PHOTOS: USF Forest Preserve
The Gopher Tortoise is considered a "special animal" found at the USF Forest Preserve.Jeannie Mounger
A state-threatened tri-colored heron (Egretta tricolor) catches its breakfast in the cypress floodplains of the preserve.Jeannie Mounger
A roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), a State-designated Threatened species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule, wades through the wetlands in the preserveJeannie Mounger
Sunset on the sandhill, a globally imperiled ecosystem that is found within the USF Forest Preserve.Jeannie Mounger
Sunlight pours through a cypress floodplain in the preserve. This habitat is important for clean drinking water as well as flood mitigation and greenhouse gas emissions storage in Tampa Bay.Jeannie Mounger
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) nectar on their host plant, pinewoods milkweed (Asclepias humistrata), in the cool morning hours within the globally imperiled sandhill habitat at the USF Forest Preserve.Jeannie Mounger
The sun sets on the floodplain in the USF Forest Preserve. This wetland connects the Cypress Creek Floodplain all the way to the Green Swamp, making this property a significant component of a wildlife corridor that stretches across multiple counties in the state of Florida.Jeannie Mounger
Jeannie Mounger
Jeannie Mounger
Jeannie Mounger