Wetlands Reserve Program Protects Rare Florida Fern

Audubon officials have finished plans to restore the land where a local wildlife hospital plans an expansion and a botanist discovered a rare fern more than 15 years ago.

Greg Braun, executive director of the Martin County Audubon Society, said work likely will begin this month to remove the exotic plants and restore the wetlands on 290 acres west of Loop Road and south of Interstate 95.

The property is not yet open to the public, but the Hobe Sound-based Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital plans to break ground for a new hospital there next month.

But far in the depths of the woods behind the new hospital, Audubon officials plan to protect a small colony of rare ferns, which the late botanist Roy Woodbury discovered on the property more than 15 years ago and led fellow nature lovers to last year.

Experts say it was the first discovery of the plant in the world.

"When we went out before, we wanted an accurate mapping of the presence of the plant, so we could figure out how and if it would be affected by the hydrologic restoration," Braun said.

"What we believe is the wetland restoration project will improve the conditions for that fern."

Restoration work on 130 acres within the property will be conducted through the NRCS's Wetlands Reserve Program, which also was used to preserve land on the Allapattah Ranch property in western Palm City.

Audubon officials have ended leases to allow cattle grazing on the former cattle pasture land and first plan to remove the exotic Brazilian pepper, maleleuca, and old world climbing vine.

Then, Braun said, they will fill some of the agricultural drainage ditches on the property and install water control devices that will keep the water from running off the land during the rainy season.

"And in a year or two, we'll hopefully see a healthy herbaceous wetland system," he said. "Our goal is to re-establish that habitat type where it previously existed."

Story and image courtesy of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.