okefenokee swamp
Wormsloe Historic site and the Georgia coastal marsh, Savannah, Georgia
These next few blog posts will be dedicated to a class I am currently taking at Georgia State University concerning the natural environments of Georgia.
Southern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana var) covered with Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) at Jones Marsh Creek along the public trail of Wormsloe Historic Site. Spanish moss is a native, perennial, epiphyte herb which is in fact neither a moss or lichen, It is a flowing plant, which anchors onto a host plant without taking any water or nutrients from the host. It derives water from humidity and rainfall, and nutrients from the air. Often also called an air-plant or old-man's beard, it was once commonly used by native Americans to weave bedding, rugs, and rope. I have also heard it referred to as witch's hair. Spanish moss is common throughout the Deep South.
This, to me, is what home looks like. A Magnolia grandifora, Southern Live oak (Quercus virginiana, and Spanish moss trio.
Magnolia grandiflora in bloom during the summer a little south of Wormsloe Historic Site at Jekyll Island. Magnolia's bloom throughout the summer, so none were in bloom during this November visit.
skink spotted on the maritime forest floor.
We visited the managed forest preserve, Wormsloe Historic Site and Tybee Island in Savannah, Georgia on the weekend of November 4, 2016 to experience a taste of Georgia's Maritime Ecoregion. The Maritime Ecoregion of Georgia is a small but incredibly vital one, containing the largest area of the protected maritime forest of any state on the East Coast, as well as one-third of the remaining salt marsh habitat on the entire East-Coast. This is largely due to the protection of Georgia's barrier islands thru Federal, State, and private ownership.
The distribution of Maritime forest along the coast is often interrupted by bays and inlets, or by narrower barrier islands that are not large enough to support forest growth. Although protections are under place, urban development continues to encroach upon these communities at a much higher rate than ever before as land that once was considered inhabitable or of little value is converted into golf courses and luxury resorts. It also becomes much more difficult to prescribe fire to forests who benefit from the use of fire management in places where roads intersect and housing is near by.
The Maritime Ecoregion is also characterized by Salt Marshes and Brackish Tidal Marshes, Maritime Dunes, Interdunal Wetlands, Tidal Swamps, Intertidal Beaches and Sand Bars and Mud Flats, and Freshwater Tidal Marshes.
The Wormsloe Historic Site and property is and managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and is open to the public as a state park. It is located on the southern end of the Isle of Hope and is bordered by Jones Creek and Jones Marsh on the East and Moon River and surrounding marsh to the West. Approximately 60% of the Isle of Marsh has been preserved in it's natural state, which includes Maritime Forest, Intertidal Marsh, and limited Freshwater Wetland habitat.
Recent trends of sea level rise are documented at 3 to 6 mm per year. (https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/slrmap.htm)
The island core is currently 3 to 5 meters above mean sea level. Early 19th century records indicate that the hydraulic heads of artisan wells located on the property were once well above the surface, although they are now 40 feet below earth surface.
At least one well on the property showed evidence of saltwater intrusion on 11/6/2016.
On the Beach of Tybee Island we observed an example of the Maritime dune system. The texture of the beach sand is much more thick and muddy than one might expect of a natural beach, due to the course sands being dredged from the ocean floor to widen shipping lanes for cargo ships headed to the port of Savannah. You can read a little more about the $706 million project here.
We observed the ecology of the dune formation with several species of flower still in bloom. Plants of Maritime dunes may include some trees that are salt tolerate such as the Southern Red cedar and Live oak, but are mostly characterized by small shrubs and vining plants that helps to hold the sands together. We observed pennywort, Beach morning-glory, Dune hairgrass, Dune prickly-pear, Wax-myrtle, Peppervine, Saw palmetto, and Railroad vine. Other common plants of this ecosystem include Spanish dagger, Creeping frogfruit, and Groundsel tree.
These dunes are a critical nesting habitat for five of the seven known species of endangered sea turtles, with the majority of nests belonging to loggerheads and leatherbacks.
The distribution of Maritime forest along the coast is often interrupted by bays and inlets, or by narrower barrier islands that are not large enough to support forest growth. Although protections are under place, urban development continues to encroach upon these communities at a much higher rate than ever before as land that once was considered inhabitable or of little value is converted into golf courses and luxury resorts. It also becomes much more difficult to prescribe fire to forests who benefit from the use of fire management in places where roads intersect and housing is near by.
