*** This cache is part of the Taking Flight GeoTour. Anyone can claim this cache, but to be eligible to receive a Taking Flight GeoTour prize tag, geocachers must complete the activities in this survey for at least 12 caches on the tour.***
Welcome to Perico Preserve!
The restoration of Perico Preserve is a story of transformation. The land has undergone significant changes from its original acquired state of farmland to the beautiful mix of habitats we see today. Featured at this site are the coastal wetlands expected in this area as well as carefully planned scrub hills and upland areas that hearken back to historical coastal Manatee County.
A young volunteer helps remove a Brazilian Pepper Tree at Perico Preserve during a volunteer workday. Photo by Melissa Cain Nell
Perico Preserve has also been designed to serve as a site for seagrass growth. On the inside of the property, in one of the old unused fields, the preserve now has a large lagoon that links to nearby Perico Bayou. The lagoon serves as a “safe place” for seagrass beds to grow, away from possible damage from boaters and jet skis, providing additional habitat within the Tampa and Sarasota Bay watershed. Within the dedicated seagrass nursery, Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department also created a special rookery island. This unique structure will provide a resource for birds to establish a rookery.
Birds on a rookery island in the Braden River (including anihinga, roseate spoonbill, wood storks, and snowy egrets). Photo by Wayne Douchkoff
What exactly is a rookery? It’s a colony of breeding animals, usually a colony of birds. Rookeries are places where many birds gather together to nest and, often, includes a wide variety of different nesting species. In Florida, the coastal mangrove trees are a popular site for rookeries for birds such as herons, egrets, storks, and spoonbills. But not just any trees will do – these birds know that their eggs can be tasty treats for predators like raccoons that can easily climb into the trees and raid their nests. To avoid the animals that would like to eat their eggs and hatchlings, wading birds will often choose isolated mangrove islands as their nesting sites. These places are generally surrounded by water and far enough from the mainland to prevent too much predation.
In Manatee County, many of our small mangrove islands have become favorite places for humans too. We “nest” on them ourselves and build our homes there. To increase the amount of suitable land for rookery sites, the County plans to create a small island at Perico. Centrally located, the landform would prevent raccoon visitors and serve as a safe place for coastal birds to nest.
Visit the sites along the Taking Flight GeoTour (TFGT) and learn about Manatee County's wild spaces and the amazing feathered friends that live in them. Along the way, you will be challenged to become a citizen scientist, a preserve ranger, a detective, a historian, an excellent geocacher. Caches are located in birding hot spots throughout Manatee County's publicly accessible conservation Preserves. Each one highlights a specific bird species or aspect of bird life providing you with opportunities to learn more about these creatures and what we can do to help them survive. Caches also focus on protecting the region's waterways, bays, natural watersheds, and habitat areas for many of our area's feathered friends.
The Taking Flight GeoTour launched August 20, 2012 and includes 18 caches within Manatee County.
To be eligible to receive a Taking Flight GeoTour prize tag, geocachers must complete the activities in this survey for at least 12 finds on the tour. Keep this survey open in your browser, only click submit when at least 12 finds have been completed. Survey responses will be automatically sent to Manatee County staff. Prize tags can be redeemed on Saturday mornings from 9am - 12pm at The NEST at Robinson Preserve located at 840 99th St NW, Bradenton, FL 34209. If you are unable to collect your prize tag in person, please contact ecoevents@mymanatee.org to arrange for your tag to be sent in the mail. Tags will be available while supplies last.
Thank you for assisting with the Taking Flight GeoTour: