Red- Cockaded Woodpecker

When we went to the Corckscrew Swamp we saw a Red- Cockaded woodpecker. This woodpecker was huge and not what I expected a woodpeck to look like. My idea of what a woodpecker looked like was Woody Woodpecker until our field trip. The federally endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker lives in the southeastern United States, and Florida is its stronghold. This colonial woodpecker is a year-round resident and is easiest to find in mature pine forest near sunrise and sunset as they leave for or return from foraging bouts. They create large holes in pine trees. The pine tress that had red heart rod are preferable for the woodpeckers because the fungus makes the center of the tree soft, allowing the woodpecker to create nest hole.

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

PERMACULTURE:

per·ma·cul·ture

/ˈpərməˌkəlCHər/

Noun: The development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. Before taking our field trip to the Food Forest at FGCU I had never heard of the term "permaculture". I learned the it is an importance of knowing what permaculture is during this trip. When I think of gardening I think of having to prune,trim, soil, and water various types of plants. All of the work required to gardening is the reason I do NOT garden, but after learning about this type of agruiculture I may reconsider. I realized how many native plants Florida can sustain and how I can grow my own types of food instead of buying it in the store. This is a form of growing our own food without having to work hard to maintain a garden.

Red Flower Indigo