Ridge Rangers March 2018 Newsletter

Ridge Rangers are volunteers restoring wildlife habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge and nearby areas in Central Florida.

March 2018 Ridge Rangers Doing Three Workdays at One Site in March FWC has recently started fencing off and doing controlled burns at the Henscratch Tract – named after the nearby road – and the Ridge Rangers will be reducing sand pines to help Scrub-Jays and beginning the debris cleanup at this tract in the upcoming weeks. The Henscratch Tract is one of the many sites in FWC’s Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area, and is located to the immediate west of the Jack Creek tract.  The habitat at Henscratch is primarily oak scrub … and the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay lives there! The Henscratch tract is located roughly half-way between Sebring and Lake Placid, and several miles to the west of US 27. The best access to the site is either via Henscratch Road or US 27. Look for the workdays "Reduce Sand Pines" and "Clean Up Old Debris" below. Saturday, March 3, from 8 AM to Noon Reduce Sand Pines at Henscratch to Help Endangered Scrub-Jays We'll be cutting down sand pines to create more useable habitat for Scrub-Jays. This type of pine will take over a Scrub Habitat, eliminating homes for endangered Scrub-Jays and harboring Scrub-Jay predators. See the full details and register at this link.

Clean Up Old Debris to Restore Scrub Habitat at Henscratch Dumped debris at the Henscratch Tract We’ll be moving along firebreaks and trails in 4WD vehicles at the Henscratch site and gathering old dumped debris. Removing this debris from conservation areas increases safety for both the wildlife and conservation workers, and helps to return the area to a pristine natural state. First Day: March 10, from 8 AM to Noon.  Second Day:  March 17, from 8 AM to Noon. Learn more and sign up at the above links. We'll have cold drinking water, snacks and all the needed tools and vehicles. Wednesday, March 14, 2018, from 9 AM to around noon Kestrel Nest Box Survey Training FWC Royce Unit, near Lake Placid Looking for help for FWC’s annual Kestrel Nest Box Surveys! The surveys are done once per month April through June at six different sites in the Lake Placid/Avon Park area, and are done with another trained person at the team’s convenience. This is the training for the surveys, where you’ll learn about: The threatened Southeastern American Kestrel and how this survey helps Survey Protocol Use of the Peeper Scope Camera System Smart phone app for data recording (optional) This training has both a classroom portion and hands-on section in the field at a nearby kestrel box. See http://outreach.myfwc.com/event/KestrelTraining2018 for the details and to sign up! The Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) is a non-migratory subspecies of kestrel found in open pine savannahs, sandhills, prairies, and pastures in Florida and the southeastern United States. It is listed as threatened in Florida due to a decline in nesting and foraging habitat. In the training you'll learn how biologists are using nest box programs to increase populations of this rare bird. Tuesday, March 20, 2018, from 8 AM  to around noon. Help Restore Prairie Habitat for Rare Species Avon Park Air Force Range, Near Avon Park. We’ll be using brush cutters and loppers to cut down small slash pines and myrtles to help restore the original prairie habitat to help rare and endangered species. Kateri Tonyan of the Avon Park Air Force Range Conservation Office will be leading this workday. Please see http://outreach.myfwc.com/event/MarchAPAFR2018 for the workday details and to register. No Ridge Rangers Workdays on Saturday March 24 or Saturday March 31.  Written by: Bill Parken, Ridge Rangers Coordinator, bill.parken@myfwc.com Ridge Rangers are volunteers helping to restore wildlife habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge and nearby areas in Central Florida.  Learn more Ridge Rangers website: myfwc.com/ridgerangers Upcoming schedule at Ridge Rangers Online Calendar. Want to participate in the Ridge Rangers program? Apply here, or just look on our calendar, sign up for a workday and come on out! There are no dues and no commitments in the Ridge Ranger program. Know of someone who would like to receive this newsletter?  Send them to the Ridge Rangers Newsletter GovDelivery webpage. Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

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