Visitors Allow Us to Explore Familiar Places

Recently we were fortunate to have a group of visitors from out of state. Some were from Pennsylvania, a couple from North Carolina and a couple from Virginia — one by way of Australia. They all wanted to do different Florida things which gave us a great opportunity to revisit some favorite spots.

We enjoyed a January sail, offering confirmation that we do indeed live in paradise. We saw dolphins, a turtle and lots of birds, only the Manatees eluded us because the water was cold after all. But we also knew to go to the power plant in Apollo Beach for those who wanted to see Manatees in the wild. Two of our visitors really wanted to see alligators, so that was an opportunity for a hike to the Deep Hole in Myakka River State Park. It was an opportunity for me to lead a group to the Deep Hole and an opportunity for them to get their fill of alligators. We saw hundreds and they were feeding on fish, not tourists.

Our Virginians really wanted to see the Everglades, but we only had a day. We also had one person in the group who was preparing for back surgery, so we wanted something where the walking would be fairly easy. That gave us an opportunity to take our visitors to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It’s the easiest way to see all of the habitats of the Everglades, without driving too far and the boardwalk through the terrain made it easy on everyone. The trip to Corkscrew was a success. Just before we arrived, we saw a bald eagle flying above. Once we arrived, we saw painted buntings, cardinals, a red-shouldered hawk. We also saw a Swamp Lily, more gators, snakes, three kinds of woodpeckers and plenty of shore birds, including a juvenile little blue heron.

We showed off some local hot spots, including Robinson Preserve, Emerson Point Preserve and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature and of course we hit the beach. It was fun to share Florida’s natural treasures and to see our group really appreciate the unique and beautiful parts of Florida that have been saved from development.

Conservation is at the Core of The Bishop's Mission

In conservation, saving imperiled species is at the top of the priority list. At the same time there’s an ongoing effort to keep species from becoming imperiled. My exhibit at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is all about imperiled birds and their environment, but The Bishop has so many other conservation efforts going on, I think it’s important to make everyone aware of what’s going on there right now.

Probably the most visited area of The Bishop (my exhibit not withstanding) is the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat. The Manatees are a favorite for children and adults alike, but the Manatees are not there just for the public’s entertainment. The Bishop has a mission of rehabilitating sick, injured and very young Manatees. The Bishop has been rehabilitating Manatees since 1998, when it was known as the South Florida Museum, and it helped found the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership in 2001.

Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill or even annoy manatees. Still, despite the protections, Manatees face many threats including watercraft strikes, cold stress, red tide, entanglement, entrapment, and habitat loss. That’s where the rescue and rehabilitation partnership comes in. That partnership offers a concerted effort to rescue, rehabilitate, release, and monitor sick and injured manatees.

The Bishop’s role in all of this is as a Stage 2 rehabilitation facility. Manatees arrive at The Bishop after their critical health needs have been met. Two new young Manatees have recently made The Bishop their new home for now. Juveniles Felicia and Doscal are the 39th and 40th Manatees to be rehabilitated at the facility since 1998, according to The Bishop. Both are being monitored daily for signs of stress, but they seem to be calm and are both eating well, as you might notice in the photos I took.

Felicia, who hammed it up for the camera, is a female Manatee about 7 feet long and nearly 400 pounds. She was rescued April 22 from Ruskin Inlet with her mother who was hit by a boat. Felicia’s mother died from her injuries. Doscal, the male Manatee, is also about 7 feet long and weighs 347 pounds. He was an orphan who was found emaciated when he was rescued from the Orange River in Lee County on April 3. They will stay at The Bishop until they are old enough to survive on their own and healthy enough to be released.

While conservation is at the core of The Bishop’s mission in Manatee County, it’s also a great place for children to be educated about that mission while having fun. Today The Bishop celebrated its grand opening and ribbon-cutting for its new Mosaic Backyard Universe. It is designed to encourage exploration in fun and interactive ways and to discover a passion for lifelong learning about science and nature.

Giants, Dragons & Unicorns: The World of Mythic Creatures recently opened. It’s an exciting exhibit that explains the roots of some of the world’s most enduring mythic creatures, such as unicorns and dragons. If you think about it, you can see what prompted those myths in nature even today.

And if you do go to The Bishop to take part in all of these new amazing opportunities, please stop by the imperiled birds exhibit on the second floor and let me know what you think. You can comment below or on my Facebook page.

Reflections in Nature

Growing up in Manatee County, I was out in nature all the time. You could find me in the woods or on the water. I ate fruit off of trees growing wild, crawled through mud in search of photos and searched for marine life on the sandy bottom of the river, the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It was a wonderful way to grow up.

I believe that nature offers serenity. It allows your mind to wander, along with your feet. I can truly appreciate all of God’s Creations when I’m in nature. As a visual person, I enjoy the colors, the textures and the light. Being outside also reminds me to listen for the different sounds the birds make, the rustle of the leaves, the sound of an animal running in the underbrush. I love the smells of nature and the feel of the air — yes even the humidity. Yes there are days I combat mosquitoes and yes, I do get hot, especially when carrying my biggest lens and a tripod, but at the end of a day I feel rested, my mind is calm and my spirit rejuvenated

The photos I bring home reflect that. I hope that’s what I offer to people through my images, a few moments of serenity, a time for quiet reflection.

I retired from the newspaper business after more than three decades of shooting photographs of everything, including crime scenes, fires, hurricanes, and all sort of unsettling things. There were days, weeks and years I couldn’t get the things I saw of out my mind. Coming back to nature, to my roots, has helped bring back the peace I enjoyed in childhood. Scenes of beauty help me to remember I am part of something much greater. That’s why conservation is so important to me. We have so many treasures in nature and we too often overlook those treasures in the pursuit of the money development might bring.

Next time you are out for a walk, venture into a preserve and spend some time in nature. Clear your mind and allow yourself to see, feel and hear what’s around you. If you stay out long enough, you’ll notice the tension falling away. You’ll appreciate the sounds and sights, even if they seem familiar (I mean who in Florida hasn’t seen a great blue heron). But you’ll probably see something you haven’t seen before, like a feather stuck in the egret’s beak after he’s been preening or the way he moves or that bug or fish he’s caught for supper.

I believe that preserving nature means preserving ourselves. Our souls need nourishment and there’s no better place to find it than in the great outdoors.