Let’s Protect Pensacola’s Heritage Live Oak Trees
Pensacola has been through a lot over the years but one thing we have generally been able to rely on is its natural beauty, like the many Heritage Live Oak Trees that can be found throughout the City.
That’s changing.
With the surge in development in areas like East Hill, developers have been given wide latitude by the City to clear-cut large lots and squeeze in as many homes of dubious quality as possible.
The character and charm that attracts many people to the Pensacola area to begin with is being incrementally lost with each Heritage Live Oak Tree that is chopped down.
Birds and other wildlife are also losing out.
Migratory birds travel from their tropical wintering grounds in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean and will briefly stop in the Pensacola area before continuing on to their breeding territory hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away in places like the Boreal Forests of Canada.
Why is this important?
People aren’t the only tourists that visit Pensacola.
Many of these birds rest and refuel briefly in our area before continuing onward, year after year. The Pensacola area provides critical habitat for migratory birds like Warblers, Tanagers, Orioles, and Thrushes.
Have you ever stared up at an old Live Oak tree? It’s almost a world unto itself.
Festooned with Spanish Moss and Resurrection Ferns, a lone Heritage Oak tree can sustain hundreds of birds and countless other insects like caterpillars in a single spring season.
During Spring Migration, many birds that arrive on our shores have flown non-stop across the Gulf! That’s a 500-mile plus trip! For a bird that can weigh as little as 5 grams, this can be a herculean effort that often requires them to stop and eat before continuing their migration.
Live Oak Trees provide a special incentive for these birds during their visits. Certain species of moths lay their eggs in Live Oak trees, specifically in the tassel-like “catkins” that bloom in the spring.
This, almost miraculously, coincides with Spring Migration, and the birds know it! These birds are insectivores and take advantage of the influx insects on the menu.
I hope the beautiful birds featured here can serve as a reminder that we aren’t the only ones that depend on our trees.
Photography and information provided by Jack Jesmonth of Pensacola, FL – Owner, Salty Feathers Photography, LLC.
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