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Prairie Blog

What's going on in the Florida prairie.

The Wild Turkeys of Kissimmee Prairie

11/20/2013

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​Turkey Talk

Displaying TurkeyTurkey displaying in recently burned prairie.
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.

Turkeys are usually seen on the ground walking, but they can run up to 25 mph, roost in trees at night, and are said to be able to fly up to 55 mph! Kissimmee Prairie provides very valuable habitat for turkeys, particularly during the time they are rearing their young.

This description from a Florida Fish and Wildlife pdf clearly sounds like the prairie:
​"Brood rearing and summer foraging habitat are similar and are generally the habitat components that are most limiting, especially in Florida. Hens seek grassy, open areas with abundant insects and nearby escape cover for raising their broods. Good brood habitat generally consists of open areas with a grassy or herbaceous groundcover 1 to 3 feet in height within relative close proximity to escape cover. The vegetation should allow the poults to move unimpeded, but allow the hen to see over the vegetation to detect approaching danger."
Turkeytails
Rare Wild Turkeytail plants
Poults
Baby turkeys (poults) follow their mom. They can fly at just two weeks.
I see you
I see you
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.
When you visit the Preserve, you have a very good chance to see these iconic, interesting birds most any time of the year. Good places to look are near the office, and in both the campground areas. From spring into summer their gobbles are often heard -- especially in the early morning as they come out from the night's roost. If you gobble at the toms, they will stick their necks out and gobble back at you, providing plenty of free entertainment. As former Preserve biologist Paul Miller says, "It never gets old".

Happy Thanksgiving from Kissimmee Prairie Preserve!
WITU in habitat
Turkey heads change color with emotion/excitement, and can be red, white, or blue.
Gobblers
Gobble, gobble, gobble!
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Fire on the Prairie by Jen Benson-Hughes

8/5/2013

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Fire On The Prairie, by Jen Benson-Hughes
An insider view of fire and friendship at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve

PictureNighttime Prairie Wildfire, ©Jen Benson-Hughes
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.

Prescribed Fire
Prescribed Fire in Zone 14, ©Jen Benson-Hughes
Most lightning strike wildfires occur during the transition season—the time of year after the winter freeze and before the rainy season when dead vegetation is cured and the soil is dry. Most thunderstorms in Florida are generated by convection, the result of instability in the atmosphere. Our area of Florida receives 8-16 flashes per kilometer per year! Lightning strike wildfires may be extinguished by the next thunderstorm cell, but in the past when left to their own devices, wildfires could continue to burn for days or weeks (maybe months). This rarely happens today due to roads, canals, and human activity. Controlled burning (prescribed fire) is a safer, cheaper way to restore and maintain an ecosystem than allowing wildfires. Controlled burns are simply fires that are thoughtfully planned with proper preparation on the ground, and skillfully executed by trained professionals to produce the desired effects for the land. Wildfire has the potential to do extreme damage if the wrong conditions exist, such as severe drought and high winds.
Fire Crew
©Rob Rossmanith
Evan
©Jen Benson-Hughes
Two Women
©Jen Benson-Hughes
FGSP©Christina Evans
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.

Jen and Fire Crew
Smiles After a Job Well Done, ©Natalie Carlson
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!

Picture© C. Evans
Guest blog author, Jen Benson-Hughes, is Burn Boss and Park Service Specialist at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve. Jen's favorite part of her job is prescribed fire.

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

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Hiking the Prairie Loop Trail by Donna Bollenbach

5/22/2013

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Hiking the Prairie Loop Trail, #1 of a series
Article and photos by Donna Bollenbach


If you really want to experience Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, take a hike.

PictureEastern Meadowlark serenading
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.


Picture
In fall, the prairie is washed in yellows.
Picture
An 8-point buck spotted along the trail.
About 1/8 mile into the trail you will come to a small stream. After crossing, take a moment to scan the prairie on the left. Depending on time of year, the landscape may be painted with bushy yellow golden rod, tall stalks of purple blazing star, nodding pink meadow beauties or the silvery leaves and creamy white flowers of the pawpaw plant.

As you walk along the stream, look for deer. While deer may be seen throughout the park, I have seen an eight-point buck and several herds of does from this spot. In spring, you may even be rewarded with the sight of a doe with a spotted fawn.

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. 

Turn your eyes closer to the ground to see the multitude of wildflowers in the prairie. From delicate Lady's tresses orchids, to blue-eyed and yellow-eyed grasses, to a colorful pallet of sunflowers and asters, many flowers can be seen from the trail. You may also see many butterflies, including a variety of swallowtails, skippers and hairstreaks. 

The next hammock is filled primarily with tall palms. The ground, which receives little light, is mostly bare except for the litter of dead palm fronds. Look straight up into the palms to admire their height and stature.
Picture
Inside the Palm Hammock
Picture
Military Trail
Picture
Picture
L to R: St. John's Wort, Fetterbush. Pickerelweed, Sabatia, Bachelor's Buttons, Yellow-star Grass, Pipewort, Whitetop Aster, Lyreleaf Sage, Black Swallowtail/Goldenrod, Ladies' Tresses

At the trail's mid-point is a primitive campground with a few picnic tables and a covered pavilion. This is a great place to stop and eat a snack or lunch. From there, you will head north. For the next 3/4 of a mile the prairie will be on your right and a strand of trees along a natural slough will be on your left. This is another place to look for deer.

When you reach Military Trail you are 2/3s through your hike. You will head east, back toward the campground. This part is over shell road, and can be very hot, so make sure you ration water to have enough. Military Trail is a good place to spot snakes sunning in the road. Most snakes in Florida are harmless, but the prairie is also home to Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, so be cautious. 

The real beauty of this part of the trail is the landscape: Note the contrasting colors and textures of the landscape: The points of the fan-shaped Palmetto leaves, the sweep of the wiregrasses, the silvery soft leaves of the pawpaw and the shiny green dwarf oaks. As the park literature suggests: Enjoy the prairie by looking into it, not at it.
Your hike ends at the Equestrian Campground, but your experience will last forever.
Picture
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.


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Fall Color in the Florida Prairie, by Tim Kozusko

10/8/2012

6 Comments

 

Fall Color in the Florida Prairie, by Tim Kozusko
Kissimmee Prairie wildflowers give autumn leaves a run for the money.

Picture
Kissimmee Prairie in the Fall
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.


Picture
Red-banded Hairstreak on Yellowtop
Picture
Catesby's Lily with treefrog
Picture
Bushy Bluestem
Where fire has triggered flowering, wiregrass and lopsided Indiangrass will “tower” over the palmettos and impart a look reminiscent of wheat fields. As autumn progresses you will see the fluffy seeds of the groundsel bush and the broomsedge grasses mature and take to the air on the breeze as the first cold fronts move through.

But there is much more to this display. Many of these plants are annuals that grow through the summer, flower, and die, leaving seeds behind to brush next year’s pastels over the landscape. The plants have captured sunlight and stored it in tissues, pollen, and fruits that either feed migratory songbirds or the insects that the birds eat to replace energy spent flying south.
Picture
Lopsided Indiangrass ©Tim Kozusko
Picture
Eastern Meadowlark in the Gayfeather
Have you visited the Kissimmee Prairie lately? Now is the perfect time to see its beautiful fall colors.
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    Friends of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve

    Random thoughts on and pictures of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve.

    Photos are
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