Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area

Lake Wales Ridge is an important wildlife and environmental area. This is a unique, arid, oak scrub and endemic threatened plants and animals are found at Lake Wales Ridge. Moreover, you can also find an ancient sand dune in central Florida. A variety of swamps, marshes, and seasonal ponds are also found in flat-wood pine savannas.

This ridge supports approximately 250 groups of the Watch-listed Florida Scrub-Jay as well as Swallow-tailed Kites, Bachman’s Sparrows, and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Prairie Warblers winter here, and the King Rail is a rare, year-round resident of wetlands. Aside from Watch List species, Florida is home to “Florida” Sandhill Cranes and Short-tailed Hawks. Among the birds with declining continental populations are the Northern Bobwhite, American Kestrel, American Woodcock, Burrowing Owl, Whippoorwill, Loggerhead Shrike, Field and Grasshopper Sparrows, and Eastern Meadowlark.

Agriculture, cattle ranches, residential and commercial development have taken over much of the ridge and its surrounding areas. By 1990, 78% of the arid ridge habitat had been lost, and by 2008, 85% had been lost. Degradation of the remaining habitat is further exacerbated by habitat conversion that reduces fire frequency. The climbing fern is also a threat to Florida’s ecosystem, as it is rapidly spreading throughout the state. There is also a threat from free-roaming cats to scrub-jays.

There is approximately 11% of the Lake Wales Ridge that is protected. Research on the Florida Scrub-Jay takes place at the Archbold Biological Station, which anchors the southern end. The Tiger Creek Preserve is one of the lands that TNC is actively acquiring. A wildlife management and environmental area at Lake Placid Scrub in the state was acquired by Archbold Station in 2002. A total of 26,563 acres are covered by Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.

Management of Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem was coordinated by the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Working Group in 1991. Efforts are being made to monitor and eradicate climbing ferns. The scrub-jay population continues to decline despite all these valuable efforts.

1. By acquiring land in Lake Wales Ridge, you can expand protected areas.

2. Remove invasive plants from recently acquired properties and restore degraded lands.

3. The use of prescribed burns is an effective method of maintaining healthy oak scrubs and pine habitats.

4. With Safe Harbor Agreements and Farm Bill incentives, we can save the remaining natural scrub on private lands.

5. The Florida Scrub-Jay’s status under the ESA should be upgraded to Endangered from Threatened.

6. In the Lake Wales region, all trap-neuter-release programs need to be halted; cats must be kept indoors.