First stop after a 5AM departure from Miami on a two-day road trip to Baltimore. This stop, like most, was very short and I couldn't really get onto any trails but this looks like a great place to explore (Fellsmere Trailhead Preserve). There is a small building with some natural history info about the area and a clean bathroom.
All of my observations from this road trip: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-05-25&d2=2023-05-26&locale=en&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&preferred_place_id=127553&subview=map&user_id=joemdo
Blacklighting during a pseudo-camping trip (slept in my car, tent is broken) to Big Cypress.
I had two sheets set up, each lit by two USB "DJ" blacklights, powered by USB battery packs. I was competing with a full moon, which I think lowered the overall diversity and quantity of insects at the sheets. Winds were fairly weak but still would push on the sheets every once in a while.
Blacklighting observations from my two nights of blacklighting in this area: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=any&d1=2023-06-02&d2=2023-06-04&place_id=any&project_id=34515&user_id=joemdo&verifiable=any
Besides blacklighting I did some hiking on the Florida trail north of I-75 and the next trail a few miles west. Both of these trails had wildfires pass through a few months prior. Link to info about the fire:
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/environment/2023-04-07/cypress-camp-trail-fire-in-collier-expands-to-nearly-6-700-acres-reported-burning-close-to-i-75
After Big Cypress, I wasn't sure where to go next and briefly stopped at Fakahatchee and then drove past Everglades City before heading home due to my car starting a little funny.
All of my Big Cypress observations from this trip:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2023-06-02&d2=2023-06-04&order=asc&place_id=any&project_id=nps-big-cypress-national-preserve&subview=map&user_id=joemdo
Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights I used, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light
Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk
Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida