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Highlands Today

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NOREEN CULLEN/Highlands Today

Although some local fishermen claim this object is a fishbed, others believe it’s a submerged UFO.

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By NOREEN CULLEN

Published: September 23, 2007

A recent edition of the "Cracker Weekly Reader" featured some amazing environmental and wildlife news stories that are worthy of retelling.

I'll attempt to relay the stories with some brevity and the original headlines.
"Yodeling Frogs Let Loose In Florida Wetlands"

The Inner-City Wildlife Complaint Dept. has received so many annoyance calls from homeowners and new residents concerning the loud chorus of frogs, heard day and night since the rainy season began in June, that Dept. officials issued warning notices to all frogs involved in the racket.

As a result, quite a few species have decided to change their tunes with the Barking Treefrogs as the first group to attempt some melodic loud yodeling, now heard in the area after the early evening rains.
Many other frogs have begun yodeling their mating calls and the public has now become fascinated with this new sound. Communities have reported that family groups gather nightly on neighborhood porches just to listen to the songs of the yodeling amphibians.

Biologists are totally baffled and had no idea that frogs could read.

"Spanish Moss Rights Restored"

After years of being ripped from their homes in Live Oak trees and then burned in the wood pile or thrown out with the garbage, Spanish Moss' living rights and purpose have been restored and preserved this week in the state's Ecology Court System.

It was determined that this native species of epiphyte is harmless to the trees it peacefully drapes from and should be allowed to continue that activity, unharmed.

In a final statement to the court, it was noted that the Spanish Moss just wants to hang around and be true to its Southern roots. Amen.

"Native Grasses Defend Their Turf"

A profusion of Fall blooms and colors can be seen in the native grasses of tall golden Broomsedge, pink Mist Grass and reddish Blue Stem that were missed by the county mowers that continue to over-mow the roadsides throughout the area. Only a few wildflowers managed to survive along some fence lines and ditches and a patch of purple Blazing Star flowers emerged glorious from the sandy soil of this scrubland.

"Canoeists Find Sunken Alien Ship"

A round object about 4 foot in diameter was found submerged in a local creek recently by a group of paddling sightseers. It was initially reported to be a UFO until a local fisherman waded into the shallow water and declared the big circle a fish bed. Several more UFO-fish beds were discovered throughout that remote section of the creek.

The canoe group was advised not to swim with the alligators.

"Pileated Woodpeckers Pound Power Plant"

A large flock of woodpeckers recently pummeled the roof of the administrative offices of a local power plant to protest the company's removal of dead trees from a nearby preserve.

A company spokesperson defended the tree removal stating that the trees were worthless and posed a dangerous risk to the facility in the event of high winds even though the trees were acres away from any buildings.

An "Earth-Life" Support Group was sent to the power plant's executive offices to counsel and educate the company's officials on the importance of trees, living and dead.

The Pileated Woodpeckers relocated to a tract of woods where decaying and dead trees are allowed to stand.

With their powerful bills, the woodpeckers began chiseling and chipping new sleeping and nesting cavities in those old trees. Home sweet home again.

A story titled, "Cypress Demand More Water", will be discussed in depth in the next issue of the Cracker Weekly Reader.

Lastly is a message from the "Voice of the Earth" folks who want to remind everyone to pray for rain and to be kind to the planet.

Peace.

Noreen Cullen is a Florida naturalist and photographer and can be reached at ncullenfws@yahoo.com.

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