A Snail Kite’s Delight - Friends Of Loxahatchee · A Snail Kite’s Delight Naturalist...

Summer 2019 | www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com

A Snail Kite’s Delight

Naturalist Observations of The Marsh Trail Impoundments

By Bradley Rosendorf, Education and Outreach Associate

A hike around the Marsh Trail impoundments provides opportunities for Refuge guests to observe a stunning array of unique Everglades wildlife. The Refuge is an ecological gem and one of the precious

jewels of the National Wildlife Refuge System. On the Marsh Trail,

visitors regularly observe species such as the American alligator, white-tailed deer, Everglade Snail Kite, Sandhill Crane, Wood Stork, Glossy Ibis, Limpkin, Purple Gallinule, Pileated

Woodpecker, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Red -shouldered Hawk and Roseate Spoonbill. There seems to be a big increase in Roseate Spoonbill activity in the area

this year! In the fall and winter months, Northern Harriers can be seen, and in the spring and summer, Swallow -tailed Kites are observed. Bald Eagles can also be seen, but they

are very elusive. Florida bobcats are sometimes seen stalking the water’s edge for a bird to catch for dinner. The sunsets are a magical sight to behold – in the Real Everglades

of Palm Beach County. Every hike on the Marsh Trail offers the possibility of a surprise. At the Refuge, people f rom all throughout the community unite to support wildlife conservation and be inspired in nature.

The Marsh Trail impoundments include 7.6 miles of hiking trail as well as the LILA area – Loxahatchee Impoundment Research Assessment – where you can learn about tree islands and Everglades restoration collaborative research. While hiking through the Marsh Trail

impoundments, you can experience an Everglades landscape and habitat that ref lects the greater River of Grass ecosystem. The eastern lubber grasshoppers are a bizarre and amazing insect species to observe! Watch your step! At night, you can sometimes hear the

sound of the intimidating and elusive Great Horned Owl, hooting f rom far away cypress trees. For families in Palm Beach County, visiting the Refuge and going for a hike on the Marsh Trail is a great way to connect with nature and have fun experiencing the Everglades!

Ultimately, the most spectacular wildlife observation opportunity is the chance to see a remarkable Everglade Snail Kite balancing in f light over the water as it readies to dive down

(Continued on page 3) Gator Tales is a publication of the Friends,

a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

For financial information, please visit

www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com/finance/finance.html

If you would like to sign up for our email newsletter,

or if you have any other questions,

please contact us at [email protected]

Marsh Trail - Photo by Arthur Jacoby

Bradley

Roseate Spoonbill - Bradley

Sandhill Cranes - David Kendall

Eastern Lubber - Donna Korb

Limpkin - Bridget Lyons


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Visit the Refuge!

The Refuge main entrance and

Visitor Center are located at

10216 Lee Road, just west of U.S. 441,

two miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd.

The Refuge is open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The Visitor Center is open daily

from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle.

A variety of annual passes are available.

Elinor Williams

After 13 years on the Friends' Board

of Directors, six of them as president, it's time for me to step down and let the energy and enthusiasm of some of

the other outstanding board members take us in new directions. Cathy and Peter have spent countless hours as board members, in addition to their

many other volunteer activities, and I am very grateful to them for agreeing to "power share" to lead this board into the future. I won't be going far, in fact I won't be

going anywhere at all. I plan to continue most of the volunteer activities that I've always been involved in. Just not the presidential ones!

After the much-needed retirement of Elinor Williams f rom the presidency of the Friends, Peter McKelvy and I will be co-leading the Board of Directors. It’s a

daunting task to be sure as Elinor did such terrif ic job, and now it will take two or more of us to f ill her shoes!

I have been on the Board two terms, in addition to the volunteer tasks that come up on a weekly basis: the

Nature Store, tram tours, International Coastal Clean Up, Great American Clean Up, photo contest, assisting with school groups, and invasive plant removal.

Lox has been a favorite place of mine to visit since I was a teenager (back in the olden days). It has changed for the better over the years, due to the dedication of Refuge

staff and the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to preserve our last corner of the Everglades.

