Let me begin by saying that every Florida family should have an annual pass to the Florida State Forests. At less than $1/week, and admitting up to 6 people on each pass, it is the deal of the week, no – the month, no – the year, no – really the CENTURY! You just can’t make your entertainment dollar go further. To get your pass, go here.
There. Now that we’ve got that little bit of business down, let’s talk about the Trailwalkers program. Several years ago my friend Kathy gave me information on this program, and I thought, “Oh! Isn’t that nice!” I filed it away and really forgot about it until quite recently. Steve and I have been spending a lot of time in the State Forests over the past year, and while I was researching an upcoming trip to the Panhandle, I ran across the Trailwalkers materials. Don’t you know that we’ve already hiked several of the trails that qualify for this program, but I don’t have documentation, so we started from scratch yesterday with a short hike in Tiger Bay State Forest.
In a nutshell, if you hike any ten of the listed trails in any five State Forests, you earn a Trailwalker certificate and a patch. Hike another ten State Forest trails, and you become a Trailblazer, with another certificate and a rocker for the first patch. Upon completing 30 State Forest trails, you become a Trailmaster, and yes — you get a third certificate and the second rocker patch. Documentation is provided by completing a postage paid postcard and mailing it in as you complete each patch. If the cards are not available, don’t fret! The State Forest service has entered the digital age and if you email them when you finish your hike, they will send you the stamps for your Trailwalker log. The complete set of badges is going to look so cool on our hiking vests!
Within an easy hour’s drive, we have at least 3 state forests. We think that just by hiking weekly, we can earn the first certificate and badge before the year is out. How lucky that we have set this goal just as we are just entering the very best time of year to hike! Trails will soon dry out from the summer rains, and the weather will be cooler. Migrating birds will be in evidence, too — I know my favorite bird lady, Maribeth Healey, will appreciate that.
Why don’t you join us on our quest? I’ll post each week when we finish our hike and let you know where we went and which trail we hiked. I hope you’ll let me know what you think of the trails as you complete your own hikes!
If you read this post, you know that Steve and I, led with confidence by our friend Dee Bradshaw, rescued a Great Horned Owl (now named Kevin) on a recent hike in the Tiger Bay State Forest.
Steve and I have begun a new adventure together, and it’s one that will guide many of our land-based trips for the rest of this year and well into next. You know that we are big fans of State Forests, and while I was doing some research for an upcoming Panhandle trip, I was reminded of the State Forest Trailwalker program. So, we’re now official Trailwalkers – watch for a later article about what that entails. It’s a fun way to learn more about Florida’s magnificent State Forests.
We got up early yesterday and headed over to Volusia County to check out Tiger Bay State Forest’s Buncombe Hill Trail. This was a very short 2 mile loop trail, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and will return to Tiger Bay. It looks like there is a lot to enjoy there, including fishing, small boat access, picnicking, camping, hunting, and of course, hiking the miles of trails and forest roads. Equestrian trails and camping are also available.
Funds from the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Preservation 2000, Florida Forever, and Save Our River have been used to acquire lands for Tiger Bay State Forest since 1979. The Forest comprises 27,395 acres, about half of which is pine forest with the remainder being wetlands.
We visited Indian Lake Recreational Area with the goal of hiking Buncombe Hill Trail. Before we even got on the trail, we checked out the two picnic areas and some vegetation along the southeast tip of Indian Lake. Beautyberry was in evidence, living up to its name in truly spectacular fashion, and we also noticed some beautiful spiderwebs. The pier at Indian Lake would be great for a sunrise breakfast, I think, and there is a covered pavilion with several picnic tables under it. There’s another set of picnic tables under tree cover. Composting toilets provide toilet access but there is no running water.
The short two-mile Buncombe Hill loop trail covers sand pine scrub and xeric oak hammock. We noticed lots of Florida rosemary, one of my favorite plants. Turkey oaks, sand pines and sand live oaks, slash pine, and live oak were the dominant trees, but we also recognized red bay and loblolly bay. There were some fruiting prickly pear cactus and of course, reindeer moss. The forest air smelled of humus and pine. When you sign in at the beginning of the trail, be sure to pick up the brochure that describes the trail. There are numbered signposts on the trail that are described in the brochure – we love these interpretive tools!
The trail is well marked with green blazes; double blazes mark direction changes. There is interpretive signage identifying many of the plants along the way. Some of these were new to us (wild olive and garberia are two that I remember), so we have a whole new group of plants to identify in other locations.
We heard (but did not see) upland birds including nuthatches and saw cardinals. I found a slug with a nice pattern of grays and browns…hard to think of a slug as beautiful, but this one was. We noticed lots of Liatris getting ready to bloom. This is a tall plant with an erect flower spike. The flowers are tiny and clustered on the stalk. It looks a bit feathery and is commonly called gayfeather or marsh blazing star. We also noticed milkweed and fungi.
Who knew slugs could be so pretty?
Before and after the halfway turning point, there are shaded benches. Take a moment to get a drink of water, relax, and enjoy the sounds and smells of the forest here. These short breaks are so restorative and when you’re hiking with someone you love, provide great selfie ops.
