What Makes Corkscrew Swamp Special?

What Makes Corkscrew Swamp Special?. National Natural Landmark. Bald cypress, the swamp and wood storks make this National Audubon Society sanctuary unique., The source of storks , Wood storks come to Corkscrew Swamp during the dry months of winter and early spring. Here, in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States, they mate, build nests and raise their young., The storks spend the rest of the year scattered across the southeastern United States., The largest remaining old-growth cypress forest. , Corkscrew swamp contains the largest stand of virgin bald cypress in the world. Some of the trees here are 500 to 600 years old., This stand was once only a part of the vast old-growth forest system found throughout the Big Cypress Swamp., It all comes from rain. , Corkscrew Swamp is part of a freshwater swamp system that covers 315 square miles of southwest Florida. The system is fed solely by rain that falls throughout the watershed., The water level is high or low depending on the season. In late spring, the swamp can be completely dry!, Named after the river , Early settlers named Corkscrew Swamp for the twisting, turning path of the coastal river they traveled up in search of fresh water., Today, the river is known as the Imperial River., Sunrise over the swamp. [photo caption] , A wide angle lens captures three of the distinctive habitats that exist within the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: Pine Flatwoods, Pond Cypress and Wet Prairie.