-
Subscription Options:
-
Recent Posts
Categories
Tag Archives: “Withlacoochee State Forest”
FWC Volunteer: Installing Red Cockaded woodpecker nesting boxes
While volunteering for the (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) this past week, my assigned duty was to assist with installing three nesting boxes for the Red Cockaded Woodpeckers that live in the Withlacoochee State Forest – Croom Tract. Nesting boxes are often installed to provide roosting and nesting cavities for the federally endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker. These woodpeckers only reside in live long leaf pine trees and can take up to five years to create a new nesting cavity naturally. Once these cavities are created, they often loose the cavity to other cavity nesters such as flying squirrels, Red-bellied woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, screech owls Continue reading
Hike Withlacoochee State Forest Annutteliga Hammock loops for a sampling of the challenging Brooksville Ridge
As I follow the loop around the back I begin to notice a pile of loose rocks and a dome shape over near a small Cedar Tree. I walk over only to find a small well that penetrates at least 15 feet down. The hole is lined by rocks with tree roots growing through the opening allowing enough room for only a small animal to fall. I use my headlamp to study the walls and floor. The walls are smooth solid limestone rock with periodic ripples and the floor is covered with oak leaves. I did not see any remnants of animal bones but I am certain that there are some hidden below the debris. Continue reading
Volunteering for the FWC: Fire Prepping the RCW Nesting Trees Truely Makes a Difference!
I found one tree where the fire had sadly scorched to tree all the way up to the canopy. This tree was part of an inactive cluster and was not fire-prepped prior to the burn. Then to my surprise a little further down the trail I spotted another RCW tree where the tree had been fire prepped properly. The ring had been raked so well that the fire stopped at the edge and did not have enough fuel (debris) to continue burning up to the tree. This left the active cluster tree completely intouched by the flames! “The fire prep had worked!” I exclaimed to myself. It felt good to know that the hardwork us volunteers were doing in the field made a difference.
Continue reading
Florida Trail: Withlacoochee State Forest – Croom A Loop provides a nice challenge for hikers!
The Croom A loop is one of three stacked hiking loops in the Withlacoochee State Forest – Croom Tract that creates over 20 miles of continuous hiking/backpacking trails. This 8 mile trail begins at the Tucker Hill Trailhead and takes you down a fairly steep trail through a hardwood forest into pine forest. Here there is a primitive campsite for camping/backpacking. Continue reading
Posted in Adventures, Backpacking, Camping, Florida, Florida Trail Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking, Mountain Biking
Tagged "Florida State Forest", "Withlacoochee State Forest", Backpacking, Camping, Croom A Loop, Croom Tract, Florida Trail, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking, SunCoast Chapter
Leave a comment
Florida Trail: Hike Citrus D Loop for scenic karst topography and pretty pine uplands.
The west side of this loop had very interesting scenery as the trail takes you along the Brooksville Ridge and has many Karst geological features including Dames Cave and Lizzie Hart Sink. Watch your step as you trek over this terrain as the rocks are loose and sometimes hidden it the plush fern gardens. While positioning myself to take a photo, I happened to find a Geocache Stache near Lizzie Hart Sink. I made sure to open the canister and leave a note! After you leave the temperate hardwood forests, that are clinging hard and fast to the Karst Limestone, the terrain changes as you hike on a soft carpet of pine needles up and down the sand-hills of the Pine Uplands. Wildflowers are abundant in the sand-hills and are a true pleasure to see along the Continue reading
Posted in Adventures, Backpacking, Camping, Florida, Florida Trail Adventures, Geocaching, Hiking
Tagged "Florida State Forest", "Withlacoochee State Forest", Backpacking, Citrus County, Dames Cave, Florida Trail, GeoCaching, Hiking, Inverness, karst geology, Lizzie Hart Sink, outdoor adventure
2 Comments
