Ninth Annual Corkscrew Forum Convenes Scientists and Stakeholders around Watershed Science

Understanding how ecosystems work is a crucial first step in protecting the things people value most: clean air, clean water, and a healthy, resilient environment for future generations. But the greatest impact of environmental studies comes when this knowledge is shared and discussed, hence the importance of this annual regional event called the Corkscrew Watershed Science Forum.

Hosted on May 7, 2026, at the UF/IFAS Extension in Collier County, the ninth annual event welcomed 100 participants, including Audubon staff and more than a dozen speakers. The day-long event was introduced by Audubon staff to unite environmental professionals working within the Corkscrew Watershed to present their work to colleagues, policy staff, decision makers, volunteers, and other stakeholders. The result is a regional forum for networking, productive discussion, and building collaborations aimed at informing and advancing conservation efforts across Southwest Florida.

Following a welcome by event founder, Conservation Director Shawn Clem, PhD, introductory remarks by Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen set the stage, emphasizing the sheer quantity of agricultural lands and natural areas being converted to development around the Sanctuary’s borders. He kicked off the discussions by highlighting the increasing need for conservation and the opportunity for collaboration.

LAURA LAYMAN, STEVE BLAIR, and MARIA LOINAZ — Corkscrew Watershed Initiative Update

In the first presentation, Laura Layman of the South Florida Water Management District outlined how flood protection channels dug near the Sanctuary in the early 2000s have unintentionally lowered surface and groundwater levels. With 60 years of water-level data collected, Audubon staff revealed these changes in 2019, prompting the district to begin exploring ways to reduce uncontrolled canal releases and retain more water on the landscape. In 2021, an Audubon and SFWMD-funded water-level modeling study of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Bird Rookery Swamp helped identify the likely cause and began discussion of potential solutions. Members of the Corkscrew Watershed Initiative (CWI) project team provided an update on CWI, a three-year planning project aimed at developing a plan for restoring water levels throughout the watershed to protect wildlife habitat and natural resources.

AMBER CROOKS — Oil Drilling in the Big Cypress

Amber Crooks with the Conservancy of SW Florida explained some of the impacts of oil drilling exploration in Big Cypress National Preserve. Ten years after the last exploration event occurred there, the damaged cypress forest has still not rebounded, and despite mitigation efforts on a nearby tomato field, the associated wetlands have regained less than 50% of their original function. Crooks also shared information about two new oil pads that are proposed for the area.

ALLYSON WEBB — A Historical Perspective of Prescribed Fire

Allyson Webb, Audubon’s land stewardship manager for Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, shared a historical perspective of prescribed fire at the Sanctuary dating back to 1973. Fire is a critical component of South Florida’s ecosystem function, and new developments adjacent to Sanctuary boundaries have increased the need for prescribed fires to reduce vegetative debris that could be ignited by lightning strikes. At the same time, the need to be mindful of the effects of wind-driven smoke on developed land consistently reduces the number of acres that can be burned each year. The effort to meet the needs of fire-dependent habitats is further complicated by altered freshwater flows and inconsistent weather patterns worsened by climate change.

ADAM HERDMAN — Reestablishing Ghost Orchid Populations

The increasing demand for water resources is reducing the water available for wetland functions, resulting in unintended consequences for plants like ghost orchids. Adam Herdman, a PhD student at the University of Florida, explained the importance of healthy wetlands for these and other sensitive plants, which rely on a complex combination of environmental conditions, as well as pollinators, fungi, and neighboring species. Studies like his to understand ghost orchid populations are critical for conserving these rare species, including consideration of any legislation to offer them more protection.

JOHN CASSANI, DEAN CROSHAW, ANDREW DURSO, EDWIN EVERHAM, III, AND WHITNEY JO HUMMEL — FrogWatch and Changing Land Use

Many wetland species are directly affected by development, but few animals show these impacts as dramatically as amphibians. John Cassani and others with Florida Gulf Coast University described the results of 26 years of frog call surveys across Southwest Florida, with local data echoing the global decline of these environmental indicators. Through the FrogWatch program presentation, the audience learned that at least three species are rarely or no longer heard calling across much of their historical range, including chorus frogs, gopher frogs, and spadefoot frogs. It is well known that these animals respond unfavorably to pollution, rainfall deficits, predation, and microbes, but species such as the pinewoods treefrog and Southern cricket frog may not be adapting when their habitat is lost. While some species appear stable, the only one that showed a clear increase in population over this period was the invasive cane toad.

PETER SEBASTIAN — Parasites and Panthers

Pet populations are having a direct impact on native wildlife, including by transmitting diseases and parasites. Peter Sebastian, PhD, DVM, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, described what may be another of these impacts as an injured Florida panther was discovered to have a specific type of heartworm that hadn’t previously been seen in the U.S.

NATE DORN — Asian Swamp Eel Invasion

Rounding out the day was a presentation by FIU professor Nate Dorn, PhD, who described the invasion of Asian swamp eels in the Everglades. While the last known introduction of this fish was decades ago, these aquatic predators are expanding their range and devouring a variety of prey that are critical for the survival of wading birds and other predators. Dorn and his coauthors reported a loss of 98% of crayfish at one study site where eels are present. Because crayfish make up a sizable part of wading birds’ diet, birds are threatened by the eels’ arrival. Asian swamp eels have not yet been found in Collier County (including Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary), but Sanctuary biologists remain on the lookout. Watch a recent, one-hour webinar by Dr. Dorn about Asian swamp eels here. 

Conclusion

Several other presentations shared best practices and/or research results, including ways to increase plant species diversity in wetland mitigation, the use of multispectral imagery to map and identify invasive plants, the monitoring of mammal populations in the watershed, and how illegally harvested and confiscated native turtles survive after reintroduction.

Knowing more about threats and their impacts on the ecosystem is critical for managing land while protecting wildlife, plants, and water resources in a changing landscape. Events like the annual Corkscrew Watershed Science Forum improve our ability to protect crucial habitats that Audubon manages and safeguard the things that are important to birds and people. It also strengthens the ties between the places birds need across the hemisphere.

See the entire list of presentations and presenters here.