a great thing because it made the swamp and areas around it foggy all day which means great animal spotting!

Lucky for us we had some great pairs of eyes with us. Clare, JP, Ruby, Annie, both Moms and Grandma warmed up their wildlife viewing skills on the drive into the park by finding a record FOUR fox squirrels! Fox squirrels are the largest species of tree squirrel in North America and can grow to be about two feet long.

Then we stretched our legs at the welcome center we jumped on a boat and headed into one of the largest blackwater swamps in the world. As we traveled down the canal we started looking at the banks for alligators. The day was cold enough that the water temperature was warmer than the air so the gators were floating near the banks. We soon adapted our eyes to look for their distinctive heads breaking the surface of the water. There were alligators everywhere!

After the boat took us out of the lagoon we entered the prairie area of the swamp. The average depth of this part of the swamp is only two feet deep, and what looks like solid ground is actually floating islands of peat. Our boat guide put the boat on one and we got to walk around on a squishy island. From there we could see some white ibis and a great egret. Then we all got to taste a local water plant called a Golden Club. It tasted a bit odd but I think most of us agreed it was better than brussel sprouts.

After lunch we stopped by some ponds close to the roads and spotted more gators, even a mamma with her babies. After that it was a small hike on the boardwalk to the observation tower. The kids weren't done finding gators! They spotted a couple more babies on the way to the tower and an adult when we got there. From the top of the tower we even spotted two raccoons searching the grasses for a meal.

From the boardwalk we visited the Chesser Island Homestead and ran out our remaining energy. We saw how the Chesser family once lived and made the swamp their home. The day was a fun one and we saw a whole bunch of wildlife and made some new friends. I think everyone had a great time and we can't wait to see the Nelsons again!

Here are some totals of the animals we saw.

Fox squirrels 4, Turtles 1, Red shouldered hawk 1, White Ibis 6, Great Egret 1, Racoon 1, Red bellied woodpecker 1, Alligators 32!!!!

New Naturalists' first animal rescue

2011-03-31T22:20:00.002-04:00

We have two new naturalists, Kevin and Jacob. On one of their first bike hikes, a snake was in the road and was accidentally hit by a bike. Kevin, who loves reptiles, jumped off his bike and caught the snake, who turned out to be a rough green snake, usually found in trees and not on the ground. Kevin carried the little guy while riding his bike, for the rest of the tour, which was about an hour. We cleaned the snake's wounds, which weren't too bad, and put some antibiotic cream on them. The next day the snake looked good and was ready to be released, so they released him around where they found him.

Here is Jacob holding the snake, which is a big feat because he has a fear of snakes! He thought it'd be good to start small with this little guy and then move up to our resident corn and eastern kingsnake.

Cedar Waxwing rescue

2011-03-11T13:18:00.004-05:00

The other day a property owner came by with a bird that she saw hopping around in the road. She was worried that it was a baby and needed food right away. Turns out it was not a baby, but a mature Cedar Waxwing. These are beautiful birds that are usually found in large flocks eating berries off trees. We let him sit in a carrier for awhile, and he got real antsy, hopping around and even flapping his wings a little, so we decided to try and release him.

He hopped around a little, but did not even attempt to fly. So, we took him into BEAKS, a nearby bird rescue. He's been eating well, but still not flying. As soon as they figure out what's wrong, they'll do their best to fix it and get him back to the wild where he belongs.

Bald Eagle Baby

2011-03-11T13:09:00.002-05:00

Just up the road from us, a pair of bald eagles have a nest. The other day, one of the babies fell from the nest. It hopped across the busy road, and then climbed up about 15-20 feet into a tree. It was too high up for us to reach with our net, so we enlisted the help of a few firemen, as the station was right across the street. Thier ladders were too heavy, but they did help us try to get him to come down to where we could get him. The eagle had other plans...he jumped down from the tree, almost hit the ground, then swooped back up and flew into another tree, even higher up. So, we had to leave the firemen with a large carrier and the net, to wait for it to come down on it's own where we can reach it. The main concern is the eagle being too young to hunt on its own. So, cross your fingers!! Note that it doesn't have it's white head or tail yet, and won't for another 3-5 years!

Hokey Pokey Pokes Around

2011-03-07T22:12:00.003-05:00

On a nice warm day, Hokey Pokey got to go out and enjoy the weather! She did what armadillos do best! Pokey had a blast walking around searching for her favorite treats hidden under the leaves. We are designing a "playpen" at the moment where she can spend hours doing this without mommy's supervision. Come see Hokey Pokey at the Nature Center!

Rex goes into the Big Boy pond!

2011-02-25T19:31:00.006-05:00

Today big boy Rex, the Red-bellied Slider, was released into the pond behind the Nature Center. Rex was given to the nature center last spring by a caring little girl. She found him outside and he was only the size of a quarter. Rex is now bigger than my hand and was ready to free into the wild. Rex thanks everyone for their company in the nature center and hopes that you come and visit to feed him in the pond out back!! He told me to tell you to make sure he gets most of the turtle food! So look for him while you are out feeding the turtles behind the nature center! Here's one last look at him before you go! Keep safe little Rexy!

Hardy-Davis Eco Friendly Wedding

2011-02-25T18:55:00.005-05:00

On February 12th, one of our Naturalists, Amanda Hardy-Davis, got married at Walker's Landing. She planned a beautiful eco-friendly wedding. This included anything from recycled paper invitations to 12 inch Southern Red Cedar trees (which are native) for the guests. She and Trevor planted a Southern Red Cedar together as their unity during the wedding.

The wedding was beautiful and the weather was perfect. We already miss her at the nature center and it seems a little more quiet without her happy-go-lucky attitude and playful laugh! We wish her well however and hope she will join our team again soon! :)

A sea star thanks his lucky stars

2011-02-23T22:30:00.005-05:00

Amanda Clark was on a beach bounty tour today and came across a sea star. It was stiff, so everyone thought it was dead. A family from England was going to take it home. Fortunately, the family left the sea star at the nature center by accident. I came across it, picked it up and wasn't sure if it was dead or not because part was stiff and part wasn't. Amanda said she hadn't seen its tube feet move, but suggested putting it in the tank to make sure. Well, sure enough, it was alive! It's feet started to slowly move. We were so happy for the sea star....until the stone crab in the tank grabbed it! Luckily Amanda saw it in time and took it from the crab. The sea star was so appreciative that it would not let go of Amanda! We moved the crab to another tank so hopefully the sea star will be able to live peacefully at the nature center now. We think the sea star got caught on land and was cold-stunned when they found it.

An exciting end to a bird tour

2011-02-11T13:20:00.002-05:00

I just came back from a birding tour. We saw black-crowned night herons, anhingas, cormorants, northern shovelers, a coot, great blue and little blue herons, marsh and other hawks, a kestrel, egrets, sandpipers, etc. Then, right as we were about to leave, an osprey rushed by with a fish in its talons. As we were watching it, another bird came flying in really fast. It was a bald eagle! It dove after the osprey into the marsh. When the birds came back up, they flew in different directions, but neither had the fish.

After that, I saw a duck fly in to a nearby pond. If I hadn't have noticed it fly in, we would have missed about 10 hooded mergansers. These are really beautiful diving ducks. Males are black and white, and females are brown with funky little "hairdos". We were quiet and able to get really close to them. I could have stood there forever just "drinking" them in!

