Training at St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve

Two weeks ago, the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve (NWFLAP) team visited the St. Joseph Bay Buffer Preserve, ANERR and coordinated with regional staff to receive training and learn about local projects. The Buffer Preserve and Apalachicola are about 3.5 hours east of Pensacola. At the Buffer, Regional AP Manager Dylan Shoemaker hosted trainings about herbicide use, application methods, plant maintenance strategies and we practiced using a Bruno for brush cutting and invasive species removal.
After training, we toured the buffer preserve and learned about the benefits of controlled burns to the plant species that live in the wet flatwoods. We were fortunate enough to see wiregrass (Aristida stricta) blooming, which only occurs after a burn, along with a rare treat at seeing a pine lily (Lilium catesbaei). Other plant species in bloom included vanillaleaf (Carphephorus odoratissimus), blazing star (Liatris spicata) and crossleaf milkwort (Polygala cruciata). There were also several animal species spotted, including four Florida box turtles (Terrapene carolina bauri), a southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris), cricket frog (Acris gryllus), an Eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis) and countless Gulf Coast fritillary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae)..