Focus: Birds – This field trip will focus on birds, other wildlife, and the habitat and ecology of the area visited.

Field Trip Description: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is an Important Bird Area, part of the Atlantic Flyway for bird migration, is one of the gateway sites for the Great Florida Birding Trail, and is a Ramsar designated Wetland of International Importance.  Experience the sights and sounds of the awakening swamp with one of our naturalists guiding you on the boardwalk to look for birds. Learn about the birds' life habits and the importance to these birds of the upland and freshwater wetland habitats that occur at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. 

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Just starting out as a birder? Not sure what that big white bird in your backyard is? Then join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in the area.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Just starting out as a birder? Not sure what that big white bird in your backyard is? Then join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in the area.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Can’t tell a gull from a tern? Do you think all shorebirds look alike? This trip for beginners is an introduction on how to identify and appreciate the most common birds found on our local beaches. This natural area is the second most valuable resting and feeding site for coastal waterbirds on the west coast of Florida and among the species we hope to see are Great, Snowy and Reddish Egrets, five species of plover (including Snowy and Piping), plus other shorebirds, gulls and terns.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.

Focus: Speciality/Botany – This field trip will focus on the plants, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Join Big Cypress National Preserve Park Ranger Amy Washuta for a walk through cypress domes, pinelands and prairies to discover biological components of these unique plant communities. Learn to recognize differences in these communities, which occur with variations in climate, fires, flooding or human disturbance.

Focus: Specialty/Kayaking – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat, and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.Field Trip

Description: Paddle with Susan and George of Up A Creek Kayak Tours. Beginning in Goodland, this tour will explore 12 of the 10,000 Islands. You have to start somewhere! As you weave your way to the Gulf, enjoy observing the abundance of birds, dolphin, sea turtles and manatees that thrive in this pristine estuary. Wind conditions are usually appropriate to paddle to a barrier island for a swim, shelling or just to relax and unwind for a spell. Hammocks and blankets will be available if you choose to take a snooze. Tour distance is 4.5 miles. All equipment provided. Kayaks are single sit-on-top kayaks. Basic paddling/canoeing experience required.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Explore a unique swamp forest with Park Biologist Mike Owen. The interior of the Fakahatchee Strand supports a rich growth of tropical plants. Many birds and animals inhabit the swamp; Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, , Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Common Ground Dove, Great Egret, White Ibis, Limpkin, Florida black bear, river otter, Everglades mink and the endangered Florida Panther. Since there is no path, participants wade through cypress forest and popash-pondapple sloughs in water from 1 to 3 feet deep!

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Focus: Specialty/Cultural – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Enjoy a tour through time with one of Rookery Bay Reserve’s certified interpreters. Traverse Calusa Indian shell mounds and amble through historic pioneer homesteads while learning how these early settlers survived in Florida by living off the land and sea.

Focus: Specialty/Photography - Ethics and techniques of Nature Photography

Field Trip Description: This 2 session workshop is designed as a skill building class for relative newcomers to digital SLR photography.   These classes are not intended to teach you the basic functions of your individual cameras, as participants are expected to know how to operate their own equipment, instead it will address nature photography techniques first in the classroom and then in the field.

Focus: Specialty/Kayaking – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Paddle along pristine mangrove creeks and bays to meet some amazing estuarine inhabitants. Watch ospreys dive for their meals, mangrove tree crabs scurry about, or maybe even catch a glimpse of a manatee or dolphin. We'll leave from the newly completed Isle of Capri Paddle Park which is exclusively for use by non-motorized water craft. Kayaks, paddles, and life vests provided. Basic paddling/canoeing experience required.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: The perfect end to a perfect day. Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: This late afternoon swamp buggy tour of the Refuge will take you through hardwood hammock, pine forest and parts of the northern extension of the Fakahatchee Strand cypress slough during sundown – a perfect time for wildlife viewing and photography. You will learn about Florida panthers and current efforts to restore the Florida Everglades’ critical ecosystem to its former pristine glory while traveling on the paths of Florida panther, black bear, deer, turkey and other wildlife that make their home on the Refuge. It is not unusual to see some of the 125+ species of birds and more than 25 species of mammals that share these lands. Be sure to bring your camera and/or binoculars.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Cast off for some great birding and cruise Rookery Bay on the Conservancy’s Good Fortune pontoon boat. Join us for a beautiful sunset cruise in search of nesting Bald Eagle and Osprey, terns, gulls, shorebirds and waders. Dusk brings thousands of Fish Crows, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, herons, ibis and other wading birds in to roost on a few mangrove islands in Rookery Bay. This is a true southwest Florida treat and a very popular outing.

Focus: Science— This trip will focus on the fireflies.

