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July - August 2016

Chairman’s Message                      Pageby Cathie Foster . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Save the Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Tri-County Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3FOBP Jamaboree  7/17 . . . . . . . . . . . . 3East Lake Sunrise Rotary Donation. . . 3Adopt an Acre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Ken Rose Birdathon (6/11) Congrats. . 6Off the Beaten Path:

Wildlands Walkabout (6/12) . . . 7Return the Preserve Work Day . . . . . 8Powerlines of BCP by Craig Huegel . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Nature Store News

by Kathleen Nichter . . . . . . . . . 11New Nature Store sign . . . . . . . . . . . 11BCP Pocket Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Pam’s Gardening TipNews from the Wildflower Garden

by Pam Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Brooker Creek Book Club

by Jon Burr . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 13Volunteer News

By Julia Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Wildlife Wednesday Webinars . . . . 15Free Film Viewing “DamNation” . . . . 16ECO Teacher Training Workshop . . . 17Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Mission Statements/Contacts . . . . . 19

Chairman's Messageby Cathie Foster

In our May-June 2015 newsletter, Dr. CraigHuegel gave us an excellent explanation of thecritical role fire plays in maintaining the healthof Florida’s natural areas (an excellent re-read).Because Brooker Creek Preserve is a valuableisland of natural lands in a sea of development,appropriate and ongoing active management isabsolutely necessary to ensure its good healthand biological diversity.

To that end, Lisa Baltus, North County LandManager, in conjunction with the Florida Divisionof Forestry, has planned and implemented manyprescribed burns in various areas of thePreserve.  It is truly wonderful that these burnsare happening, but the average number of acresburned annually falls far below what expertsagree would be optimal.   Some areas of thePreserve haven’t been burned in more than 30years, allowing the “fuel load” (the trees andother vegetation) to build up significantly andeven dangerously, considering that the Preserveshares boundaries with many neighborhoods..

Another way to reduce the fuel load is throughmechanical treatment using a forestry mulchingmower to cut, chop and mulch the vegetation to afine texture that burns with less intensity andcan be more easily controlled in subsequentprescribed burns or in the event of a lightningstrike.  This type of mower can also be used to

Save the DatesUpcoming Preserve Events

July 2 BC Preserve Book ClubJuly 16   Return the Preserve Work DayJuly 20  Wildlife Wed. Webinar Series - Creating Wildlife Habitat Near WaterJuly 25-29  ECO Teacher Training WorkshopAug. 2  BC Preserve Book ClubAug. 17  Wildlife Wed. Webinar Series -    Why Invasive Species MatterAug. 18  Free Film ViewingAug. 20  Return the Preserve Work DayAug. 27  Wildflower Garden ClubOct. 15   Fall Wildflower Festival

Cathie

treat areas of the Preserve that can never beincluded in a prescribed burn simply becauseof their proximity to homes.  Additionally, thismower could be used to keep clear the 60miles of existing fire breaks throughout thePreserve and to create 60 more miles offirebreaks still needed.

Recognizing the need for this type of landmanagement, in 2014 the County Commissionersallocated $315,000 annually for a three-yearcontract with a company to do this mechanicaltreatment in our parks and preserves. Seventy-five percent of this work is done atBrooker Creek Preserve, the largest preservein Pinellas County.  We greatly appreciate thisfunding as it is a big step in the rightdirection, but in order to “catch up” andprepare the Preserve for safe andregularly occurring prescribed burns,much more is needed.

In 2014, the Friends of Brooker CreekPreserve, with input from our members,volunteers and County staff, developeda list of needs for the Preserve.  One ofthe top 10 items was the purchase of aforestry mulching mower.  County staffresponsible for managing Brooker CreekPreserve have agreed that a forestrymower, dedicated to the Preserve, couldbe used daily over many years tomaintain our amazing 9,000 acre asset. They have researched and identified a mowerthat would do the job.   The cost is about$500,000.   The County Commissioners arecurrently making decisions about how to spendthe $7 million in BP settlement funds they havereceived, and they are developing a list ofpotential projects for the Penny for Pinellas,which will be up for renewal in 2020.