The Maritime Ecoregion is also characterized by Salt Marshes and Brackish Tidal Marshes, Maritime Dunes, Interdunal Wetlands, Tidal Swamps, Intertidal Beaches and Sand Bars and Mud Flats, and Freshwater Tidal Marshes.
The Wormsloe Historic Site and property is and managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and is open to the public as a state park. It is located on the southern end of the Isle of Hope and is bordered by Jones Creek and Jones Marsh on the East and Moon River and surrounding marsh to the West. Approximately 60% of the Isle of Marsh has been preserved in it's natural state, which includes Maritime Forest, Intertidal Marsh, and limited Freshwater Wetland habitat.
Recent trends of sea level rise are documented at 3 to 6 mm per year. (https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/slrmap.htm)
The island core is currently 3 to 5 meters above mean sea level. Early 19th century records indicate that the hydraulic heads of artisan wells located on the property were once well above the surface, although they are now 40 feet below earth surface.
At least one well on the property showed evidence of saltwater intrusion on 11/6/2016.
On the Beach of Tybee Island we observed an example of the Maritime dune system. The texture of the beach sand is much more thick and muddy than one might expect of a natural beach, due to the course sands being dredged from the ocean floor to widen shipping lanes for cargo ships headed to the port of Savannah. You can read a little more about the $706 million project here.
We observed the ecology of the dune formation with several species of flower still in bloom. Plants of Maritime dunes may include some trees that are salt tolerate such as the Southern Red cedar and Live oak, but are mostly characterized by small shrubs and vining plants that helps to hold the sands together. We observed pennywort, Beach morning-glory, Dune hairgrass, Dune prickly-pear, Wax-myrtle, Peppervine, Saw palmetto, and Railroad vine. Other common plants of this ecosystem include Spanish dagger, Creeping frogfruit, and Groundsel tree.
These dunes are a critical nesting habitat for five of the seven known species of endangered sea turtles, with the majority of nests belonging to loggerheads and leatherbacks.
Southern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana var) covered with Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) at Jones Marsh Creek along the public trail of Wormsloe Historic Site. Spanish moss is a native, perennial, epiphyte herb which is in fact neither a moss or lichen, It is a flowing plant, which anchors onto a host plant without taking any water or nutrients from the host. It derives water from humidity and rainfall, and nutrients from the air. Often also called an air-plant or old-man's beard, it was once commonly used by native Americans to weave bedding, rugs, and rope. I have also heard it referred to as witch's hair. Spanish moss is common throughout the Deep South.
This, to me, is what home looks like. A Magnolia grandifora, Southern Live oak (Quercus virginiana, and Spanish moss trio.
Magnolia grandiflora in bloom during the summer a little south of Wormsloe Historic Site at Jekyll Island. Magnolia's bloom throughout the summer, so none were in bloom during this November visit.
skink spotted on the maritime forest floor.
Fiddler crab hiding in a deer print.
The southern portion of Jones Marsh, where these sands lie, has been impacted by the large-scale dredging of soils moved to construct the Diamond Causeway (1968-1972).
Saw palmetto is a groundcover found in Maritime forests and most closely associated with Longleaf pine forests. It's medicinal uses that have been known to native Americans for centuries are currently being explored, and Saw palmetto supplements can be bought in capsule form at your local grocer as a treatment for many ailments, most notably enlarged prostate in men and hormonal imbalances in women.
an unknown fungus or lichen with a pretty pastel hue
Beach morning-glory (Ipomoea imperati) found on the Maritime dune of Tybee Island.
Sunset over Jones Marsh from Wormsloe
Jones Marsh and Jones Creek at Wormsloe Historic Site
Ghost shrimp found in its hole on the forebeach of Tybee Island. (as soon as this picture was taken we sent it back home)
This lichen is my absolute favorite species. It is called Cryptothecia rubrocincta, or more commonly Christmas wreath lichen. Growing up I always heard it referred to as bubble gum lichen and that's what I still like to call it.
Hericium erinaceus,
also known as Lion's mane mushroom or bearded tooth mushroom, is often found growing on hardwoods and is both edible and medicinal and is widely consumed in Asia where is it also native. (There are some look a-likes, though, so please do not ingest any wild mushrooms unless you have done more research than just my blog post ;)
Atlantic ghost crab on a primary dune.
