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Located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Egmont Key is a barrier island rich in history and wildlife. Don Francisco Maria Celi made first recorded contact with the island in 1757. Since ships were constantly running aground on the sandbars in the area, a lighthouse was constructed on the island in the mid 1800s. The island was used as a prison for captured Seminole Indians during the Seminole Wars and was occupied by Union forces during the Civil War in an effort to block supplies to the confederate soldiers. In the late 1800s, Fort Dade was built on the island in preparation for possible war with Spain. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the island was recognized as a National Wildlife Reserve. The island is home to the endangered Florida Gopher tortoise and the Florida Box turtle, as well as many other birds and plants.
- Students will take a boat ride out to this beautiful island (group size and weather permitting), enjoy a nature hike across the island, and learn about the introduction of exotic plants and animals to this ecosystem and the effects this has had on the environment.
- Students go snorkeling and gather and identify marine life specimens while also discussing the effects of pollution on an ecosystem.
- Students will help the facilitator dissect a shark
Did you know:
- A “key” is a reef or low island.
- Egmont Key is named after John Percival, the second Earl of Egmont, and the first Lord of the Admiralty.
- Egmont Key is part of the Eastern Flyway – the major eastern U.S. migratory flight path for birds.
- One of the gopher tortoises on the island is called an “attack tortoise” due to his attraction to the green camouflage clothing sometimes worn by park personnel.
Links:
http://egmontkey.fws.gov
http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/alis/lis5937/johnson/egmont.html
http://www.floridastateparks.org/egmontkey/history.asp |
