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Posts by FeyGirl

Dec 19

Jonathan Dickinson & Riverbend: Natural Florida and an Awe-Inspiring Cypress Swamp

Riverbend Park in Jupiter, Florida, has been by far one of our favorite places to visit. Besides the vastness of the park proper, there’s a great extension of the Florida Trail — accessible through the park (under Indiantown Rd.), or attainable across the street (we jump the fence for more immediate access), near the Loxahatchee River. (The Ocean-to-Lake portion of the Florida Trail also runs behind the park, to the south.) But one of my favorite hikes is along the Old Indiantown Trail, also accessible across the street from Riverbend. It’s absolutely beautiful, replete with a gorgeous watering hole, canopy trees, old Florida growth, prairie, and miles of hiking, that lead into Jonathan Dickinson. Natural Florida at its BEST. It’s rarely traveled — we’ve never encountered another hiker past the watering hole.

During our most recent trip, the gopher tortoises were exceptionally active — we must have seen at least five in their burrows within as many minutes. One of the oldest living species, the burrowing tortoise is found throughout Florida and southern Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and eastern Louisiana. These tortoises dig and live in long burrows in longleaf pine savannas, thus protected from summer heat, winter cold, fire, and predators. Gopher tortoises are essential to the local ecology — their burrows also provide homes for other animals, including indigo snakes, gopher frogs, mice, foxes, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, burrowing owls, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, and other invertebrates. Their burrows — abandoned or shared — may be the homes to more than 300 species of animals at one time or another. Pretty amazing; and it’s easy to see how destroying the habitat of the gopher tortoise alters the already fragile ecosystem. Federally protected as a threatened species EXCEPT in Florida, in which it is “under review,” the tortoise’s main threat remains: Habitat loss and destruction. For instance, it wasn’t until 2007, in Florida, that developers were forced *by law* to relocate burrowing tortoises — until then, development could shockingly occur with no thought to the safety of the animals and the destruction of their habitat.

But by far my favorite part of this particular hike was our segue from the trail, into an untouched cypress swamp. The trees were so enormous, that I’d like to think they were saved from the mass logging of so many of Florida’s virgin trees, during the 1920s and ’30s. The swamp was vast, secluded, and amazingly peaceful — it was hard to leave. Finding the not-so-small shedded snakeskin not far from the trail (possibly rattlesnake?) was another decent reminder as to why I *always* wear my hiking boots on these trips, regardless of the temperatures.

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Dec 14

Finding the Quiet Moments/A Plea to New Visitors

There are times — despite the sudden heightened attendance during our (human) Snowbird Season and inevitable increased disrespect for the surroundings (read: more *trash* — more *noise* — more “not allowed” items and activities) — that quiet moments can still be found in parts of the park. Increased traffic to the natural areas is definitely a mixed blessing. Not all new visitors are rude, by any means — but for those disrespectful ones, a simple plea: Remember why you are visiting a preserve, in the first place. It’s not Disney World. Simmer down. Respect and enjoy your surroundings, and consider that for our wildlife this special place is a sanctuary, by the grace of the founders and the continued efforts of the county. And most absurdly, please try your absolute best to hold onto that plastic water bottle and/or tissue, and refrain from throwing it into the carefully *protected* wetlands supporting this native wildlife. Honestly, it’s not that far to your SUV. Flora and fauna alike thank you.

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Dec 14

Fern Forest Nature Center

Fern Forest, 247 acres in entirety, is a magnificent conservation site and wildlife refuge located in Broward County, Florida, taking its name from the myriad ferns — more than 30 species — found on its grounds. In 1979, scientists from FAU and Broward Community College (now Broward College) wrote about the area’s botanical diversity in their article “A Tropical Fern Grotto in Broward County, Florida.” The researchers characterized the site as “the last remaining stronghold of ferns in southeastern Florida.” This beautiful and diverse natural area represents the last remnant of the historical Cypress Creek floodway. Authorized in the early 1900s to create more suitable farming land, the Cypress Creek drainage system and the surrounding areas have a long history as farmland, first for such crops as pineapples, tomatoes, beans, and peppers, and later for dairy farming, logging and milling.

Fern Forest remains a significant refuge for wildlife in this highly urbanized region, and hosts many educational activities, conservation events, and nature programs. A reception hall, an ampitheater, and picnic areas and protective shelters are provided within its nature center. The park encompasses 10 plant communities, including a tropical hardwood hammock, an open prairie, and a cypress-maple swamp. Three main trails are offered: The Cypress Creek Trail (a wonderful boardwalk); The Prairie Overlook Trail, which includes a 20-foot-tall observation platform; and the Maple Walk (my favorite!), through an often soggy red maple swamp. Fern Forest was awarded “Best of” from the Broward/Palm Beach New Times for:

  • 2009 – Best Nature Trail
  • 2007 – Best Nature Trail
  • 2005 – Best Place to Birdwatch

LaSpada’s Subs is nearby, even better! We like to grab some grub for a picnic, before our walks either here or at nearby Tree Tops park… Upcoming post.

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Dec 13

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An Ethereal Swamp in Riverbend

After visiting the newly created (and still-in-development) Cypress Creek Natural Area (see corresponding post), we darted through one of my favorite areas of Riverbend Park in Jupiter, Florida — not exactly a difficult hike in this particular location, but we weren’t exactly looking for one, after spending 4 hours plodding through the (occasionally) deep sand of Cypress Creek.

Awhile back, we discovered a cut-through (perhaps the beginnings of a new trail) leading to Riverbend’s cypress swamp — a truly beautiful area of the park. The shortcut is lovely, and is obviously used by many critters judging by the tracks. We even managed to stumble upon a flock of wild turkeys and several hunting osprey, as it was approaching dusk. But Florida’s cypress swamps are a sight like no other, and it’s wonderful that this area of the Loxahatchee River — Seminole for “River of Turtles” — has been protected in all of its glory. (The Loxahatchee’s source is actually in Riverbend, winding through Jonathan Dickinson.)

Per the park’s signage:

“Riverbend Park’s aquatic habitats are invaluable. They provide food, water and shelter for a vast array of unique species of aquatic and semi-aquatic wildlife. Protection of these riparian or river ecosystems within Riverbend Park not only gives visitors the opportunity to study local wildlife, but provides critical habitat for the wildlife, thus ensuring their survival.”

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Wildflowers, Riverbend Park

Birds’ Feast, Riverbend Park

Plethora of Palms, Riverbend Park

Cypress Stump in Swamp, Riverbend Park

Cypress Swamp, Riverbend Park

Cypress Swamp, Riverbend Park

Signage, Riverbend Park

Wild Turkey, Riverbend Park

Dec 11

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A Rainy Day at Riverbend

Riverbend Park in Jupiter, Florida, remains one of our favorite places to hike, providing both leisurely strolls and more advanced hikes. When we don’t feel up for a longer hike, or hitting the Florida Trail (accessible across Indiantown Road), we’ll stay within the park proper and its abundance of pathways.

During our most recent trip, we thought we would take advantage of the cloudy skies, but as soon as we stepped into the park — literally — the skies opened up. For the next three hours we hiked in the rain, most of which were downpours,  which is perfectly fine. Save for the fact that I was waiting for my camera bag in the mail, so my camera-baby was wrapped in 2 Publix bags and crammed under my shirt. No worries; we saw several hawks, a few skittish deer, and LOTS of butterflies (in between the really rainy spots). I did feel badly for the drenched, lost (and inexperienced) kayakers, though — we tried our best to guide them. OK, Dave did. I had absolutely no idea where to point.

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