Derek de Witt

The ‘Winds of Change’ series started as a question about hurricanes and wildlife. But could the question itself have been flawed?

Alligators and crocodiles are large apex predators. They have similar forms, but in Florida they live in different places. What commonalities are there in their response to hurricanes? And what differences?

A hurricane can have so many potential ripple effects, it’s difficult to keep track of them all. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of luck whether certain species do well or poorly. And that matters because we rely on some of them for our own survival.

If you could go anywhere to avoid a hurricane, where would you pick? One of the safest places is the deeper ocean, far from the wind and wave action. We can’t go there, but some animals can, and yet some choose not to.

Our exploration of the effects of hurricanes on wildlife has focused mostly on terrestrial systems. This is understandable, as humans are terrestrial ourselves. It’s much more challenging to observe freshwater or marine species because they spend their lives underwater, which we can’t breathe.

We’re going to look at animals that either make or use burrows. Because of the nature of water to seek the lowest point, these are some of the most vulnerable organisms of all when it comes to hurricanes.

Birds are probably one of the most mobile groups of animals. When it comes to hurricanes, they don’t, necessarily, have to ‘sit around and take it.’

Trees are big and memorable, and can cause a lot of damage when they come down in a storm, but they’re only a small piece of the proverbial plant puzzle.

Before we start discussing the various types of animals and hurricane impacts on them, we should look at the effect of these storms on plants. We’ll start with a look at various different types of trees.

Welcome to the new season of Nature Stories: Winds of Change. Aa major hurricane hitting a population center has triggered curiosity about its impact on wildlife. Before we get into that, though, I want to show just how devastating a hurricane can be.

Over the course of millions of years of evolution, it is inevitable that some species will incorporate the life cycle of others into their own and use it to their advantage. This time, we’re focusing on a particular type of dead organism and its various uses: dead trees.

What excites you about the natural world? What is the sort of thing that you might see or hear that would get your blood pumping and your excitement building? For me, it’s the opportunity to witness something I’ve never noticed before and think about what it means.

We have a lot of blue colors here in Florida. The water and the sky are ubiquitous, of course, but some of the most striking examples are among our birds. This includes such regulars as the great blue heron and the blue jay. We also have the belted kingfisher and the male painted bunting.

As many of you are probably aware, the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, was recently classified as Endangered. These beautiful creatures are a frequent sight in Florida and have been under increasing pressure over recent years.

Right now, we are in the middle of one of my personal favorite ‘seasons’: sea turtle nesting season. In particular, July is the time when some of the earliest laid nests of the season are beginning to hatch, so we are in the overlap time of both nesting females and emerging hatchlings.

I like to emphasize that all too often we think about nature as a nebulous concept or a distant wilderness. But that is not at all how things are. Nature is all around you, often right outside your door. We like to think of ourselves as separate because we have altered the landscape so much.

What's that sound? Just a woodpecker making a racket. We have 8 different species of woodpeckers that live in Florida, and all of them are adept at being loud when they want to be.

You’ve probably had a close brush with ferns. Ferns are everywhere. More than likely, each of you reading this is not far away from a living fern plant right now. The distinctive shape of the fern frond is so well known that they can be recognized at a glance.

The rainy season is starting to get in gear. This time we’re going to be talking about a species that undergoes one of the most dramatic changes of them all.

The term ‘vulture’ has gained numerous negative connotations in our language. However, some earlier cultures actually venerated vultures and I think that much more appropriate, as they provide a vital ecological service.

In April, there is one bird that has taken a long journey and is just starting to arrive. They are the reason why this time of year is always one of my favorites. Swallow-tailed kites are back.

This week, we’ll be talking about the distinction between two related and important terms and looking at examples of each here in South Florida. These terms are ‘exotic’ and ‘invasive’.

Have you been paying attention to the birds recently? If so, you might have noticed that their behavior has shifted a bit. That’s because the time of year is mating season for most birds in south Florida.

We’re now in the middle of the dry season here in Florida. We see the effects of this everywhere. The water in ponds recedes and their banks expand. The cypress trees lose their needles and animals shift their behavior to correspond to the changing environment.

Florida in general, and south Florida in particular, have become a well-known hotspot for non-native invasive species. Our subtropical climate provides an excellent territory for introduced species to gain a foothold.

Because of the near-constant warmth here, we have a huge number of year-round avian residents, so it can be easy to forget about our migrants. However, there are plenty of birds that use Florida only as a wintering-ground.

Here in South Florida, we don’t get the same seasons like they do up north. I admit that I still feel a bit nostalgic for autumn and winter at times. While we are technically only ‘subtropical’ here, we experience a rainy season and a dry season much like those that occur in the tropics.

There is nothing quite as iconic to Florida as a trip to the beach. There are a number of reasons people go there, but Florida offers an extraordinary opportunity for those who like to collect shells.

What are these feet? We have a plethora of wading birds here, but this can cause problems with trying to identify a particular individual. Let’s focus on some of the subtle characteristics that can help you distinguish between our frequent long-legged visitors.

From looking at the initial picture, you might think that we already discussed this particular plant species already. It looks similar to the cabal palm. This is a closely related species that is a bit different, the saw palmetto.