Plan to visit, or re-visit the Refuge soon. Bring your family and f riends, cameras, binoculars, hats, and sun screen. Take advantage of the many guided tours,

lectures, special events, hiking, biking, and canoeing. You just may catch a glimpse of something wonderful! Cathy is one of the busiest volunteers around! She was named our Outstanding Friend of the Year in 2017 and selected by Refuge staff as Volunteer of the Year in 2018.

What a year for the Friends ! I am proud of the accomplishments of the Friends’ Board of Directors. Due in large measure to our success in securing a number of

grants we have been able to signif icantly enhance existing programs and embark on exciting new initiatives.

Our funding for the Education and Outreach Associate position has brought new audiences into the refuge and

continues to develop innovative partnerships within the diverse communities that are Palm Beach and Broward Country. The funding of the position was made possible

with the strong leadership of the Development Committee, who secured over $37,000 in Grants to fund the position.

Additionally your Development Committee also secured grants to allow the Friends to signif icantly increase funding for transporting school groups to the Refuge to

participate in on-site learning opportunities. We also received a grant to ensure continued funding for Everglades Day.

While the entire Board of Directors is proud of our success over the last 12 months we are mindful that a

f inancially secure Friends organization is a continuous effort. There remains a number of programs and capital projects that we are seeking funding for. You can help

secure the f inancial security of the organization by making your tax-deductible donation today. It’s easy, simply go to the Friends website www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com and

look for the Friends tab, click on the tab and scroll down to CONTRIBUTIONS. There you will f ind information about how you can help support the Friends.

We wish to thank our partners who have awarded the Friends grants:

The Jim Moran Foundation The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation The Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County

The National Wildlife Refuge Association The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company What Peter failed to mention is that he is almost single-handedly responsible for the Friends’ success in securing these grants. He was named Outstanding Friend of the Year in 2019 in recognition of his work on behalf of the Friends. - Editor

Friends’ Board Notes

Cathy Patterson Peter McKelvy

Would you like to make a Donation to

Help the Friends Help the Refuge? Go to www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com

and select Contributions.

http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/contributions/contributions.shtml

http://www.loxahatcheefriends.com/contributions/contributions.shtml


Weekly Activities Bird and nature walks,

guided canoe trips,

tram tours and other activities

occur on a weekly basis.

Visit www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com or call the

Visitor Center at 561-734-8303 for more information.

Loxahatchee Visions

Art Contest

Entries accepted

October 26 - November 2

Reception and Award Presentation

Sunday, November 10, 1:00 p.m.

Check www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com

for details

Full Moon Canoe Trips

Enjoy a guided tour through a part of the Refuge interior.

Trips generally start at 7:00 p.m. and last two hours.

Call Loxahatchee Canoeing at 561-733-0192

for reservations and to verify start time.

Saturday, June 15

Saturday, July 13

Saturday, August 17

Saturday, September 14

Saturday, October 12

Saturday, November 9

Saturday, December 14

Sierra Club Donates Water Bottle Filling Station

Thanks to a generous $2,500 donation f rom the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, a new Elkay Water Bottle Filling Station has been installed in the Visitor Center.

The Friends of the Refuge also contributed to the installation. The ezH2O water station dispenses cold, f iltered water while digitally tracking the number of plastic

water bottles saved f rom being used. So, bring your water bottle next time you visit, and check out the count!

Rolf Olson - Refuge Manager, Mary Cassell - Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group President, Elinor Williams - Friends President Emeritus,

Elle Rappaport - Sierra Club Finance & Publicity Chair - Ira Rappaport

and grab an apple snail for a meal! Now that’s a Snail Kite’s delight! The Snail Kite is a very endangered and unique bird of prey that resembles a medium-sized hawk.

The juvenile birds are diff icult to distinguish male f rom female, while the adult male is uniformly black or dark gray and the adult female is golden brown and lighter gray with a white patch on its face. The Refuge has a

generous amount of snail prey available for the Snail Kites to hunt. Interestingly, both native and invasive snails are hunted, and the Snail Kite seems to be adapting to

the larger invasive snails as the birds are being born with larger beaks to access meat f rom the larger snails. The birds are also getting slightly larger in overall body size.

