Wildlife and Conservation

The Conservation of wildlife is important to us here at the SWCC. Not only does it help support all life on Earth, but it also helps ensure that future generations can enjoy the environments in their natural state and the incredible species inhabiting our beautiful property. Conservation of wildlife promotes pollination in our prairie as well as protecting the ecological stability.

🐝🌳🌿🦋 September Wildlife Highlights 🌻🐢🌱🐦

Prairie Life 🌾

Plants
Many plants, like those in the Silphium genus family, have finished flowering and are producing seeds. The green and bright tones of summer are slowly fading for the warm and subtle yellows, and browns which will be present for the few months ahead of winter.

Insects
This time of year, we will be seeing more invertebrates, including bees, flies, beetles, and grasshoppers in the flowers. Dragonflies may be seem but most have likely migrated.

Mammals
Deer will be active, feeding on acorns, fruit, and any remaining agricultural crops before the start of winter.

Birds 🐦

Great Blue Heron

Photography by Agnel Campos Photography

Meet the Great Blue Heron, a beautiful and graceful bird, part of the Ardeidae family, long-legged wading birds. You may see one during the day flying over one of the ponds at the SWCC or wading near the edge of the water chilling or waiting for prey. They eat a variety of things from fish to amphibians, to insects, to other birds, or small mammals. Trees are mainly where Great Blue Herons nest, although sometimes they nest on the ground, or bushes and in parts of a structure. Males collect the nest material, gathering sticks or things from other Herons nests, and present it to the female, she then weaves the nest, adds more materials like moss, dry grass, pine needles, etc. There will be 2-6 eggs after about 1 month of incubating, and then a 2 1/2 month nestling period. These birds can live for a while, the oldest Great Blue Heron ever recorded was 24 years and 6 months old, found in Texas. You may see these guys in the day or night, due to their high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes to help improve night vision.
Source* Great Blue Heron Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology