This series of ecotours is designed to explore the habitats, plants, and animals that make Florida’s Big Bend region a biodiversity hotspot. We will hop in our van at CPI headquarters, and spend a long day exploring all the habitats and creatures we can. No natural history topic will be off the table. You might just get your feet wet. CPI president Ryan Means will be your expert guide and chauffeur. More details when you register.
Upcoming dates: Saturday, July 29 / Sunday, September 17, 2023
If you are interested in booking a custom private tour to any terrestrial location in north Florida, please contact Ryan with possible dates and general interests (wildflowers, restoration, photography, amphibians, birds, etc.) and we can design a tour specifically for your group. Ryan’s number: 850-544-5661
Past Tours
Secrets of the Savanna
Secrets of the Savanna
This all day tour was focused on exploring every corner of our Rowlett’s Creek Preserve. The property is located smack in the middle of the western Apalachicola National Forest inside one of the world’s finest and largest remaining intact longleaf pine savannah ecosystems. We talked about the many management techniques that CPI uses to restore our property back to a healthy, diverse longleaf pine ecosystem and maintain it in that state forever, got wet in a few creeks, slogged in a bit of muck, and spent time photographing flowers, pollinators, and breathlessly beautiful landscapes.
Fire in the Forest
This all-day foray to Rowlett’s Creek Preserve, occurred just less than a month after a prescribed burn. The goal was to see the ecological impacts of a fire conducted during the natural fire season. We searched for the many flowered-grass pink, a state-threatened orchid, Chapman’s crownbeard, and other endemic/rare species that require summer burns to survive. Participants saw first-hand why we make such an effort to mimic the natural fire regime.
Apalachicola Lowlands
This first in our series of tours was an intimate driving and walking tour of the Apalachicola Lowlands. We traveled to our own Rowlett’s Creek Preserve, an 80-acre inholding within the western Apalachicola National Forest. While the longleaf pine ecosystem was our overall focus, we also zoomed in on unique habitats such as pitcher plant bogs, ephemeral wetlands, and blackwater streams. Participants got up close and personal with amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and wildflowers galore!