This is an amazing story of adaptation to an invasive prey item. Sometimes Snail Kites will stalk Limpkins as they look for snails, and then dive in and steal the snail – a

rarely observed but verif ied behavior recorded on the Marsh Trail impoundments. The Snail Kite is quite literally the most specialized bird of prey on Planet Earth in its

typical hunting behavior and prey selection. They perch low along the edges of the water, watching for snails to come up for air, barely breaking the surface of the water.

The Refuge provides critical habitat for this species, one of the many great features of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge!

(Continued from page 1)

Snail Kite grabbing Apple Snail - Bradley Rosendorf

Alligator - Susan Young


Does Your Group Need a Speaker?

Let our volunteers bring the Everglades to you!

If you would like to host a speaker

and learn fascinating facts about Everglades

wildlife, plants, and habitats, as well as the

many recreational and educational

opportunities on the Refuge,

Contact Steve Henry at 561-735-6021

[email protected]

Look, but Not Too Close! by Barry Willette

Photographers: There's opportunity

galore to get that perfect animal shot in the wild at the Refuge – but what about you in that wild? Let’s consider the

ethics of wildlife photography in pursuit of that perfect photo.

So, suppose you've finally spotted that

elusive bobcat and her kittens. Now is your time to move in close to get that award-winning photo. But, not so fast! There are ethical considerations every time you want to

get that elusive photo: How is what you are about to attempt going to impact the bird or animal? Is your trying to get close going to cause the young to be abandoned?

Photography ethics dictate that you should maintain a comfortable distance between yourself and that animal.

While there is not a state-mandated distance between you and an eagle's nest, it is recommended that you maintain at least 100 yards distance. This is probably a

good rule of thumb for all active nests in the Refuge. With alligators the safe distance f rom a nest is even more important. Is getting that close-up of a hatchling baby

worth risking your life?

If you see a baby animal, do not, I repeat, do NOT, attempt to get close to it. Momma is probably not far

away. The baby does not need your help – and interfering could cost their life. The bottom line is, if you are using the camera on your phone, you are not going

to ethically be able to get that close-up photo without interfering. You don't have to break the bank; you can get a digital camera with a decent zoom, relatively

inexpensively.

Seek out Refuge rangers and volunteers to ask about safe distances for your safety – and the safety of the

animals. Ask yourself, if getting close is worth potential harm to yourself, or the wildlife. Now, go out and enjoy yourself! Remember, take nothing but pictures, and

leave nothing but footprints behind. Barry is a volunteer naturalist and photographer and Friends’ board member. What he didn’t want to say, but I will, is that he wrote this after witnessing a visitor get too close trying to take a selfie with a Sandhill Crane chick and parents. When the parents flew off, the chick tried unsuccessfully to follow. The parents spent hours looking but never found their lost chick.

- Editor

Congratulations to Shawn Escott, Plein Air Painter Extraordinaire!

Shawn braved the morning rain on Everglades Day,

Feb. 9, and placed 1st in the Plein Air painting contest.


Learning Opportunities Abound By Bradley Rosendorf,

Education and Outreach Associate

In the Everglades, there’s always a surprise – an alligator bellowing, a bobcat chasing a squirrel up a tree, a

Roseate Spoonbill searching through the marsh for delicious shrimp or a Great Horned Owl waking up as the sun is setting, with its loud and intimidating hooting calls.

At the Visitor Center, there’s always excitement in the air when school groups come for f ield trips – what will they see and learn?

The Refuge provides great opportunities for youth to have exciting Everglades educational experiences that f it with

the school district science curriculum. For example, water quality experiments and dip netting to find tiny aquatic creatures such as the shrimp that wading birds rely on for

nutrition, or biology and ecology instruction about alligator behavior, Red-shouldered Hawk and Bald Eagle nesting, and cypress swamp habitat.

