putnam

On February 26, I had the distinct pleasure of joining the Putnam Crew - the Florida Trail Association's volunteer trail maintainer group that takes care of the trail in Putnam County - along with Nels Parson and J.B. Miller of the St. Johns Water Management District office in Palatka, and retired forester Bob Simon to take a hike through Rice Creek Conservation Area off SR 100. The purpose: to quantify a giant cypress to which the crew had just built an observation boardwalk. It was a delight to be a part of this unique experience > here's my article on it. This is one whopping big cypress!

I've been on the road ever since the big Florida Trail Conference a week and more ago, checking out more places to hike and getting involved in some very interesting activities, including the launch of Expedition Headwaters, a 12-day traverse of the Kissimmee River basin by paddle and hiking trail - the Florida Trail - to illustrate the connectivity between the greater Orlando area and the Everglades. One of my hiking buddies, Beth Kelso, is on the journey.

Here at home, I never did quite get the chance to write about my adventures at Rice Creek Conservation Area along SR 100 near Palatka earlier this month with Nels Parson, Bob Simon, and the Putnam Crew, who led me to what we now know as the eighth largest cypress in Florida.

HAS ANYONE HAD ANY EXPERIENCES THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE (GOOD OR BAD) WITH THE ANIMAL CONTROLS IN BRADFORD, CLAY, PUTNAM OR DUVAL COUNTIES.  I AM TRYING TO DO SOME RESEACH AND GATHER SOME INFORMATION TO HELP OUR LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE HAD PERSONALLY.

Most folks consider Ravine Gardens a place for watching the azaleas bloom (which they did much earlier than expected this year), driving the scenic drive, and sitting along the serene edge of the ponds at the bottom of the ravine. If you have children, I hope you've taken them there to bounce across the circa-1930s swinging bridges. My first visit here was as a child, so I can thank my parents for turning me on to the beauty of the gardens, formerly a Palatka city park and WPA project. But if you do a little exploration, you'll find one heck of a rugged 2-mile hike clinging to the steep sides of the ravine.