Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
Reflections Newsletter, February, 2021
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COVID-19 Virus Update
As most of you are undoubtedly aware, the concerns about COVID-19 have changed almost all of our day-to-day activities that we normally take for granted. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, there are no tours, classes or other events scheduled at the Refuge.
Visitors are NOT allowed access to the Visitor Center at this time. However, at the VC parking area, a phone number is posted to call (850-925-6121) regarding entrance fees and passes. A staff person will then meet you at the VC ramp entrance to assist. For any payments, we suggest credit card use to avoid contact with cash.
Restrooms at the VC are therefore not open as well. However, the Mounds' restrooms are still open, and there is a portalet in the VC parking lot as well as at the salt water boat ramp. Thank you.
For a more complete Refuge report and to stay updated about the federal government message about activities at the Refuge, please visit the Refuge Public Health Update. |
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Happy Valentine's Day, and Thank You
The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge appreciate all of you who are either members or donors. If you're not, we invite your support. Remember that you can show your love any time of the year. You could even do it right now!
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New Board of Directors Members
The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge are pleased to introduce two new members to the Board of Directors. We would like to thank them for their willingness to volunteer
their time in our commitment to assist the Refuge.
Myrtle Bailey
Myrtle is a native Floridian, living in Pensacola and Tallahassee her entire life. She was reared in the country 12 miles west of Pensacola in the small community of Beulah where her love for the north Florida woods and upper Gulf coast began. There her concerns about natural preservation for wild life began.
Myrtle has an undergraduate degree from FSU, a Masters from UWF and an almost PhD (ABD) from FSU. She spent her early career years teaching high school English in Pensacola and then moved to Tallahassee in 1976 to continue graduate work. Shortly thereafter she began a career in education policy and budget in the Executive Office of Governor Bob Graham. Charlie Reed, later State University System Chancellor, was her first boss.
During her time in education policy and budget she worked closely with the House, Senate, Department of Education as well as many other professional education organizations in developing and implementing the Governor’s education budget and policy priorities.
Her love for untouched nature came to fruition in Pensacola, where she and three other citizens mounted a successful effort to preserve three miles of Gulf front coast from development.
In Tallahassee Myrtle discovered the beauty and joy of the rivers by spending time canoeing, kayaking and biking the St Marks trail and spending time at Wakulla Springs. But, St Marks Wildlife Refuge really caught her eye. She once spent Thanksgiving day there hiking and picnicking. Myrtle loves the marshes and wildlife at St Marks, giving her a feeling of peace. She is retired and spends time walking, oil painting, reading for her book club, taking OLLI classes and volunteering with OLLI. Currently, she is owned by four cats, all rescues.
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Rusty Ennemoser
Rusty Ennemoser is a Florida native, born in Pensacola to a Navy family. She has lived in various parts of the country as well as in Jacksonville, Marianna, Tampa, and Miami. She moved to southeastern Leon County near the St. Marks River in 1991 after a 15-year career in communications in Miami. In 1992, she became the founding editor of Florida Heritage Magazine, published by the Florida Division of Historical Resources, which fed into her keen interest in Florida history and her love of traveling the state. In 1999, Rusty began working at the Florida Department of Transportation, first as a public information officer and then as the Statewide Public Involvement Coordinator, a post she still holds. Rusty has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Florida International University in Miami, a Master’s in Language Acquisition and a PhD in Sociocultural and International Development Education, both from FSU.
Rusty has had a 30-year love affair with St. Marks Wildlife Refuge as well as many other public spaces that she has visited in her life. She owes her enthusiasm for travel and nature to her father, an avid fisherman who encouraged her activities in the Girl Scouts, especially those related to nature and camping. One of her fondest memories was walking down dirt roads with her father, learning to identify trees and birds. To this day, she and her husband continue to enjoy the birds and other wildlife that visit their property in the piney woods.
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The Refuge is for Everyone
Did you know that there are several accessible areas for those who can’t or don’t want to walk very far but still want to enjoy the natural beauty available at the Refuge? Our visitor from Atlanta loved the accessible observation deck along Lighthouse Road and the ramp leading to the lighthouse. She also enjoyed the Lighthouse Levee Trail which is just .4 mile long, bordered on one side by the Gulf of Mexico and on the other side by a large pond always full of birds. The restrooms are accessible, too, and there are benches scattered here and there for those who just want to meander a bit and sit a spell. There’s a lot to see for everyone at the Refuge!
Captions:
Top, This outlook overlooks East River Pool. Drive to the entry area of the walkway where wheelchair access begins. It's a beautiful view.
Bottom left, Several short trails on the Refuge are very flat and even so that someone using a walker or a wheelchair could have access. This is the beginning of the levee that is due west of the lighthouse. There is a similar smooth trail leading to the Headquarters Pond.
Bottom right: The Friends funded the accessible ramp leading to the lighthouse in 2018. As with so many accessibility efforts, the ramp benefits not only those people with disabilities, but others as well (e.g., workmen, visitors with baby strollers, and more)
Article and photos (top and lower left) courtesy Rusty Ennemoser. Photo lower right, Phillip Pollock
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Frosted Flatwoods Salamander Update
Many of you know that the Frosted Flatwoods Salamander initiative is a critical biological effort that the Friends have funded. It's a significant effort because the salamanders have seen their habitat dwindle to only a few locations in the country. Now, St. Marks and regions of the Apalachicola National Forest are, perhaps, two of the only remaining areas where they are found. These salamanders are listed as 'threatened' under the Endangered Species Act.
