Six Mile Cypress is quite the place to visit. Being from Miami, I have little knowledge of Cypress trees and their ecosystem. Seeing these massive trees in person and learning many of them are hundreds of years old made me appreciate them like the Sequoia trees in California. These cypress trees create such a unique habitat it's fascinating. Biodiversity at it's finest. Seasonally the slough can be a swamp with no dry ground at all but months later during the dry season, you could walk through it barefoot without getting your feet wet. Yet the animals living in this ecosystem are accustomed to such change. I enjoyed how easily we witnessed the wildlife first hand. We saw venomous snake species such as the Water Moccasin, young alligators, Egrets and Herons all just casually enjoying their habitat. I noticed the climate once we were in the Cypress Slough was much cooler than the outside world. I also learned that climate and temperature determine the gender of alligator eggs. Eggs above 90 degrees tend to be females and eggs below 89 degrees tend to be males. We learned how important every species is to the ecology of the slough. Alligators while being a keystone predator, balance the food chain and population of many species directly and indirectly. Alligators occasionally eat Egrets, but more often eat many other predators of Egrets such as raccoons. They bring a balance to both Egret and Raccoon species without intention. While walking deeper into the cypress slough we learned about Liken on trees and how they signify a healthy habitat. Red Liken signifies the purest air quality and you could tell without a doubt when taking a deep breathe. You could truly taste the difference and it's incredible. The Six Mile Cypress Slough is truly one of the beauties of Lee County. A place that makes you want to come back for more during different seasons of the year. A place with pristine wildlife that if you're lucky enough you can see anything from a Panther to a Bear.
