Field Trips on Friday, November 9th
You're in Panther Country
Welcome to Panther Country. Care to look around? We've got more fantastic field trips planned as part of this year's Festival.
Take a look below at all our options. Reservations are required for field trips, so reserve your spot early!
Make your reservation according to the instructions for your desired field trip.
CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Trail Hike
Photo by: Kathy Broyard
- Reservations Required -
Cost: $10 per person ($5 for CREW Trust members)
Time: 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Maximum Attendees: 20
Join a CREW Land & Water Trust staff member for a guided hike along these CREW trails where panthers, deer, & black bears roam and alligators bask in the sun. Bird Rookery Swamp is the southernmost section of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) which is owned and managed by the South Florida Water Management District. The entire 12-mile loop trail includes a 1400-foot long boardwalk and winds through a beautiful cypress and maple swamp adjacent to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. We’ll explore only a part of the trails (about 3 miles), talking about panthers and their prey, and looking for animal signs. We’ll share how panthers are using CREW lands and why protecting these lands are important to the quality of life in southwest Florida.
Big Cypress National Preserve - Bear Island - Panther Bike Ride
- Reservations Required -
Cost: $10 per person
Time: 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Maximum Attendees: 15
Bike through the diverse habitats of Big Cypress National Preserve’s Bear Island Unit. This area is used as home range by the elusive Florida panther and a variety of other wildlife. Along your leisurely 14 mile ride, stop with a ranger at several stations to look for signs of panther, learn about their habitat, find out what Big Cypress biologists do to study the big cat and other interesting facts about Florida panthers. Keep your eyes peeled, we have often seen panthers on this trip!
Tour & History of Picayune Strand State Forest
- Reservations Required -
Cost: $10 per person
Time: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Maximum Attendees: 10
Learn the history of the Picayune Strand State Forest from members of the Florida Forest Service. Participants will take a van tour of the forest and visit one of the sites where efforts are underway to restore the flow of water into the Everglades, a federal project occurring, in part, on state-managed lands. The tour includes stops at key areas to learn about the flora and fauna of the area and management efforts to ensure the viability of the forest for generations to come. Discussion will include information about this area as critical habitat for Florida panthers. Participants will see and learn about the importance of fire in Florida’s ecosystems. The trip includes at least one short hike of ½ mile to visit one of the forest’s signature old cypress trees.
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Buggy Tour and Hike
Photo by: Sandy Mickey
- Reservations Required -
Cost: $10 per person
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Maximum Attendees: 24
Join refuge staff and volunteers for a glimpse into the closed portions of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge where panthers roam and deer browse. Participants will join Refuge Biologist Larry Richardson on a 90-minute hike to learn about panther management and research on the refuge while searching for panther signs and using telemetry equipment to determine if any panthers are in the area. A 90-minute swamp buggy tour will give participants a high view of the terrain to look for wildlife while learning about refuge management and the importance of the refuge to overall panther population health. Participants will be split into two groups at the beginning of the day; one group will go on the hike while the other goes on the buggy tour and then the groups will flip.
Orange Jeep Eco-Adventure Tour
- Reservations Required -
Cost: $15 per person
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Maximum Attendees: 6 adults per group
Description: Orange Jeep Tours are Collier County’s newest eco-adventures navigating visitors through environmentally-protected wetlands, uplands, and preserves giving outdoor enthusiasts up close sightings of native wildlife, flora and fauna. Local outdoorsman and nature enthusiast, Gavin Wuerth, narrates an exploration of the eastern edge of Camp Keais Strand, while incorporating much of the history of the local area, including Seminole Indians, Barron Collier, and more. Enjoy 90 minutes in the custom-outfitted, open-air Jeep in Southwest Florida’s backyard.
Cost: $15 per person
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Maximum Attendees: 6 adults per group
Description: Orange Jeep Tours are Collier County’s newest eco-adventures navigating visitors through environmentally-protected wetlands, uplands, and preserves giving outdoor enthusiasts up close sightings of native wildlife, flora and fauna. Local outdoorsman and nature enthusiast, Gavin Wuerth, narrates an exploration of the eastern edge of Camp Keais Strand, while incorporating much of the history of the local area, including Seminole Indians, Barron Collier, and more. Enjoy 90 minutes in the custom-outfitted, open-air Jeep in Southwest Florida’s backyard.