We all know Miami for its beaches…. but did you know that Miami also has forests?! To be fair, if you didn’t know that, it’s probably because there isn’t much forest left.
The Pine Rockland forests are a critically endangered ecosystem in Miami. Only about 2% of the original forest extent remains in South Florida. One of the largest remaining tracts of these forests- outside of Everglades National Park- can actually be found outside of Zoo Miami… and that’s where I spent a few hours with Dr.Frank Ridgley, Zoo Miami’s Head of Conservation and Research, to learn more about this ecosystem in honor of International Day of Forests (March 21st).
Frank took me on a tour of the Pine Rocklands outside Zoo Miami , and we talked about all manner of things Pine Rockland related, including black bears!
So yeah, there used to be black bears within the Pine Rocklands in Miami. But most of this diverse habitat- and then subsequent wildlife loss- was lost in the ’70s and ’80s due to … development, of course! But slash pines, like the one below, were being used to build homes long before then. Yep, you’re looking at the trees that built Miami.
To be real honest… you’re not just looking at the trees that built Miami. When you’re standing on Pine Rocklands, you’re standing on the REAL Miami- the Everglades. I’ll let Frank explain.
The Pine Rocklands are filled with federal and state recognized endangered species. We talked about one of the tiniest federally protected species on the tract, the Deltoid Spurge. I used a macro lens to give you a better look at it, because it’s so easy to step over or on!
We also came across one of the first Prickly Pear Cactus blooms of the season.
I learned so much on this field trip that I’m going to have to break this into a few blog posts so stay tuned! For now I leave you with another imperiled species that calls the Pine Rocklands home- a gopher tortoise! Meet tortoise #21! We’ll be talking about her and how climate change will affect this critical ecosystem and all the species you’ve seen in this post (Seriously, stay tuned!).
More later and remember, ELEVATE always,
Nadia
Nadia A. Seeteram 