Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

Maritime Hammock

Arriving at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve headquarters, I did not know what to expect. I was in the suburbs of Jacksonville, surrounded by wide, tree-lined suburban streets with large suburban homes and people out walking suburban dogs. Where was the National Park? Turns out there are 600 acres of wilderness in their back yard! Is that cool or what. Now this would be a great place for a kid to grow up! At least, despite my earlier judgement, I rather liked the place.

Napping Tree

Napping Tree: Shortly after starting down the Willie Browne Trail I found a tree, a wonderful, beautiful, beckoning tree. Tired after driving down from Brunswick and wandering around Jekyll Island, I settled into its well worn crook for a nap. Clearly I was not the first wanderer cought by this tree. Two hours later I was on my way again. Yup, needed that too. 

Rattlesnake habitat!

Maritime Hammocks: The southern maritime hammock is very different from anything we have in Maryland. Walking through this habitat i knew I was in the south as there were few plants here that could be found in St. Mary's County. Gone are the red, willow and chestnut oaks -- here there are live oaks with their deeply grooved bark and gnarled canopy. (Great, it seems for sculpting the ribs of wooden boats!)  Red bay -- much like wax myrtle and bayberry is a purely southern plant. The palms, cabbage palm and saw palmetto, give the area a decidedly tropical look and feel.

Oyster Shell Soil!

Oyster Mounds: Ever been to Smith Island? Seems like many islands in the Chesapeake Bay are made of oyster shells! Same thing here in northern Florida. The Timucua and their predecessors have, for the past 1000 years been piling up oyster shells. At Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve there is a spit of land, overgrown with trees that is nothing but oyster shell! Note: you can find a similar phenomena on Sotterley Creek, off the Patuxent River.

Sigh.

War Again: Seems like everywhere I go around here I encounter some evidence of war. Here, along the trail, alone in the middle of the woods, is this white, marble, surprisingly clean tombstone. One wonders what the story behind Sgt. Spearing's final resting place might be; is his body here? or did he die in the area and the stone placed later? The stone looks recent and official. Considering he died after the Civil War ended, his service had to be important to someone -- to place a military stone alone on an oyster mound, bordering an isolated salt marsh is a notable act of remembrance.

At the end of the trail is Fort Caroline. Should one need a reminder of the folly of believing that we, our people are better than thou, thy people, look no further than this French settlement -- wiped out by the genocidal hatred of one against another.

A great war leaves a country with three armies: an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves.

~Anonymous (German)