Welcome to Wild Florida, a new segment on 89.9 FM’s First Coast Connect hosted by Melissa Ross. Contributor Lisa Grubba fills listeners in each month about what’s happening outdoors in northeast Florida. Catch the show live at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, the re-broadcast at 8:00 p.m., or access it later from WJCT’s website. This month: oysters, whales, and migrating birds. For places to visit, we’ll talk about the Ocklawaha River and Princess Place Preserve. Join us!
If you’re looking to get outdoors in an undeveloped area of old Florida, try Princess Place Preserve in Palm Coast, just south of the St. Johns County line. It offers over 1,000 acres of hardwood forest, a freshwater river and salt marsh. The property has only had three owners since its original land grant from the King of Spain in 1791, although indigenous people lived in the area for 5,000 years. It was purchased by Flagler County in the 1990s using conservation funds.
The property is shaded with old-growth hardwood trees, like Live Oaks, Long Leaf Pines and Magnolias. It’s on the Great Florida Birding Trail and boosts a wide variety of birds due to the different habitats. Along the water’s edge, you’ll see wading birds like egrets and herons. Barred owls, eagles and ospreys nest nearby. Migratory ducks, like hooded merganser, and blue-winged teals may be stopping here as they begin heading north. Over 20 species of wood warblers have been documented at Princess Place. Follow this link to the inside scoop from the Great Florida Birding Trail about what species you’re likely to find on what trail at the preserve.
Pellicer Creek is a freshwater creek that feeds into the brackish Matanzas River. The last remaining open oyster beds in northeast Florida are here, and locals are fierce about protecting them. One citizen group has fought a years-long battle to prevent a developer from building a new subdivision at I-95 and Hwy 206 for fear the storm water runoff would bleed into Pellicer Creek. (Search “Kings Grant” on this site for our previous coverage.)
- There are hiking and equestrian trails, including a 3/4 mile long paved ADA trail.
- Kayaks are available to rent onsite.
- Camping: primitive, equestrian and cabins. One cabin is ADA accessible, and connects to the paved ADA trail.
- The Adirondack-style lodge was build in the 1880s of local materials, coquina block with cypress and pine posts. Tours are offered on the weekends, but during the weekdays you can enjoy the view of Pellicer Creek from the rocking chairs on the wrap-around porch.
- Bring binoculars for bird watching. A basic pair will do fine, but Audubon has a guide to buying binoculars for those more serious.
- Oysters are still in season until May. Several local seafood stores carry St. Johns County oysters. Duval County oyster beds have been closed since 1998, due to poor water quality. However, the City of Jacksonville has worked to improve water quality, and the state is undergoing a two-year series of tests before re-opening the beds.
- Nursing right whales are off the south Georgia and north Florida coasts. Boaters beware: by Federal law you must stay at least 500 yards away. Call 1-877-WHALE-HELP , or hail the United States Coast Guard on VHF CH. 16, to report a sighting so the location of this “critically endangered” species can be communicated to all boaters and shippers in the area.
- The Ocklawaha River is in its final days of draw-down. The Rodman Dam will be closed again on March 1, 2020 and it will take a couple of weeks to re-flood. Lars Anderson of Adventure Outpost still has spots open for kayak tours of the “lost springs” that are exposed during draw-down.
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve offers several Saturday events in March, including guided hikes and a family seining activity.
- This week is “Weed Wrangle” week at many Florida parks. Volunteers will help yank out invasive species, which thrive in Florida’s climate. To help, click here.
Playing us out this week is a song from a legendary Florida character, Whitey Markle. Markle was a Jacksonville-born, self-described “Florida Cracker,” who taught at the University of Florida and was an outspoken conservationist. He passed away in November of 2019. Here’s his song, “Old Ocklawaha.”
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