What do you do if you’re a plant growing in soil that doesn’t provide enough nourishment? Well, how about eating insects? Kissimmee Prairie Preserve has several species of plants that actually eat insects: sundews, bladderworts, butterworts, and one species of pitcher plant. Here we discuss the winter/spring blooming butterworts.

Butterworts, or ‘Pings’ (an abbreviation of the scientific genus Pinguicula), are members of an insectivorous plant family called the Lentibulariaceae which includes the bladderworts. It is the most species rich family of carnivorous plants on Earth. By definition, carnivorous plants make their living digesting the protein provided by insects that they capture.

The butterworts that occur in the Preserve are perennial and spend much of their life cycle as a ‘basal rosette’— a cluster of leaves that remain flat on the ground. The upper surface of the leaves have minute hairs topped with glands (best seen with a dissecting microscope) that exude a sticky substance. Small insects such as gnats become stuck to the surface of the leaves and are chemically digested providing nutrients to the plant. The basal rosettes of butterworts remain relatively inconspicuous in the prairie. They spend most of their life cycle eating bugs, quietly hidden from view by grasses and other plants that reach to the sky until it is time to flower.

The Yellow-flowered Butterwort is much more common in the Preserve and folks on a Prairie Buggy tour should keep their eyes on the sides of the trail during these months to catch a glimpse. The Blueflower Butterwort is less common and likely has a more specific habitat requirement. Who knows why the Blueflower is so picky? Perhaps a curious mind will be inspired to investigate the habitat and figure that out.

With the holidays approaching, it is a good time to talk about turkeys.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve's turkeys are one of five subspecies found in the United States. Smaller and darker than its much more numerous Eastern cousins, Florida's Osceola Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) were named for the famous Seminole Indian chief, and are only found in the Florida peninsula.

While the Preserve's turkeys are (thankfully) protected and not going to end up as Thanksgiving dinner, don't think they are living the carefree life! Wild turkeys are a major prey species -- which means their role in the ecosystem is to provide food for a whole lot of other animals. Raccoons, bobcats, striped and spotted skunks, coyotes, owls, hawks, crows, and snakes are just some of the animals that prey on turkeys, their eggs and their young. It should be no surprise that they have developed great eyesight and have a reputation for being extremely wary. They have also evolved to produce many young and will re-nest if their eggs are destroyed.

During the warm months, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve focuses on resource management. The most influential component in managing Florida’s ecosystems is fire. Historically, lightning-created fires sustained ecosystems. The plants and animals in the prairie adapted with frequent fire. Fire is essential to this landscape, and it offers fire personnel a means to be ecologically productive, get dirty, and maintain friendships.

The Florida Park Service tries to mimic the timing of nature with controlled burns because the prairie responds differently to fire depending on time of year. Winter fires favor trees and shrubs because many of the grasses are dormant. Trees that encroach into the prairie push out plant species that require open spaces. But the response from plants and animals after a transition/growing season fire is remarkable: prairie grasses and forbs, bountiful butterflies, Burrowing Owls, Northern Bobwhites, and many other species that rely on the open ground of the prairie flourish and reproduce. This includes the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (pictured), which uses patches of open ground as ‘run-ways’ to search for food and evade predators.

Fire is inherently dangerous. As Florida park rangers and land managers, it is our duty to ensure that controlled burns and wildfires are managed in a safe and responsible manner. Living and working in the most frequently burned ecosystem in Florida, we have to be well-versed in the techniques, preparations, safety protocols, laws, and equipment needed to conduct a controlled burn or contain a wildfire. All of this knowledge is not gained overnight. It requires years of training, on-the-job experience, support from the public, and cooperation among many agencies. The camaraderie among the fire crews is encouraging and supportive. Burn one time with a fire fighter and you’re friends for life! Birthday parties are more fun with fire fighters!