When children visit the Refuge, they have fun. Learning about the Everglades is a very important aspect of

education for our youth. For parents and teachers in South Florida, there is no greater gif t for your kids than to encourage them to experience our beautiful Florida

Everglades and learn about this uniquely American pastime – maybe it will be your son or daughter or student who wants to grow up to become a Park Ranger and help save endangered wildlife like the Florida panther. For

information about educational f ield trips, call the Visitor Center at 561-734-8303.

Refuge staff also visit schools and community groups as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. On a recent visit at a local high

school when I was explaining how Park Rangers in America's National Wildlife Refuges are responsible for protecting endangered species such as the Snail Kite and Florida panther, a student f rom the back of the room

spoke up, "That's really cool! I want to be a Park Ranger, how can I do that?" Later, I got the chance to speak with him in detail about all the exciting and important career

paths that can take him all over America to the most beautiful places on Planet Earth, including the Everglades, if he chooses a career in one of the agencies

in the Department of Interior.

When we see youth get inspired to learn more about

wildlife conservation we get really excited, because that's what our outreach is all about at the Refuge. We strive to connect kids with nature and hope to instill values for

saving nature and protecting wildlife and habitats. We hope the kids that we speak with throughout the community will visit the Refuge and have memorable

experiences, maybe seeing wildlife or watching a sunset. And we hope that one day those kids will become champions for the Everglades!

Bradley's position as Education and Outreach Associate is funded by the Friends and by your donations.

Bradley nurtures a new generation of conservationists at the Milagro Center in Boynton Beach - USFWS Photo

Bobcat - Bradley Rosendorf

Dip Netting on the Refuge - Tom Rasmussen


2018 Loxahatchee Visions Art Contest

Novice Winners

Top: 1st Place: “In the Woods” by Kristen Thies, 2nd

Place: “Waiting for Lunch” by Matt Vogel, L eft: 3rd Place: “Don’t Feed the Alligator” by William

VanRyzin

Bottom: Honorable Mentions: “Cormorant Sunset” by

Nicolas Leon, “Snowy Egret” by Nicolas Leon, “On the Prowl” by Nick Vogel


2nd Place: “The Refuge” by Jerry Smietanka, Honorable Mention: “Sunset Shimmer” by Kerry Eriksen

1st Place: “Panorama a t Loxahatchee” by Manny Jomok

3rd Place: “Egret” by Leszek Zarebski

Honorable Mentions: “Another Poin t of View” by Diane Hutchinson, “The Owl is Watching” by Holly Rutchey, “Refuge” by Jerilyn Brown


Great American Clean Up By Cathy Patterson

Like a colony of ravenous ants swarming over a Sunday

af ternoon picnic, staff f rom the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southeast District descended upon the Refuge on Saturday, April 12th. As part of their

5th annual Earth Day work day, the mission of the more than 30 volunteers was to rid the Refuge of a large patch of arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum). Working

alongside the DEP volunteers were staff f rom Weingarten Realty, Real Estate Investment, Boca Raton.

While still available in the nursery industry, and widely

exported, arrowhead vine is listed as a category 1 invasive species. It is native to parts of Latin America f rom Mexico to Bolivia and has spread to many other warm, moist

climates around the globe. It has become naturalized in Texas, Hawaii, and Florida. Big surprise. It seems any species of escaped plants and animals thrive in Florida.

As part of the Great American Clean Up, and the Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful organization, the DEP workers toiled in stif ling 85-degree heat pulling and

tugging the trailing vines f rom the ground, and down f rom tree trunks. After spraying with prodigious amounts of insect repellent, the crew worked f rom 9 a.m. to noon and

lef t with a generous amount of muck and sweat covering their clothes.

With instructions f rom Bill Thomas, General Biologist, Region 4 Invasive Species Strike Team Leader, Refuge volunteers Ron Seifer, Xabier Frank, Sue Rowe, and

Cathy Patterson (the Friday Morning Wrecking Crew) worked alongside the DEP employees.

In all, approximately 1,590 pounds, more than three

quarters of a ton, of plant material were removed f rom the east side of the Marsh Trail parking lot. To avoid spreading to other areas, the arrowhead vine had to be bagged and

disposed of in a dumpster.

