Archbold Biological Station Executive Director Hilary Swain was up early in the morning of the 11th September, after the major winds from Hurricane Irma had passed through. She surveyed the scene from the water tower. The main Station buildings, constructed like a steel and concrete fortress, looked intact. Most other Archbold buildings survived with no major structural damage, although the whole campus was a disheveled mess of trees and twisted branches. Most of the trees that fell were large, old laurel oaks planted years ago, and not typical of the native Florida scrub at Archbold. Laurel oaks often have rotten centers and are very vulnerable to storm events. Amazingly very few trees fell on buildings. Archbold Biological Station was lucky! Continue reading →

Scientists from all over come to Highlands County, where they join resident scientists at the Archbold Biological Station to explore the special habitat called Florida scrub. An obvious feature of Florida scrub are patches of open sand where nothing grows. Or so it seems. Some years ago, scientists at Archbold noticed that after a rain tiny trails appeared in the sand, as if a microscopic mole were burrowing just below the surface. Equipped with nothing but curiosity and pocket knives, the scientists carefully scraped away sand above the burrows, discovering that each trail ended in a little cricket a quarter of an inch long, shiny black with reddish knees. It turned out that the cricket was new to science, so Archbold entomologist Mark Deyrup and Cornell entomologist Thomas Eisner described it, naming it Neotridactylus archboldi, in memory of Richard Archbold, who founded the Station and protected the land where the cricket was discovered. Continue reading →

Highlands County is home to one of the highest concentration of rare plants in North America. Most of these rare species occur in Florida scrub, the shrubby habitat many Highlands County residents see every day, from the undeveloped lot in residential neighborhoods to the intact expanses at conservation sites. Among these rare species, some are the rarest of the rare. “There are a handful of plants in this area so close to extinction that human intervention is necessary for their survival,” states Stacy Smith, Research Assistant in the Plant Ecology Program at Archbold Biological Station. “Interventions to help these rare plants, such as the creation of new populations (introductions), or adding new plants to existing populations (augmentations), have been carried out by Archbold over the past few decades. One species requiring this special treatment is an odoriferous (strong smell) shrub called Garrett’s Mint (Dicerandra christmanii).” Continue reading →

The Archbold Biological Station Biological Collection houses hundreds of thousands of preserved specimens of animals and plants. In an ongoing effort, Archbold scientists, interns, and volunteers have been working together to digitize and post the Archbold Collection online. The last day of July marked the end of the second year of this digitization project. “During the first year, we focused on digitizing our insect and plant collections,” says assistant curator Stephanie Leon. “This second year, along with continuing the insects and plants, we also digitized the Archbold bird collection.” Continue reading →

Jennifer Brown’s attention to the rolling landscape of the Lake Wales Ridge happened during one of her first trips to Highlands County. Her companion pointed out the barely noticeable rise ahead on a drive up Old State Road 8 in Venus. “My eyes were quickly trained to notice this subtle topography of the Ridge”, said Brown, a nature documentary filmmaker living and working in Venus since 2012. She said, “I began to understand that this part of Florida was different and learning how different became my journey.” Continue reading →

“I work with the kids at summer camp. What a joy when I see and hear them having so much fun while learning about nature. There is no better reward,” says Pat Talbott, who volunteered over 100 hours during this season of Archbold’s Ecology Summer Camp. Pat was recruited three years ago by his friend and long-time Archbold volunteer, Lee Andrus. The organization relies on Talbott, Andrus, and more than 65 other volunteers each year to help with outreach as well as land management, scientific research, events, and many other activities. Last year, volunteers contributed more than 3,000 hours of services to the organization. Continue reading →

The vast majority of spiders around Lake Placid are never seen. This is good news to many folks, for the fear and loathing of arachnids (that’s spiders) is as common in central Florida as it is everywhere else. Dr. Jim Carrel, Research Associate at Archbold Biological Station and former professor at the University of Missouri, said, “In my 50 years of doing research at the Archbold Biological Station, I have had hundreds of people tell me that they don’t like spiders. And some refuse to come into the building after they learn that I am a ‘Spider Doctor’, even after I assure them that there aren’t any live spiders in my lab. But if you find spiders interesting, as I do, then you are willing to go out of your way to locate them.” Continue reading →