In the prairie, fire equals life! It is a beautiful relationship that inspires many of us to capture the prairie’s beauty with our cameras, and we keep it in our hearts and minds. One of the greatest joys in this profession is watching the prairie and all its inhabitants thrive after a growing season fire. Oh, and autumn—you have to see the prairie wildflowers in September/October—gorgeous!

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie, a habitat of sweeping grasses and saw palmetto where plants and animals are as diverse as they are plentiful. While hiking in the preserve you will experience a very unique and pristine habitat that is unlike any other in the state or country.

There are over 100 miles of multi-use trails in the park that can be travelled by foot, bike or horseback. The most popular hike is the Prairie Loop Trail. Approximately 4.6 miles, it traverses a variety of natural habitats including the dry prairie, moist wetlands, and shady hardwood hammocks. 

The trailhead is adjacent to the last campsite in the equestrian campground. Here you find the first of many metal poles with blue blazes that mark the trail.  As you head out on the first leg, watch for wild turkeys, which are often seen emerging from the brush.

As  you head west, listen for birds in the oaks. Among the birds I have seen are White-eyed Vireos, Palm Warblers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a pair of Great-crested Flycatchers with an active nest in the cavity of a snag. 

After awhile, the trail will divert slightly southwest. As you approach the first hammock you may startle a grazing deer grazing under the live oaks. This is a good place to stop and enjoy the shade before continuing your hike in open prairie where you will hike about 3/4 of a mile to the next hammock.

Look to the skies over the prairie for Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrels, Crested Caracaras, Swallow-tailed Kites, and Vultures. These predatory birds may be spotted soaring over the landscape or perched atop snags. A rare White-tailed Kite may also be spotted from the trail. 

NOTE: The best time to hike in Florida is the fall, winter and spring, usually October through April. But even in the winter temperatures on the open Prairie can be very hot, so always carry plenty of water, sunscreen and bug spray. Start your hike in the early morning, just as the sun starts to rise if possible. Not only are the temperatures cooler, but you are more likely to see wildlife. The Prairie Loop Trail is well marked, but in case of emergencies you should carry a cell phone and a GPS. Cell service in the prairie is spotty, but possible on some sections of the trail.

Donna Bollenbach, a nature photographer for over 10 years, spends her leisure time hiking, camping and photographing nature in parks and preserves throughout Florida. She first discovered Kissimmee Prairie Preserve in 2005 and has since hiked over 50 miles in the park. In addition to being a published photographer, Donna is the author of an e-book, The Art of Nature Photography, available on Amazon.


NOTE: A longer, complete version of this article, with more images, will be published in an upcoming Kissimmee Prairie Star newsletter.

When you come out to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve to observe nature you are not limited to one planet. The dark night sky is one of our natural resources and allows observers to see the nature of the whole universe. Most constellations can be remembered when all the dim stars make a picture of ancient or mythological characters. These stories add fascination to the beauty of a dark sky view. Ancient observers had no city lights to interfere. As their culture developed they created legends—the Big Dipper is an ox cart in China; a funeral procession to plains Indians; a useful kitchen tool to Europeans. Modern astronomy is international. Latin names and mapped areas now define the 88 constellations such as URSA MAJOR which includes the big dipper and contributes to the picture of the great bear when all the dim stars near it are visible.

Useful link for stargazers: Kissimmee Prairie Preserve Clear Sky Chart

We're young, but see a great future ahead.

Friends of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve now has membership available online—and we need you! Your membership will include our email newsletter, The Kissimmee Prairie Star, invitations to special events such as a members' sparrow drives, and access to our new members' pages, where soon you will be able to interact with other members, share your photos, and stay informed about the Preserve and member events. As we grow, we expect to provide more benefits and member content to you, but the main benefit of membership is being a part of the effort to support and benefit Kissimmee Prairie Preserve and its unique, irreplaceable ecosystem.

