Pence and I headed to Weedon Island Preserve today for a hike to enjoy the last weekend of the summer. When we first moved back to Florida the family and I took a canoe trip out there and had a blast, so I thought it be good to revisit the area on land. This time it was just Pence and I who went out to take a guided hike with Preserve staff. Our fearless volunteers/leaders were Linda and Carla. They took the small group we were with along the Paul Getting Memorial Trail/Boardwalk telling us all about the ecosystem and history of the area.
Providence and I learned quite a bit of information. From how to pronounce man-grove, as opposed to mang-grove, to how the kayak trail system is not a natural mangrove trail, but the result of the Army Civilian Corp and their flawed attempt at mosquito control.
What stuck the most with Pence from this educational hike was the gopher tortoise. We were lead to an area where it was quite common for these Species of Special Concern to burrow. We learned that they dig tunnels over ten feet deep and up to forty feet long. To demonstrate this I told Pence that was twice as tall as me and then walked out forty feet from her. She then saw how impressive that was for a 10-inch reptile that could possibly be 60 years old.
After the hike we went quickly through the museum and saw so much more that the Natural History Center had to offer. We look forward to heading back to spend more time not only in the museum, but canoe the trails.
