Duke Energy proposes power line through preserve

I just learned today that Duke Energy wants to get approval to construct a 230 kilovolt power line whose route would include sections of the north and south tracts of Lake Blue Scrub.
The map I saw today depicts a route along the southern fire lane of the north tract and the northern fire lane of the south tract. The latter runs through the largest patch of Polygonella basiramia, an endangered species, that I know of at the site.
The concern is that this will set a precedent for similar facilities in other conservation lands and could be a slippery slope for further encroachments.
For Duke, it looks as though this an easy out. The other clear corridor would run through CSX property. CSX is known to be a tough negotiator on any property deal.
This proposal is still in the preliminary stages and I expect there will be public meetings.
At one time these facilities received planning review, but no longer.
Once word gets out about this proposal, expect a fight.

The preserve is getting visitors

Visitors are rare here.
So,  whenever they do select this site, I like to be a good host.
On the eve of the spring equinox, some friends from the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society are coming to visit.
I had been invited to speak to this group last year about the Scrub Lupine recovery efforts and related topics.
I hope flowering plants are a little more in evidence by then, but I expect they'll enjoy the opportunity to visit and explore a new natural area. 

Education, Brazilian Pepper

I gave a talk on Lake Blue Scrub June 16 to the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida  Native Plant Society with an emphasis on the Scrub Lupine recovery project.
The talk my generate some additional visitors.

I also got back today to begin trimming some of the Brazilian Pepper  that is coming in over the north fence. I got the worst out with loppers, but I'm going to have to return with a saw.

I walked along the north fire lane. It seems the Corona beer bottle accumulation has subsided  bit. Perhaps my habit of throwing the bottles back toward the[ fence sent a message.

Lessons From Field Trip Day At Lake Blue

Today's field trip was a learning experience.
There have been some problems with people signing up for other field trips--usually paddling--for which they are not physically capable of completing. This is dangerous and doesn't lead to a good experience.

I had that today. A few people dropped out early on because the freshly mowed fire lane was too uneven a surface for them to navigate, even with a walking stick. I felt bad about this because a tour of Lake Blue Scrub  is an experience few have. However, I also wanted everyone to be safe.

I think I need to work with the tourism folks to advise participants of the conditions and to provide some simple tips like not wearing shorts or sneakers. I wasn't expecting  this. The two people who showed up last year were dressed appropriately and didn't have any mobility problems.

It was also earlier in October, so the plant life was a lot more scenic and they were interested in taking photographs.

Anyway, I was able to share some information and the people who came along were very pleasant and came from as far away as Ocala and West Palm Beach.

Some seemed interested in returning when more species are in bloom. I took one person to the other tract, which is a totally different experience. It is less open, the ground is carpeted in places with lichens and it has significant stands of Rosemary.

I had to do a  little followup work.

 I noticed the mowing guy had plowed into one of the benches when he was turning around. I fixed it and moved the bench in the South Tract and rebuilt it accommodate the moth light.
    

Lake Blue Makes Nature Fest

I was pleased today to be invited to give a tour of Lake Blue as part of next fall's Polk County Nature Fest.
I'll have to do some planning to make this worthwhile.
This place is still relatively unknown to most people even though it's an island of preservation in a sea of development.
It's still mapped for industrial park on the county growth map. Go figure. State didn't want to change it when I asked a few years ago.
Anyway, some of the rare plants will be blooming still in early October, which should be cool for photogs. The lupines will not be among them, unfortunately.
The big educational opportunity will be to talk about the management challenges here, between vandalism and smoke management.
It should be fun.
Hope someone shows up.

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School of scrub

Yesterday I hosted some students who are studying Florida ecosystems.

Lake Blue Scrub turned out to be a convenient site for a quick tour for classes on tight schedules because it is less remote than other scrub sites and you can see quite a bit in a short time.

There was plenty to see.

I showed the students several of the rare plants, the experimental scrub lupine site, sand skink trails in the sand and what one kind of ecotone looks like.

A couple of them took me up on my offer to try a gopher apple. They agreed it's delicious.

It was fun to share .

Lake Blue nature tour in 2011

During a preliminary brainstorming session today about a planned multi-day nature festival in Polk County next year, one of the possible field trips that was discussed was bringing people to Lake Blue.

It is one of the few Winter Haven Ridge preserves there are.

It was on the vanguard of the Scrub Lupine recovery effort and by next year it will be clearer how that's going.

It demonstrates the challenge of managing scrub in an urban environment. The mechanical treatment is still controversial it seems, since I was told last weekend that there are no plans to repeat that in the south tract. There are still rumors of fire for the cleared sections of the north tract.

It also will present a chance to see some scrub plants and familiarize people wioth scrub in general in a quick and convenient way.

Nothing's committed yet, but it's an interesting idea.

Lupine program Saturday will include Lake Blue

I'm looking forward to a program Saturday at Bok Tower that will provide an update on the Scrub Lupine project.

The plantings at Lake Blue, which were the pioneer effort, will be included in the discussion. I'm told more plantings are planned elsewhere in Polk and in Orange County and perhaps in Lake County.

This is an important element of the recovery plan, which envisions establishing several populations.

We're still early in this. For instance, one thing to watch will be whether any recruitment occurs. We'll be looking next spring.

Visitors day at Lake Blue

Today was another important day to host visitors. I finally had a chance to meet John Beckner, the author of the description of Lupinus aridorum. He personally knew Jim McFarlin in McFarlin's later days living in Bradenton. He was accompanied by Fran Palmeri,, who is recording photographs of scrub plants for something she's working on.

The primary purpose of their visit was to get photos of the lupine, but I was able to show them several other plants, including Nolina britonnia, Persea humilis, Bonamia grandifloria (just sprouting), Lechea cernua, Ceanothus microphylla and several others.

It was great to be there with people who appreciated the wonderful diversity of this small natural area and I was happy to share what I know of it.

John said that Cnidoscolous stimulosus was being split, since there is one variety that is larger and has different leaves and is found here that may warrant description as a separate species. Same goes with one of the Asminias, he said. Frankly, I've never take the trouble to key them out completely. I guess I'll have to pay more attention.

Anyway, it was a pleasant couple of hours. They said they enjoyed it, too.

A morning of fence repairs

I spent all of Saturday morning and into early afternoon repairing the fence cuts in the south tract and trimming the vegetation that was lying on the fence, so now the fence line is clear.

I put some brush and other debris in the way of access to some of the fence cut locations, though it's hard to say how successful that will be. There are other spots.

Of course I found more trash. I also found a yellow jacket nest underground in one of the windrows and marked it with a yellow flag on a stick. It just occurred that it could be better marked.

I'm heading to the north tract today to check on things.

The folks from Bok have been discouraged by the petty vandalism that has occurred around the lupine plot. I talked to Ryan Kordek, my counterpart at Lake McLeod. He said what worked for him was a visit by a law enforcement officer, who went around the neighborhood knocking on doors and educating people.

Persuasion has to enter into this somehow.

Getting ready for the show

I'm starting to assemble maps, photos etc. for the environmental education exhibit Saturday at Tenoroc Fish Management Area. I want to have something more memorable than the last time.