Through the generosity of Refuge Friend and NY Times best-selling author Jeff VanderMeer and long-time conservation advocates Ed and Hilda Carney, the Friends fund three interns to assist Refuge biologist Chloë Dubben in propagating and monitoring the salamanders in different pockets of free-standing water in specific areas of the Refuge property. It is important to note that this intern and Refuge staff intervention has allowed the salamanders to thrive. Just a couple years ago Hurricane Michael interrupted our work with these amphibians. However, small populations have recovered.
Currently work by the interns involves trapping larvae and running drift fence traps to control their migration. The photo above shows the interns gathering minute plankton that serves as a food source for the salamanders. Shown here, left to right, are Caroline Wolfe-Merritt, Camille Rieber, and Sage Kruelski.
As more information becomes available about the progress of this Friends' initiative, we will bring it forward in future issues of Reflections.
Text, photo and illustration, Phillip Pollock
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Three Very Special Friends of the Refuge
These Tallahasseans have generously shared their time and talent to support the Refuge in unique ways.
Jody Walthall, co-founder of Native Nurseries in Tallahassee, has been exploring the vast Refuge waters in canoes, sailboats and power boats all his life. Last fall, he asked Rangers Robin Will and Gail Fishman if we’d want to make a booklet to sell at the Nature Store of canoe and kayak routes in the Refuge. He provided the beautiful hand-drawn maps and wonderfully detailed narrative. The layout and design was done in-house and the books were printed locally. Since going on sale in mid-January ($9 and free shipping), they’ve been a best seller and a boost to the bottom line!
Don Morrow is a well-known celebrity at the Refuge. His popular bird tours (sure do miss those!) and eloquent birding reports have gained him a loyal group of fans. In March of 2019, Don generously gave us his “Checklist of the Birds of St. Marks NWR” to sell in the Nature Store. Since then over 200 copies have been sold ($3 and free shipping). We look forward to the time when those awesome bird tours will resume with Don and Matt and Cyndi Johnstone.
NYT bestselling author Jeff VanderMeer continues to be a Friend extraordinaire. Since September 2018, over 800 Area X shirts, inspired by his book “Annihilation,” have been sold through the Nature Store—many shipped across the country and internationally. Additionally, he’s targeted a portion of profits from some of his books to the Refuge. He and his wife Ann are also sponsors of the Salamander project (see feature above) through their company VanderMeer Creative. It would be hard to over-estimate the impact of the VanderMeers’ contributions to the support of Refuge programs, especially in a time of budget cuts and shutdowns.
We are so fortunate to have such great Friends join in our efforts to preserve the Refuge we all love!
Text and photos courtesy Rita LeBlanc
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Pines to Palms - Celebrating Wakulla County's Forests
In celebration of our community forests, a virtual panel discussion is scheduled for Thursday, February 18, to highlight and promote the unique old-growth and native forests in the Florida panhandle.
This program will involve local forest experts, and it will be hosted by Tom Flanigan. Panelists include Shane Wellingdorf, Wakulla County resident and Conservation Coordinator at Tall Timbers Research Station; Robin Will, longtime Supervisory Refuge Ranger and environmental educator at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; Chuck Hess, Wakulla County Commissioner and retired wildlife biologist on the Apalachicola National Forest; and Terry Baker, CEO, Society of American Foresters. Baker also previously held a variety of roles within the USDA Forest Service, including the Apalachicola National Forest.
You won't want to miss it.
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Happy Trails to You
Some of our winter days here at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge are chilly and breezy. But, because of that, it's a perfect time of year for hiking the numerous trails that the Refuge offers. The cooler temperatures and the breeze keep the insects at bay to make your excursions very enjoyable.
To assist you in deciding where to hike, the Friends have an interactive hiking trail map on our website. It's extremely helpful, giving you plenty of options for shorter strolls or longer, more aggressive walks in the woods. Choose your route now.
Above, a group of birders take advantage of a beautiful trail just shy of the East River Pool. However, if you don't have any agenda for your outing, you can leisurely walk or even ride a bicycle on the Refuge trails. No motorized vehicles are allowed. Just take your time, and enjoy.
Text and photo, Phillip Pollock
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Winter Birding at the Refuge |
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Identifying warblers at any time of year is a challenge. In the winter, the job of identification is even more difficult, because these little birds often take on more subdued coloration patterns. This particular bird almost jumped on my telephoto lens, he was so curious and did not seem at all intimidated.
So, where's the orange crown? The name actually stems from the bird's feeling of being threatened. Under stress or danger, the crown feathers lift to expose the orange coloration. A majority of the time, such as this, they feel comfortable going about business as usual.
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Bird Reports Assist Visitors
Don Morrow and Matt Johnstone, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge volunteers and expert birders, lead in-depth bird tours at the Refuge frequently throughout the year. Both Don and Matt keep us up-to-date on what we can see from week-to-week. To see what THEY see, so that YOU can see them, check out their sightings on our website.
Photo and text, Phillip Pollock
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Have you considered including the Refuge in your will? We would appreciate hearing from you if so. The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge can provide information and guide you through the process. Just call the Refuge at 850-925-6121, and ask to be contacted by the Friends' Development Committee, or email us. |
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Reflections newsletter is a benefit of membership for Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.
It also serves as an important supplement to
Both the newsletter and the web site provide members and the public information about volunteer activities and events at the Refuge.
Reflections editor: Phillip M. Pollock
Reflections Editor, Phillip M. Pollock
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