In addition to plant removal, Sandy and Jessica Rawley

removed trash along Lee Road down to the f ishing pier. The Great American Clean Up and the International Coastal Clean Up are two regularly scheduled events that provide the Refuge with additional volunteers to help keep

it clean. For more information on how to register for these clean-ups, or to volunteer to join the Friday Morning Wrecking Crew, contact [email protected].

Visitor Services Plan Update

By Rolf Olson,

Refuge Manager Thank you, to everyone, for

your patience and participation in the development of the new

Visitor Services Plan here at the Refuge. The Final Visitor Services Plan was signed by David Viker, Regional Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System on

May 2, 2019 and will be released to the public before June 17, 2019. I am excited about this new plan and the activities that it includes. No doubt, it will be a change

f rom how we are operating now, but the exciting thing is that this plan includes interests of more United States citizens and signif icantly increases the Refuge’s

stakeholder and support base. My hope is that we can focus on the areas of mutual interest in the plan and build a strong level of support for the Refuge.

The plan will be released to the public by email, Facebook, and our website www.fws.gov/refuge/

arm_loxahatchee. The staf f here at the Refuge wil l be hosting a number of brief ing meetings about the plan in the upcoming months. It is my goal to implement this

plan in a timely manner with many items being implemented this year. Some of the more complicated items will not be implemented until next year. Items

requiring signif icant money to implement (mostly inf rastructure like f ishing piers, camping platforms, boardwalks, etc.) will be completed as funding becomes

available. I look forward to talking to you at our meeting and hope you will attend.

Volunteers of the Year Roger and Janice Brooks

Refuge Manager Rolf Olson presented Roger and Janice

Brooks with the Volunteer of the Year award at the Volunteer Appreciation luncheon on March 6, 2019 for their many, many years of invaluable service to the Refuge.

Congratulations and THANK YOU to Janice and Roger!


Like Birds of a Feather

By Steve Henry,

Deputy Refuge Manager

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. may not,

at f irst glance, seem to have much in common but, like birds of a feather, the two organizations have been f locking

together to develop young men as well as to conserve f ish, wildlife, and their habitats.

Phi Beta Sigma is a f raternal organization founded in

1914 that focuses on issues that impact African American communities. The f raternity has over 700 collegiate and alumni chapters across the country.

Affiliated with many of the alumni chapters are Sigma Beta Clubs that focus on the development of young men

between the ages of 8 and 18. With guidance and support f rom the National Sigma Beta Club Foundation, Sigma Beta Clubs are engaging more than 1,900 young

men in over 90 cities across the country and promoting wholesome values, educational advancement, and leadership skills.

Given our nation’s increasingly diverse population with nearly 80% of Americans living in urban areas, the Service partnered with Phi Beta Sigma in 2014 to

increase outreach, communications, and engagement with America’s future conservationists.

Through the partnership, young men are being

introduced to outdoor recreation, hands-on experiences related to natural resource management, and careers in wildlife conservation. According to Dr. Philip C. Harris, a

National Sigma Beta Club Foundation Board Member, the partnership ref lects the Sigma Beta Club motto “Next Generation of Leaders Accepting the Responsibilities

and Loving the Challenge.”

Phi Beta Sigma sees tangible results f rom the

partnership. “We appreciate nearby National Wildlife Refuges where our youth learn about the benef its of nature, including recreation, careers and their well -

being,” said Jamel Canty, Sigma Beta Club Director for Florida Sigma, the association of Phi Beta Sigma chapters in the state. “It’s good for youth to experience

how natural resources such as air and water are being managed for current and future generations.”

On November 4, 2018, 20 youth f rom the Sigma Beta

Club aff iliated with the Zeta Iota Sigma chapter of the f raternity in Florida visited the Refuge. During their visit, youth enjoyed archery, canoed and f ished, and learned

about Everglades wildlife, their habitats and conservation.

