Our annual rain-or-shine New Year’s Day trip to the St. Marks (FL) National Wildlife Refuge is coming up! It’s an all-day experience on the Refuge and nearby Wakulla Springs State Park, located south of Tallahassee. The Refuge is about 2.5 hours away from Valdosta. If you would like to caravan from the church, meet in the church parking lot at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1. We usually arrive at the Refuge lighthouse around 11 a.m. and look for birds and other wildlife offshore and in the lighthouse pond until around 12:30 p.m, when we meet at the Picnic Pond for a picnic lunch. Please bring your own favorite picnic items; paper products, cups and utensils and hot “Hoppin’ John” will be provided. After lunch, there are opportunities for trail walking on the Refuge and a riverboat ride at Wakulla Springs State Park. We reassemble for supper at 6:00 p.m. at Spring Creek Restaurant in Spring Creek, FL.
If you’re not familiar with the Refuge, maps and other information are available at the entrance. There is a modest admission fee to the Refuge, which also has a Visitor Center that will be open on New Year’s Day.
Some people come for the whole day, and others for part of the day. In one form or another, this gathering has been taking place continuously for over 25 years. To see photos from the 01/01/2012 trip, go here: https://picasaweb.google.com/109855144588885324417/20120101StMarks
For more information, contact Phyllis Hiers (229 244-5942; pahiers@bellsouth.net).