30 Days in June: Day 6, Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Gainesville's Newest Nature Park

I imagine that most of the June Challenge participants in Alachua County were as excited about the arrival of the weekend as I was. Currently, the weekend is the only time that we have access to the City's newest nature park, the Sweetwater Wetlands Park (formerly referred to as the Sheetflow Project). I was there shortly after 7am when the gates opened and there were already quite a few cars in the parking lot.

7am and Ready to Go!

This park is fantastic. I've written about it several times because I'm so excited about it. (You can read my previous blog about it here.) Gainesville is very lucky to have such a beautiful resource. I've followed its development very closely over the last year and have already visited 5 times since it opened in May! Unfortunately, the City didn't have enough money in their budget to staff the park every day, so it is open only on weekends and holidays for now. But, hopefully, the new fiscal year will include funding for this important and popular nature area. Unlike the other City nature parks, there is a user fee for this one, and that should help offset expenses. I think most visitors are happy to pay, too, if it means they can have access. There is a season pass available now, so you don't have to come up with the cash every time.

View of the Park Taken in April, Before Opening Day

Thanks to my very fruitful trip to La Chua the day before, I had chalked quite a few items off of my list, so I had just a few target birds for this trip--Killdeer, Coot and Swallowtail Kite. I had a nice surprise, though, as I got started. I saw several of my birding friends standing with their scopes trained on some trees across from a bridge. When I got over to them, Rex asked if I wanted to take a look. He had a Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the scope, a bird I would probably not have found on my own. Much of the fun of the June Challenge is the way birders share with each other, reporting unusual or hard to find birds so that everyone can experience and learn. Yes, the June Challenge is very competitive, but it is a friendly and nurturing competition.

Birders on the Bridge

My first stop was on the boardwalk to see a Killdeer I'd seen the week before (when it didn't count!). I found her right away and got several great photos. If you've never noticed it before, Killdeers have amazing eyes. While I was looking, another friendly set of birders helped me find her beautifully camouflaged eggs in the sand near a palm tree. A little further down the boardwalk I found some Coots splashing and bathing, and missed my chance at the best Purple Gallinule photo ever because of a camera malfunction (read: operator error.) Grrr.

Killdeer Eyes

Well Camouflaged Eggs

Coots

Purple Gallinule, Just a After the "Perfect" Shot

Even though it was early, the sun was already high and it was getting hot. I walked around to the back end of the park, just enjoying the sights and sounds. It had rained heavily the night before and the frogs were very loud. The Red-Winged Blackbirds and Grackles made the gurgling and scratchy sounds I've come to associate with marshes and swamps. The sky was blue, the plants were green, and it was just a lovely morning.

Red-Winged Blackbird

Boat-Tailed Grackles Squawking

I believe that public works projects like this are beautiful example of a win-win situation. The City public utility was required to come up with a better treatment plan for waste water entering the aquifer. Working with consultants, they devised a system to let nature treat the the water by creating a series of wetlands. They could have just left it at that, but they also included public access to the wetlands, which would be attractive to wildlife, and a park was born out of something otherwise utilitarian. Now, there is a new habitat for wildlife, a wonderful destination for nature enthusiasts, and an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of wetlands, our drinking water, and wildlife habitats. Everyone wins here. Other cities have created similar parks with great success. This January I visited Green Cay and Wakodahatchee in Palm Beach County and had some of my best ever wildlife experiences. I saw nesting birds up close and saw many species of birds and butterflies I rarely if ever see in Gainesville. I was in West Palm Beach for a week and every time I visited one of these parks (I went several times), they were bustling with photographers, strollers, speed walkers, nature lovers and people of all ages and demographics. The High Line Park in Manhattan is an abandoned elevated freight train line to that was turned into a linear park, with wildflowers, butterflies, trees, benches and sculptures right in the heart of the city. There are community gardens or city parks built on abandoned lots. Bicycle trails on old train lines. These are all examples of turning decay or blight into something healthy and beautiful. We need more green spaces, parks and gardens.

