Stragglers from their native Central and South America, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) have been expanding their range in recent years.
There is a small but healthy flock in the pond beside the Tolomato Island causeway.
They’re fascinating to watch and are generally not very wary of human presence.
The Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) is one of our most important snakes, especially in its role as a predator of rattlesnakes. Recent trends show populations decreasing in many areas.
Once threatened with extinction, the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) has made a huge comeback and is a common sight on dirt roads and in back woods all over South Georgia. It sustained our ancestors as a game bird and remains an integral symbol of the Southern forest.
American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are abundant (though generally not aggressive) in the ponds and wetland areas of Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge. There were over a dozen young alligators within the first 300 yards or so, posing for my camera then slipping off into the water.
Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were once a symbol of the diminishing wetland habitat necessary for their survival in the swamps of the Southeast. For a time one of the most endangered species in America, recent years have seen gains in their population, enough so that the Fish & Wildlife Service is considering removing them from the endangered list. They would still have a threatened status. A friend of mine recently suggested I not place them on a “vanishing” site; in honor of her positive outlook, I offer them as an evocation of how far we’ve come in protecting Georgia’s wetlands but a reminder in how much we still need to fight to protect them. Anyone who has been around Coastal Georgia in the past few years knows that population and development race forward, nearly unfettered.
Visiting Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge in late winter and early spring when the Wood Storks, along with myriad other waterfowl and waders are abundant, is a must-do when in McIntosh County.
Thanks to Constance Riggins and Deborah Sheppard at Altamaha Riverkeeper, I recently made a flight over the Altamaha River to photograph Paddle Georgia participants kayaking the stretch of the river near the Rayonier mill (now RYAM) in Jesup. Rayonier is a vital part of the economy of the entire Wayne County area, but regardless of their protection by DNR and EPD, state agencies charged with enforcement of established standards, they continue to pollute the air and the river.
Relaxed enforcement due in part to politics and in part to economic woes has begun to show on our rivers and waterways. Look no further than King America in Screven County for evidence of this trend: discharge from their facility into the Ogeechee River culminated in the deaths of over 35,000 fish last year.
Paddle Georgia, the Georgia River Network, and Altamaha Riverkeeper aren’t a bunch of fringe environmentalists hellbent on shutting down facilities and interfering with good businesses, but rather they’re normal people who care more about the earth’s future than they do about minimization of profits. They come from all socioeconomic backgrounds and their politics run the spectrum. They all love rivers. It’s strange to me how when I was growing up, Southerners made fun of the Rust Belt cities up north for not caring about their resources and for being such bad stewards of God’s earth. I saw the South as being above that sort of irresponsibility but the bad economy has forced businesses and government agencies charged with protection of natural resources into a “deal with the devil”. It’s clear that the powers that be are choosing jobs and the immediate economy over the long-term health of the environment and how that will effect the lives and well-being of future generations.
I was hesitant to post these photographs, as I’m not on some sort of mission to smear Rayonier or the government, but I think it’s time everyday people made their voices heard. When someone accuses you of caring more about rivers than you care about the ability of people to make a living, just say it’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about balancing the two in a way that gives a damn about this messy world we’re leaving behind.
The image above, showing Paddle Georgia participants making their way through the Rayonier discharge near Doctortown in Wayne County, was published on the front page of the Savannah Morning News, 23 June 2012.
The riverfront park in St. Marys, named for the late timber and paper magnate and one of America’s greatest art patrons, Howard Gilman, is a wonderful public space, rivaling any in Coastal Georgia.
I could have spent hours just watching and photographing the birds in the ornamental fountain. Pictured below: Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major).
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are abundant in the Okefenokee and the ones I photographed at Stephen C. Foster State Park were nearly tame. Their are signs warning against feeding them, but people apparently do so anyway.
Alligators and the railroad are synonymous with the Folkston area. They look great on this mural.
The drive on the Okefenokee Trail (Georgia Highway 177) from Fargo to the entrance of Stephen C. Foster State Park will give an indication that you’re about to be in a real wilderness. There isn’t a sign of civilization for miles.
Practically tame, White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can often be seen grazing near the entrance to the state park.
Though the swamp had been in a drought for several years when I made these photographs, search and rescue boats were on hand to illustrate the real dangers of getting lost in the swamp.
The Trembling Earth Nature Trail is the easiest way to see a microcosm of the swamp at the park, though a boat is always best. Fred Deal designed this walkway when he attended Ware Technical school in 1967.
The boardwalk is always well-maintained. It’s a great place to watch birds. I caught a quick glimpse of this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus).
The swamp is quite different in the winter, especially in low water.
I’ve always found alligators in abundance in the Okefenokee, but didn’t see a single one on this visit.
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is ubiquitous. As a native of South Georgia I appreciate its beauty and place in the ecosystem.
