Friends of The Naples Preserve

06/09/2025

We got a nice shower this morning which brought the tortoises out of their burrows to get a drink.

05/20/2025

Many species of birds use our lily pond for a drink of water and for taking a bath, but this is the time that we have seen pileated woodpeckers there.

05/16/2025

We finally got some rain - 2.1 inches on May 11th - 12th!
The morning of the 12th, visitors spotted a Florida box turtle nesting.

05/15/2025

We are having the worst drought in 24 years. It did affect one of our nesting gopher tortoises.

04/21/2025

The bird migration is coming through! Remember to keep outside lights off - especially up lighting as it can disorient the birds.
Seen at the Preserve yesterday: Northern parula, American redstart, gray catbirds, warblers - Black & white, black-throated bule, Cape May, and worm-eating.

04/14/2025

04/07/2025

Our free, 10:00 am Nature Program on Tuesday, April 8th:
"A New Ocean-friendly way to keep Ships Barnacle-free without Poisoning the Sea", Geoff Trager, PhD, Founder and Chief Marine Biologist, WaveArray Antifouling Systems.

04/07/2025

Another endemic species that is blooming is our Florida Milkweed, Asclepias feayi. Unfortunately, there is only 1 plant of this state-listed threatened species in bloom, so that means there will be no seed. Let's all hope that multiple plants will simultaneously bloom later.
By the way, do you see the crab spider that is hiding in one of the flowers?

04/06/2025

One of the many flowers in bloom today:
The Florida Scrub Roseling, Callisia ornata.

03/30/2025

Our FREE nature talk on Tuesday, April 1st at 10:00 am in the Eco-Center:
"Blooms at this Time of Year at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary", Sally Stein, Director of Public Education, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Pictured below:
Epidendrum amphistomum ENDANGERED. The Dingy-flowered Star Orchid is found in south Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern part of South America. Usually blooms January through April.

03/23/2025

View from Elaine's bench - mourning doves gathering materials for a nest that they are building in a bush covered with vines..

03/16/2025

Our free,10:00 am program on Tuesday, March 18 -
Conservation Collier land managers Angel Kelly and Victoria Carter will be our speakers in the Eco-Center. Both co-manage the Barfield Burrows Preserve on Marco Island and are leading the restoration efforts for this site.