Nature Center animal update

2011-02-11T10:38:00.003-05:00

Nowadays, when you visit the nature center, you are often greeted with a loud "hello" and maybe even a bow. We naturalists are very friendly, but actually it would be Buddy, our blue and gold macaw greeting you! Buddy was rescued last August, and it has taken him some time to warm up to us and for everyone to trust each other. One way to get on his good side....peanuts!! He often settles for a nice head- scratch, too, but only from the naturalists, who he trusts. He has a huge new cage in our new classroom, and also a large perch by the window that he can see people as they come in.

Another favorite animal of our visitors is Hokey Pokey, the armadillo. Since she learned to climb over the baby gate which kept her in our back office, we decided to let her have the run of the new classroom. At night she is put in her cage, but we have to put three boards and two heavy bins on top so she can't escape!

Ricky (Bobby) and Freddy

2011-01-17T21:36:00.003-05:00

Last August, the nature center took care of two adorable kittens (Ricky and Freddy) who's mother was a feral cat on property. They were about 10-12 weeks old and we found them a home pretty easily. We get all cats we adopt out fixed and their shots, and let the new owners know that if they can no longer care for them, we will take them back. Well, last week we got a call from someone who visited Animal Care and Control and saw Ricky and Freddy there! We had to go bail them out before anything bad happened to them. Close call!

So now we are looking for a new home or even foster home for these two gorgeous brothers. Both have long, shiny fur. Ricky (Bobby) is a sleek black with gorgeous golden eyes and has a short tail. Freddy is a grey tabby who sort of resembles a lion. They are about 8 months old now and love to play. We would love to see them get a home together, but as long as they both had loving homes they would OK separated, too. If you would like a fun-loving cat or two, could foster them, or know anyone looking for a cat, please let us know! Right now they are living in a small room in a house, with "play dates" at the nature center to stretch out their legs.

Fluffy Freddy.

Ricky, with a bobbed tail.

Oh sweet river otter, how I do love thee!!

Their baby pictures (aww):

A Rogue Spoonbill

2011-01-15T22:50:00.003-05:00

The other day I was in our back office when I heard Amanda Clark (who is now officially full-time, yay!) exclaim that she saw a Roseate Spoonbill. I had to see for myself, and there it was, just hanging out above our turtle feeding platform! Usually they are gone by the end of December. I guess this one figured it'd stay and hang out with its Great Egret friend, who stays year round. We've also had hooded mergansers, night herons, anhinga, kingfisher, Great blue heron and lots of woodpeckers around the nature center lately. Come on by to check them out!

Okefenokee Swamp in the winter

2011-01-13T11:26:00.003-05:00

Our latest trip to Okefenokee Swamp was the week after Christmas. It started out a little chilly. I had never seen the water with ice in it! Luckily it wasn't everywhere and we were still able to take a boat ride. Blankets on board, and eventually the sun, kept us warm.
We were a little worried about not seeing much wildlife because of the chilly temps. But, it was too cold for the alligators to digest their food, so they weren't out hunting. And the other animals knew it! I saw more animals than I've ever seen at the swamp. Unlike this Great Blue Heron, most of them were too quick to get a photo of. We saw an otter eating a fish, quite a few raccoons (including a mom and babies up in a tree eating berries), kingfishers, grebes, pileated woodpecker and other birds. Most exciting was a bobcat that one of the kids in our group spotted (no one believed him until we saw it ourselves!). And, believe it or not, we saw Snipes! A snipe is very rare bird to spot in the wild, and we saw quite a few of them!

The water level was so low in the swamp that we were able to get off the boat and run around on the peat, which is usually underwater. We learned that running around out there probably wasn't the best idea, though, because....

you never know when an alligator will be there! The boys were playing and all of the sudden we realized there was a7-8 foot long alligator that they didn't even notice at first. Luckily, they saw it before tripping over it!
We also saw this bear track!

After lunch, we saw these alligators in the duckweed right where the boats are docked.

Hellloooo up there! We drove around the wildlife drive and then walked the mile-long boardwalk to get to this observatory tower overlooking a lake. It was a great trip with a great family. Thank you Colemans!

Busy Naturalists

2010-12-19T21:31:00.002-05:00

This past week, we've been painting and rearranging our office at the nature center. Hokey Pokey, the armadillo, slept through all the commotion. She was happy to get out of the cage when we were done to check things out.

Buddy, our Blue and Gold Macaw, got to take a road trip on Friday with Amelia (Christina's Hahn's Macaw). They went to Orange Park to get a pedicure, beak and wing trim. Buddy also picked up his new cage, so he'll have plenty of room to stretch his wings. He's also practicing Amelia's favorite word - peek-a-boo!

Squirrel Release

2010-12-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

We've had three baby squirrels at the nature center, Flopsy, Mopsy and Trixie (or Little Bit, as she's a little smaller than the others). They fell out of their nest and came in when their eyes hadn't even opened yet. (Their eyes open around 4 weeks). They've been in a cage outside the nature center, and then at Drummond Point Park. After getting used to the surroundings out there, we released them last Sunday. When we opened the cage, nothing happened at first, until Amanda Hardy moved something. That startled them and one of them jumped on Amanda, thumping her right on the head! The two boys ran off and Trixie stayed around to say her goodbyes. We go back every day and make sure they have enough food and water, since they don't have winter stashes started yet. This is Trixie saying "hi" and thanking me for her breakfast!

Right Whale Festival - 2010

2010-11-20T19:27:00.008-05:00

Every year around November 20th, many people gather learn about Right Whales and their conservation. Right Whales are on the move from northern Atlantic Ocean to southern Atlantic where the mothers will have their young and enjoy warmer waters. They can be seen off our local coast anytime between December and March.
The Right Whale festival always has fun and educational booths from numerous conservation societies. The Nature Center got a chance to join in on the fun! We had a booth set up with a Question and Answer board - How Much Do You Know About Right Whales? and a corner so that kids could make their own Right Whale. For this craft, Christina and Amanda Clark were able to teach the kids about the anatomy which distinguishes a Right Whale from other whales. Christina and Amanda Might have had their fun with the whale calf as well!

2010-11-07T20:57:00.003-05:00

Halloween is always a fun time to be at Omni-Amelia Island Plantation. The weekend coincides with the Florida/Georgia college football game...which is a huge rivalry game played in Jacksonville every year. Many people who come to watch the game on Saturday stay with us for the weekend. So, Friday night we have a big Halloween carnival for these guests as well as the local community. This year the nature center held a pet parade and costume contest right along with the children's events.

Proceeds went to RAIN (Rescuing Animals in Nassau), a local non-profit that helps homeless animals. All participants had fun, and our costume contest winners were Wolfy and Satie as policedog and inmate, Paris as Halloween Queen, and Amelia as a yellow submarine. Thank you to everyone that helped - Bark Avenue, Redbones, Petco, Hot Paws pet spa, Fernandina Beach Animal clinic and RAIN volunteers!
Thanks also to Amandas and their dogs, Pearl as the cat in the hat, and Dutchess as Scooby Doo. Watch out- this creature might surprise us on our next Amelia at Night tour! (Amanda Clark, you had way too much fun with this!!)

Starting him out young...

2010-10-25T21:39:00.003-04:00

This is my baby Naturalist, Evan, who's growing like a weed! (see his first picture in a May 2010 post). He's already been studying animals....at the nature center, the zoo, and at home - my two cats and various rescued animals. You can read an article about me and my life as a naturalist that was in the local newspaper here: http://fbnewsleader.com/articles/2010/10/18/around_town/00atmayihelppaarlbert.txt

Gators galore!

