A Separate Peace: Daggerwing Nature Center

The Daggerwing Nature Center gets its name from the Daggerwing Butterfly that flutters outside in the center’s butterfly garden just outside its building doors. This center was recently redone with a new educational exhibit featuring live animals native to South Florida. I was astonished at the new exhibit hall! The details were very well thought out in the exhibit, displaying a nature-like environment inside the building. It did not feel as though I was walking into another room of the building but rather a wildlife habitat surrounded by luscious colors of green and larger than life insects. If I was excited to be inside this new hall, I can imagine the look on a child’s face once they enter this center’s exhibit. The exhibit is free to the public and its very alluring to children of all ages. Our guide for this center displayed nature materials used for educational programs and informed us about what the center has to offer. Like the other center in Sawgrass, this one provides educational opportunities and programs where children can come in and do nature-based activities.

Outside of the Daggerwing Nature Center’s building, there is a six-mile long boardwalk that goes through the areas natural swampland. This is were I observed many difference flora species such as wild coffee, wax myrtle, elderberry, strangler figs, pond apple, and so much more. Some of these plants I was seeing for the first time, others were some that I had seen before but never knew their name or their characteristics. It was interesting to go through the swamp and discover what it was we were looking at. Our whole group was learning together by asking questions and pointing out differences in plant species. Among the fauna we observed, we saw a mourning dove nesting outside the center’s building, a boat tailed grackle, zebra long wing butterfly, a crab spider, and a garden spider. There was a also a tall observation tower towards the back of the boardwalk trail where we went up and looked for flying bird species. Unfortunately we did not see much fauna species from the tower but we did get a remarkable view of the entire swamp. It was peaceful up there; I can see myself going back to this center to just walk around and clear my mind. Nature can be one breathtaking experience.

List of Flora Species:

Elderberry

Wild Coffee

Beautyberry

Wax Myrtle

Seagrape

Cocoplum

Swamp Bald Cypress

Cabbage Palm

Strangler Fig Tree

Red Maple

Pond Apple