One of the most interesting and diverse ecosystems on earth is the area in South Florida known as the Everglades. What a thrill it must have been to see it 100 years ago! The grass prairies, hardwood hammocks, lakes, rivers and bays teeming with birdlife and a variety of mammals. As Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote, and James Audubon witnessed, the […]
Stepping Stones
Who Cooks for You? An Owl?
Stepping StonesBob McConville educates readers about the Barred Owl in his colum Stepping Stones.
Annual Dolphin Update… A Record Birthing Season
Stepping StonesBob McConville gives a dolphin update for Marco Island in his column Stepping Stones.
Fish Stories… Or Not!
Stepping StonesI absolutely love it when my wife Cathy and I go out for dinner and the folks at a nearby table, or at the bar, are talking loudly about their recent outdoor escapades, especially fishing. A guy might tell his friends that a grouper he caught was just under the legal limit. One beer later that same fish is now […]
I Think We Need a Bigger Boat!
Stepping StonesAhhh, it’s Valentines week and love is in the air. All around the globe humans are acting as if they were smitten by love for the very first time. “I love you, my itsy, bitsy baby.” “No, I love you more” is the reply. “No, I love YOU more, my little cuddle kitten.” Even some of the animal kingdom seem […]
A Walk to Remember
Stepping StonesTwo issues ago it was a pleasure to inform you about an area just south of San Marco Road on U.S. 41 called the Marsh Trail. It’s a magical place this time of year, with a great variety of birds feeding in the prairies and along the shorelines of the brackish water, dotted with red mangroves and gumbo limbo trees. […]
From Tall to Small…Some Area Birds
Stepping StonesGo There, Do That What: Presentation on white pelicans, bald eagles and burrowing owls. Where: Rose History Auditorium/Marco Island Historical Society, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, When: 7-8 PM on January 21, 2019. Cost: Free for MIHS members, $10 non-members. South Florida is host to a large variety of birds, some of which are here all year long and others that […]
A Bird Paradise…The Marsh Trail
Stepping StonesNot too far from Marco Island is a magical place where birds go to feed, relax and rest for the night. Every journey there holds a new surprise for those looking to see our area birds and, oh yes, throw in a gator or two. I’ve never seen such a variety of bird species in one specific area anywhere in […]
An Eco Year For the Records
Stepping StonesAs 2018 comes to a close, it is traditional for folks to exclaim “Happy New Year!” and to wish each other a healthy and prosperous 2019. In the case of Southwest Florida’s environment and ecosystems, I am not only wishing for a healthy upcoming year, I am begging, on my knees praying, that things get better. This has been a […]
Lake ‘O’ Reservoir…Is It Still a Go?
Stepping StonesFor several years there has been talk, and hope, that a reservoir would be built to alleviate the releases of water from Lake Okeechobee into the St Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. These discharges constantly bring unwanted nutrients from the lake which flow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, having a negative, and sometimes deadly, effect […]
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