Powell Preserve provides guided tour
As the fall arrives and the weather slowly gets dryer and cooler, it’s a good time to take in the beautiful scenery that Southwest Florida provides without the sunsets or palm trees.
On Saturday, Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 will host a guided nature walk from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Powell Creek Preserve in North Fort Myers.
Volunteer naturalists will identify and discuss native plants, wildlife and birds on this one-mile elevated loop trail.
According to Jason Boeckman, coordinator of the Conservation 20/20 program, possible wildlife sightings include wading birds, warblers, woodpeckers, and especially gopher tortoises.
Natural enhancements were made at the preserve to encourage the wildlife.
A native planting took place at the preserve in 2018 to improve foraging habitat for the gopher tortoise, a state-listed threatened species. The plants included gopher apple and prickly-pear cactus. This improved habitat can be observed from the walk path.
In fall 2018 there was also a mechanical brush reduction of some pine trees in an area of the preserve. This helped so that too many pine trees would not shade out important gopher tortoise food source plants from growing.
Since the native planting and pine reduction, several new gopher tortoise burrows have been documented at the preserve.
Be sure to bring a water bottle, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
The event is free and no registration is required. For more information, call 204-1125 or go towww.conservation2020.org
Powell Creek Preserve is at 15601 Hart Road.