Meet a certified Florida Naturalist

Snapper turtles have a small brain cavity.

Alligators will not chase you and drag you into the water.

Birds are just protecting their nests, not trying to hurt you.

These are just a few examples of random facts visitors can learn during a one-hour question and answer discussion with a certified Florida naturalist at Lovers Key State Park.

Volunteer ranger Pam Jones-Morton teaches the class that meets every other Tuesday to discuss birds, shells, and anything visitors have a curiosity about.

“We are starting to build a database of knowledge with things the public wants to know about animals and trees,” said Jones-Morton, of Estero.

She has volunteered her time at the park for two years and developed the “Meet a Florida Naturalist” program after discovering that park visitors would frequently ask her questions during her routine trips around the park.

“It has been very good so far,” she said referring to the few meetings she has had with visitors.

The attendance has fluctuated during the sessions because of seasonal visitors but she caters each class to the number of visitors that attend.

Dorothy Cromb, 86, attended a session recently and found the chat insightful. She even won a shell for answering questions correctly.

“It was great. I’d never seen the skeletal skulls of some of the animals,” said Cromb, who has a place near the park.

During the class, Jones-Morton uses samples of shells, plants and pictures to aid in the discussion.

“This was amazing. It was very hands on,” said Betty DeGrafft, 62, of Maryland. “She knew so much about everything.”

DeGrafft’s husband, Hart, was amazed that he was able to learn so much about nature.

“It was wonderful. She was able to answer all the questions,” said Hart DeGrafft, 62, of Michigan. “We would recommend it to anyone.”