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On April 13, about 30 Friends members and community visitors met at the Lower Suwannee NWR for a Butterfly Walk led by Barbara Woodmansee. If you didn't make it this time, keep an eye out for the fall walk which will be along the Tram Ridge Trail near Refuge headquarters.
Several participants bought the Guidebook to Butterflies of the Lower Suwannee NWR at the start of the walk, including a visitor to the area who mentioned that she would be spending the night at Manatee Springs State Park in her RV. A few days later, Barbara received an email from a woman who had been camping with her family at Manatee Springs that night to celebrate her son's 6th birthday. It seems the visitor on the Butterfly Walk had gifted her new copy of the Guidebook to the little boy when she learned that he really loves butterflies and, with his family, has been "fostering" monarchs in their yard since he learned about them when he was 3! The family and Barbara plan to meet at the Refuge another time for a butterfly experience. How's that for a story of spreading happiness in the world! 
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Dusty and Kathy Dusterwinkle have been seasonal Camper Volunteers, on the Lower Suwannee NWR for years. Recently, they have been working with Refuge staff member Jason Coates to repair some of the Idalia caused damage at the Tall Pines Trail in Dixie County. This gem of a trail skirts two serene ponds and ends with a sweeping view over the salt marsh looking toward Shired Island. Jason, using the Refuge skid steer and other equipment, was able to shred many of the encroaching palmettos, the fallen trees, and other storm debris and push them off the main trail. Dusty and Kathy then cleared the rest by hand!
UF's Nature Coast Biological Station and the Refuge hosted about 120 people on a picture perfect day on 20 March. No small children or lap dogs were lost to dragons, snakes, Swamp Apes or other mythical or real creatures. The Seahorse Key Dune sand monster also stayed hidden as in nearly all past open houses. All participants behaved nicely and were rewarded with gold stars.
Refuge Manager Gude also points out that it is important for visitors to note that Seahorse Key is an island almost three miles from Cedar Key. Access is only by boat. There are no amenities, such as food or water on the island. Restroom facilities are limited. Should there be a medical or other emergency requiring professional assistance or evacuation, response times could be lengthy. Please plan with this in mind. Seahorse Key is wonderful, but it is not a walk in the proverbial park. Barbara Woodmansee has been surveying the butterflies of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge for more than a decade. Recently she was awarded a small grant to support the volunteer work and to help document the surveys so they can become part of the management database for the Refuges. The spectacular photos below are included in the Survey Report. Enjoy!     
Near perfect weather in Cedar Key brought out the crowds for this year's Arts Festival, and we were able to share Friends' Refuge information with many, many festival attendees. We sold a variety of shirts and a selection of other merchandise. More importantly we had many discussions with interested folks regarding activities available on the Refuges. The Friends' Refuge Rover was a hit again, bringing lots of attention to our messages about the Refuges.  |
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532 Cedar Key, FL 32625 [email protected] We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. |
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