Please join us in urging the CountyCommissioners to use some of these funds topurchase this sorely needed piece of equipmentin order to properly manage this “Jewel ofPinellas” that we all value. To contact ourCommissioners, please fill out this form:www.pinellascounty.org/Bpideas .

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East Lake Sunrise Rotary Clubmakes sizable annual donations to severalnon-profits in the East Lake area. Shownhere is Barb Hoffman accepting a checkfrom East Lake Rotary President, DanDepies, and Treasurer, StephanieRitchey.

Thank you, East Lake Sunrise RotaryClub for the $1,000 donation!

Construction has begun for the Tri-County Trail for its course through the northeastern side ofBrooker Creek Preserve!   Once complete, this trail will link the Pinellas Trail with Starkey Parkand beyond!

New sign onKeystone Road

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Jamboree!

Sunday, July 17th  3:30 – 5 p.m. – All Ages

Dust off that guitar, fiddle, banjo or otheracoustic instrument and bring it down to theauditorium for a jam session.   Meet othermusicians and learn some new songs. Musiclovers of all ages are encouraged to come,listen and enjoy.  The jam session will be leadby local musician, Brad Myers.

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Many thanks to Alison Shepard for designingand crafting the Birdathon trophies!

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Golden Orb Weavers, abundant in thePreserve, are named for the yellow coloringof their webs.   They are also known asBanana Spiders, Photos by Mike & PattiYoung.

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Off the Beaten Path - Wildlands Walkabout (6/12/16)

The fourth and final hike for this season can be described by three words:wild, wet, and wonderful!   Led by the awesome Dr. Craig Huegel, the hike was enjoyed by tenhearty hikers who literally sloshed through miles of water laden trails.   We delighted in theamazing array of wildflowers and savored our lunch upon a dry hump of saw palmettos discoveredjust at the right time.  The colors of summer were so evident as were the numerous sounds andscents. The water felt cool and soothing on this hot June day; no one complained about the aquaticcondition underfoot.  To the contrary, we all vowed to return next year,  and we hope you will join

us! Watch for next season's hikes Off theBeaten Path and make your reservations.

The hikes of this series always result in someone’sshoe falling apart.  This time, it was Craig’s!  Craigis well known to “walk your shoes off” and, in thiscase, it was his own!

Pink was in full bloom.

Wild, wet, and wonderful!

Don’t forget to "like" the BCP EnvironmentalEducation Center on Facebook – BrookerCreek Preserve Environmental Education

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Return the Preserve Work Day (6/18)by Evan Earle Jr.

While we did not have a Return The Preserve Work Day inMay (Marion and I were enjoying a bucket list vacationvisiting the redwoods in California), we were there in June.We wanted to wait until it was REALLY hot.  And boy was ithot on Saturday June 18th!

There were two of us on this bright sunny day, Marion Yongue and yours truly.  We figured, okaywe'll just go back over some of the areas we've worked on previously and do some maintenance.Just pull up the new vines and exotics that have popped up since we cleaned out that area.

Uh huh.  Maintenance.  Easy.  No sweat.  Well, there was plenty of sweat.  We worked on the areawhere we started our RTP Work Days way back in 2014, right next to the board walk entrance inthe main parking lot.  Well, those new vines and exotics had returned.  While nowhere near thelevel of when we started in 2014, they had returned.   And it was more than maintenance. Especially when it was just the two of us.  But we persevered.  Until about 9:00 when I waivedthe white flag and said "Let's find a shady area!"

So we started working on some of the oak hammock islands in the parking lot that had been cleanedout on previous RTP Work Days.  I knew better than to even utterthe words "maintenance" or "easy" or "not so bad".  We cleaned outtwo of the islands, removing grape vines and smylax.  In my opinion,these vines are like teenagers.  They grow FAST and never seem tostop growing!  In the end, we were happy with our efforts.  We saidthat because we were too tired to feel anything else.  As always, itwas hard work, but it was rewarding work.  My sincere thanks andappreciation to Marion for all of his hard work on this sunny JuneSaturday.

The next time you visit, I encourage you take a few minutes andcheck out the areas that have been worked on by theFOBCP and volunteers over the last two and a half yearswe've been holding our RTP Work Days.   This areastretches from the boardwalk around the corner to thedelivery drop off loop.   We still have more to do, butwhat a difference from when we started!

