I’ve written about getting out there and about photography. Maybe it’s time to combine the two, take you with me and chronicle an actual adventure. It’s late in the season to hike in the Saint Marks Wildlife Refuge. Not because a person on a hike might not be able to see all kinds of wonderful wildlife, but because a good portion of that wildlife is now alive and hungry and can make the hike miserable. So, if you go, take plenty of insect repellant, a head net and understand you are in a swamp.
The Saint Marks Wildlife Refuge is about forty five minutes south of Tallahassee on the Gulf Coast. It is over 83,000 acres of wilderness that is teeming with wildlife of all kinds. Migratory birds, local animals and hundreds of alligators. The best time to go is always in the morning. And, the earlier the better. Be quiet, watch where you step and keep to the marked trails.
Moving quietly along the trail/levies as soon as I was not able to hear the sounds of the roadway, I was treated to a wide array of wildlife. The wind (such as it was) was in my face, so as long as I could keep my swearing over the biting flies inaudible, I would have a great chance of seeing all all kinds of animals.
Alligators are everywhere. Now that it is warming up, when the sun comes out, they are out. I saw tiny ones and a big one that killed something in the water some fifty feet from me and ate it. If you hike with a dog in this area, NEVER let it off leash. I managed to get the aftermath of the big alligator strike on camera, but I have no idea what he had for breakfast. It was already gone.
The Saint Marks Wildlife Refuge has black bear, deer, otter, coyote, and all other manner of wildlife. But it is also a birder’s paradise. The refuge is a migratory stopover for hundreds of thousands of birds. The ponds, tributaries, forests and rivers are packed with everything from sparrows to eagles. Today was no different. They were everywhere.
After a little over five miles of hiking, I made it back to the trailhead. The Saint Marks Wildlife Refuge is a stunning and remarkable place (even with the biting insects!). If you have the chance to take yourself on a North Florida Safari, this is a destination. Just make sure you are well protected from the insects after April.
If you or someone you know is struggling, there is help. Call 988 or if you are in the Big Bend of Florida call 211. The 2nd Alarm Project has many resources available as well (2ndalarmproject.org). If you are interested in getting notified when a new blog is posted and are not subscribed, please consider subscribing by entering your email in the “subscribe” icon on the home page. Then you’ll get an email each time a new blog is posted. If you appreciate what you have read here, please feel free to share as you are led across your social media or via email. There just might be someone out there who needs to see this content. Thank you all and stay safe.
On Beyond Blue 