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O FL 2. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Acreage: Over 6000. 



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O Location: Collier County; Corkscrew Swamp and Corkscrew SE quadrangles; 



il! 30 miles NE of Naples and 1 6 miles W of Immokalee. 



Description: A Registered Natural Landmark. One of the largest remaining 

 stands of mature bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) in North America. Other 

 wetland communities include pond cypress (T. distichum var. nutans), wet 

 prairie with grasses and sedges, open ponds with duckweed (Lemna minor) and 

 water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), and marshlands covered with a complex of saw- 

 grass (Mariscus jamaicensis) and willows (Salix). Other species of importance 

 are cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), custard apple (Annona glabra), pop ash 

 (Fraxinus caroliniana), red maple (Acer ruhrum), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), 

 red bay (Persea borbonia), poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron), strangler fig (Ficus 

 aurea), and hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus). Frequent epiphytes include the com- 

 mon air plant (Tillandsia fasciculata), Spanish moss (T. usneoides), catopsis 

 (Catopsis berteroniana), cigar orchid (Epidendrum tampense), and night-smelling 

 orchid (E. nocturnum). The two most abundant emergent aquatics are ar- 

 rowhead (Sagittaria spp.) and pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata). Conspicuous 

 ferns include leather fern (Acrostichum danaefolium), royal fern (Osmunda 

 regalis), resurrection fern (Polypodium polypodioides), strap fern 

 (Campvloneuron phyllitidis), and Boston fern ( Nephrolepis exaltata). Forty spe- 

 cies of birds are permanent residents. Wood Storks nest during the winter and 

 spring months. Other species include Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great 

 Blue Heron, American Bittern, American Egret, and Limpkin. Barred Owls can 

 also be observed during the day from the boardwalk. Other wildlife include gray 

 and fox squirrels, raccoon, otter, bobcat, alligator, American chameleon, 

 Floridian five-lined skink, cricket frog, green tree frog, squirrel tree frog, 

 leopard frog, southern bull frog, sliders, Florida softshell turtle, water moccasin, 

 and eastern diamond-back rattlesnake. Upland surrounding the swamp is 

 dominated by pine flat woods-slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa and saw pal- 

 metto (Serenoa repens). 



References: National Audubon Society. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary self-guided 

 tour of the boardwalk. 



Ownership: The National Audubon Society owns over 2880 acres; additional 

 acreage has been leased from Collier County. 



Data source: NPS; Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, National Audubon Society, 

 P.O. Box 806, Immokalee, Fla.; William A. Niering, Box 1511, Connecticut Col- 

 lege, New London, Conn. 06320. 



