The La Chua Trail is an elevated boardwalk along a dike out to an observation tower at the north end of Paynes Prairie. When the prairie drain, Alachua Sink becomes clogged, the prairie becomes a lake, collecting water and alligators around the dike.
Rain traps us at the shelter and we turn around and run back to our car in increasing rain after a short visit
The Hayes family owned expansive ranges of beef cattle grazing land when we were young and were our landlords for a year before we moved across the street.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a 68 acre non-profit garden comprised of 24 major collections including Florida’s largest display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.
Using leaves accumulated after the storm to mulch the new garden. Soil dug up from behind the house is used to build up berms to redirect rain water flow away from the house. The soil is also used to mix with sandier soil to make seed pockets for seedlings. We make an A-frame level to map contours to understand water flow from the yard down toward the house.
Poe Springs is the largest spring in Alachua County, pumping 45 million gallons of fresh water into the Santa Fe River daily.
The 121 km Santa Fe River drains a 3,574 km2 watershed spanning seven counties of north central Florida from the headwaters at Lake Santa Fe, near Keystone Heights. The slow speed of the river along with leaf-drop from Bald Cypress and other trees results in dissolved tannins coloring the river a dark dark-brown.
Marc flies back to Akron in the evening
Sweetwater Wetlands Park is a 125 acre man-made wetland habitat designed to improve water quality by filtering out pollution and nutrients, restoring natural water flow to 1,300 acres of formerly drained wetlands in Paynes Prairie and improving water quality in the Alachua Sink and the Floridan aquifer.
Following PCR test on landing, Covid quarantine is 10 days isolation plus 7 days of self monitoring. Release from the 10 day period requires a seoond negative PCR test. Antigen tests are self administered every few days, and officials from the CDC and Foreign Affairs Police monitor your phone movement and call to ask about your health status and test results every day.