“We welcome youth at the refuge, where they can enjoy and learn about nature,” said David Vela, Urban Refuge Program Coordinator for the Refuge. “We are pleased to partner with Phi Beta Sigma and their Sigma Beta Clubs

to connect adults and youth with nature and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation.”

Together, the Service and Phi Beta Sigma are f locking to help shape our nation’s future. Like Sigma Beta Clubs in Florida, other clubs across the country are partnering with

their nearby National Wildlife Refuges to create youth development opportunities that include recreation on public lands, education about the benef its of conserving

natural resources, and exposure to careers in the sciences. With benef its like these, birds will be tweeting with appreciation!

2019 Photo Contest

By Cathy Patterson

With each passing year the Friends’ Annual Photo contest gets

tougher and tougher with more outstanding images submitted each

year. The 36th Annual Photo contest exceeded all expectations by far!

Judges Dean Fleischman, Meg Puente, and Ira

Rappaport sorted through 447 images. Not an easy task, for sure.

This year saw 108 entrants, up f rom 73 in 2018. Last year we had one lonely Youth entry. This year that number

jumped to 28. Many of those came f rom Sacred Heart School students who participated in a day of photography made possible by the Everglades Foundation and several

volunteer photographer - mentors.

First time entrant, Matthew Pickton took the Grand Prize for his stunning image of a Wood Stork, stepping through

the water, droplets cascading f rom its bill.

Taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, and Honorable Mention in the Youth Avian category and 1st place in the Youth Fauna

category is another newcomer: Edwin Wilke.

The Visitor Center Theater was standing -room only to

celebrate the winners and to watch the ever -popular PowerPoint presentation by Jay Paredes. Door prizes were donated by the Friends Nature Store. Friends

members Elinor Williams and Judy Rapp provided ref reshments. Rick Schof ield arranged for each winning image to be printed and matted.

Grand Prize Winner Matthew Pickton


The Everglades

As Honored in

U.S. Postage Stamps and Coins

by Ron Seifer, Ph.D.

Images of the beauty and

meaning of the Everglades have been captured over the years by many talented artists.

One surprising medium of Everglades art expression can be found on stamps and coins issued by the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S.

Mint. Stamp collectors (philatelists) and coin collectors (numismatists) are familiar with these commemorative images, but the rest of us may not give much thought to

mundane stamps and coins. And yet, closer examination can reveal them in a new light.

Over the years, the Everglades and Everglades National

Park have been honored by 14 U.S. postage stamps and a U.S. quarter. These images have called national attention to our part of the world. As Marjory Stoneman

Douglas famously wrote, “There are no other Everglades in the world.”

Remember when it cost three cents to mail a letter? Then, you are old! A three-cent U.S. Stamp, commemorating the dedication of Everglades National

Park, was the f irst Everglades stamp, issued on December 5, 1947. This is shown as a canceled f irst day cover, postmarked by the Florida City post office:

This vegetative green stamp highlights a map of Florida with an iconic Egret. Closer examination of the map indicates the original boundary of the National Park that

Marjory Stoneman Douglas and others had helped bring into being. On their commemorative envelope, the Post Off ice promoted the Everglades back then as, “the

newest of the nation's national playgrounds.”

2019 Fee-Free Days

September 28 National Public Lands Day

October 13 1st Sunday, National Wildlife Refuge Week

November 11 Veterans Day weekend

The next three stamp issues ref lected growing

environmental concerns, as well as the increasing cost of postage:

The second Everglades-related stamp was issued in 1971, as a multicolored, emerging Alligator, on an eight-

cent Wildlife Conservation stamp. This stamp was part of a series of four stamps – the Alligator, California Condor, Polar Bear and Trout – issued to raise awareness of

national endangered species.

Next, in 1981, with postage up to 18 cents, came another

series of four stamps to draw support for the preservation of threatened habitats. The Great Blue Heron, poised for f ishing, calls our attention to “Save Wetland Habitats.”

The other animal/habitat pairings in the series were a Badger - Grasslands habitat, Grizzly Bear - Mountain habitat, and Ruff led Goose - Woodland habitat.