We can't do it without you.  Join us now. Click on the button below to go directly to our membership form and member pages:

The changing seasons in Florida are subtle at first, but once you know what to look for they are easy to notice. As late summer turns to autumn on the Kissimmee Prairie you will not see many leaves change color, for there are few deciduous trees in this part of Florida. There are few trees of any kind; it is a prairie after all! What you will see is the blush of color from the autumn-blooming asters and grasses. 

Fueled by a nutrient flush from early growing season fire, and quenched by summer rains, the Prairie comes alive in color, adding the yellows of goldenrod and goldentops to the blues and purples of the gayfeather and paintbrush.

Have you visited the Kissimmee Prairie lately? Now is the perfect time to see its beautiful fall colors.

As mentioned in February's post, here,  there are many uncommonly seen species that can be found with relative ease at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve. But the Preserve also protects and harbors some species that are not commonly found anywhere in Florida — or even in the world.

The most notable of these is the federally endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus), a subspecies of grasshopper sparrow endemic to Florida's fire-dependent dry prairie habitat.  Loss of habitat and other stressors (such as exotic, invasive fire ants) have reduced the population of this secretive little bird to where only a few hundred are believed to remain. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is among the very few places where it is making its last stand.

To learn more about the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow visit the FWC website.

The Preserve's unique habitat harbors more than rare birds. It is also a place where one might find a threatened or endangered plant species, including the rarest of the grass pink orchids, the Manyflowered Grasspink (Calopogon multiflorus), which appears in the prairie shortly after a fire, or the aptly- named Bog Torch, AKA Snowy Orchid, (Habenaria nivea).

Not to forget reptiles and amphibians — the Preserve is habitat for the extremely rare South Florida Mole Kingsnake, for instance (no photo of that!). Florida Panther tracks have been seen there as well. Rarely seen butterflies and other arthropods also have been recorded in the Preserve (some of which may be covered in a future post from Linda Cooper).

Looking for a reliable place to see a Crested Caracara or Bachman's Sparrow?
Do you thrill at the sight of a Zebra Swallowtail, have a thing for Skippers, or wish to add lep species to your life list? Or perhaps you are a long time Floridian, nostalgic for the days, years ago, when Northern Bobwhites used to frequent your neighborhood. You have come to the right place.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve harbors and supports a vast number of species of both fauna and flora that have been overrun or pushed out by development and the loss of habitat in Florida. A few examples:

Northern Bobwhites, Eastern Meadowlarks, Eastern Towhees and Wild Turkeys are abundant here. Common Yellowthroats and Common Ground Doves live up to the name "common". Even Bachman's Sparrows—a species of conservation concern throughout its dwindling range—can often be heard and seen from the main road during their spring breeding season and into the summer. Most visitors will be lucky enough to see one or more of the Preserve's resident Crested Caracaras, a rare Florida specialty that breeds in the Florida prairie habitat.

The Preserve is known by lepidopterists everywhere as a place to find a wide variety of butterflies—even the casual observer can't miss the spectacular Zebra Swallowtail (photo on our Home page) in the late spring and summer months—at times it is the most common butterfly around.

Non-native, exotic (and sometimes invasive) plants—sold in vast quantities in the big box stores and now ubiquitous in Florida subdivisions—have supplanted many of "La Florida's" (flowery land in Spanish) true wildflowers in much of the state. Our unique and beautiful flowers can still be found and appreciated in the "Real Florida" habitat of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve.

Shown here—brilliant purple/magenta Blazing Star and Florida Paintbrush flowers in the fall season put on a display that cannot be adequately described or photographed.

Threatened Gopher Tortoises and small, beautiful Rough Green Snakes are a frequent sight on and alongside the road, and very careful watching, especially at dusk, may offer a view of a legless Glass Lizard. (please see the Road Rules post below — they are much more beautiful and interesting if not flattened under car tires).

While the rare truly is commonplace in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, it is also a refuge for some species that are not commonplace anywhere. Stay tuned.