![]() ![]() Were working on the water hemlock – although the leaves are lethal for humans, caterpillars Right up to the bottom of the small dock. Large black metallic bees were at work in the pentas. We immediately noticed lots of pollination Yankeetown park just across the street from where we stay when we visit. Returning home, we stopped at Winding River Garden, a small From up on the tower, you could really get a sense of the volume of water that moves in and out of this estuary every day. By this time, the tide was nearly slack but you could still see movement. We climbed to the top of the observation tower and got a great view of the beautiful estuary. These look a bit like wooly bear caterpillars, but they eat really tough plants like Florida coontie. Signage on-site indicated that the difference between low- and high tide can be up to five feed on a given day.Īs we walked back to the observation tower, we noticed echo moth caterpillars. It’s a tidal research station! I’d love to know what research they do (even at play, I can find something to research!). Not bite.but they were a world-class annoyance!Īt the end of the hard path, we found a small dock with a kayak/canoe launch at the end. Time in the other places, thank goodness. Really funny – there was this one area where the flies were really bad I nearly We had doused ourselves in bug spray but of Nearing the end of the path, we began to notice flies. He could comfortably fit on a dime, but he raised that big red claw at us and wasn’t going to budge! The entire path was covered in tiny sandy pellets that the crabs create as they dig their burrows. Along the path, fiddler crabs were numerous and raced away or down into their holes as we approached, except for this one. The innards of an old gas stove were rusting on the ground. We found a spot where it looked like someone may have dumped some old kitchen equipment. Previously, we’ve only been here at a slack tide and the difference is remarkable. We could tell the tide was really rushing in – it was impressive how quickly the water moved. We’ve never ventured farther down the path than the tower before, but on this trip, we continued along the path and explored the water’s edge a bit. Cooking with gasĪ short walk from the education center, there’s a nice hard path leading to the observation tower. Or a hardwood hammock where we wandered on a shady trail. Every room looks out over either the marsh Love to take a class here, although I think the view from the second story ![]() The preserve has a beautiful education center, but it has While this photo is blurred, you can see the green “beans” forming out of the reddish flower. The color is so vivid and the “beans” are so cool! This time, I was able to see how the beans form out of the bloom. This native plant is one of my favorites. ![]() One of my favorite things about this preserve is that Coral Bean, Erythrina herbacea, is everywhere. Just a few steps off the trail is a beautiful estuarine system of marshes. Heading to the back of the Preserve, hiking trails lead you to and through a mixed forest habitat with hardwoods, cedar, pine, cabbage palm and more. The opportunities for photography and bird watching are plentiful. Near the main entrance, a boardwalk leads to a beautiful salt pond. On this trip, our primary purpose was to get Visited before, but never really dug in to explore. Since 2009, the Preserve has provided wonderful experiences for visitors.Įven before we entered the park, we noticed Florida Further grants from Florida Recreational Development Assistance Program, Felburn Foundation, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Friends of the Withlachoochee Gulf Preserve have provided for development of the Preserve land and infrastructure. This is a great place to spend half a day or so if you’re in the area of Yankeetown and Inglis, and there’s no admission fee! This 413-acre property was purchased with a grant from the Florida Community Trust. ![]() Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, 1001 Old Rock Road, Yankeetown, FL 34498 ![]()
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