Saw palmetto block print I carved in 2013
Live oak (Quercus virginiana) a true stand-out species of the Maritime forest, with leaves that stay green all year.
Maritime forest seen along Jones Marsh. To the right, Sabal palmetto,( or cabbage palmetto) and to the left, Cedar.
Cloudland Canyon
These next few blog posts will be dedicated to a class I am currently taking at Georgia State University concerning the natural environments of Georgia.
600 million years ago the area of Coudland Canyon was once covered by a shallow sea full of tiny marine organisms, some of whose remains would be pressed into the limestone bedrock and are still visible today within the exposed rock at sites like Ruby Falls within the Mountain. Cloudland Canyon lies on the Southern end of Lookout Mountain, which was formed over 250 million years ago during the collision of North American and Africa along with the formation of the Appalachian Mountain range. This collision bent and folded the existing layers of rock, creating cracks that allowed water through to begin the process or erosion that would eventually create the surrounding lower elevation areas such as Cloudland Canyon. So essentially, Cloudland Canyon was formed from erosion, and long ago the surrounding elevation was all much higher. The Appalachian Mountains used to be a mighty tall range that is still slowing eroding into the sea. What we see at Cloudland Canyon is the product of that erosion and a forest that was once under the sea, and if current trends of sea level rise continue, it may once again be.
Several ecological communities can be found here, such as Oak-Pine-Hickory forest and pine-oak woodlands.
The Acidic Oak-Pine-Hickory forest community seen here includes tree species such as Southern red oak (Quercus falcata), White oak (Quercus alba), Rock Chestnut oak (Quercus montana), Post oak (Quercus stellata), Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), sourwood (Oxydenfrum arboreum), and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).
The sandy, acidic soils created by sandstone and shale bedrock support acid loving ericaceous shrubs such as mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), hillside blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), sparkle berry (Vaccinium arboreum), fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginicus), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) .
The park is also home to Acidic Cliff and Rock Outcrop communities, which support mountain spleenwort (Asplenium montanum), partridge-berry (Mitchella repens), and hairy-southern bush-honeysuckle, which makes me laugh and just to name a few.
"Located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon is one of the largest and most scenic parks in the state. Home to thousand-foot deep canyons, sandstone cliffs, wild caves, waterfalls, cascading creeks, dense woodland and abundant wildlife, the park offers ample outdoor recreation opportunities. Hiking and mountain biking trails abound. The most popular hiking paths include the short Overlook Trail, strenuous Waterfalls Trail and moderate West Rim Loop Trail. Mountain biking is available at the newly developed Five Points Recreation Area and along the Cloudland Connector Trail. The park also includes an 18-hole disc golf course, wild caves available for touring during select months of the year, a fishing pond, trails for horseback riding, picnicking grounds and numerous interpretive programs, especially on weekends. Guests seeking an overnight experience can choose from fully-equipped and comfortable cottages, quirky yurts or several different types of camping and backpacking options. Come enjoy the great outdoors at Cloudland Canyon State Park."
http://www.gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
On this day of early Fall October 15, 2016, North Georgia has been experiencing a severe drought and none of the waterfalls or spray cliffs in the park had water flow. Signs of drought could also be seen in many of the wilting ericaceous plants.
Several ecological communities can be found here, such as Oak-Pine-Hickory forest and pine-oak woodlands.
The Acidic Oak-Pine-Hickory forest community seen here includes tree species such as Southern red oak (Quercus falcata), White oak (Quercus alba), Rock Chestnut oak (Quercus montana), Post oak (Quercus stellata), Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), sourwood (Oxydenfrum arboreum), and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).
The sandy, acidic soils created by sandstone and shale bedrock support acid loving ericaceous shrubs such as mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), hillside blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), sparkle berry (Vaccinium arboreum), fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginicus), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) .
The park is also home to Acidic Cliff and Rock Outcrop communities, which support mountain spleenwort (Asplenium montanum), partridge-berry (Mitchella repens), and hairy-southern bush-honeysuckle, which makes me laugh and just to name a few.