Anhinga and Water Lotus

This philosophy is almost exactly the opposite of what the head of the Florida State Department of Environmental Protection, Governor Rick Scott, and the Florida Legislature want to do. They are proposing that the State take "empty" sections of Florida's fabulous State Parks (such as Myakka, near Sarasota) and make them "self sustaining", opening up parks for cattle grazing, logging and cell phone towers, so that they can generate money. As if generating money what the parks are for. They completely miss the point of conservation and preservation, of disappearing habitats and endangered species. They miss the point of spending time in peace and tranquility, with fresh air and water. Every hour, every minute, the world loses more natural habitat. The world is a much sadder place without nature and natural areas. We need to protect the wild places that we have if we are going to have anything left for future generations. What these government officials fail to realize is that natural areas are healthy and good for people, as well as for the animals and plants, and that they bring lots of money to the state in the form of hotels, restaurants, eco-tours and equipment rentals. People come to Florida's parks and natural areas to get away from the city and development. They want to see snakes, alligators and manatees, migrating birds, wildflowers and pristine beaches. No one wants to take a vacation or special trip to see a cattle ranch or logged out forest.

Wetlands Hard At Work

And you can't just pop cattle into a park or log a section without having consequences. Smaller habitat or encroaching development will change what animals can survive in a certain area. Grazing and logging don't constitute good land management. This is land exploitation and development. People who want to develop our parks ignore that fact that we already have lost most of our wild land. Cutting away a little more leaves a smaller percent of an already small percent. We need more preservation, not less.

Common Gallinule Family with Photo Bomb from a Least Bittern!

Limpkin

Which brings me back to the Sweetwater Wetlands Park. Few people would be interested in visiting a waste water treatment area. But make it attractive, with native plants, walkways and boardwalks over the wetlands, and people will flock to the same waste water treatment area to see the local wildlife. They will willingly pay $5 per carload to get in. This should be a model nationwide. Build more parks and the people will come! If the State is really concerned about the future of the parks, they could charge a little bit more for park entries. But I don't think that's really the issue. They say that the parks are taking limited money away from education and other important programs. But I know there are other ways to stretch that budget. It's a matter of prioritizing, and right now, our State Government puts a very low priority on our environment.

Wetlands

My morning at Sweetwater was refreshing and wonderful, as always. I walked for 3 hours, all over the park. I saw my target birds, plus the Yellow Crowned Night Heron and a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher. I made a new friend of a fellow birder and walked together with her looking (unsuccessfully) for a King Rail. I saw 13 Least Bitterns (14 with the photo bomb I just discovered today!), a Limpkin nest and Wood Storks and watched some bellowing Alligators. I definitely got my money's worth.

There are Limpkins Nesting in the Cattails

Least Bittern

Bellowing Gator

Keep the Barr Open!

It's hard to believe, but once again the people of Alachua County are doing battle with a small group of homeowners who are trying to limit access to public preserved lands. Last time it was an individual trying to buy part of a city nature park. This time it is a group of homeowners whose property borders a half mile section of the Levy Loop Trail at Barr Hammock Preserve. They claim that the noise of hikers on the trail disturbs them and that increased foot traffic so near their homes is a security danger. They are complaining about cameras aimed at their homes, loose dogs on their property and increased bear sightings, among other things. As a solution, these homeowners have proposed that the half mile of the loop trail that borders their yards be closed to the public. County land managers have tried to work with them, posting signs that ask visitors to be quiet for half a mile on the loop, and offering to plant vegetation that would create a privacy screen. But the homeowners want to have their views of the natural area, and they want to be alone while they view it.

Public Support, Public Funding, Public Land

The property was acquired between 2006 and 2010 by Alachua County using conservation funds from many agencies dedicated to purchasing, restoring and preserving environmentally significant land. Originally a wetlands, the prairie had been drained and used for many years for cattle grazing. It took several years after the purchase to restore the wetlands--to fill in canals that drained the marsh, build the levee trails to hold the water in and install water pipes to control the water levels during seasonal flooding. The community was very excited about this new trail that would loop around the marsh. Barr Hammock Preserve opened to the public in February of 2013. At the ribbon cutting, there was a large crowd of enthusiastic nature lovers of all ages and types. There were local politicians, birders, runners, bikers, conservationists and just people who appreciate beautiful places. After the introductions, histories and dedication, there were hikes and hay rides led by naturalists and it was a wonderful day. Barr Hammock quickly became a popular spot for nature lovers all over the county.

Educational Bike Rack

Florida Watersnake

Water Moccassin

History of the Property

You can see the Loop Trail on the Lower Left

Watch for snakes, no dogs, protect the cranes and be careful!

I am one of those nature lovers and I've been on the trail probably 10 times over the past year and a half. I walked the entire 6 1/2 mile loop the day of the ribbon cutting, but for most of my visits, I walk a mile or so out on one side, then walk back, and then walk a mile or so and back on the other side. That way I can experience a little of the open, sunny walk on the north, as well as some of the shady, swampy side on the south. My experience is that the north side tends to have lots of birds, bugs and flowers, while the shady south side is where I've seen snakes and otters.

