When you`re ready to give up on government agencies, thinking they`re not doing enough for you, think again. Remember the Lower Suwannee NWR and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges in your own backyard.
Providing free hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the nearly 53,000 acres in both Dixie and Levy Counties is important to the entire staff. Free access to picturesque recreational sites like Shell Mound, the River Trail, Salt Creek, and Shired Island are benefits to families, photographers, painters, paddlers... all of us. Free ranger-led programs are announced throughout the year for youth and adults.
The Refuge and its Friends group hosts guest speakers, specialists-in-their-fields, during their winter lecture series offered at Cedar Key Library. Subjects like bee keeping, sea level rise, Gulf sturgeon, invasive Cuban frogs, ancient Gulf cultures and many more will be offered.
Over 2011, two observation decks were built on the Levy Nature Drive and the Dennis Creek Trail at Shell Mound for bird and wildlife observation. Roads are continually repaired after heavy rains and constant use by the public. Soon a new Environmental Education classroom will be available for schools, homeschoolers, 4-H, scouts and other youth groups for learning in the outdoors.
This past week new restrooms were installed at Shell Mound and Shired Island, but that was the last step to a longer process. The Refuge, entrusted with protecting the 6,000 year-old Shell Mound and 7,000 year-old Shired Island archaeological sites, brought in University of Florida archaeologists to officially approve the sites for excavation and placement of the new restrooms. With the Refuge Ranger and volunteer Hedy Havel standing by, Dr Kenneth Sassaman and his fellow archaeologists were on-site 2 weeks ago with a bucket auger. They sifted sand and limerock which the manual auger captured from six to nine feet below the parking area gravel, finding no sign of materials from previous cultures on the spot. The photos here show the archaeologists testing at both sites, as well as one of the new restrooms after placement. 
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The Lower Suwannee NWR is but one of the 555 National Wildlife Refuge across the country that cater to lovers of the outdoors while providing habitat for our native species. For more information, call 352/493-0238. |
