novaTopFlexHype for the Future 149H: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Overview Within the State of Georgia, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge exists to protect a large portion of the area associated with the Okefenokee Swamp, which also extends south into the State of Florida. Protected counties include Charlton, Ware, and Clinch in Georgia; and Baker in Florida.
The Swamp WytchSeminole bats (Lasiurus seminolus) are more prevalent in the winter in the Okefenokee Swamp. Bats are often associated with the moon, hidden mysteries, shadow work and more. Naturalist Francis Harper recorded this snippet in his work "Okefinokee Album" #SwampSunday #OkefenokeeSwamp #WitchSky
Meant to share this yesterday for #SwampSunday - Wonderful article and INCREDIBLE photography from my beloved Okefenokee Swamp! #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia #WitchSky
www.cnn.com/interactive/...
Capturing the ‘mystical’ energ...
Capturing the ‘mystical’ energ...
Longreads"They don’t confront us like mountains, comfort us like oceans, or envelop us like forests; they don’t seem to want to have anything to do with us at all. Swamps hide. Swamps demur." —Ashley Stimpson on why swamps deserve our love.
https://longreads.com/2025/10/02/to-love-a-swamp/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
#GreatDismalSwamp #CongareeNationalPark #GreatBlackSwamp #OkefenokeeSwamp #BigCypressSwamp
The last week of July brought a rare occurrence to the Okefenokee Swamp - An alligator congregation. Upwards of 300 alligators were present in a small area near Billy's Lake. It is not known exactly why a congregation happens. (1 of 3 )
#SwampSunday #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia
Initially posted to UGA Coastal Ecology Lab's FB page (2 of 3):
www.facebook.com/share/v/1594...
#SwampSunday #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia
490K views · 5K reactions | Happy #GatorGossip Monday! After years of trying, researcher Mark Hoog finally got to be present during one of the rare alligator congregations that happens on the west side of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. As you can see from the video, hundreds of alligators congregated on the west side of the Swamp this past Saturday, at the boat basin and canal leading from Stephen C. Foster State Park out into Billy's Lake. This rare occurrence happens only once or twice a year, typically in the summer months. We had heard about and seen photos of this event before, but this was the first time we were able to witness it in person, document it, and try to understand why this event occurs. So with that, let's jump into what we saw and what we think might be causing this unique event. First, there were around 300 alligators at this congregation, almost completely contained within the boat basin and canal leading from the boat basin to Billy's Lake. Second, this congregation did not last very long, only about 24 hours. The alligators showed up on the morning of the 26th and were gone by the morning of the 27th. Third, the number of alligators present was highest in the early morning and late in the evening. However, it did not seem like they left and came back, but rather hunkered down on the bottom during the hottest part of the day, periodically coming to the surface for air and then remaining on the surface when the temperatures were cooler. Fourth, the normally black water of the swamp was brown as the alligators stirred up all the mud and sediment from the bottom. Fifth, this was not the result of mating; there was very little bellowing and no courtship displays. As to what is causing this, we are not entirely sure, but it seems to be some combination of resource availability (food) and environmental factors (water level and temperature). We will continue to share more photos, videos, and information about what might be causing the congregation, so make sure you follow our page and check back each Monday if you want to learn more! #RespectPredators #ProtectPredators #UGACoastalEcologyLab #Conservation #scicomm #alligators #apexpredators #reptilesrule #LoveBlackwater #Gator #OkefenokeeSwamp #protectwildlife #alligatorcongregation | UGA Coastal Ecology Lab
Happy #GatorGossip Monday! After years of trying, researcher Mark Hoog finally got to be present during one of the rare alligator congregations that happens on the west side of the Okefenokee...
Q&A posted to UGA Coastal Ecology Lab's FB page about the alligator congregation (3 of 3):
www.facebook.com/share/v/1B3W...
#SwampSunday #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia
19K views · 318 reactions | Happy #GatorGossip Monday! Since everyone was so interested in the alligator congregation we posted about last week, we are back to share some more cool footage and answer some of the excellent questions people had about the event. Q. Is it happening because of mating season? A. No. This is not the result of mating season. Alligator mating season happens every year in the spring, from April to the beginning of June. The congregation happened on July 26th, more than a month after mating season officially ended. At that point in the year, most of the females have already laid their eggs. Q. Is it happening because of temperature or water level? A. Potentially. When water levels are low in the swamp, alligators move to deeper water. Often, this is man-made channels. However, when this congregation occurred, water levels were not low, and Billy's Lake, which is just outside of where the congregation happened, has much deeper water than the boat basin or the canal. What's more, the alligators left the following day, and the water levels had not changed. Similarly, alligators will move to deeper water to escape the heat, as it is cooler on the bottom in deep water. However, the water in the forested areas was much cooler than that of the water in the boat basin, but temperature readings at different depths would be needed to know for sure. Bottom line, water level and temperature could be influencing these events, but there are likely other factors as well. Q. Is it caused by a food source? A. Potentially. There were reports that some of the alligators were feeding first thing in the morning when staff arrived, but throughout the rest of the day, there was very little, if any, feeding. If a large quantity of fish ended up in or were driven into the boat basin, it could cause the alligators to congregate. Some fish do spawn in the summer months, which could also lend to this theory. However, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. Q. Were both sexes present? A. Yes. We cannot say the proportions of males and females that were present, as you cannot determine sex visually with alligators. However, because we have been doing research at this site and have tagged a number of individuals, and some of those tagged individuals were seen at the congregation, we know that both sexes were present. Q. Is it overpopulation? A. No. Normally, all of these alligators would be spread out over a much larger area, but for some reason, they all congregated in one place. The entire swamp does not have this density of alligators. Q. Does it have to do with the moon? A. Unlikley. Some animal behavior has been found to be affected by the moon; however, it usually occurs during a new or full moon. The phase of the moon was a waxing crescent at the time of the congreagtion. Q. Were they all the same size? A. No. There were a variety of sizes present, but the majority of alligators were larger, over 8 feet. However, there were some smaller sized alligators hanging out on the periphery. Thank you to all those who interacted with and left questions on our last post. If y'all think of anymore questions feel free to drop them in the comments below. Video Credit: Indigo James Glaze #RespectPredators #ProtectPredators #UGACoastalEcologyLab #Conservation #scicomm #alligators #apexpredators #reptilesrule #LoveBlackwater #Gator #OkefenokeeSwamp #protectwildlife #alligatorcongregation | UGA Coastal Ecology Lab
Happy #GatorGossip Monday! Since everyone was so interested in the alligator congregation we posted about last week, we are back to share some more cool footage and answer some of the excellent...
Thank you to the Conservation Fund for saving Georgia's beloved TREASURE: The Okefenokee Swamp. I cannot express my heartfelt thanks enough. Next fight - having the Okefenokee declared UNESCO status. (Many rabid locals fighting against this btw!) #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia #WitchSky
Brent Lineberry“After six years, the controversial plan to mine next to Georgia’s beloved Okefenokee Swamp has been halted.”
A little bit of good news here
https://www.wabe.org/conservation-land-deal-stops-okefenokee-mining-plan/
Breaking news!! IT IS STOPPED!!!! My heart is so happy. 💚 This just released!! #OkefenokeeSwamp #Georgia #WitchSky
www.ajc.com/business/202...
Historic land deal halts minin...
Historic land deal halts minin...