2010-10-23T21:54:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos from today's tour to Okefenokee Swamp. I have never seen so many alligators there! Probably a combination of low waters and a nice sunny day.Tickseed near the boat dock.
Walking on peat. "Okefenokee" means "land of trembling earth".
Me posing (at a safe distance) with a huge alligator behind the visitor's center.
A gator hanging out in the prairie near some young cypress trees.
Our boat guide, Joey, putting Jillian (14) in charge of driving the boat. She did a great job!
On the wildlife drive we saw a mother gator with babies. Here is one catching some rays.

Great Day at the Nature Center

2010-10-21T21:55:00.004-04:00

Today was a great day for us at the nature center. We went on a kayak with a nice, fun group. The weather was perfect and we all got to see dolphins fishing, Roseate spoonbills and other birds feeding (including a pied-billed grebe, the first one of the season that I've seen) and walked around a sandbar finding hermit crabs and other marine critters. We even rescued a pair of blue crabs that were stuck in an old crab trap. Not too easy with such a "crabby" critter with such large claws!

When we got back Christina was releasing a large female palmetto (two-striped) walkingstick. Amanda and I had never seen this type before. Can you see it's much smaller mate on her back?
And, for a touch of comical relief, Hokey Pokey the armadillo was running around sporting a beard (or would they be sideburns?). It was the result of getting into a yogurt container followed by poking around in the sand, causing it to stick to the fuzz on the side of her face.

Probably the best news of the day was that our rescued cat, Missy (see previous posts for her sad story) found a home! Tara Cochran's mother works at the conference center. As soon as Tara heard that Missy was part siamese, she had to look, so she came by and fell in love with our sweet girl. We will miss her but know that she will quickly become a special part of her new family!

Science Night Family Fun!

2010-10-20T21:48:00.008-04:00

Occasionally, we naturalist get the privilege of visiting elementary and middle schools for Science Night around the local area. We bring Trash Turtle, a turtle made of trash to teach about beach cleanup, and mystery boxes which contain secrets from the beach inside that the children have to guess what is inside with the hint on the top. With these two fun and educational displays we teach both the children and their parents about local beach conservation. If you want a science night at your school please contact

Felicia M. Boyd, P.G.

Duval and Nassau County Education Contractor

St. Johns River Water Management District

(904) 730-6261

The Amandas' Adventures Continues

2010-10-03T11:01:00.005-04:00

Saturday October 2nd, the Amanda's are called for a turtle hatchling found in front of Sandcastles Villa. Clark picks up the baby from the caring guests and he collapses in her hand. The little guy is exhausted! We take him back to the Nature Center, named him little squirt, and give him a quiet little cage so he can take him a much needed nap. A few hours later, we get a second call about another little one lost. We pick up this little hatchling and bring squirt back to hangout with little squirt, his brother. Later on in the day, squirt and little squirt got to meet some really cool kids at the Sea Turtle Discovery who were learning about the sea turtles and what they can do to help them out. The Amandas finished their day of kayaking and other adventures and the only task left was getting squirt and little squirt back into the ocean so they could find their way to the Sargastic sea! (Hatchlings live on only the yolk from their eggs for days until they finally reach the Sargassum sea weed where they spend up to a year of their lives hanging out - if they run out of yolk energy before they reach the Sargastic sea, their hope of survival is practically none) SO the Amandas must get the babies out into ocean asap. They take the babies out in front of the Beach Club only to find out this is a day where no one was allowed in the ocean because the riptides were horrible and the surf was 4 ft tall! Hardy and Chris(recreation guy) try to get past the breaking waves to release them. Disappointed because there was just no way, the Amandas brought them back to the nature center to try again early Sunday when the waves would be better. As Clark was driving home, she crossed the south bridge off the island and looked out over the ocean... there was NO surf! She called Hardy who picked the hatchlings back up and met her in the Amelia Island State Park. They walked all the way out the intracoastal to where it met the ocean. There the Amandas walked out a few feet (hatchlings swimming wildly in their hands, they could feel the ocean calling) and released the hatchlings into the water. The tide was going out as well, with them swimming and tide pulling the little ones were swept out into the ocean in no time! The Amandas walked back to their car... looking at their watches - 8pm... what a nice long and fulfilling day!

Summer Camps: Rewind

2010-09-23T13:08:00.008-04:00

Our campers had a fantastic summer once again. Now that it is getting into Fall, here are some of the memories of the past few months! Eco Explorers at the Jacksonville Zoo!

Animals have officially taken over the nature center

2010-09-14T12:53:00.004-04:00

We've had feline "office managers" before (see previous posts) but now it's official. Animals have taken control of the nature center. First it started with Hokey Pokey the armadillo getting out of her cage with three big boards on top and then getting out of a baby gate to run all around the nature center. In Christina's office I walked in to find Buddy the Macaw on her desk! Making sure all the numbers are right.

I thought I'd spend some time with Buddy and Morgan, a cat we have up for adoption. So I decided to eat lunch in Christina's office. Buddy kept begging for tostitos. After I gave him a few, I clipped them up only to have Morgan try to get into them. He also started licking my sandwich!

A few minutes later I was on the phone only to see Buddy walking on the ground and licking the bowl of cheese dip! An odd sight to see a bird just walking over.

Apparently the way to a macaw's heart is through food. Every morning I share my banana or yogurt, and of course the tostitos. I'm on the phone when all of the sudden Buddy came over, climbed up a bag, onto my lap! He decided the armrest of the chair made a nice perch. Where he can pester me as I'm trying to work on the computer. As long as he gets attention every couple of minutes he's fine. And, to top it off, Morgan is jealous and wants to play, too! The great news is Buddy has been scared of me (and vice versa) up until now. I guess he (or she) just wanted to make the first move!

OK....we can't even eat lunch in peace anymore!

Nature Center Staff update

2010-09-10T10:35:00.004-04:00

I (Jessica) am back at the nature center after my maternity leave. It's hard being away from my son, Evan, but also great to be back. I missed the staff and animals while I was out. I was happy to hear that Christina and Amandas had some excellent help this summer. Matt Smith is from Ohio and Kristin Messinger is from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Kristin recently left to go back home and Matt leaves us at the end of this month. We will miss them both!

Kristin and Amanda Hardy enjoying Kristin's "thank you" party. (We really want her to come back so we refuse to say goodbye!).

Matt the chef made us all super-yummy meatball subs!

Staff with animals: Kristin with Hokey Pokey the armadillo, Amanda Hardy with Buddy the Macaw(recent rescue), Christina with Baby T the diamondback terrapin, Amanda Clark with horses (in the photograph and in spirit), Jessica with Muffin the gopher tortoise (another recent rescue) and Matt with Gator the red rat snake.

Who volunteered to clean up after our party? Hokey Pokey! She is very "helpful"...always into everything!!

Missy misses her mommy but Needs a new one!

2010-08-30T10:00:00.004-04:00

Missy is about 3 years old. She is a Calico - Siamese mix cat. Missy was owned by an elderly woman for about 2 years until a few weeks ago the lady had a stroke which took her life. Missy was left alone in the house until the daughter came to sell all the furniture. The daughter couldn't take Missy and wasn't sure of the best way to deal with her. She came to the conclusion to cremate her and spread her ashed on her mothers grave so they could be together. For some reason, the daughter couldn't make it to the appointment and had to reschedule. A day before the next vet appointment, the daughter's neighbor told her about Jessica Paarlberg who works at the Nature Center and how they take in strays sometimes. The daughter called up Jessica and the word got to me about a sweetheart cat who needed to find a loving home. I met with the daughter and took the cat in to foster. She was a little shy at first but since Thursday she has warmed up to us! She isn't crazy about other cats or dogs but will tolerate them. She likes to me near you though. She is fully litterbox trained and eats dry food. She has a great personality. If you are on the couch she wants to join you. Missy really needs a wonderful home and if anyone knows of someone who needs a friend, please let the Nature Center know asap.