Field Trip Description: Once a common sight during twilight hours, the flashing beacons of fireflies (a.k.a. lightening bugs) have become increasingly difficult to spot, suggesting widespread population declines. Learn how recording observations of fireflies from your own backyard can help scientists studying firefly population trends across North America through the citizen science project “Firefly Watch.” Following a presentation in the auditorium highlighting firefly biology and reviewing Firefly Watch procedures, join ranger Luke Gommermann on an evening walk to be a part of this project and make observations of fireflies. 

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: From wading birds to migratory songbirds, Big Cypress National Preserve offers fantastic birding opportunities along with other wildlife viewing. Join Park Ranger Lisa Andrews to learn the easy-to-get-to spots in the preserve that can be enjoyed by amateur and expert birders. This includes a visit to our new ½ mile Kirby Storter Boardwalk for an easy walk into a cypress strand, viewing with scopes at HP Williams roadside park and a car caravan along Turner River Road through cypress, pinelands and prairies. The group will be making several stops along the way to the boardwalk to view birds when the opportunity arises so arrival time to the boardwalk will vary. Turner River Rd is a gravel road that may be a bit rough and dusty.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: We will spend the morning walking along Bunche Beach, the mainland side of San Carlos Bay, which is a part of the Lee County Conservation 20/20 program. Shorebirds are the big draw here, but wintering gulls, terns, and wading birds should also be in abundance. Shorebirds likely to be seen include Western and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, and up to 4 species of plover including Black-bellied, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, and Piping. Additional shorebird possibilities include Red Knot, Long-billed Curlew, and Marbled Godwit. Roosting flocks of Black Skimmers may also be present.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Bird Rookery Swamp is part of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). This beautiful area is strand swamp dominated by maple and willow. A system of abandoned logging tram roads and adjacent borrow ditches remain from previous cypress logging operations.

During our two mile hike, we will watch for herons and egrets, glossy ibis, wild turkey, sparrows and wintering mixed species bird flocks which can contain black-throated green warbler and American redstart. Tucked away in rural Collier County, Bird Rookery Swamp is ideal for hiking, nature appreciation, and environmental education.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Just starting out as a birder? Not sure what that big white bird in your backyard is? Then join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in the area.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: The perfect end to a perfect day. Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Focus: Specialty/Cultural – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Enjoy a tour through time with one of Rookery Bay Reserve’s certified interpreters. Traverse Calusa Indian shell mounds and amble through historic pioneer homesteads while learning how these early settlers survived in Florida by living off the land and sea.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Join Big Cypress National Preserve Park Ranger Wesley Millar, FWC Lead Area Biologist—Big Cypress WMA, Ross Scott, and FWC RCW Biologist—Big Cypress, Hana Nardi for a visit to Raccoon Point. This wild and diverse area of preserve, not open to the general public, is home to a variety of wildlife including several groups of the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. Learn how FWC and NPS staff work together to monitor this species and protect its habitat through prescribed fire. You may not only get a glimpse of the red-cockaded woodpecker and other old-growth pineland birds, but may also see tracks of Florida panthers and bears.

Given By: Ted Below, Avian Ecologist at Rookery Bay Reserve

Lecture Description: Southwest Florida really has its share of beaches and coastline. This coastal habitat attracts birds, and especially the ones that spend the winter and have done so for hundreds of years. Below has been studying the birds on our shores for forty years, and in his presentation will recount a number of changes he has witnessed while traversing this wonderful and unique treasure.

Brief Bio: Ted is well-known for his work with Audubon and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. He started on on the reserve staff as Avian Ecologist in 2003 and has continued his endeavors as a volunteer since 2009. He has maintained long-term studies of coastal waterbirds along 60 miles of coast, from Naples to Chokoloskee Pass, for forty years.

Given By: Thomas Dunkerton, Recreation Aide for Brevard County Parks and Recreation

Lecture Description: This program addresses some humorous stereotypes as well as ideas of how to better enjoy birdwatching. As an expert in optics and experienced bird photographer, Dunkerton hears it all, and will be answering questions such as "Why do I bird?", "Why should everyone bird?", and "Why isn't it called bird-watching anymore?"

Brief Bio: Tom is also a Pro Staffer for Opticron North America, a sport and nature optics company and promotes binoculars and spotting scopes throughout the U.S. at various birding events in addition to being a part-time photography instructor and birding guide for Wildside Nature Tours.

Given By: Adam Dinuovo, Audubon Florida Shorebird Monitoring & Stewardship Program Manager

Lecture Description: Every individual bird has an amazing story to tell. Researchers band birds to help them translate those stories into a language they can understand. Banded shorebirds have shed light on migration patterns, habitat use and survivability. Southwest Florida is a critical area for many of these banded birds and each indeed has an amazing story to tell.

