Just like the microbiome within your own gut, the beautiful, carnivorous pitcher plants of #Okefenokee have their own miniature ecosystem within, too! The pools of water at the bottom of their modified pitfall trap leaves contain not just a variety of enzymes, but more bacteria, algae, and protozoans than you can shake a stick at. The entire bunch work together to break down prey that die in the trap. A swamp within a swamp is how I like to think of it!
Come see pitcher plants galore with us! Book your local Naturalist-led boat or paddle tour at okefenokee-satilla.com. We'll take you to em!
#getoutdoors #georgia #georgiaonmymind #ecotour #naturalist #plantlovers #adventuresawait
Here's a little bit of what it looks like to canoe 9 miles to Floyd's Island in the heart of the #okefenokeeswamp! 😍
Plan your trip there at okefenokee-satilla.com
when a swamp guide plays chicken with a gator (aka, it just wants to get past me)
I just got back from a solo canoe camping trip to Floyd's Island in the middle of the #okefenokeeswamp today. On the skinny trail out from the island, I encountered a gator on a mission! Some may have panicked thinking that the gator was being aggressive and coming right at them, and then trying to attack!
No... what is really happening, is that the gator in this video was trying to get somewhere, and a human in a canoe was in their way. They dove out of the way at the last second when they realized there wasn't much room for either of us to go. Then popped back up after we passed each other and resumed (after I stopped recording) the path it was taking.
There isn't much room on some of these narrow wilderness trails in Okefenokee, so sometimes you have encounters like this. Just stay calm and know that there is very little chance that the gator is actually trying to be aggressive with you!
More photos and videos to come!
#okefenokee #canoecamping #wildernessskills
Enjoy this sunny summer look at Billy's Lake on the west side of the Okefenokee Swamp from my canoe!
Want to experience one of our private, small-group guided Okefenokee Swamp tours, by motorized boat or kayak/canoe? Start at okefenokee-satilla.com, or email [email protected]. We want to share our love of this amazing land with you!
Here's a short glimpse of what it looks like to go on a private guided trip in "The Swamp"! On this morning's 3 hour private boat tour, I took my guests on an 8 mile journey on the eastern side of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. We saw all manner of bird life, gators around every bend, water lilies galore, and more Spanish moss than you can shake a stick at! What an amazing place we have to love, visit, and conserve.
Okefenokee is not only our local heritage, but a national treasure. If you have never been, but have always wanted to experience it for yourself, please reach out! I'm proud to show my guests the wonder of The Land of the Trembling Earth.
Our next public 3 hour boat tour of the west side of the Swamp is coming up on August 23rd- sign up by emailing Jenny at [email protected]!
okefenokee-satilla.com
Follow Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge here on Facebook to keep up with Oke updates! If you go to the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area on the east side of the Swamp (the Main Entrance, near Folkston), be sure to visit the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center to watch the movie and see the exhibits about the Swamp!
Music by Kevin Macleod