Hardworking feet
When we were within sight of the end of the trail, Steve noticed something sitting in a shaded spot. At first, we weren’t sure if we were seeing a bobcat, a large bird, or just a stump. It was very still. As we moved closer we could see it moving as well, so we were able to rule out the stump. Eventually it was clearly an owl, but it was behaving very strangely. It stood up, turned and looked right at us, but did not fly away. When we were within about 10 feet of it, it tried to fly out of the path, but it looked like perhaps its right wing was broken. When we got very close, we could see that its right eye looked raw and was swollen shut. I was convinced that it was badly injured because of the way it moved and that poor eye. Our attempt at owl rescue will be described in a future article.
Whatever happens with the owl (now named Kevin), I will update the blog to provide closure to this story. If the bird doesn’t make it, we will know we did everything we could and learned how to better help next time. Should this bird recover (and if you pray, please pray for Kevin!), Dee and Steve and I will be allowed to return it to where we rescued it. That is going to be a happy day!
UPDATE: Sadly, Kevin did not survive.
I cannot promise that you will rescue an owl if you visit the Buncombe Hill Trail, but I can promise that you’ll have a pleasant experience, inhale some restorative forest air, and see some beautiful sights. Enjoy!
IF YOU FIND AN ANIMAL THAT NEEDS ASSISTANCE, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission may be able to provide guidance on what to do. You can reach them at 888-404-3922. If are in Central Florida and find an injured bird, please call Avian Reconditioning Center at 407-461-1056. They are currently closed due to coronavirus and are only on site from 9:30 – 1:30 Monday-Friday and 9:30-4:30 on Saturdays. If they do not answer, please leave a message and they will return your call as soon as possible. They are a small volunteer organization and do not have the staffing to go out for rescues. If you can get the bird to them, they are happy to do whatever they can to make it well, and return it to the wild.
In 2019, Steve and I had a glorious plan for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner Picnic. We were going to start the day with a hike at Crystal River Preserve and follow that with our picnic at Crystal River Archeological State Park. But then there was that pesky triple bypass and our Thanksgiving plans changed to a quiet day at home – and if you think you need a boost of Thanksgiving spirit, let me tell you, having a loved one undergo triple bypass will make you grateful for every second you can share with them.
I’ve been really fortunate to have captured several bee swarms lately. Swarming is normal bee behavior, and if the bees can be collected they can be moved into a hive box and used to expand a beekeeper’s bee yard. Here’s a two-minute video of my latest capture, a super-easy job because the bees had thoughtfully moved into a birdhouse, so I was able to take them down from the tree while they were in the box and then move them while I was on the ground, rather than the ladder.
Springheads are beautiful places that appear almost timeless. I am always awed by the thought of an apparently infinite supply of living water pouring forth from the earth. . .but even when the spring is emerging from a rocky cave, the immediate area is a fragile ecosystem. When faced with a beautiful pool of icy cold turquoise water on a blistering Florida summer afternoon, it is only natural to want to run to the shoreline and throw yourself into that water (until your body registers that cold, cold temperature!), but after generations of feet trampling on the plants and soil, there is a price that is paid by the spring.
Silver Glen Springs was experiencing problems with an eroding shoreline, and part of the solution is a system of rustic fencing to eliminate foot traffic and a series of planted berms to restore more natural conditions, preventing stormwater from pushing soil and sand into the spring.
What a lovely hike Buck Island Pond Trail offers. We are just beginning to learn about State Forests, and Goethe State Forest is a spot we definitely want to explore. On our first visit, we went to a trail recommended by my friend Sharol because she was able to find a small stand of pitcher plants, and I didn’t want Steve to have to wait another year to see them.
Another of the Lake County Water Authority preserves, Sawgrass Island is not far away but feels remote. Steve and I recently hiked the North Loop Trail and enjoyed a pleasant hour or so on a mostly shaded trail through an upland forest of mostly slash pine with some oaks for variety.
Sabal Bluff Preserve is a nice surprise, tucked in between two communities of manufactured homes and with a lovely trail along Lake Griffin. A property of the Lake County Water Authority, the 55-acre preserve is located at 2582 Lakeside Dr, Leesburg, FL 34788-8260.
On a recent trip to the Apalachicola National Forest, my friend Sharol and I were determined to find blooming pitcher plants. These carnivorous beauties are part of what make the panhandle region of our state special, and the 2020 spring bloom did not disappoint! The pitcher plants are the showiest of the carnivorous plants, and sport specialized leaves with tubular throats into which insects wander to their doom. The bog environment where the plants thrive is surprisingly poor in nutrients, so these plants have become carnivorous to supplement their diet.
How to Find Pitcher Plants
Sharol’s photographer friend gave us directions to the general vicinity of some blooming plants, and on our first afternoon we drove north on SR 65. I’ll give you the same directions we were given . . . just look on the roadsides north of Sumatra. It sounds vague, but it was enough to get us where we needed to be! Once you see the first few plants, the next ones are easier to find. I saw one pitcher within 10 feet of the road, then a cluster of three just a bit farther back. Then suddenly it was as if they were EVERYWHERE!
