With more than one million acres of undeveloped wilderness, Florida’s 31 state forests are a veritable playground for backpackers, birders, paddlers and cyclists.By Terry Tomalin
Withlacoochee State ForestOn a cool morning in late October, an eerie mist rises over the sandhill scrub in the Citrus Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest. As the first rays of sunlight filter through the pine trees, a thunder of wings echoes the woods.“Whoo! Whoo-whoo-whoo!” the great bird cries. “Whoo! Whoo!”The horned owl, one of the forest’s great hunters, is returning from its nocturnal work. We sit quietly and wait, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious bird. Then, after a few minutes of awkward silence, we are rewarded when the owl takes flight again, its five-foot wingspan casting a shadow on the forest floor.It is moments such as this that brings us back, again and again, to Florida’s fabulous state forests. I have spent many long days wandering along empty, tree-lined trails, with birds, deer and wild hog my only companions. These vast, publicly-owned lands are one of the state’s best- kept secrets.
Withlacoochee State ForestOn a cool morning in late October, an eerie mist rises over the sandhill scrub in the Citrus Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest. As the first rays of sunlight filter through the pine trees, a thunder of wings echoes the woods.“Whoo! Whoo-whoo-whoo!” the great bird cries. “Whoo! Whoo!”The horned owl, one of the forest’s great hunters, is returning from its nocturnal work. We sit quietly and wait, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious bird. Then, after a few minutes of awkward silence, we are rewarded when the owl takes flight again, its five-foot wingspan casting a shadow on the forest floor.It is moments such as this that brings us back, again and again, to Florida’s fabulous state forests. I have spent many long days wandering along empty, tree-lined trails, with birds, deer and wild hog my only companions. These vast, publicly-owned lands are one of the state’s best- kept secrets.
No comments:
Post a Comment