If you have any scrub-jays in your yard at this time of year you may have noticed some have heads that are brown, instead of their typical blue. These brown-headed scrub-jays are the young of this year and you can see them flying around and begging their parents for food. This distinctive plumage allows scientists at Archbold Biological Station to distinguish between adults and juveniles. Dr. Angela Tringali, biologist at Archbold Biological Station says, “Being able to tell juvenile and adult Florida Scrub-Jays apart is important because it tells us if the breeding season has been successful. At Archbold, where the scrub-jays are individually marked and monitored, we already have that information. But at places where the scrub-jays are not monitored year-round, counting the jays at this time of year gives us important information about how well each family-group is reproducing.” Continue reading →

Richard Archbold was a world renowned explorer, conservationist and philanthropist. He spent his life travelling to new uncharted regions, learning about previously unknown plants and animals, and using his resources to further understanding about the natural world. With the onset of WWII in 1939 Mr. Archbold had to put his explorations on hold. As a result he began a search for an area in the USA that could be his scientific base of operations. Continue reading →

If you were an Island Apple Snail originally from South America and invading the subtropical wetlands of Florida, would your ease of travel, even at a snail’s pace, matter more or less than your destination? This is the research question that Steffan Pierre, Research Assistant at Archbold’s Buck island Ranch is examining. Steffan completed his Master’s thesis research at University of Central Florida on this very subject. Continue reading →

Florida is known for water. From freshwater springs and rivers down to coastal estuaries and the blue ocean, water is everywhere in our state. Here in Highlands County, our landscape is filled with lakes. But what about in the Florida scrub, the high dry sandy ridges that run throughout our region? Dig down into these sandy soils and you will soon hit water, except at the highest elevations. Even here, scattered throughout the scrub, the shallow depressions in the sand become seasonal ponds that typically fill and dry during our wet season from June through November. But seasonal rainfall and sandy soil mean that water is not necessarily available for long. Continue reading →

What do you remember about your childhood summers? Many of us fondly recall catching frogs and fireflies, spotting animal tracks and wildlife, or hiking and swimming. This summer marks Archbold Biological Station’s 25th year creating memories like these for children attending the Ecology Summer Camp. The camp emphasizes outdoor activities in nature as well as contact with working scientists. It’s a science camp designed to meet the needs of all children – future scientists and non-scientists alike. Continue reading →

The Beggar Tick Daisy, also called Spanish Needles, is a plant familiar to every resident of Highlands County. It thrives, as the plant guides say, in roadsides and “waste places.” Highlands County has plenty of those, although ecologists prefer the term “disturbed areas” to “waste places.” It grows even better in a neglected area of the garden. Mark Deyrup, entomologist at the Archbold Biological Station, knows this too well. “If I leave home for a month in summer, by the time I return Beggar Tick Daisies that were almost too small to notice are five feet tall. When I try to pull them up I can pull a back muscle, or the plant breaks off at the base, or both. The broken plant recovers faster than my back.” Continue reading →

June 8, 2017 marks a special anniversary for Archbold Biological Station and Highlands County. On this date 50 years ago, Dr. James N. Layne was hired to be Archbold’s first Director of Research. He worked closely with Richard Archbold, during the last decade of Archbold’s life. Richard Archbold was a pioneer establishing his biological research station and also engaged in conservation efforts here in Highlands County and the rest of Florida. Richard Archbold’s dedication and resources were applied to understand and conserve the natural treasures of our region. Following Archbold’s death Dr. Layne was appointed Executive Director and tasked with guiding and directing the Station’s future. Continue reading →

Do you remember what you did over your High School summer vacation? Many of us took up seasonal positions as lifeguards, camp counselors, or landscapers. However, for some, a summer break from school is an opportunity to broaden their education. For those seeking that prospect in the field of science, Archbold Biological Station offers the perfect experience. Continue reading →

When most citizens of Highlands County are happily snoozing in their beds, or perhaps binge-watching their favorite TV series, the natural world at the Archbold Biological Station goes into hyperactivity. From their daytime refuges innumerable moths emerge, spread their wings, and throw themselves into the night air. Biologists at the Archbold Biological Station, as elsewhere, tend to be diurnal. Most of us go about our daily lives with little notion of the ‘nightly’ or nocturnal lives of moths. Continue reading →