We'll be back again in July.   With lots of sunscreen,lots of water, and lots of enthusiasm.  Whether it's twopeople or twenty two, our Return The Preserve WorkDays are one small but valuable contribution toreturning the preserve to it's natural beauty.

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The Powerlines of Brooker Creek PreserveBy: Craig Huegel

When I first looked at an aerial map of what was to becomeBrooker Creek Preserve in 1992, the one feature that stood outmost was the main powerline and its diagonal partner. They stoodout like a scar on the landscape and seemed to be blights on thenatural landscape that epitomized the rest of the Preserve. Inmy naivete, I resolved to try to find a better approach to theirmanagement. I have since matured a bit and come to appreciatethese areas for the habitat diversity they provide.

Trees cannot be permitted to grow inthe powerline corridors as they wouldeventually interfere with the lines.Realize that these lines carry all thepower that feeds the homes andbusinesses of Pinellas County. It isvital that the integrity of the lines bemaintained. Without constantmaintenance, the areas beneath thelines would eventually becomeforested like the rest of thePreserve. They might look aesthetically more natural than they do in their present state, but theywould simply be more of the same and that is the crux of the matter. We don’t need more of thesame to preserve the diversity of plants and wildlife of the Preserve.

Diversity is a wonderful thing. Natural areas are most valuable when there is a diversity ofhabitat types. Beneath the powerlines, areas that would naturally be uplands become dry prairieand forested wetlands become freshwater marshes. There is very little of this outside of thepowerline corridors. There are whole suites of plant species that find their habitat needs met onlybeneath the powerlines, or that are very rare anywhere else.  Marshes and prairies are some ofthe most diverse natural systems in North America. Far more plant species can be found in an acreof these habitats than can be found in a forested upland or wetland. Much of that comes from theincreased light energy that reaches the ground in non-forested systems.   Energy translates todiversity when everything else is held constant.   The open powerline corridors are incrediblydiverse vegetatively and this, in turn, provides habitat for an equally diverse fauna.

Over the years, I have found many of our rarest plants in the habitats beneath the powerlines.The only grass pink orchid ( ) ever documented occurred in the corridor. The

Few-floweredmilkweed

Rattlesnakemaster

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same is true for the state-threatened purple butterwort ( ).  I searched for thisplant for several years only to find it in front of me one day while walking in the vegetationbeneath the main powerline. Nearly every snowy orchid ( ), much of our Catesby’slilies ( ), and most of our documented wild coco orchid ( ) have beenfound within the powerline corridor.

The corridor also provides essentialhabitat for some of our wildlife. The openwetlands, for example, are prime habitatfor rails and bitterns. Nearly all of ourrecords of these types of birds have comefrom the wetlands beneath the powerlines.  In the winter, the open water areasattract a diversity of waterfowl that wouldnot be found in the forested wetlands ofthe Preserve. Of course, gopher tortoiseslove the open uplands within the corridorand white-tailed deer and turkey feedextensively in these areas.

All of this struck me once again as we stood in the diagonal powerline near the gate in theRidgemoor subdivision during the most-recent Off the Beaten Path hike sponsored by the Friends.As we gathered up beneath the powerline and prepared to enter the hiking trails of the interior,the wet meadow we were standing in was ablaze in color provided by dozens of wildflower species,and at least a dozen species of butterflies were flitting about nectaring from these flowers. It was abeautiful sight, generated solely by the increased levels of sunlight present here and the active/intensemanagement of the area designed to exclude the woody plants.  The powerline corridors are vital to theoverall diversity of Brooker Creek Preserve. They are anything but an environmental blight.

St. John's-wort

An Invitation from BarryBarry Andress, our Golf Cart Guy, invites you to take a tour withhim in the golf cart along the paved 2-mile driveway loop at BrookerCreek Preserve. The golf cart provides a quiet ride and a new wayto see the beautiful landscape and possibly some wildlife. Barryknows some natural history and Preserve history, and is happy toshare his knowledge with you. Please email Barry to set up a dateand time: alfabarry3@gmail.com.

