Energy, Fire, and Ecosystems 5th Grade

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Cradle Creek Preserve

Located in Jacksonville Beach, Cradle Creek Preserve is a 45-acre reserve in northeast Florida. Containing saltwater marshes, maritime forests, and bottomland swamps, it is easy to see why this area was selected to conserve against development.
 
Cradle Creek is the last large piece of undeveloped land along the Intercoastal Waterway in Jacksonville Beach. This parcel was set aside to protect the many rare species that depend upon these ecosystems and allow people to experience a relatively untouched piece of natural, coastal Florida.
 
You will find a lovely trail just over half a mile long there. As you casually meander through the bottomland swamp, keep a careful eye out and you may catch a glimpse of a Florida box turtle foraging in the mud for tasty worms or mushrooms. In the summer, lizards’ tails and jack-in-the-pulpit bloom on the forest floor. Ironweeds bloom from the mucky bottom with purple flowers that attract a whole host of pollinators. In the winter months, keep your head up as you look amongst the resurrection ferns coating the oaks for dainty little green blooms of the greenfly orchids. The American Holly boasts big clumps of bright red berries, just the perfect treat for birds such as the grey catbird, bluebirds, and others.
 
You will find yourself in a maritime forest as you continue along the boardwalks and nice, clear trails. These are really unique forests shaped by winds and salt spray. You will notice many of the same species of trees and understory plants you are used to seeing in other parts of Florida. Live oak, longleaf pine, loblolly pine, and palmettos are all common plants here. Maritime forests closer to the dunes will have canopies trimmed short by high winds off the ocean. The maritime forests of Cradle Creek are taller as they occur further from the dunes. These forests provide food and refuge for migrating songbirds as well as bobcats, reptiles, raccoons, and many others.
 
After passing through this forest, you will come to the saltwater marsh. This beautiful, open expanse of grasses and shallow water, dotted with cabbage palms, makes for a lovely overlook. These marshes maintain a high salinity from daily flooding due to high tides. These marshes are some of the most productive ecosystems on earth. The grasses and rushes provide cover for hatching fishes as they avoid predators in the shallows and feed on the abundant life. Herons, spoonbills, and other wading birds also find food here, trolling the muddy shallows for fish, small snakes, and crustaceans. In the mud, you can see footprints of the prior evening’s patrol of raccoons, searching for muscles, fiddler crabs, and other tasty treats.
 
You can access this park by the parking lot, located at the corner of 15th Street South and Fairway Lane in Jacksonville Beach. You can also get there via canoe or kayak by using Cradle Creek, which meets the Intercoastal Waterway at Marker 37. There is a boat landing you can use to then access the trails. So, the next time you’re in Jacksonville and want a glimpse as to what this part of Florida looked like before development, or if you just need a place to go to escape the noise for a moment and connect with nature, stop by Cradle Creek Preserve.
Photo Credit: Andy Waldo
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Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, is a medium-sized heron that is smaller than a Great Egret. They have a black bill, a patch of yellow skin on their face, and vibrant yellow feet. They are year-round residents in Florida.
Look for Snowy Egrets near the coast, in wetlands, along rivers and lakes, and in agricultural fields that are wet. Their diet consists of fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs, and worms. They often use their yellow feet to stir up mud to make food accessible. You may find them eating while paddling, walking, running, or standing. They often forage in groups with other species including herons, egrets, ibises, and Roseate Spoonbills.
During the breeding season, Snowy Egrets grow long billowy plumes on their backs and heads. Their feet become a bright yellowish-orange and the skin on their face becomes reddish in color. Male Snowy egrets provide quite a display of courtship that includes loud noises and incredible aerial displays. They will fight to defend their breeding territory.
Nesting occurs at the top of a tree or a shrub at a site chosen by the male. They often nest in colonies with other egrets, herons, Roseate Spoonbills, and ibises. The male builds the foundation of the nest and then supplies materials such as sticks, grasses, and Spanish moss so the female can make it comfortable. The female lays 2-6 eggs that hatch in 24–25 days. They take turns incubating the eggs and both care for the hatchlings for 20-24 days. The pair will defend their young who may be preyed upon by owls, alligators, and crows.
Before plume hunting of Snowy Egrets was stopped in 1910, the population of this beautiful bird was severely compromised. Today the population is stable. However, the massive destruction and degradation of wetlands that have occurred in the last 200+ years put them at risk for food insecurity. For the sake of Snowy Egrets and all wading birds, we must advocate for the preservation and restoration of wetlands and the food sources that lie within them.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
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Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve

Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve, located in Gibsonton, Hillsborough County was acquired in 1995 through the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program. The 1,181-acre park is named for the endangered and endemic golden-aster (Chrysopsis floridana).
You may also be lucky enough to spot members of the small population of Florida scrub jays who call the preserve home. The preserve has a 3-mile trail that winds through several ecosystems and is a great way to see a representation of the real Florida while sauntering on a delightful Florida day.
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Great Egret

The Great Egret, Ardea alba, is a year-round resident in Florida’s wetlands. It is a regal bird that struts proudly while showing off its a long yellow beak and bright white plumage atop ebony legs. In flight, the Great Egret boasts a wingspan of up to 57 inches and gracefully cruises through the sky at 25 miles per hour.
Great Egrets primarily hunt while standing or wading in freshwater, brackish water, or saltwater. Small fish make up most of their diet but they snack on reptiles, amphibians, shrimp, dragonflies, birds, and small mammals.
During the breeding season, you will find colonies of Great Egrets nesting in treetops near water. Males will begin building the nest before pairing with a female. During this time, a green neon patch of skin appears on the Great Egret’s face and long billowy white plumes emerge from its back in anticipation of courtship.
The monogamous couple will complete the nest and the female will produce a clutch of 1-6 eggs. Hatchlings appear in 23-27 days and remain in the nest for up to 25 days. Not all of the chicks will survive the sibling rivalry in the nest as the dominant chick may stab the weaker ones.
More than 95% of Great Egrets were killed when hunted for their plumes. In 1910, plume-hunting was banned and the US population is now considered stable.
Current threats include habitat loss and degradation as well as runoff from sewage and farms. Together, we can advocate for the protection and preservation of the wild spaces where Great Egrets thrive.
Photo Credit; Dan Kon, Nancy Kon, David Gale great
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Sandhill Milkweed

Sandhill Milkweed, Asclepias humistrata, is also known as Pinewoods milkweed or Purple milkweed This native plant can be found growing up to three feet tall in sandhill, oak, and pine habitats. It is endemic to the southeastern US and can be found as far south as Central Florida. Purple veined leaves grow to 2-5 inches long from clusters of single stems. White flowers with hints of pink and lavender bloom from March through June.
Sandhill milkweed has a notably deep taproot that helps speed recovery after a fire. The best way to propagate this milkweed is with seeds from an accredited Florida native plant nursery. Pollinators including bees and butterflies visit this wildflower while Monarch butterflies and Queen butterflies use Sandhill milkweed as a larval host plant.
Photo Credit Andy Waldo Wekiwa State Park
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