Geronimo!!!!

2010-06-28T23:35:00.004-04:00

During the Young Nature Explorer Camp, the naturalists got a call about a baby raccoon who fell out of the tree. They were expecting to see a juvenile who got a little frisky and fell from the tree but could eventually find his way back up. But when they showed up, they found a tiny infant who's eyes were still closed. He could barely walk much less find his way back up the tree. With the camp kids help, we got him back to the nature center and placed him in a nice heated carrier and soon after he had his belly full too! For the past week he has been staying at the Clark house. Food every 3 hours and a nice warm cloth to his behind as well. As well as the nice warm bath he got today that made him all fluffy and clean! We named him Geronimo since he likes to skydive without a parachute. For now he will stay with the nature center but when his eyes open he will make his way to the Wildlife Coalition in Jacksonville so he can live with raccoons his own age and learn to live on his own. Raccoons are very hard to keep past the infant stage because everything they know in the wild is taught to them from their mother. If they do not learn these life skills, they cannot be released back into the wild. That is a few weeks away so for now though he is happy and healthy!

Last but not least!

2010-06-14T21:02:00.005-04:00

About a week ago, a mother armadillo was hit by a car on property. She left behind 4 little ones to fend for themselves. Luckily, the Nature Center was called to the rescue. 3 of the 4 baby armadillos were caught within the next few days and brought to the Jacksonville Zoo. One sly baby made it to Friday without being caught until Kristin jumped out of the golf cart to run after it while running errands. The Jacksonville Zoo did not have room for the 4th little baby and so we took him in. He was a little dehydrated and nervous about his new adoptive parents but he has warmed up when Amanda took him home for the weekend. He has already made a friend at the Clark house! He has a fantastic appetite and sleeps like a baby. Since armadillos are an invasive species, he cannot be released back into the wild. He will spend his life spoiled at the Nature Center educating both children and adults.

The Newest Naturalist Has Arrived!!

2010-05-12T23:44:00.003-04:00

Jessica Paarlberg, one of the Naturalist, let us know earlier today - May 12 - Evan was getting excited and antsy. We all got a text earlier tonight to welcome the newest member of the Naturalist family Evan Jeffrey. He was born May 12 @ 7:12pm at 7lb 5oz. The little one has much to learn but he will be well on his way soon enough! Join us as we congratulate Jessica and her husband John on their new healthy baby boy!

Fertile Turtles On the GO!!!!!

2010-05-08T10:50:00.003-04:00

It's that time of the year again!! Turtles, Snakes and all animals in between are testing the theory that the grass is greener on the other side of the road. Use caution when driving. Reduce driving speed and look ahead for objects in the road. If you happen upon a turtle, the best thing to do is place it on the side of the road that it was heading toward. If it has been injured, place in a box and call a local nature center, zoo, or vet.

Nature Center Flip Video

2010-05-05T21:59:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN7u4wkSLJI

Check out this short video highlighting our nature center!

It's Ky-Yakin' Time Again!!

2010-05-01T00:11:00.002-04:00

With the weather getting warmer and most of our summer season birds back, its time to get back on the water. Our two hour guided kayak tour includes a naturalist who can get you to the best locations to spot anything from wading birds to dolphins, sting rays, or even sea turtles! At high tide its very common to see sea life and birds aloft. During low tide, you can get out on a sandbar located at the innercoastal waterway. There we can see crabs, conchs, starfish and much more! Most kayak tours are during the mornings but we do moonrise and new moon kayaks as well. If interested in booking a kayak tour with our naturalists, please call us asap so we can book you, spots are limited!

Rex, Rocky and Rover

2010-04-26T22:41:00.002-04:00

Our two newest additions to the nature center are Rocky, the little yellow-bellied slider on the left, and Rover, a red-eared slider who found a nice "rock" to bask on....Rex the red-bellied turtle! This time of year many turtles are found in parking lots and crossing roads. It's best to leave them alone as long they can cross safely. If not, you could take them across the road, in the direction they were heading, and put them down. NEVER put them in water, because some tortoises look like turtles, yet they cannot swim! Water turtles will be fine out of water.

Springtime at Okefenokee Swamp

2010-04-18T22:44:00.003-04:00

During spring break we took a couple of trips to Okefenokee Swamp. These water plants are called Golden Club, due to their yellow flower, or Never-wet, due to their waxy leaves that repel water. They painted a beautiful picture out in the swamp, and the water lilies are starting to bloom, as well.

We've never seen a snake at Okefenokee, but while we were stopped in the boat, I spotted this little ribbon snake just floating along on a stem. It was probably waiting for a minnow to swim by and become it's lunch!

After we finished looking at the snake we spotted this big gator swimming along. You can estimate how big an alligator is by judging the distance between its eyes and nose...this one had about 10 inches so was around 10 feet long!

After the boat ride we went to see an old homestead, and saw this fence lizard.

We never know what to expect at the swamp, and can't wait for our next trip there on Tuesday (April 20) Come and join us!

Once a Naturalist, Always a Naturalist!

2010-04-12T17:13:00.006-04:00

Clark attended her college class as usual which just happened to be outside today. During this class, her teacher she noticed a baby owl sitting on some bleachers. After talking with some the other UNF employees, found out this baby Great Horned Owl had been there since early this morning with no sign of it's mommy. We called in a little backup from Charles Hubbuch, a Sawmill Slough Preserve Curator, for a second opinion. We concluded this baby was healthy and that mommy should be near. The problem was, little one was perching in a very high traffic area on campus and surly mommy wouldn't come feed him if there were this many people around. So with a towel and a cardboard box, we eased him in. We took the box a little ways away to a patch of woods and released him there. He was very feisty little rascal but when all was said and done, the baby Great Horned Owl was safe in the underbrush. During the fledgling time, mommy birds will test the babies and teach them the essentials to living on their own. We are hoping this is one of those cases and she will raise him to be a fine Great Horned Owl. However, we are monitoring him for the next few days to make sure mommy does come back to feed him and if his condition worsens, I will take him to BEAKS to be cared for.

Kittens!

2010-04-04T00:41:00.002-04:00

Got a call from the golf course today...four kittens were found! Apparently momma cat dropped them off, so they called us in! They look to be around 5-6 weeks old, luckily old enough to be weaned off mom.

Each of the kittens has a purrsonality all its own....This is the head of gopher, who likes to burrow into the crook of your arm. The other black kitten is Polly (or Pauly) who likes to perch on your shoulder. Two are tortoiseshells, Tippy looks like she dipped her tail in white paint, and Pearl who enjoy playing with/eating pearl necklaces.

Once these little cuties are checked out by the vet and spayed/neutered, they will be ready for a home. Since they are so hard to resist, it shouldn't be a problem! In the meantime we look forward to caring for them!

Happy Spring...Happy Birds!

2010-03-26T23:25:00.004-04:00

Spring has arrived on Amelia Island! We've been having beautiful weather! The birds seem to be enjoying it as well as us. These woodstorks were snoozing by the pond at Egret airport. The ibis in the background are enjoying the pond and in the back there's my favorite bird...

the Roseate Spoonbill! These birds go further south in December, and we are so glad that they are finally back!

A property owner came by and told us about a great horned owl nest...so of course we had to go check it out! Sure enough, up high in a pine tree along the golf course, was a nest with two baby owls! Too far up to get a good photo, but this one by Dave Furseth is what it looked like. Talk about a big baby, and adorable,too! We look forward to monitoring the progress of this owl family on our Birds of Amelia tours.