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The is hot off the

presses and for sale in the Nature Store! Much appreciation goes to the anonymousdonor who paid for 40% of the printingcost who described it as “...greater thangreat – magnificent!”  Many thanks also goto the committee of folks who developed thespecies list and supplied photos:   SkipHolmes, Barb Hoffman, Dr. Craig Huegel,Lara Milligan, Karl & Kathleen Nichter, andJim Stevenson.  Waterproof and full of good information, the guide sells for $7, and all proceedsgo to Preserve education and restoration! Waterproof and full of good information, the guide sellsfor $7, and all proceeds go to Preserve education and restoration!

Nature Store NewsBy Kathleen Nichter

The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserveworked with Waterford Press to puttogether a laminated pocket guidespecifically for the Preserve! The guide has abeautiful photograph of the boardwalk on thefront, and features the most common insectsand animals a visitor is likely to see. I havehad several comments already fromvolunteers and regular visitors that they loveit. The guides sell in the Nature Store for $7.00. Theseguides would also make a wonderful, and useful, souvenirof a Brooker Creek Preserve visit.

We are always looking for ideas for new items for thestore that relate to Brooker Creek Preserve. The idea forthe guides came from one of our store volunteers, soplease, if you have an idea for something for the store letus know. The store committee reviews all the ideas, anddue to budget not all can be acted upon, but we keep anactive list for future purchases.

Many thanks to Ray Poynerfor staining and hanging thenew Nature Stores signs!

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Pam’s Gardening TipI don’t know about you, but the early summer heat this year is keeping me from doing manygardening chores.  However, if you are considering adding trees and/or shrubs to your landscape,the summer rainy season is a good time to plant.  The extra rain is very helpful in getting plantsestablished and the long days of sun encourage root and top growth.   Properly planting involvesmore than just digging a hole andputting the plant in.   TheUniversity of Florida has done agood bit of research on properplanting techniques and wateringfor establishment.http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep112

News from the Wildflower Gardenby Pam Brown

It seems that this spring has been a season of discovery in theWildflower Garden.   We find something new that we did notplant nearly every month.  May was no exception.  We found aPencil Flower ( growing on the east sideof the garden near the gopher turtle burrow.   It is in thelegume family.   The tiny yellow flowers provide nectar forbutterflies and the plant is also a larval plant for the Barredyellow ( ) butterfly.   Two volunteers and Ideadheaded the Lyre leaf sage and did some basic tidying up atour May workday. The heat was not too bad since we are nowmeeting for our summer hours of 8:00 to 10:00 am.  Considercoming out to help the last Saturday of each month for somegardening fun.   Bring your hat, gloves, sunscreen, and closedtoed shoes.  We will provide breakfast snacks and coffee.

.  Photoby DanTenaglia, from the USF"Atlas of Florida Plants"

The July 30Wildflower Gardenwork session hasbeen canceled.

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Brooker Creek Preserve Book Clubby Jon Burr

Book Club Reads for 2016:July 2: We stay with a tad more controversial an issue with Carl Hiaasen, author of"Team Rodent."Aug. 2: We’re doing something a little differently. For the August meeting please read any bookabout, or by, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.Sept.3: "The Everglades River ofGrass" by Marjory StonemanDouglas. This stands with "SilentSpring" and "Sand CountyAlmanac" as one of the monumentsof environmental writing.

In May we discussed a book that mentionsone of the Preserve’s family, Dr. BruceRinker. Dr. Rinker was a very activeparticipant in the Preserve.   The book was“The Scent of Scandal” written by CraigPittman. Craig has written many an article for the now Tampa Times then the St. Petersburg Times.The book was about the illegal importation of a rare orchid and the U. S. government’s response.Dr. Rinker worked at Selby Gardens at the time but was not directly involved with the orchidgroup. (I sent Dr. Rinker a signed copy of the book and I recall his comment was something aboutis someone still making money off that orchid?) This book generated some of the best discussionwe've had so far.

We had several new members as well as most of the regulars but there is room at the table for afew more. I think our experience has been that the discussions are as good if not better than thebooks.  Next we discuss Carl Hiaasen’s “Team Rodent.” Come and discuss what money and stealthcan do: The story of a mouse and central Florida. Please join us Saturday July 2, 2016, 9:30 atthe Brooker Creek Preserve Ed Center conference room. Ahead should be two excellent meetings.August 6 is a special meeting. Attendees are invited to read any book by or about Marjorie KinnanRawlings. And in September (Saturday the 3rd) we discuss another Florida book: “The EvergladesRiver of Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Photo by Karl Nichter

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Volunteer News and More!