Beginning the Sunny Walk Along North Levee

Looking Back from the North, Over the Prairie

Phoebe

Sandhill Cranes

Great Egret

Dewy Spiderweb

Coyote Scat

Burmarigold (Bidens laevis)

Beggars Ticks (Bidens mitis)

Big Flock of Pigeons

Bladderwort (Ultricularia inflata)

Swamp Sparrow

Viceroy

Mockingbird

Then you go back and try the other side

Walking on the South Levee

Orbweaver Spider and bugs

Phaon Crescent Butterfly

Shady Swamp

So here's the problem. This is a 6 1/2 mile loop trail and the homeowners who live near the beginning of the loop would like to turn this into a one way trail and not allow visitors to pass in front of their homes. This means that anyone who wants to walk to the north side, with its vast horizons and marshes for birds will need to walk 6 miles in and 6 miles back. This just isn't fair. It restricts access for all but those who have the ability to go so far. In the summer, especially, 12 miles will be daunting. There are no bathrooms or drinking fountains. Essentially, these homeowners would close most of the trail just by making it too hard to get to. They want to enjoy the fruits of a beautiful wet prairie restoration (remember that just a few years ago it was dry cattle grazing ground), paid for by public funds, all by themselves.

Six Miles Either Way

One funny thing about the noise complaint--the trailhead is right next to I-75. It is so loud there that when my hiking buddy drove in today, I was taking photos and couldn't even hear her car come in. The traffic is very loud up to about the first half mile on either side of the loop. Only after you turn away from the road does it start to quiet down. It just seems like a stretch to say that the voices of the birders, bikers, hikers and families are more disturbing than the interstate. And there usually are very few people out using the trail, anyway. My friends and I are usually alone when we hike during the week. Weekends may be different, but it's just hard to imagine it's that bad.

Entrance Right Next to I-75

Quiet Parking Lot

I can sympathize to a small degree with the homeowners. It probably feels intrusive to have someone with binoculars aimed toward your house, even if the person is looking for birds. The same goes for cameras with big lenses. And people outside enjoying themselves can be loud. Some people might bring dogs, even though it is not allowed. And there are just jerks everywhere who yell, litter, and do stupid, rude things. And if these homeowners did live in the houses before the trail opened, they got used to their privacy, with their vistas looking out over the grazing land. But now the land has been restored and is gorgeous and they still want their privacy. You just can't have it both ways. They just have to share. It's public land and you can't make it private for just a few. But the public has to be respectful and polite. People with cameras and binoculars can remember that there are homes behind those bushes, and everyone should keep their voices down in the early morning hours. You see more wildlife that way, anyway! We can find a way to get along and play well together.

Mutual Respect is the Only Way

This is late notice, but there is an Alachua County Commission meeting tonight to address this issue. Come to the meeting and show your support for public lands. 5pm. Alachua County Administration Building, 12 SE 1st Street, Room 209. Keep the Barr Open.

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Update after the Commission meeting: The Commissioners decided to keep the entire trail open after the homeowners withdrew their request to close the half mile, which is a good thing. And then in order to ease the concerns of the homeowners, they voted to ask the land management staff to do further evaluation about how to discourage visitors from taking the North Levee and add some more interpretive signs. I won't go into the meeting. It was, as a friend put it, like watching the sausage being made, and I'm a little queazy over it still. Local government is not a pretty thing. But I think the public was mostly served in the end and our trail is open. Go enjoy.

One thing I learned at the meeting that I hadn't fully appreciated before was that this is just the first phase of a much larger project. In the near future there will be more trails to the south, with more options such as horse trails and better bike trails. And there will be another entrance, which should take some of the pressure off of these homeowners.

Save Our Parks

UPDATE, Aug. 27, 3:30pm: The Gainesville City Commission received an email today from the developer, withdrawing his offer to purchase the 5 acres of Loblolly Woods. There will be no sale of this public park land! Thanks to the many people who voiced their opinion and stood up for conservation!