Good Grebe- Aloft & Lost

2010-03-15T20:53:00.003-04:00

It's been so windy lately that our poor birds have been having trouble staying aloft and on course. Today, 3/15, Hardy and Clark were called to the rescue of a Pied-billed Grebe which was found by Amelia Inn's pool deck by some of the guests. The poor guy was scared to death hiding in the bushes by the pool.

Grebes are usually found in ponds and lakes and sometimes the marsh but very rarely on the beach. They are a very small bird with a duck-like appearance. Grebes are a type of water bird which prefers to dive underwater to escape predators than fly. This is possibly why the he decided to hide inside the bushes instead of fly when people approached him, but just to be on the safe side, Clark took him to BEAKS (bird wildlife rescue) to make sure his wings were good to go.

We concluded that since the wind was so strong today, he may have been guided off course from one of our lakes on property when he was aloft. BEAKS will release him tomorrow in a proper area after they make sure he is a healthy boy.

Coconut - a free squirrel!

2010-03-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

On Monday it was a beautiful day....nice and warm and no more freezes predicted (this has been the coldest winter here in over 30 years). So...since he's old enough...we decided it was the perfect morning to release Coconut! (See previous posts for his story). A little hesitant at first, he began to explore the back porch and surrounding areas!

We left his cage out and open for him, just in case he wanted to return there for a familiar place to sleep. This Carolina Wren decided to help itself to the food scraps swept from his cage!

Coconut quickly learned where we leave the dish of food for the wild squirrels - a few of which we released in previous years.

Every day he comes by to visit us. It was raining today so he came to the covered area of the porch...and decided to nibble on a few of our shoelaces while he was there!

What's a little squirrel to do when he's on his own? Coconut is a little unsure about his new squirrel peers...and decided to hang around his friendly human parents instead. Yesterday he actually ran into the nature center! After running around and climbing up the stuffed snakes in the store, he decided the wild life was for him after all and hopped out the front door.

Like our other released squirrels have, I'm sure Coconut will gradually keep more distance from people...but hopefully will continue to come by to visit and get a snack!

Flat Stanly Project

2010-03-04T23:53:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I received letters from my twin nephews from Rockford, Michigan. In their first grade classes at Meadow Ridge Elementary, they read the book Flat Stanly by Jeff Brown. Stanly was flattened, so he was able to be mailed around the world and explore new places with ease. My nephews, Bryce and Connor, sent the flattened versions of themselves to visit us in Florida. What better way to teach them about Amelia Island than to take them to work with me? Flat Bryce discovered beach bounty, including sharks' teeth and a mermaid's purse (egg case of a skate which is related to a stingray).

He made friends with Gator, our red rat snake, who thankfully wasn't hungry at the time.

Baby T, our Diamondback terrapin, is always anxious to pose, and allowed Flat Bryce to share his spotlight.

Flat Bryce was a great assistant while feeding the animals.

Samantha the Florida box turtle was especially curious.

Flat Connor was intrigued by how Harley the eastern King Snake could make himself into a pretzel.

Flat Connor met our saltwater fish, including the spadefish and mojarro .

And, of course our burrfish had to check him out, as they do with everyone who visits the nature center. They were less impressed when they found out Flat Connor had no seafood for them.

Baby Box Turtle

2010-02-21T23:19:00.002-05:00

The nature center often receives baby turtles and tortoises. This is a baby box turtle that came to us after it was found in someone's kitchen! The homeowner thought maybe her dog brought it in, and was surprised to see the cute little guy! As we do with almost all of the baby turtles we get, we returned this little one to the wild. He was very happy to be on his way and free! Baby turtles are not cared for by their parents so it's ok if you see one all alone. It's best to leave it right where it is. If it's on its back, gently turn it over. If it's in danger of getting hit by a car, guide it to the other side of the road (where it was heading). If you think it might be out of place or injured, call a local wildlife center and describe the situation before taking it out of its habitat and stressing it out. And NEVER toss it into the water, because if it's a tortoise it cannot swim!

Osprey visitor

2010-02-17T23:50:00.003-05:00

Lately, we've had an osprey hanging around the pond behind the nature center. Today he was right out back, snacking on a fish!

Foster Squirrels update

2010-02-14T22:59:00.003-05:00

This past week there's been a feeling that something's missing at the nature center. Unfortunately, Duey, one of our foster squirrels (see post from November 18) has passed away. We learned how to trim his bottom teeth, but saw no sign of the top teeth. Then he began to sound a little congested so we took him into the vet. The vet x-rayed his mouth and found that the top teeth were not aligned properly and decided surgery was best to correct the problem. As you can imagine, anesthesia and bleeding are not easy on a squirrel, and Duey died during the operation. Although we miss our tough little guy terribly, at least we know he will not suffer and we did everything we could for him.

On a happier note, we still have Cocoa - who we call Coconut because he is really nutty, even for a squirrel! He enjoys wrestling with the sticks in his cage. He recently moved to a larger transition cage so he can be outdoors and get accustomed to his new surroundings before we release him, which will be in a couple more weeks.

Adventures of a new intern

2010-02-11T22:08:00.002-05:00

Meet Catie, our spring intern at the nature center! She's a student at The College at Brockport - State University of New York. After being a little unsure about handling a snake, she's now a big fan of Harley, our eastern kingsnake. He is a lovable guy!

On her first full day at the nature center, Catie was already assisting with an animal rescue. This loon was found on the beach. I showed her how to carefully scoop him up - which means stay well away from the bill! I could feel it's bite even through the thick Kevlar gloves. We're not completely sure what happened to this poor bird...possibly a shark bite? It's doing well at BEAKS, though, and we expect a full recovery and release!

"Sea" otter?

2010-02-04T22:46:00.002-05:00

Yesterday beachgoers at Amelia Island Plantation saw this ball of fur on the beach. Someone's fur coat??

Nope, this river otter! We'd gotten a report of him, but just had to check it out ourselves, as otters are not usually found on the beach. Sure enough, as soon as I approached the furball...up pops his head...and his teeth for that matter. Taking the hint, I backed away, but then he just curled back up to sleep! It had no injury, so the best we can imagine he'd gotten a little sidetracked while looking for food and ventured a little too far away from his normal stomping grounds, which is ponds, rivers, or the marsh. After getting worn out trying to swim in the surf, who wouldn't stop to take a nap?

A few hours later we checked on him again and he was gone, hopefully on his way back home!