“Every breath you take… Every move you make… I’ll be watching you” — The Police, 1983

This well-known song could be talking about sensors. Sensors—those tiny instruments sometimes as small as a bug, often hidden, have become ubiquitous in our lives. They are found in smartphone Fitness Apps that count every step we walk, to automatic flush systems in urinals, to tire pressure sensors in cars. Quiz yourself—take any place or field of activity, such as a supermarket or your home, and list as many sensors in action as you can think of. You’ll be surprised at how many you find! Continue reading →

Archbold Biological Station’s programs center around science, conservation, and education. Education goals are achieved in a variety of ways from visiting 4th grade school groups to summer camps, lectures to visiting university classes, guided weekend tours for the public, and internships. Archbold’s scientific research internships are directed at older students, often those that have completed a Bachelors degree in science and are contemplating graduate school. Internship positions at Archbold are highly sought-after and attract students from all across the country to Highlands County. These interns usually spend 6-8 months at Archbold. They spend about half their time working in one of Archbold’s research programs—conducting field work, processing samples, and undertaking data entry and analyses. Interns also pursue independent research of their own, mentored by one of the Program Directors, senior scientists often with decades of experience. Continue reading →

It’s just another day at the office for research assistant, Stephanie Koontz, as she heads out of the research buildings at Archbold Biological Station to work with some of the rarest plant species in Florida. “A favorite childhood memory of mine is removing the seeds of an apple core, placing them on a wet paper towel and watching them emerge over the next few days.” But, she adds, “If only germination was this easy with seeds of rare plants. Finding the right conditions for a seed to germinate and then helping that seedling survive to adulthood can be a bigger challenge than one might imagine.” Continue reading →

Wetlands are an important component of Florida landscapes. They provide shelter for plants and animals, which in turn attract naturalists, hunters or anglers. Look in the air and you might be able to see a Snail Kite in search of a Florida Apple Snail. Bend over, and there it is, a fascinating pitcher plant digesting its insect meal. In Central Florida, you might even see cows wandering around in freshwater wetlands. Here, they find good quality forage and a nice cooling station during the summer months. Setting aside mosquitoes, what’s not to love about wetlands? Yet, wetlands are threatened worldwide, facing pollution and land conversion. Continue reading →

Florida’s landscape varies from sandy beaches to dense forests and swampy wetlands. This range of habitats allows a wide variety of animals to thrive. One of our larger groups of animals is the amphibians, which includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. In Florida there are more than 30 species of frogs and toads. And in Highlands County, our own backyard, one can find 18 different types of frogs and toads. However, not all of these species were originally from Florida; a few are non-native and some of these are considered invasive. Continue reading →

The sun shines brightly, the wind carries the songs of the birds and the buzzing of the bees. Walking the trails at Archbold Biological Station and observing the beauty of the Florida scrub, one’s senses can be easily stimulated. But can the same beauty and nature be seen indoors in a research laboratory? In Archbold’s bug lab, nineteen, seven-foot-tall, hunter-green cabinets tower above scientists and students. Inside each of these cabinets, twenty-five basswood, glass-top drawers protect hundreds of thousands of pinned insect specimens, most of which have been collected over the decades at Archbold Biological Station. Each insect specimen is stored in its correct drawer, like a giant filing system, so that any trained biologist can quickly navigate to the right specimen. Continue reading →

There are many beautiful natural areas in Florida. In places such as Myakka River State Park and Everglades National Park people can walk for miles across lands barely changed by humans. Florida also has vast areas of lands, such as cattle ranches, which contain both natural habitats, lands improved for agriculture, and disturbed areas. At Archbold Biological Station we own or manage nearly 20,000 acres serving as natural laboratories for scientific research, education, and conservation. Some of the Archbold property is pristine, wild Florida, as it was hundreds of years ago. But many parts of the land Archbold owns and manages were, at some point, and often decades ago, altered from their natural condition. According to Kevin Main, Land Manager at Archbold, “In some places at Archbold, especially on the 3,600-acre area known as the Reserve, we have chosen to focus on restoring these altered lands back to a more natural condition. Most native animals and plants, including many threatened and endangered species, require natural ecosystems in order to thrive.” Continue reading →