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This weekend I joined about 70 other people on a walk to tour a piece of property in the Loblolly Woods of NW Gainesville. The purpose of the tour was to rally support and familiarize people with 5 acres of public conservation land that a private real estate developer is trying to buy from the city. (I'm not using the developer's name because I don't believe this is about the person. Rather, I think this is about the bigger issue of selling public property and the dangerous precedent it sets.) The property is part of the much larger Loblolly Woods city nature park and preserve, and it butts up to the developer's home property. He says that he wants to purchase the land to provide more buffer around his home, and says that he plans to preserve the land. In exchange, he proposes to give the city one million dollars. We were there in the woods to see why this would be a bad idea.

Supporters Hiking in

We were led on the walk through the woods by a UF Biologist and by neighbors whose homes are next to the property in question. We learned that the property provides the only eastern access to the greater Loblolly Woods city nature park. If the purchase is made, roads and paths will be closed to the public. The entrance is popular with walkers, hikers, runners, bikers and children walking to school.

East Entrance

We learned about the kinds of trees and plants in the landscape and saw how the slight elevation changes there make it a unique habitat for both wetlands and uplands plants. We learned that the land is ecologically sensitive. It is home to rare and endangered plants and is part of a wetlands floodplain. It was acquired by the City in the first place because it was determined that there was good reason to protect it. We saw examples of escaped exotic invasive plants from neighboring homes and from the urban creek system that runs through the woods and were reminded that the land needs continued, careful stewardship. Large amounts of money and time have already been spent by the City evaluating and maintaining the property.

The Woods

The people came with children, friends, cameras and dogs on leashes. The children explored and relished in the wonder of the wild places. They lifted logs and peeked into stumps and found spiders and snakes and caterpillars. (Hiking hint: if you want to see the coolest things, follow the kids. They know how to look!)

Florida Redbelly Snake

Saddleback Caterpillar

Millipede

Our leader pointed out different types of trees--Maple, Sugarberry, Box Elder, Water Oak, Dogwood and Sable Palm, to name just a few. The landscape is diverse. I was at the tail end of the crowd, so I missed much of his discussion, but the group was kindly helpful and would share interesting information down the line.

Sugarberry Tree

Maples, Palms and Sugarberries

The group stopped in admiration to look at the rare and endangered Godfrey's Privet , the interesting Green Dragon, and the vivid Hearts a Bustin'. We listened to bugs and birds and each other. We also heard the loud and upset dogs on the developer's property, barking from behind their tall fence at our intrusion into their territory.

Godfrey's Privet (Forestriera godfreyi)

Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)

Heart's a Bustin' (Euonymus americanus)

I've written about this in previous blog posts, but I believe that public land belongs to the people and must not just be sold off to the highest bidder. Contrary to what some might say, we do not have too much land in conservation--indeed, there is not nearly enough. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the leading cause of species decline and extinction. Carving it away in 5 acre pieces does not help. Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and plants all need a large and healthy habitat. These woods provide places for animals to find shelter, food, and raise their young. They are critical resting spots for migrating birds. The wetlands filter water as it makes its way through the landscape and into our aquifer. The trees give us oxygen and filter our air. The green space gives us peaceful sanctuary. We need to preserve our natural places.

Green Sanctuary

This land is not even for sale. This person has approached the City of Gainesville and made an offer on a piece of land, just because he wants it. He is waving a million dollars in the face of the City at a time when money is scarce. He has also made the red herring suggestion that the money could be spent to purchase another desirable piece of property nearby that is also ecologically important. But this property is also not for sale and has nothing to do with the purchase of this particular 5 acres, except that hinting that it could be purchased with the sale money pits groups of people who want to conserve land against each other.

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

The developer's thinking about this completely backwards. His home is next door to a City nature park and preserve. He already has a buffer! And he already owns the land! We all do. The problem is that he want to possess the land and fence it off for himself and keep the rest of us away, and that's just not fair. It doesn't contribute to the common good.

Turkey Tail Fungi

The Gainesville City Commission will be discussing this issue at their meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5 (exact time yet to be determined). Please consider attending the meeting. You don't have to speak, although if you want to, it would be welcome. But just show up to let them know that we don't want them to sell our public lands. Wear green as a sign of support. If you can't show up, write a letter (CityComm@cityofgainesville.org). (For more information go to http://saveloblollywoods.org) But do something. This really matters. Our Parks are counting on us.
UPDATE, Aug. 27, 3:30pm: The Gainesville City Commission received an email today from the developer, withdrawing his offer to purchase the 5 acres of Loblolly Woods. There will be no sale of this public park land! Thanks to the many people who voiced their opinion and stood up for conservation!

Denizen of the Forest (Praying Mantis)