Great Backyard Bird Count

2010-01-28T22:01:00.003-05:00

2010 GBBC News Release:

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
February 12-15, 2010

January 26, 2010—Bird watchers coast to coast are invited to take part in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2010. Participants in the free event will join tens of thousands of volunteers counting birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges.
Each checklist submitted by these "citizen scientists" helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,the N ational Audubon Society , and Bird Studies Canada learn more about how the birds are doing—and how to protect them. Last year, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.
“Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds—all at the same time," said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. "Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities.”
Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at http://www.birdcount.org/. One 2009 participant said, “Thank you for the opportunity to participate in citizen science. I have had my eyes opened to a whole new interest and I love it!”“The GBBC is a perfect first step towards the sort of intensive monitoring needed to discover how birds are responding to environmental change,” said Janis Dickinson, the director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab. “Winter is such a vulnerable period for birds, so winter bird distributions are likely to be very sensitive to change. There is only one way—citizen science—to gather data on private lands where people live and GBBC has been doing this across the continent for many years. GBBC has enormous potential both as an early warning system and in capturing and engaging people in more intensive sampling of birds across the landscape.”Bird populations are always shifting and changing. For example, 2009 GBBC data highlighted a huge southern invasion of Pine Siskins across much of the eastern United States. Participants counted 279,469 Pine Siskins on 18,528 checklists, as compared to the previous high of 38,977 birds on 4,069 checklists in 2005. Failure of seed crops farther north caused the siskins to move south to find their favorite food.On the http://www.birdcount.org/ website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website’s photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.
In 2010, Bird Studies Canada (BSC) joins the GBBC as the program's Canadian partner. "Bird Studies Canada is delighted to be the Canadian partner for this extremely valuable program," said George Finney, President of BSC. "Participating in the GBBC is an excellent way for Canadians to reconnect with their love of nature and birds."For more information about the GBBC, visit the website at http://www.birdcount.org/. Or contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473, gbbc@cornell.edu, or Audubon at (202) 861-2242 ext 3050, mailto:citizenscience@audubon.org In Canada, participants may contact Bird Studies Canada at 1- (888)- 448-2473 ext. 134 or mailto:gbbc@birdscanada.org The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by generous support from Wild Birds Unlimited.
#
Images by 2009 GBBC participants: Black-capped Chickadee by Rodney Smith, WA; Bird watcher at window by Terie Rawn, NY; Pine Siskins by Steve Gillespie, WV.

An Alien Invader...

2010-01-24T01:12:00.002-05:00

Last week this alien invader was found on one of our golf courses...not from a different planet, but from a different island...Cuba! This Cuban Tree Frog was named Lou because they are sometimes found in people's toilets! Yuck!

The Cuban Tree Frog is an invasive species in Florida...meaning it is non-native (or alien) and
it's introduction causes economic or environmental harm. They eat native animals, including worms, insects, snakes, lizards, small mammals and even other frogs - including the native Squirrel and Green Tree Frogs. Their skin secretes a toxic mucus that can burn the eyes and trigger an allergic reaction. They can live 5-10years.

Lou was found nearly frozen after the unusually chilly weather we've been having. He died a day later. Please educate yourself about invasive animals and plants in your area so that you can correctly identify them and prevent their spread. http://www.fws.gov/invasives/ is a great place to start.

A feisty guinea pig with feathers...

2010-01-17T01:30:00.005-05:00

For the last few days, we've been receiving calls about a brown pelican on the beach with a hurt wing. By the time we'd get there, though, it was gone. Yesterday morning we got another call, so I went out and caught the pelican on the dune crossover behind our Shipwatch villas. It was pretty easy to catch, too weak to put up a fuss, covered in mites. So I carried it back to the van and put it in one of our carriers. I was so relieved to finally get this guy! Before I took the pelican to BEAKS, a nearby bird rescue, we got a call about another pelican on the beach with a hurt wing. Could I be so lucky as to easily catch this one, too? As he took one look at me and quickly walked the other way, I decided "nope" and called for backup! Luckily, Jacob and Kyle from our Aquatics department were on hand to assist. After telling them a little about pelican behavior so we could plan the capture, the boys got to learn first hand all about it! We tried surrounding it and pushing it up towards the dunes, not the water, but the pelican used what limited flight it had to get away into the water. About three times. Luckily, the waves proved too much for it to swim out to sea, so it kept coming back to the beach. Kyle was determined, though, and got a little wet but managed to net the pelican! I scooped him up, Jacob held his bill, and Kyle got the pelican, and me, out of the net. Not an easy task with a large bird using his feet (which have claws), beak, long wings, and even head to try to wrestle away. We managed to get him into a cage, though.

I have to thank these boys for helping me, I certainly could not have handled this guy without them! Unfortunately for them, the nature center didn't have a proper carrier to put this pelican in, as ours was in use by the other pelican I'd caught. So, we had to use this cage, which is much more suited for guinea pigs than large injured birds! Kyle and Jacob had to carry this guy to their truck and then transfer to our van while trying not to get pecked, which this very feisty pelican was trying desperately to do with his strong bill. Luckily no one was hurt. Please check out our needs list for things we need for these animal rescues. It's posted on the right-hand side of the blog. If there's anything you have on hand and could donate, please let us know. We (and the animals) would appreciate it!

The two pelicans were taken to BEAKS where they'll get expert care. In a few days I'll post how they're doing!

***UPDATE***January 21 - Both pelicans are doing fine and will be released once their wings heal! They'll spend their time in a special pelican enclosure at BEAKS until then!

Leapin', wait, I meant FROZEN lizards!

2010-01-11T00:03:00.004-05:00

Recently, there's been a very cold snap here in Northeast Florida. So cold, that our poor reptiles are suffering! While on an Ecology of Amelia nature tour on Saturday, Allaire (11) and Olivia (8) and their dad found this poor green anole laying upside-down and half frozen! He hitched a ride back to the nature center in Amanda Hardy's warm glove. The girls decided to name him after their Dad, Bob. Bob (the lizard) was so cold that he didn't want to get off of Amanda's glove at all! Finally he settled for a spot by the hot lamp. We'll keep him for a few days and then release him when it's a little warmer out!

Manatee Swim

2010-01-03T22:11:00.004-05:00

Where do Amelia Island Plantation naturalists go to play? Well, recently we went to Homosassa Springs, about 3 hours southwest of Amelia, in search of some manatees! The water temperature in the Springs is 72 degrees all year round. So, while manatees range includes the waters of the southeastern U.S. in the summer, many of them flock here when the temperature plummets. This makes winter the ideal time to come here in search of these gentle giants, also known as sea cows.

Thanks to Captain Mike's manatee encounter boat tour, we were able to locate several manatees and even swim in the water with them! Actually, it was more like floating. It's very important to not disturb the manatees in any way and we were glad to see that local boat captains and volunteers are dedicated to their safety. The highlight of the swim was a baby manatee who swam right up to us to give us a manatee kiss! Then, we got to witness him nursing his mom. The hot chocolate after we got out wasn't bad, either!

After our amazing swim, we headed out to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. Most of the animals here are rescued animals, including quite a few manatees. The manatees are released into the surrounding springs once rehabilitated.

Luckily Amanda Hardy was there to rescue Amanda Clark from one of the natives!

We were delighted to see many native Florida birds at the Park, including this Great Blue Heron, in the white phase, which we do not see in our part of Florida.

The Park's only non-Florida native is this huge guy, Lu the hippo. If you watch a movie from the 60's or 70's that happens to have a hippo in it, you are very likely watching Lu! This movie star is retired but still gets the star treatment. Hard to deny a hippo of what he wants!

We had a great time on our winter getaway, and encourage you to check it out on your own if you ever get the chance!

Exciting Winter Break Events

2009-12-17T00:51:00.006-05:00

Winter break is a busy time for us at the nature center, and we are looking forward to having a great time. On December 23 we are taking a kayaking trip down Lofton Creek, trying to spot alligators and other unique animals and plants. Later you can enjoy the sunset while watching the birds fly in for the night in our Sunset with the Birds tour. On Christmas eve we are fishing, then having a nature scavenger hunt at Drummond Point Park, then back to the nature center for a close encounter with a few of our critters.

During our Amelia at Night program on the 26th, we are on the lookout for nocturnal critters. On the 29th we are headed to Okefenokee Swamp for a boat ride and wildlife drive.

On the 30th we are offering an exciting tour to Catty Shack Ranch for a nighttime feeding...a great time to see lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, etc. active and enjoying their dinner. In addition to these special events, we have our regular tours every day. Check out our calendar online by clicking on the link to the right. Call us at 904-321-5082 to sign up!

wrong time to take a swim

2009-12-05T23:49:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we got a call about a little raccoon who was trapped in an empty pool. The poor little thing had climbed down, but there was no way back up. Luckily there was water only in the deep end, so drowning wasn't an issue. Also luckily, someone discovered it! The problem for us was, how to get the little one out. He was very scared and despite his size could hurt us. But, there was no need to fear, Amanda Hardy was there! She jumped down into the pool with the net, scooped him up and put him in a carrier. And made it look quite easy, may I add.