“It has really opened my eyes!” “I have a student about to start graduate school for entomology (the study of insects) and I don’t think he slept at all, just running around the buildings all night looking at insects.” “Your facilities are fantastic!” “The great thing about Archbold is its placement in an ecosystem that is not found anywhere else on Earth, so we had a unique experience.” These are just some of the many expressions we hear from students and faculty that visit Archbold Biological Station with their classes during their college spring break. Continue reading →

With the increasingly severe drought during this years’ dry season, there is a lot of news about wildfires. As one of the lightning capitals of the continent, fire has been a natural part of the cycle of life in Florida for millennia. Fire is essential to conserve the Florida scrub that we love and protect at Archbold Biological Station and elsewhere in Highlands County. Fire is essential for maintenance of many other Florida ecosystems including pinelands, prairies, and most wetlands. Continue reading →

Have you ever thought about the “artistic” side of scientific discovery? In a famous lecture in 1959, British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow, lamented that ‘intellectual life’ was split into two cultures—namely the sciences and the humanities—and that this was a major limitation for addressing the world’s problems. Nowadays scientists are increasingly reaching out to writers, poets, artists, and musicians to help them interpret and share their data and findings, not as tables, figures, and statistics, but rather by creating new works of art that reach a far wider audiences. One such arts-science alliance is a recent interpretation of the long-term data from Lake Annie, a 67′ deep, 90-acre sinkhole lake located on the property of Archbold Biological Station. Lake Annie is celebrated by scientists worldwide for the data from the sediments at the bottom of the lake which document the history of Florida extending back nearly 40,000 years. The lake is also important scientifically for its long-term monitoring of many lake measures including water depth, temperature, pH, color, oxygen levels, and plankton communities. Continue reading →

We all know that spring has sprung…but what was our cue? Maybe it was the 85 degree days in February or the orange blossoms or the scrub-jays nesting – but what cue did the jay’s use to know that it was time to breed? Continue reading →

The natural areas of Highlands and Polk Counties are dominated by a sandy, shrubby landscape known as Florida scrub. There are many types of Florida scrub all defined by the plant species that inhabit them. One especially interesting type of Florida scrub is the rosemary scrub. Take a walk through a rosemary scrub habitat and you might notice some rather striking things. Bare white sand patches connect like a path, weaving in and out among a maze of large Florida Rosemary shrubs, the dominant plant species for which this unique habitat is named. Most populations of Florida Rosemary occur along coastal dune habitats from Florida north to South Carolina and west to Mississippi. Florida Rosemary are found in relict populations on remaining patches of Florida scrub occurring on the high dry sandy ridge that runs north-south through Highlands County, known as the Lake Wales Ridge. The Lake Wales Ridge dates back to a time, nearly a million years ago, when sea levels were much higher. Found at the top of these ancient rolling sand dunes, the rosemary scrub habitat looks like sandy islands in a sea of a dense vegetation. And yet, it is in this rosemary scrub habitat, along those open pathways between the Florida Rosemary plants, where most of the Lake Wales Ridge endangered plant species are found. Florida Rosemary itself is not endangered although it is listed as a threatened species in coastal Georgia, but rosemary scrub habitat has seen significant decline due to development, earlier conversion to agriculture, and hurricane damage along coastal populations. Continue reading →

On Valentine’s Day biologists at the Archbold Biological Station enjoy sending and receiving romantic gifts of flowers just as much as anybody else. The colors and fragrances of flowers make them a perfect gift. Out in nature, however, biologists appreciate the messages of flowers in a different way. Most wildflowers are sending signals to insects, using perfumes or attractive color displays to advertise nectar and pollen. Pollen is the fine powdery substance produced by male plants (think, flower sperm) that is carried by insects (or other animals, or wind) to the female part of the flower and fertilizes it. Some insects, especially bees, eat pollen or provide it to their larvae as food. Nectar is the sugary liquid plants produce, especially in their flowers, to encourage (reward) visits by insects and other animals. Continue reading →