By Julia Myers, Education SupportSpecialist, Brooker Creek Preserve

·    Welcome to our new Volunteers, RobBiondo and Lucy Davis! We are excitedto have you join the front desk volunteer team!

·    Call to Environmental Educators!  We are looking for more self-lead volunteers to help withour family programing and education. We are working on expanding our monthly Family FunFriday Morning program to a weekly program. Please let Julia know if you are interested!

·   Know any kids ages 7-12? There’s still room in our Wetland Adventure and Junior NaturalistSummer Camps with FYCCN! Camps will be one week each, July 25th -29th & August 1st -5th.

Don’t forget to " l ike" theBCP Environmental EducationCenter on Facebook – BrookerCreek Preserve EnvironmentalEducation Center

Dip Netting at Family FunFriday Mornings.

Photos by Julia Myers

Orb weaver, with itsdragonfly lunch

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(Volunteer News, continued) If you would like to join our activevolunteer group at Brooker CreekPreserve, please call us at (727) 453-6800.

(Volunteer News, continued)

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(Volunteer News, continued)

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Friends of Brooker Creek PreserveBoard of Directors:OfficersChair: Cathie FosterVice Chair: Robert BurkardSecretary: Pam BrownTreasurer: Jane Myers

DirectorsArt Director: Terri GonzolezBeekeeper: Robert BurkardBusiness Director: Barbara HoffmanFall Wildflower Festival Chair:

Cathie FosterFinancial Advisor: Bob HostGrants: Allyn ChildressGuiding Documents: Walt HoskinsLand Use Chair: Dr. Craig HuegelMusic in the Woods: Jane MyersNature Store Manager: Kathleen NichterNewsletter Editor: Dr. Craig HuegelNight Hikes: Mark YeagerPublicity Chair: Barbara SchultzReturn the Preserve Work Days:

Evan Earle, Jr.Wildflower Garden: Pam BrownWildlife Safari – Cathie Foster

Further LeadershipBook Club: Jon Burr & Kathleen NichterMembership: Jeff MyersNewsletter Publisher: Cathy Vogelsong

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve:www.FriendsOfBrookerCreekPreserve.orgEmail: fobcp@tampabay.rr.comVoicemail: (727) 934-2680

Brooker Creek Preserve:Phone: (727) 453-6900Website: www.brookercreekpreserve.orgBrooker Creek Preserve Environmen-tal Education Center is located at 3940Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, Florida,34688.Phone: (727) 453-6800Center Hours: Thurs. – Sat., 9am – 4pmFriends Nature Store is located in theEducation Center. Hours: Thurs. - Sat.,9am - 4pmPreserve Hiking Trails open 7 days aweek, 7:00am to 30 minutes before sun-set. Closed the day after Thanksgivingand Dec. 25.Horse Trails open 7 days a week, all year,sunrise to sunset.

This newsletter is published every othermonth. Please submit articles to News-letter Editor Dr. Craig Huegel (727) 422-6583 or email Huegelc55@aol.com

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve - MissionStatement: The mission of the Friends ofBrooker Creek Preserve is to provide publicsupport for the Preserve through fund raising,volunteer programs, and education to ensure thatthe Preserve remains a natural wilderness forfuture generations.

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve – LandUse Position Statement: The Friends ofBrooker Creek Preserve support land useswithin the boundaries of Brooker CreekPreserve which have a main purpose that furthersthe preservation, conservation, restoration orprotection of the land and resources of theBrooker Creek Preserve.

Pinellas County PCR Mission statement:The mission of the Parks and ConservationResources Department is to maintain andprotect the inherent value of the County’snatural, cultural and recreational resourcesthrough sustainable access, education, andstewardship that enhance quality of life forour community and future generations.

Registration Info: FEID #59-3302182 tax-exempt, non-profit corporationA COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OFCONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLYENDORSMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION NUMBER

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