I decided to
check out Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, about an hour’s drive south of
Venice, near Ft Meyers. Its main attraction is a 1 ¼ mile boardwalk through a freshwater
cypress marsh, called a slough. A slough (sloo) is a slow moving shallow creek
that can be many miles wide. Flow rates are commonly 100 feet per day or less.
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| Entrance |
The park was
easy to find, right off busy Ben Pratt Parkway, about 2 miles from I75.
At 10:30 in the morning the parking lot was starting to fill. I put 2
bucks into the honor parking machine, visited the head and began my leisurely
trek into the marsh.
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| Map Of Park |
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| 1 1/4 Mile Boardwalk |
Benches and viewing areas are located at strategic
points. Engraved famous musings about nature are a nice touch.
Mid-March
is the height of the dry season, so the water levels along the walk varied from
zero to about two feet. But even where there was no water, the black earth was
wet. The predominant tree in the marsh was the Bald Cypress.
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| Bald Cypress |
Slash Pines and
Oak were growing where the ground was a little drier. The predominant
understory was ferns, Wax Myrtle, Saw Palmetto and Prairie Iris, which
thrive in the shady humid environment. Numerous
Air Plants and Wild Pines were attached to the branches and trunks of the
trees.
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| Prairie Iris |
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| Quill-Leaf |
Observing animal wildlife
is always more fun (for me) than studying greenery. So I focused on spotting
movement in and around the boardwalk. I noticed right away that the birds
here were abundant and not shy. Great Egret, Anhinga, Ibis, Tri-Color Heron and
even a Night Heron were feeding within a few feet of the boardwalk.
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| White Ibis |
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| Young Night Heron (look close) |
Several open
ponds were located along the path. I spotted otters, turtles, and gators here. A
young Green Water Snake with unusual spots was seen sleeping on the sunny bank.
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| Green Water Snake |
This park
offers better than usual bird sighting opportunities. It is a great example of
a cypress marsh, although the trees are relatively young. Like much of Florida,
most of the original old growth cypress was cleared in the last century.
Replanting was done in the 1990’s when the park was first opened. I did however
find one example of a cypress that missed the woodsman’s axe.
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| 500 Year Old Cypress |
It is
difficult to estimate the age of a tree based on its diameter alone. Lots of
factors affect the growth rate. But based on studies of cut trees, the Bald
Cypress will add an inch of trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) every 7 to
8.5 years. That means this 6 foot diameter cypress was born about the time
Columbus “discovered” America.
The park and
the boardwalk are well maintained. Guided walks are available twice a day.
There is also a chalkboard with recent spottings.
I’d rate Six Mile
Cypress Slough an 8 out of 10. Had it
been a little bigger, more remote and less crowded (I’m selfish), I’d give it a
10.
