A Perfect Florida Day

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness”

                                                                                                          -John Muir

 

Today was one of those perfect Florida days. Hot, humid, and simple.

My girlfriend and I made the short trip to Brooker Creek Preserve this morning. After days of rain the skies were blue and the warm sun and its UV rays were inviting. As we arrived at the preserve the temperature felt fairly mild but the air was heavy with humidity. Driving in on the entrance road to Brooker Creek is always an adventure. It is quite common to run across wildlife and I would advise visitors to the preserve to be cautious. Gopher tortoises munching on grass and herbacious plants are common. Occasionally a snake or a deer will cross your path. Today we encountered no such animals entering the park.

In the parking lot we discussed our plans for the day. We decided to do a loop trail. We started out near the visitor center. Walking on the boardwalk we encountered a few birders. They were admiring a red shouldered hawk who was perched on top of a snag. The bottomland hardwood forest on both sides of the boardwalk reminded us of the importance of hydrology in Florida’s landscape. Signs along the boardwalk informed us of the presence of apple snails and the occassional bear. With the exception of a few standing pools, water levels are still relatively low, but the wet season is still a work in progress. Recent rains though have saturated these dark earthy soils. 

On the trail we encounter a few other hikers. One old man reminds me of an old Muir-like character. Most of the other hikers are out with their dogs. As for wildlife the pickings were fairly slim today. Flora was plentiful and a number of wild flowers were making their presence known with their showy flowers, boldly displaying shades of pink, purple, and yellow. Today was a good flower hunting day. 

As we made our way back to the truck the sun was still blazing in the sky. The rain would come later in the day, but for the time being it was nice feeling the sun for a change. Leaving the park we did manage to encounter a gopher tortoise hanging out in front of his burrow. He seemed content taking in the sun. 

After grilling out in the rain and eating some great food we decided to ride on the Pinellas Trail.  Burning off some calories from lunch was beneficial but the underlying goal was to take in some unfamiliar  trail scenery.  Today we were riding along a new stretch from Seminole in the southerly direction of St. Pete. We managed to see some playful dolphins as we passed over a bridge. The dolphins seemed to be having a feeding frenzy in the shallow water, the mullets were jumping for survival, a few simply jumping for the fun of it. In addition to the wildlife the sights and smells of a Florida summer afternoon were all too evident. The smell of a man cutting his grass reminded me of my youth growing up in DeBary. I always seem to associate summer with the smell of fresh cut grass after a summer rain shower. Kids splashing around in backyards, while their parents grilled and drank beers seemed to be a common practice on this Memorial Day. 

All in all it was a perfect Florida day.

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Brooker Creek Preserve Newspaper Article

 

Brooker Creek Preserve

Brooker Creek Preserve

“That anyone would try to destroy such a place seems incredible; but sad experience shows that there are people good enough and bad enough for anything.” 

                                                                                                                                                 -John Muir

 

Brooker Creek, Friends Trail

 

     Today I took a quick trip to Brooker Creek Preserve. The preserve sits in northern Pinellas County. The head waters, a series of cypress domes, are said to be found in local Hillsborough County.  I typically find myself at Brooker Creek on my day off. It is one of the only places in Pinellas County that affords a hiker great hiking opportunities. No mountains are found here, nor are there rushing streams, instead there are dark cypress domes and xeric uplands that remind you of desert landscapes out west. The preserve is one of the last remaining tracts of upland habitat left in Pinellas County.  This place for me has been a refuge, a wilderness playground so to speak. I moved to Pinellas County so that I could be with a special someone. I am greatful to be here with that person, but I love Florida and what I see happening in this county saddens me. Brooker Creek is an island of green amongst a sea of concrete and angry commuters. Sense of place does not seem to take root here in my experiences, yet there is still some finite hope that it will be found. At a little over 8,000 acres Brooker Creek is by no means a National Park. It is like many local preserves tiny in its relative size, but immensely grand in the ecological role that it plays in recharging this areas local water supply.

 

Black Gum Swamp

 

 

Brooker Creek is by no means a true wilderness. A number of roads pass through it, as do power line easements. The humming of distant traffic can always be heard. Is there anywhere in the lower 48 where you can visit without seeing discarded rubbish or other signs of *Slobvious americanus ( *Edward Abbery )? I hope pristine places are still hiding out there. Though Brooker Creek is not a true wilderness it is a fine representation of a Florida long gone. The preserve does a great job of  keeping the trees, plants, and animals from being gobbled up by local progress. There is plentiful wildlife here. Gopher tortoises dominate the sandy landscapes, while Pileated Woodpeckers make a thumping music amongst the snags found in the pine flatwoods. The place is peaceful. The creatures here big and small all seem content with their existence  and completely unaware of the fate of their home. Little do they know that county commissioners have successfully put through a measure that will develop 2,000 acres of their out -of-doors neighborhood. This measure will forever alter the county’s last wild place. 

     The plans so far are to develop 2,000 acres of the preserve. Not all will be lost, but just a significant chunk. Progress will bring a number of multi-story buildings. The buildings will be accompanied by  reservoirs, pipes, and chemical storage units. I can only assume that they will have to build roads to access this infrastructure. 

     I became aware of the story after reading an article from the local paper. A few individuals have tried to take this measure to court. Unfortunately the measure has passed and it is full speed ahead for the county at this point. Bad news for the animals and plants who are clinging to survival on what little acreage remains in Florida’s densest populated county. 

     Over the past few days I have been trying to digest the news about Brooker Creek. I have always assumed that a preserve was meant to be in place forever. Talking to a friend recently he took the stance that a preserve is simply a preserve because at that moment there is no need for its resources.  In summary he was saying that no wilderness is held sacred when there is a hungry economy to feed. 

     Hiking today I tried to enjoy myself, but forgetting about the imminent threat posed to the preserve remained difficult. I could not stop pondering where I would go to find solitude. Would 6,000 of the original 8,000 acres be enough to meet my hiking needs and the needs of those seeking refuge from an ever increasingly urban world. The answers to such questions do not come easily. It seems likely that a day will come where the county will need to take another incremental piece away from the preserve’s remaining acreage. 

     As of today the preserve was still functioning as a rare ecological jewel. The gopher tortoises were still roaming free across the sandhills and the turkies were still making use of the hiking trails. As for me I was grateful for its existence.