EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE …. There are three main things that determine the change in habitats you see along the Anhinga Trail. What are they?
2. MESSAGE …. From beginning to end of the Anhinga Trail, note the different habitat changes. Choose two and explain your choices based on your answer to question 1.
3. MESSAGE …. Walk the Gumbo Limbo Trail and find marl. Describe the appearance and feel of this soil (see reading).
4. MESSAGE …. Walk the Gumbo Limbo Trail and find peat. Describe the appearance and feel of this soil (see reading).
5. MESSAGE …. ... a. Based on the reading, give a difference between these two soils (marl/peat). ... b. Based on your observations, give a difference between these two soils. (marl/peat)
6. MESSAGE …. ... Why did the Everglades receive the nickname "River of Grass"?
7. LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item at or near the coordinates. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
What a fantastic trail! We saw a myriad of plants and animals as we took a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk. Amazing that so many different habitats are present so close together. Hope someday to make a return trip to this River of Grass wonderland.
THANK YOU Kimberly (Park Ranger) for permission to share this learning adventure.
THANK YOU Olivia (Park Ranger) for information needed to share this learning adventure.
THANK YOU Michelle (Science Liaison) for information needed to share this learning adventure.
EVERGLADES BEDROCK
Mass of rocks forming the Earth and present everywhere. These rocks can be seen when exposed at the surface in outcrops. The vast majority are concealed beneath soil cover or water. The bedrock of the Everglades is primarily limestone.
EVERGLADES SOIL
Soil is weathered bedrock combined with minerals and organic matter. Main soil types in the Everglades are marl and peat. These are largely the result of multiple sea-level fluctuations during the Ice Age.
Marl - Calcitic mud commonly found in the shallower marshes subjected to shorter periods of surface water inundation. Large areas of freshwater marl prairie border the deeper sloughs of the Everglades. Marl is found in the drier areas.
Peat - Waterlogged partially-decomposed acid-loving plant material built up over hundreds of years in poorly-drained wetland habitats. Peat is found in the wetter areas.
ELEVATION -and- SEASONS
Subtle changes in elevation result in dramatic changes in vegetation communities. The elevation change is only 12 to 14 feet from the maximum near Lake Okeechobee to sea level.
Even a few inches of elevation can make a difference in how wet or dry the soil remains throughout the year. These differences in moisture help create unique habitats, each with its own special set of plants and animals.
There are two seasons in the Everglades. The dry season occurs from December through April and water levels are low. The wet season occurs from May through November and water levels are high.
ANHINGA TRAIL
The Anhinga Trail is a short trail in Everglades National Park. The trail is a paved walkway and a boardwalk over Taylor Slough, a freshwater sawgrass marsh. On November 5, 1996, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
RESOURCES
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/evergeology.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/plants.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/upload/RES01-2FinalReportSecure.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/anhinga-trail.htm
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/6-0.pdf
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.egusd.net/dist/9/20/files/2014/09/Everglades-Forever-2gcphak.pdf
https://www.cbd.int/doc/pa/tools/Linking%20Geology%20and%20Biodiversity%20(part%201).pdf