Our trip to Corkscrew Sanctuary was an outstanding place to see what Florida was like before all the development. I was raised in Florida but am new to Southwest Florida, and there are some differences compared to further north, even just 100 miles. I have never seen Cyprus trees so huge. While walking the trail, I couldn’t help thinking about a painting I saw of a Seminole Indian hiding from some soldiers behind a Cyprus. Those trees were so big that an entire band of Seminole could have taken cover behind one!
I felt truly privileged to witness the community of wildlife all muddled around the drying pond. It was a scene akin to a National Geographic documentary on the African Savanna. I have never seen anything like it, and to see it in a nature preserve makes it all the more special. It was sad to see all the animals that depend on that little bit of water dying, or struggling to survive. Hopefully, it was just a natural cycle and not an event that human activity set in motion. I will never forget how that turtle ran after being in the jaws of that hungry alligator.
I also enjoyed the natural water purification processes that the welcome center utilizes. It was so simple and incorporated native Floridian flora to perform a necessary function. The possible applications in Florida theme parks, shopping centers, office buildings, rest stops and other high water use locations could be a critical and cheap way to conserve our precious local water supplies.
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