Florida Youth Challenge Academy Rocks!

The FLYCA conducted four work days in the Month of November. They were able to spread mulch, pick up old trash and tires, and tons of trash that constantly washes into the sanctuary down the neighborhood drainage ditch. The cadets were learning the value of hard work and enjoyed being outdoors at the same time. Scott Davis and I led them on a nature walk into the swamp where we dip-netted macro-invertebrates to see what lives under the water.

Thanks for all your help FLYCA! Duval Audubon appreciates it!

Malacofauna of Crosby Sanctuary

Harry G. Lee of (http://www.jaxshells.org/florida.htm) has greatly improved our knowledge of the malacofauna (gastropods-snails) living at Crosby. Thank you Mr. Lee!

See jaxshells for pictures of these amazing organisms.

Freshwater snails
Campeloma floridense (Call, 1886) Purple-throat Campeloma
Viviparus georgianus (I. Lea, 1834) Banded Mysterysnail
Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829) Florida Applesnail
Amnicola rhombostoma F. Thompson, 1968 Squaremouth Amnicola
Floridobia fraterna (F. Thompson, 1968) Creek Siltsnail
Pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1817) Mimic Lymnaea
Physella heterostropha (Say, 1817) Pewter Physa
Planorbella duryi (Wetherby, 1879) Seminole Rams-horn
Laevapex fuscus (C.B. Adams, 1841) Dusky Ancylid

Freshwater bivalves
Elliptio ahenea (I. Lea, 1847) Southern Lance
Elliptio buckleyi (I. Lea, 1843) Florida Shiny Spike
Elliptio icterina (Conrad, 1834) Variable Spike
Toxolasma paulum (I. Lea, 1840) Iridescent Lilliput
Uniomerus carolinianus (Bosc, 1801) Florida Pondhorn
Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) Mottled Fingernailclam
Sphaerium occidentale (J. Lewis, 1856) Herrington Peaclam

Land snails
Punctum minutissimum (Lea, 1841) Small Spot
Euconulus trochulus (Reinhart, 1885) Silk Hive
Euglandina rosea (Férussac, 1821) Rosy Wolfsnail

Pupisoma dioscoricola (C.B. Adams, 1845) Yam Babybody

Glyphyalinia umbilicata (Singley in Cockerell, 1893) Texas Glyph

Hawaiia minuscula (A. Binney, 1840) Minute Gem

Ventridens demissus (A. Binney, 1843) Perforate Dome

Mesodon thyroidus (Say, 1817) White-lip Globe

Polygyra cereolus (Mühlfeld, 1816) Southern Flatcoil

Fall 2010 -- The Detritus Cycle Begins

Fall is happening out at the Sanctuary. Many hardwoods and the bald cypress are starting to loose their leaves for the winter. The amount of leaf-fall from the bottomland forest canopy is truly amazing. This "leaf litter" then sits on the forest floor overwinter where the leaves' waxy coating breaks down. Once the waxy coating is broken down and temperatures warm (the following spring/summer), decomposition increases until the leaves are converted into detritus.

Detritus is finely broken down leaf (organic) particles that other organisms use as nutrients. Thus detritus forms the base of the aquatic food chain. A bottomland swamp like Crosby retains some detritus in low flow areas, as well as exports detritus downstream, which fuels the food chain within the Ortega River and St Johns River estuary. Shrimp are the most commonly known and commercially valuable organism that feed on detritus. However, there hundreds of thousands of other aquatic invertebrates that feed on detritus. A detailed explanation of detritus and it's role in ecosystems can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritus.

Summer at Crosby

Summer is a great time at Crosby. Maybe not for people, due to heat and bugs, but the flora and fauna are very active and thriving! Our work out there is mainly restricted to early morning invasive exotic plant control sessions. Please call 536-4806 if you are interested in participating.

We had several Florida Youth Challenge Academy workdays in May before the summer heat really kicked up. Thank you Scott Davis and all the young men and women cadets who participated. They did quite a bit of work spreading mulch, weeding, and picking up trash that continually washes onto the sanctuary from neighborhood drainage ditch.

Thank you Ed Rutherford for meeting them out there and hauling excess trash and debris to the Clay Co dump. Thanks also for your early attack on the air potato vines this year!

Spring at Crosby Sanctuary

Prothonotary Warbler

Beaver gnaw on sweetgum tree!

Spring is finally upon us and the leaves and buds are popping at Crosby. Ed and I will continue to work on picking up trash, controlling invasive plants, and general improvements to the sanctuary during unscheduled work days during the week and on weekends. Please call Pete Johnson at (904) 536-4806 if you are interested in participating in work days, or just visit the sanctuary for a nature walk. The Prothonotary Warblers should be returning in April!

An interesting thing we learned this winter is that there are North American Beaver living in the Swamp at Crosby.

4th Annual First Coast Air Potato Roundup

The 4th annual Air potato roundup will be held at Crosby Sanctuary from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on January 16, 2010. Please go to www.duvalaudubon.org for more details.