We decided to keep him overnight because we didn't know how long he'd been trapped in the pool and may have been weak. We gave him some cat food and fruit and water. Since he seemed healthy and unharmed, we released him at Drummond Point park, not too far from where he was found. We think he learned his lesson!

" No more pools for me!"

Nature Center on Facebook!

2009-12-02T00:29:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, thanks for checking out our Blog. We now also have a facebook group! Click on the link below or search for Amelia Island Nature Center and add the group to your favorites. Every month the nature center will add all special or off property events to the event section. By being a member, you will be informed of all the fun and exciting events coming up! Also don't forget our daily events for all ages as well found in our calendar.

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=amelia&init=quick#/group.php?gid=194006310867&ref=search&sid=46709337.3497491189..1

Fort Clinch

2009-11-19T22:33:00.002-05:00

Last week I took a group to Ft Clinch, a civil war era fort located in Fernandina Beach, which is the north end of Amelia Island. This is a great place to learn about history and nature, as it is also one of the first State Parks in Florida.

The first weekend of every month are Garrison days at the fort. Historical interpreters dress in replica clothing, and can be seen around the fort doing their various duties the way they would have been done back in the 1860s. Join us on Saturday, December 5 for a special holiday garrison trip to Fort Clinch. We also explore the historic lighthouse and the resident critters and plants. Call the nature center at 904-321-5082 for more info.

Squirrelios

2009-11-18T00:17:00.003-05:00

This is Cocoa, the latest squirrel that was brought to us. He was found, presumed orphaned, a couple of weeks ago. We'll do our best to raise and then release him. We released Huey and Duey a few weeks ago (see previous posts). A week afterwards, though, Duey came up to the nature center's front door. We thought he was just saying hi, until we noticed some blood around his mouth. Horrified, we went out to try to catch him. Christina and I caught him in a net, but he managed to squeeze out. We tried again, and he'd get close but not enough to get caught.

Heartbroken, we were forced to leave him outside, but put out some soft food for him on the porch. The next day, he came to the back porch for some grapes. It was a nice cool day out, so we had the doors open. Well, he decided to let himself in! We closed the door then Christina used food to lure him to her and got him in his old cage!

We drove him down to the Jacksonville Wildlife Rescue Coalition to be examined. They had him a few days and said that the poor guy had knocked his top front teeth out! They gave him some antibiotics for inflammation and started feeding him formula. We got him back and have been continuing his medication and giving him formula and soft fruits and veggies. He is doing great!

The good thing is that rodents', including squirrels', teeth grow continuously. So, in a couple of months Duey's teeth should be fine for eating! We'll monitor them to make sure they are growing back correctly. If they don't, we'll have to file them down regularly. Either way, we're so happy that he knew where to get help when he needed it!

Henry takes a shift as office manager

2009-11-09T22:28:00.003-05:00

Last month, a sweet gray cat was found by the Inn. Christina was able to pick him up and brought him back to the nature center. We took him to the vet, turns out he was already neutered and in perfect health! We're not sure where he came from, but he loves people.

After a couple of days he'd made himself right at home in Christina's office. He even started taking calls while sitting in the office chair. As you can see in the photo, he had the bad habit of not listening to callers. You'd think we'd learn by now that cats are not the best office managers (see previous posts). Sleeping about 20 hours a day doesn't help. We named him Henry, but nooone came to claim him.

Not to worry, though...we quickly found a home for this soft and handsome fellow. Amanda Clark (one of our naturalists) took him up to Georgia to live with her mom! Once again, he took no time to make himself right at home. Makeup artist? Once again, sleeping on the job. Oh well....Amanda's mom already adores him!

Release of Huey and Duey

2009-10-31T21:58:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday we released our baby squirrels, Huey and Duey. Huey came out first, looked around a little bit, then jumped off the porch into the palmettos. He later learned to climb trees, even the really tall ones (luckily squirrels are not scared of heights!) Duey came out soon after, but was much more cautious. He seemed to enjoy digging in a few pots filled with soil. He hung around on the porch for awhile, then when he finally stepped off of it, a kingfisher flew by overhead making a racket and scared poor Duey right back into the cage! But, he quickly came back out and then explored the porch some more and later found out how much fun it was to run up and down the big trees like his brother. Later in the afternoon he was back on the porch, trying to bury some acorns that we gave him in a hole between two boards of the porch. He has those natural squirrel instincts!

The next couple of days he came back and checked out the birdseed dropped from the feeder and the food we left out for them. We didn't see Huey, who turns out to be the adventurer of the two! Don't worry, there are plenty of huge live oak trees around that are perfect for squirrels! We miss our little guys but know that they are very happy to be the wild squirrels that they deserve to be!

Twinkle Twinkle Brittle Star

2009-10-26T00:13:00.004-04:00

Last week during one of our Crab Grabs, a little girl caught this in her net while catching shrimp. She was so excited to find this "starfish". It was actually a close relative - a brittle star. Brittle stars have a disk-shaped body and long, thin arms, which can regrow if broken off. They mostly eat detritus, plankton, or scavenge. Some species are luminescent (glow). Most hide in rocks or crevices and come out to feed at night.
This little one now lives at the nature center in it's own tank. Amanda Clark thought of a great name for it -Aquarius!

Good luck, Mickey!

2009-10-22T22:55:00.002-04:00

" What?? You want me to live in the wild? What about my pampering?"

"Here's what I think of that, mom!" *sticks tongue out*

That's right, our little Mickey the possum (see previous posts) is all grown up...except he could get up to 14 pounds...

On Sunday I drove him to the Wildlife Coalition in Jacksonville. He will live in a large pen for about a week, meet some other possums, and then turned loose in the wild. Don't worry, he will be on 130 acres of fenced in woods, with someone to keep an eye out for him and supply food if it's a hard winter. But we sure will miss him!

Ready or not, here I come!

2009-10-13T00:31:00.003-04:00

Recently I was leading a Back to Nature Segway tour when we spotted this little raccoon scrunched between a post and the wall of the boat ramp at Walker's Landing. We had been standing there for about five minutes, looking out at the marsh, and didn't notice him til we were about to leave. Although it didn't look like the most comfortable position, he wasn't stuck.

We didn't see another raccoon looking for him, but it was the perfect spot for hide and seek!

Tiny Tot "Tuck"

2009-10-08T00:34:00.002-04:00

Last week we received a baby box turtle. Somehow Tuck wound up in someone's kitchen! The homeowner wasn't sure how, but suspected her dog brought it into the house. We put Tuck in a 10 gallon tank with some sand and a little water to drink and soak in. Box turtles can swim, but are usually found on land. We plan on caring for this little one for a little bit and then releasing him.

All Cats go to Heaven

2009-10-01T23:29:00.003-04:00

It breaks my heart to post this, but it is an update on one of our rescues. (See posts from August 5 and 19) Ike, who we've raised since a tiny kitten, has passed away from meningitis.

(From PetWave.com) Meningitis in cats is a condition in which protective membranes around the spinal cord and brain, termed meninges, become inflamed. Cats diagnosed with meningitis often develop the disease as a result of feline infectious peritonitis, toxoplasmosis, feline immunodeficiency virus, and feline leukemia virus. Meningitis is a serious condition, and unfortunately the prognosis is usually very poor.