Meet the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi). Reaching six to eight feet in length, this “blue” beauty is North America’s longest native snake. It is so quiet and elusive, few people may even be aware of its existence. Indigo snakes are nonvenomous, covered in shiny black scales and live only in the southeastern US, where they eat a diverse diet of small prey, primarily other snakes, frogs, mice and other small mammals. The indigo snakes are “top predators,” even though that term usually conjures images of animals like panthers and wolves.  Continue reading →

A few months ago researchers from Archbold Biological Station’s Avian Ecology Program traveled to Osceola National Forest in north Florida to bring six Federally Endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers back to Avon Park Air Force Range. Called ‘translocation’, moving birds from large populations to small populations is a conservation tool used on critically endangered species throughout the world. Along with prescribed fire and management of the trees used by the woodpeckers for their nest cavities, translocation is an increasingly important tool for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Osceola National Forest’s Red-cockaded Woodpecker population is large enough that it is considered a donor population, able to sustain the removal of a few birds to help other smaller populations grow. Continue reading →

On March 18, Florida’s environmental educators are gathering for the 2017 League of Environmental Educators of Florida (LEEF) Spring Mini-Conference in Apollo Beach. One hundred are expected to attend, including Archbold Biological Station’s Education Coordinator, Dustin Angell. “These conferences never fail to inspire me and I am able to apply so much of what I learn back at Archbold,” says Angell. So, what is an environmental educator and why do they have a league? Continue reading →

Research led by Dr. Betsey Boughton at Archbold’s MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center (MAERC), together with a team from University of Central Florida has been addressing how Florida ranchers might maintain and enhance wetlands found on their ranches. About one-third of the headwaters of the Everglades is ranchland, like MAERC, and we all benefit from valuable natural services provided by wetlands on ranches. Continue reading →

Plants like Avon Park Harebells (Crotalaria avonensis) make other rare, endemic (only found in one area) plants seem common. This yellow-flowered, deep-rooted pea occurs at just three Florida scrub sites, all in Highlands and Polk counties, near Avon Park (hence the Latin name). Discovered by Avon Park botanist Kris DeLaney in the 1980s, the Harebell is an exciting find for any plant enthusiast. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, It is ‘at grave danger of extinction’ and ‘without active and concerted conservation efforts, this species may be lost’. Highlands and Polk counties support one of the highest concentrations of endemic plants and animals in the United States. Many of these endemic species are endangered or threatened and the Avon Park Harebells are among the rarest of these. Continue reading →

Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Photo: Dustin Angell

Newcomers to Highlands County are often impressed with the local bird life. Sandhill Cranes, Roseate Spoonbills, and Great Egrets dazzle with their size and beauty. Wood Storks feed in roadside ditches and Osprey nest in trees and on utility poles. Locals appreciate the delicate beauty of Tree Swallow flocks in the evening and know to await the appearance of Swallow-tailed Kites as one of the first signs of spring. Over 200 kinds of birds can be seen in Highlands County and some are better known than others. “There is one bird in Highlands County that most people who live or visit here have never heard of, and that’s unfortunate, because it’s Florida’s rarest and most imperiled one,” says Archbold’s Education Coordinator Dustin Angell. He aims to change that with a new photo essay called “Saving the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.” Continue reading →

Reflections on 1721’s Ordeal:  1721’s ordeal sparked strong emotions among Archbold researchers and other staff, the first obviously being a sense of outrage, not to mention extreme relief upon her safe return. For me, this was also mixed with a large dose of frustration. I am not naïve enough to think societal attitudes and cultural practices change overnight. However, I wish we could find ways to expedite human behavioral changes in response to new scientific knowledge. (Click here for Part I of this story)

Continue reading →

Florida cattle ranches provide more than beef and beautiful views. Cattle share the land with a rich mix of wildlife, including birds like Crested Caracaras, Wild Turkeys, and Sandhill Cranes. Some ranchers are even helping solve Florida’s water management problems. They are working with the state government on controlling the flow of water on ranchlands to make things safer for people and wildlife downstream. Researchers from Archbold Biological Station are helping with the science.  Continue reading →