When we first arrived in the parking lot we spotted a big gopher tortoise getting some sunlight. Not too far from where he was hanging out we also discovered his burrow where he lives! :)
As we ventured into the park we all spotted some Morhens on the shoreline of the stream. We then continued on the boardwalk trail, it was then that I noticed all the maple! Throughout the whole trail it was EVERYWHERE!
Since the whole park is very wet and swampy the trees have made certain adaptations for the wet loose soil. For example, the trees roots grow outward to give the tree stability and anchor it down better than it would if the roots were growing straight into the ground. Since the soil is so loose trees can be uprooted naturally by a harsh storm. We were able to see quite a few uprooted trees on our walk.
When we got to the observation tower we saw not only a gator but a huge soft shell turtle swimming its way towards us. The turtle had webbed feet so that it would be able to swim in this wet ecosystem. Unfortunately, my phone died at this point and I was unable to capture a picture :(
I enjoyed this field trip as Sawgrass Lake Park is a park that I have visited before and loved. It was nice to learn more about the park in this visit!
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