Ike's sister, Mikayla, is healthy and will live with Christina. These poor kitties had a very hard start to life and unfortunately Ike's immune system could not hold up. He did have a good life, though, lots of play and love, and he will be missed!

Squirrelzilla

2009-09-25T21:31:00.002-04:00

This week we received a thoughtful gift in the mail from one of our loyal followers...JasonFromGrayson. It was a squirrel puppet to help us raise Huey and Duey! Duey immediately became a fan, since this large squirrel was feeding him his formula.

Although he got a few love bites, Squirrelzilla had a great time hanging out with the baby squirrels.

Mickey decided to see what all the fuss was about. Squirrels are not supposed to be bigger than possums! And, he was a little jealous that Huey and Duey may have their own fan club, as only possums (or mice) should.

Finally Mickey decided he'd had enough. He would take down Squirrelzilla! Not to worry, somehow Squirrelzilla survived the attack. After a large plate of cat food, Mickey calmed down. And Huey and Duey look forward to more happy times with their new squirrelfriend.

P.S. No puppets were harmed in the making of this post.

Salute to Dung Beetles

2009-09-21T22:42:00.003-04:00

As promised in my post from September 10, here is some info and photos of those oh-so-important dung beetles. Dung, or scarab, beetles feed on feces. These dung beetles, seen on Cumberland island, roll dung into spherical balls, which are used for food or brooding chambers. Dung beetles live in many different habitats, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. It can be really amusing to watch as dung beetles try to steal the dung ball of another beetle. They can roll 50 times their weight in dung!

In making a brooding ball, one male and one female will be seen around the dung ball during the rolling process. When the right spot is found, they stop and bury the ball. They mate underground, then both or one of them will prepare the brooding ball. When the ball is finished, the female lays eggs inside it. The larvae live and feed in brood balls.

If it weren't for these not-so-glamorous bugs, we would be knee deep in you-know-what. Dung beetles are an extremely important part of the ecosystem. They improve nutrient recycling and soil structure by burying and consuming dung. They also protect livestock, by removing the dung which could provide habitat for pests like flies.

These horses in the dunes on Cumberland Island are a dung beetle's best friend! The horses also appreciate them keeping the flies down as we appreciate them clearing the path for us!

What's all that noise?

2009-09-21T01:51:00.002-04:00

Visitors to Amelia Island this summer, and especially the last couple of weeks, have heard loud sounds resonating all around the woods. Who's responsible? A 1.5-3" insect - the cicada. Actually, a whole lot of them! Often called locusts, these are actually from a different family that don't jump like grasshoppers or crickets.
They have membranous wings and males make sounds using organs below the base of the abdomen. They are sometimes seen emerging or flying from empty nymphal skins after the large adults have emerged. Each species has its own buzz or a pulsating clacking sound. Some species have life cycles of 13 or 17 years, but more commonly the nymphal period is 1-3 years.
One things for sure - as long as you can hear you can't miss them!

Huey and Duey update

2009-09-17T22:34:00.002-04:00

Huey and Duey, our rescued baby squirrels, (see
post from Sept. 2) are doing great! It took them awhile to start eating well, but now they are little gluttons! We have to stop feeding them their formula after they get little pot-bellies so they don't explode! They are also chewing a lot, so we've introduced solid food, such as rodent block pellets and a variety of nuts and vegetables. And, their favorite treats are strawberry yogurt chips. Spoiled? No way!

Upcoming trip to Cumberland Island

2009-09-10T23:48:00.007-04:00

On September 22 and on October 11, we will be taking a tour to Cumberland Island, Georgia's southernmost barrier island. It is a national seashore (similar to National Wildlife Refuge).

One of us naturalists leads the tour around the island. There is a lot of history to tell, including the story of Dungeness, a former mansion built by the Carnegie family. We will see feral horses who roam the island, with a story all their own.

We will walk through the live oak forest, view the mansion ruins, see an old cemetery and walk along the marsh, and then it's over the sand dunes and onto the beach. The view on this undeveloped beach is beautiful, and there are many critters, shells, sharks teeth and other treasures to explore. We have seen (among other things): wild turkeys, armadillos, snakes, turtles, crabs, frogs, deer, dolphins, and those great little dung beetles in action (more on them in an upcoming post). A wide variety of birds can also be seen and heard, from songbirds, shorebirds, wading birds, birds of prey to woodpeckers, this trip is also a birder's delight!

Give the nature center a call (904-321-5082) to sign up for this amazing trip. If you can't make it these dates, let us know when you want to go a couple of weeks in advance and we'll take you then! (as you can tell, we LOVE to go ourselves as well as introduce the island to new people!)

Meeting Winter the dolphin

2009-09-09T23:07:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, I was spending time with family in Tampa and we went to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It is a working aquarium, meaning they rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured/sick marine life and do research.

Among their permanent residents (those that could not be successfully released) is Winter, a very special dolphin. Winter lost her tail after it became entangled in a crab trap. Amazingly, she can still swim in a modified way. The trouble is that unless she can swim like a normal dolphin, her muscles won't develop properly. So, the aquarium made her a prosthetic tail! She wears it a couple of hours every day.

When I saw Winter, she did not have it on, but she was swimming around playing and enjoying herself the whole time. She's a great inspiration! Go to www.SeeWinter.com for more of her story!

Mickey's fan club

2009-09-07T23:36:00.004-04:00

Move over, Mickey mouse! A little possum is giving you a run for the money! One of the first members of the Mickey "Possum" club is the Heisler family, who came to visit a couple of weeks ago. Andrea Heisler took these photos while the family was watching Mickey eat at the end of one of our Critter talks.

Yum, yum...cat food! Mickey was so adorable that her family came every day they were on vacation to see him. And they are not the only family who's done that!

It was really fun to meet this terrific family, and the others that Mickey has helped introduce us to!

Here is the email the Heisler family was kind enough to send after their stay:

Jessica,

We wanted to thank you for all your time you spent with our family. Amelia Island is a wonderful place and you made it really special. The kids, as well as myself, really enjoyed the nature center and the time we spent with you. We wish you all the best and it was so nice to meet you. Take care and thanks again!We will be checking your blog quite often.

Andrea, John, Johnny and Elizabeth Heisler

Elizabeth 9yrs old Johnny 13yrs old

Anyone else need help??

2009-09-02T22:29:00.003-04:00

When we come to work at the nature center, we never know what to expect. Today I had three different animal rescues.

The first was a young possum who was very disoriented. Not sure what was wrong with him, but unfortunately he passed away before we could get him to the vet. At least he passed away where it was warm and quiet.

Later I was called to one of the condos of Club Villas to get a bird who's wing appeared injured and could not fly for awhile. So I picked it up, and had to search through the bird guide for awhile to figure out who we had. I'm pretty sure it is a young great crested flycatcher, a bird that I've heard a lot around the resort but not seen that often (or that close!). It had the prettiest rufus/brown color on its tail and wings. Also grey and yellow underneath.

I took him to BEAKS, a nearby bird sanctuary. They suspected it had flown into a window and was in shock. With luck this beautiful bird will recover and be released.

While I was out getting the flycatcher, a man from a timber company called about two baby squirrels that had been in a nest in a downed tree. So he brought them in, after getting attached - which isn't hard to do with these cuties. They were skinny and dehydrated, so I've been feeding them pedialyte a little at a time to rehydrate them. It's not as yummy as milk, but I told them the more they drink and get hydrated, the sooner they move onto a puppy milk formula. Who can resist that?

Huey and Duey are probably around 4-5 weeks old, just opened their eyes. With round-the-clock care they should be just fine!