Everglades National Park reappeared in 2016 as a 47 -cent Forever stamp. This beautiful photograph of an

Everglades sunset over trees and grasses was selected to help commemorate the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. Sixteen of the 58 National Parks in the U.S.

are honored on this stamp pane (sheet). Describing this particular stamp of the pane, the Post Office highlights the uniqueness of our Everglades as “the largest subtropical

wilderness” in America.

In 2006 a majestic panoramic pane of 10 stamps of the Southern Florida Wetland appeared. It is the eighth in a

series of “Nature of America” stamp panes, described by the Post Office as “featuring the beauty and complexity of plant and animal communities in the United States.”

This stamp pane depicts a wetland community where f reshwater mingles with salt water along the coast. The art includes both f reshwater and coastal species. Looking

closely at the picture (right), you can see ten different 39-cent stamps embedded in this scene, which can be peeled off as separate adhesive stamps for postage. But

who would want to do that? Pictured in the scene are actually 21 plant and animal species. Can you spot them all? They are, f rom left to right:

Top: Royal Palm, Snail Kite, West Indian Mahogany, Wood Stork, Red Mangrove, Bald Eagle, Cowhorn

Orchid.

Middle: American Crocodile, Everglades Mink, Great Egret, Halloween Pennant Dragonf ly, Roseate Spoonbill,

Florida Panther, American Alligator, White Ibis, Giant Wild Pine.

Bottom: Saw Grass, Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow,

Eastern Indigo Snake, Zebra Longwing Butterf ly, Leafy Vanilla Orchid.


Finally, in 2014, the U.S Mint

produced an Everglades quarter f rom their Philadelphia (P), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S) mints as part

of their “America the Beautiful Quarters program.” The San Francisco coin, mint marked with a small letter “S,” at the lower right, by

Washington's neck, is the rarest and most valuable of the three. The U.S. Mint describes our Everglades as “an

unparalleled landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and engendered species” and “an

international treasure.”

You can try to f ind an Everglades quarter in your change,

out of the many, many millions of quarters minted. But be aware: there are also many different types of quarters out there, such as the 56 planned in this America the

Beautiful series – with f ive minted each year – the 50 American States series, and all the older American Eagle quarters. The variety of U.S. quarters produced is more

than that of our Florida specialty license plates! Pictured above is our Everglades quarter, issued by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia (P).

On the reverse side of George

Washington, around the coin rim, are the inscriptions, “Everglades,” “Florida,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and the year, “2014.” The

art in the center depicts an Anhinga with outstretched wings on a willow tree, with a Roseate Spoonbill visible in the mid-ground. I think this could make a very

nice good luck coin to carry around – if you're lucky enough to find one! Of course, you can always buy mint stamps

or uncirculated coins f rom stamp and coin stores and companies – but at much higher prices than their original face

values. If so, you could well be on the collectable road to becoming a Florida Everglades philatelist or numismatist. In any case, keep on looking!

I hope you enjoyed looking and learning more about the Everglades and Everglades National Park, as honored in

miniature works of art.

Ron is a retired psychologist, a member of the Friends board of directors, a volunteer who tackles some of the many invasive exotic plants on the Refuge, and a collector of many things - too many things his wife Gail would say - including baseball cards, rocks, shells and stamps.


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If you are an employee or retiree of one of them,

please include your company's matching gift form

along with your dues or donation.

Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid

Boca Raton, FL Permit # 2078

P.O. Box 6777 Delray Beach, FL 33482-6777

www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com

Help Us Grow!

Tell your friends about this hidden treasure!

How many of them know we have a piece of the Everglades

right here in Palm Beach County?

Bring them out, and encourage them to join the Friends.

Better yet, give them a gift membership!

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Friends of Loxahatchee Refuge www.LoxahatcheeFriends.com

P.O. Box 6777 Delray Beach, FL 33482-6777 THANK YOU!

The Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 59-2152926, Florida registration number CH16275. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent provided by federal and state law.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

A Snail Kite’s Delight - Friends Of Loxahatchee · A Snail Kite’s Delight Naturalist...

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