800 acres of natural wetlands call UCF their home

Christine Harper

Issue date: 5/15/08 Section: New

Rex Menor jumps from the old, wooden boardwalk behind the Student Union to the soft, earthy ground of the cypress dome. Menor, a criminal justice sophomore, feels at home among the 100-year-old cypress trees and ferns.

Menor said he enjoys visiting cypress domes and other types of swamps because it reminds him of his past summers when he spent time as a camp counselor teaching children about wildlife in the Everglades. He also enjoys the visits because of his love for the environment.

On this quiet Sunday afternoon, Menor watches as two white ibises dive their heads into the retention pond as the soft-shell turtles swim past. He listens as the bullfrogs croak loudly in the distance. He laughs as the eastern grey squirrels scurry past him and rummage through garbage cans, hoping to find the remnants of a half-eaten sandwich or cheeseburger that students passing through the swamp might have left behind.

"I just love the squirrels on campus," Menor said. "They're extra aggressive."

But eastern grey squirrels are not the only animals living on UCF's campus. There are more than 45 species living on campus and some, like the gopher tortoise, which is currently listed as a threatened species west of the Mobile River in Alabama, are close to becoming endangered.

In addition to the animals, there are 800 acres of preserved, natural wetlands and forests on campus, which the 12-member staff of the Environmental Center is in charge of maintaining. The cypress dome behind the Student Union is one of two cypress domes the campus has vowed to protect. It is perhaps the best known because of the wooden boardwalk that juts across it, offering students an alternative way to travel from the union to other facilities.

"I love walking through [the cypress dome] on my way to class," political science senior Shay Kearney said. "It's the most beautiful place on campus."

Other swamps on campus are not as frequented as the Union's cypress dome. Hidden away in the northwestern parcel on campus is a large marsh surrounded by a titi strand. Titi strands are not commonly found as far south as Central Florida. This marsh is so well hidden by vegetation that only the residents of the nearby Tower apartments may be able to see it from the top floors.

Overall, there are currently 17 different types of ecological habitats on campus. Some of the most common types are basin swamps, the cypress domes, scrub lands, mesic flat woods and sinkhole lakes. These natural areas contribute greatly to the environment at UCF. Not only do they provide food and shelter to several endemic plant and animal species, but they also manage storm water run-off and filter pollutants and other hazardous chemicals out of water.

"That's the cool thing about wetlands," Lisa McCauley, UCF's Environmental Center's geographic information systems specialist said. "They suck up all the bad stuff."

But these wetlands face the possible danger of being destroyed by man-made buildings.

The prime land to build on at UCF is called scrub land. And because scrub land is upland habitat, it is prime land to develop, making it one of the most endangered habitats. On campus today there are only three parcels of scrub land left.

"Uplands are the most targeted habitat for development since they are high and dry. Once developed, the hydrology usually changes, altering the water levels in marshes/swamps, forcing species to die and be replaced by upland species," Alaina Bernard, the Environmental Center's assistant director, said.

According to Bernard, preserving the protected land is extremely beneficial. Bernard thinks that every student should care about preserving these habitats because of the strong, positive impact they have on the environment.

"We should care about these habitats because they are vital in holding water runoff from nearby habitats and they have very specific species - such as pitcher plants, salamanders and orchids - that would perish if wetlands were destroyed," Bernard said.

The water in the natural areas is of great importance as well. Water found in the swamps may soon become the water that the UCF population will drink. Seventy-five percent of storm water runoff on campus drains directly into the wetlands, then into the CREOL pond, then travels to the Econlockhatchee River before finally flowing into the St. Johns River.

According to an Orlando Sentinel article, there has been recent debate over whether or not to tap the St. Johns River as a source of drinking water in the future due to Central Florida's growing demand on water. But if lawmakers decide to tap into its resources, the water in the CREOL pond could ultimately become the water that students and faculty drink, although there has been strong opposition to the plan by environmentalists.

"We are connected to a lot of things," Orlando Genao, the Environmental Center's assistant land manager said. "If we don't take care of our water now, we won't be able to take care of it in the future."

Students hoping to become better acquainted with the campus' natural wetlands and forests can start by visiting the Environmental Center and their botanical gardens.

A lesser-known nature trail, located in the northeastern part of campus, is also provided by the Environmental Center and is available for students to hike or ride bikes on. The nature trail, which is surrounded by several pond pine trees, is called home by many native animals, including the elusive wild deer.

Weaved throughout the nature trail is a disc-golf course, which gives students a chance to learn about the environment with informational signs provided at each hole on the course. Disc-golf is played by throwing a frisbee-like disc into a metal basket.

All of the campus' protected lands are free and open to the public. The Environmental Center encourages students and faculty to enjoy the natural habitats as much as possible. For more information, visit UCF's Environmental Center.