Black Water Creek

Black Water Creek meanders through the Seminole State Forest in Lake County. Only canoeing, kayaking, and standup paddleboarding are permitted. The launch point lies within the Forest and has a picnic table where you can refuel before heading out or after a day of paddling. Be sure to call Seminole State Forest for a pass to launch.
Black Water Creek is 19 miles long and flows into the Wekiva River. Numerous small streams and springs, including Moccasin Spring pictured here, flow into Black Water Creek. The waterway gets its name from the undisturbed dark tannic water. The stream is narrow and the canopy of trees will help shade you from the hot Florida sun.
As part of the Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System and the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, Black Water Creek provides the opportunity to view plenty of wildlife. Because this is truly wild Florida, remain quiet and you are sure to see otters, ibises, turtles, and alligators. Look for a variety of wading birds, migratory birds, and the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay. Perhaps a Florida Black Bears bear will wander along the creek as you paddle along.
For more information click here: https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Seminole-State-Forest
Photo Credit: Gabrielle Milch
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Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Dendrocygna bicolor, are found year-round in rice fields in central Florida. Look for them in flooded pastures, irrigated lands, ponds, lakes, freshwater marshes, slow-moving rivers, and freshwater wetlands. Once known as the Fulvous Tree Duck, these birds roost in the trees of forested areas next to their water source. They may flock with Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. As winter approaches, watch for them to appear in greater numbers in freshwater marshes and wetlands.
These striking caramel and black ducks with their oversized bluish-gray legs forage in water that is less than 20 inches deep. Dinner consists of mostly seeds from aquatic plants and some invertebrates. Fulvous Whistling-Ducks can be seen wading or swimming while foraging by diving, tipping up, or dabbling to find food with their bills. Their thick bills are made to filter the food from the mud. You may also find them plucking an insect from vegetation for a tasty snack.
In mid-April, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks leave their flocks to begin the mating season. Mated pairs are bonded for years and sometimes for life, although the males may sometimes mate with more than one female. Together, the male and female choose the nest site in a dense marsh above the water or on the ground near the water. They build the nest by weaving stalks and grasses into a 14-inch bowl shape that is 4.3 inches deep. Most include a ramp to the water. The clutch size is 2 – 14 eggs and the female and male share the task of incubation for 24 – 25 days. Although the young leave the nest soon after hatching, instinctually know how to swim and dive as well as forage., both parents look after them until they fledge two months later.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
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Moonflowers

Moonflowers, Convolvulaceae, are vines that grow to 40 feet. Native throughout Central and South Florida, these perennials are found in disturbed wetlands as well as on the edges of mangroves and lakes. The aromatic white flowers are pollinated by moths and bloom in the summer and through early fall.
Moonflowers can be a wonderful addition to your garden. Plant by a trellis or in an area where you can control the vine. Purchase your seeds from the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative or plant runners from an existing vine in sandy or loamy soils. Plant a Moonflower vine and at the end of the day enjoy the fragrant blooms that stay open throughout the night.
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Great White Heron

The Great White Heron, Ardea herodias occidentalis, is a wading bird that can only be found in South Florida and The Florida Keys. It is the largest heron. Whether the Great White Heron is a color morph, a subspecies of the Great Blue Heron, or a new species is a topic that is still being researched. However, it has been commonly accepted that this Florida native bird is a subspecies of the Great Blue Heron. Both birds share similar characteristics. The Great White Heron is a larger bird with solid white feathers and yellow legs, while the Great Blue Heron is a smaller bird with blue-gray feathers and black legs. Great White Herons can be distinguished from the Great White Egrets by their larger size, yellow legs vs black legs of the Great White Egret, thicker bills, and coiled neck when flying.
The nesting habitat of the Great White Heron is primarily located in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge and Key West National Wildlife Refuge. About 800–1,300 pairs of Great White Herons breed in the mangrove islands, shoals, and mudflats of Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Breeding rarely takes place on the mainland of Florida. Nesting occurs throughout the year and peaks between December to February.
Great White Herons forage in turtle grass beds. The tidal cycle limits their access to food because they can only reach it at low tide. The Great White Heron’s habitat has also been negatively impacted by boat traffic through these seagrass beds. Because they inhabit a small geographic area, pollution of their home range and habitat loss caused by human activities, as well as climate change contribute to the ongoing threats to Great White Herons.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
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Wakulla Springs State Park

Wakulla Springs State Park
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park boasts the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs. It may be most famous for the movies Tarzan’s Secret Treasure (1941) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) that were filmed in the park. Wakulla Springs State Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Natural Landmark. It is located just south of Tallahassee in Wakulla County.
Stop by the Visitor Center to access an interpretive display where you will learn the history of the park from Paleolithic times until today. Observe cave diagrams, learn about the indigenous people who first inhabited the land, the men and women who resided or visited there, Edward Ball whom the park is named after, and the wildlife who live there today.
Saunter along the 9 mile Nature Trail, the 1.4 mile Cherokee Sink Trail, or the Bob Rose Trail. Bike or take a guided bike tour on the Cherokee Sink Trail and the Nature Trail. Discover the animals and plants that thrive in the cool waters when you enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, or cave diving. For the more daring, jump or dive from the 22-foot observation tower/dive into the 70* spring. Bring a blanket to the beach and sit for a while at the shore or under the shade of a cypress tree.
Explore Southern hardwood forests. maple-cypress habitats, an upland hardwood forest, pine forests, 80-foot-deep sinkhole lake, and ancient cypress swamps.
Bring your camera. Watch for resident and migratory wading birds and songbirds including cedar waxwings, phoebes, and chimney swifts. Look for white-tailed deer, bears, alligators, manatees, and more. Marvel at the variety of wildflowers including terrestrial and epiphytic orchids.
Bring your picnic and enjoy your lunch at one of the provided tables. A playground is nearby. View Wakulla Spring while dining in the Edward Ball Dining Room where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. Be sure to stop by the Soda Fountain for an old-fashioned malt or milkshake on the world’s longest marble countertop.
Rooms are available at the historic 1930’s Spanish-style Wakulla Springs Lodge. Plan your reunion or wedding at this popular park. Three conference rooms are available for events, meetings, and retreats.
Well-behaved pets are welcome in designated areas while on a 6-foot leash. Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park is wheelchair accessible and offers wheelchair access to riverboats, access to a manual wheelchair upon request, accessible picnic shelters, and accessible benches.
Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam
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Sanderling

Sanderlings, Calidris alba, are chubby little sandpipers that grow to only 7 or 8 inches, weigh 1.5 to 3 .5 ounces, and have a wingspan of up to 13.8 inches.
Sanderlings breed in the arctic tundra and migrate to the southern United States and South America in the fall where they spend their winters. Non-breeding adults may choose to avoid the long flight to the arctic and spend their summers in the hotter climates.
Look for Sanderlings foraging on Florida’s beaches and sometimes in mudflats. These shorebirds use their little black legs to run fast to snatch up prey when the tide recedes and run away as the tide rolls in. Their black beaks are perfect for plucking aquatic invertebrates, most often sand crabs, from the sand. Sanderlings also dine on small mollusks, insects, worms, grasses, seeds, and human junk food.
Sadly, Sanderlings are listed as a species of high concern by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network due to declining populations. Threats include the development and alteration of shoreline habitats, pesticide pollution, and oil spills.
Sanderlings are fierce defenders of their feeding grounds. Humans can be fierce defenders of their feeding grounds too. Participate in beach cleanups, leave nothing behind when you visit a beach and advocate for the preservation of Sanderling’s natural habitat.
Photo Credit: David Gale
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