Brief Bio: Before arriving in FL in April, Adam was the Research Coordinator for the California Least Tern & Western Snowy Plover Program for the Institute for Conservation Research at the San Diego Zoo. He also helped coordinate research for National Audubon's Project Puffin and has worked on many other seabird & shorebird projects all over the country.

Given By: Blair and Dawn Witherington, South Florida Authors

Lecture Description: Our beaches are alive! That’s the premise proposed by Blair and Dawn Witherington in their presentation appropriately entitled, “Our Living Beaches.” Our wave-swept coastline offers more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery. As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here? Blair and Dawn have sought to satisfy beachcombers’ curiosity within four books on southeastern US beaches covering beach processes, plants, animals, minerals, and manmade objects. In their presentation Blair and Dawn suggest a series of “quests” highlighting a beachcombing journey among our southwest Florida beaches and showing how each visit to a beach is unique—no two are exactly alike, and at any given beach, every day brings something different.

Doors open at 5:30 and lecture begins at 6:00. Light refreshments will be served.

Focus: Botany– This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Join us for this special opportunity to observe one of Florida’s most endangered ecosystems, almost in the heart of Naples, at the newly expanded Naples Botanical Garden. This field trip will focus on exploring the upland and wetland habitats that are on the southern end of the Garden’s footprint. This is a rare opportunity to explore a part of the Garden that isn’t normally accessible to guests.

We will walk approximately 2 miles on sidewalks, uneven ground and sand and potentially water from the staff gate at the southern end of Hamilton Avenue. We will take a car from the Garden to the gate on Hamilton Avenue and then proceed on foot. After the tour the car will take you back to the Visitor’s Center where you parked your car.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: We will spend the first hour walking along an elevated berm around a portion of Harns Marsh Preserve, which is a part of the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District (Lee). Snail Kites and Limpkin are the big draw here, but other fresh water birds often secretive and difficult to see can also be present here, like American and Least Bittern, Purple Gallinule, and King Rail. The second hour will involve checking a couple locations in Lehigh proper for Red-headed Woodpecker and Florida Scrub-Jay, with the remaining time venturing to Hendry County’s Church Road area for Crested Caracara and wintering Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds.  

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: We will be hiking along a 1.3 mile long trail that meanders through several natural community types including hardwood hammock, pine flatwood, wet prairie, and mixed pine hardwood forest. Bird species expected to be seen include a wide range of resident and wintering landbirds including up to five species of woodpeckers, warblers, and with just a little late season water, egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks. There is also a good chance to see other wildlife including whitetail deer, raccoons, armadillos, and perhaps a Florida panther track!

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Just starting out as a birder? Not sure what that big white bird in your backyard is? Then join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in the area.

Focus: Specialty/Bicycling – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: Join Big Cypress Rangers for a bike ride through diverse habitats used as the home range by the elusive Florida Panther and a variety of other wildlife. Along your leisurely 14 mile ride stop at several stations to look for signs of panther, learn about their habitat, find out what Big Cypress biologists do to study the big cat and other interesting facts about Florida Panthers. *There are no restrooms at the trailhead, but we’ll stop about 2 miles into the ride if necessary.

Focus: Science— This trip will focus on the nation-wide citizen science effort to measure mercury levels across our National Parks.

Field Trip Description: Lurking in swamps is an invisible threat more dangerous than any scaly reptile. Join Ranger Amly Washuta in Big Cypress National Preserve to learn about an ambitious effort to measure mercury. First, attend an engaging program highlighting the significance of mercury in the environment, how dragonfly nymphs can be used as an indicator of this heavy metal, and our partnership with a local school to assist sampling. Then travel to a site in the preserve and step into the swamp for a hands-on experience in sampling dragonfly nymphs (and other amazing critters!) using dip nets.

Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.

Field Trip Description: This late afternoon swamp buggy tour of the Refuge will take you through hardwood hammock, pine forest and parts of the northern extension of the Fakahatchee Strand cypress slough during sundown – a perfect time for wildlife viewing and photography. You will learn about Florida panthers and current efforts to restore the Florida Everglades’ critical ecosystem to its former pristine glory while traveling on the paths of Florida panther, black bear, deer, turkey and other wildlife that make their home on the Refuge. It is not unusual to see some of the 125+ species of birds and more than 25 species of mammals that share these lands. Be sure to bring your camera and/or binoculars.

Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).

Field Trip Description: Cast off for some great birding and cruise Rookery Bay on the Conservancy’s Good Fortune pontoon boat. Join us for a beautiful sunset cruise in search of nesting Bald Eagle and Osprey, terns, gulls, shorebirds and waders. Dusk brings thousands of Fish Crows, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, herons, ibis and other wading birds in to roost on a few mangrove islands in Rookery Bay. This is a true southwest Florida treat and a very popular outing.