Derek de Witt

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.