"Located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon is one of the largest and most scenic parks in the state. Home to thousand-foot deep canyons, sandstone cliffs, wild caves, waterfalls, cascading creeks, dense woodland and abundant wildlife, the park offers ample outdoor recreation opportunities. Hiking and mountain biking trails abound. The most popular hiking paths include the short Overlook Trail, strenuous Waterfalls Trail and moderate West Rim Loop Trail. Mountain biking is available at the newly developed Five Points Recreation Area and along the Cloudland Connector Trail. The park also includes an 18-hole disc golf course, wild caves available for touring during select months of the year, a fishing pond, trails for horseback riding, picnicking grounds and numerous interpretive programs, especially on weekends. Guests seeking an overnight experience can choose from fully-equipped and comfortable cottages, quirky yurts or several different types of camping and backpacking options. Come enjoy the great outdoors at Cloudland Canyon State Park."
http://www.gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
On this day of early Fall October 15, 2016, North Georgia has been experiencing a severe drought and none of the waterfalls or spray cliffs in the park had water flow. Signs of drought could also be seen in many of the wilting ericaceous plants.
Virginia pine (Pinus virginia)
wild blueberries (Vaccinium arboreum)
dry shrubs and rock outcroppings
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
Drought conditions have severely wilted this rhododendron, which likes a moist and acidic environment.
Calcareous cliff rocks in Cloudland Canyon are high in Calcium and limestone and are easily eroded.
Rhododendron maximum
( this is a photo of Rosebay rhododendron seen in bloom on an earlier trip to the canyon in mid-summer)
Kalmia latifolia
(Mountain laurel, also seen earlier in the year when it was in bloom early summer)
turkey tails (Trametes versicolor) are a common polypore mushroom found in many parts of the world and has been used medicinally in many cultures as well.
Sassafras sapling (Sassafras albidum), a fragrant tree made locally famous for it's use in brewing root beer
Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Autumn leaf butterfly competing with paper wasps for the sap of this tree.
the bright beginnings of the unmistakable and edible Chicken of the Woods fungus, also known as sulphur shelf , (Laetiporous sulphureus)
The white spots seen on this young Hemlock tree are a colony of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HMA), which is an invasive insect imported from Asia that has decimated Georgia's Hemlock populations and continues to spread quickly across the state.
scenic views from the rim trail show the exposed bedrock cliffs
creek poetry
We spent the afternoon sifting through our backyard creek.
Collection as follows: eastern swallowtail butterfly, tulip poplar leaves, shoe sole, bic lighter, quartz crystal, and various unidentified clay rocks
Swallow tail wings were piled in great numbers, eaten by some creature who seems to collect them all in one spot to feast before discarding the leftovers.
Lake Seminole
Pictured here is my Great-Grandfather, Fred Faircloth. circa 1918.
My Grandfather was a field laborer, and homesteader, like many were in Southwest Georgia in those days. He worked his body to the bone to afford a small plot of land in Seminole County, Georgia, close to the site of Lake Seminole before it was flooded and damned into one of the biggest lakes in Georgia
as it is today. He grew vegetables for the family, and raised turkeys and chickens for the meat and eggs. Deer were hunted and eaten as well. Some days he worked as a laborer and some days he went out with a group of men, mostly poor and black, to collect turpentine from the long leaf pines. They would carry huge metal buckets strapped to their backs for collecting the sap. This, of course, was before all the Long Leaf Pines were cut down. I grew up playing on his swamp land in the house that he built by hand. It was here that I was motivated to identify species of snake, mostly in attempt to convince my grandmother to stop killing the non-venomous ones.
When I think of the word "farmer", my great-grandfather is who I think of, even though he might not have called himself one at the time. His old house has since been sold and the first thing the new owners did was cut down the massive old oaks on the property to sell them for timber.
As they say, there is a "special place in hell".
My Grandmother, Ruby-Jean Faircloth on our small family farm, Seminole County, circa 1938
Providence Canyon
Providence Canyon is a little off the beaten path and a short drive away from both Kolomoki Mounds historical site and White Oak Pastures,( you could actually visit all three of these places in one day). White Oak Pastures provides excellent meals and lodging if you decide to lengthen your explorations.
http://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon
Located about 150 miles southwest of Atlanta in the Coastal Plain eco-region of Gerogia, Providence Canyon was formed over 150 years ago from agricultural erosion. Forests were cleared on a massive scale for cotton fields and timber, and with no vegetation to protect it the remaining topsoil was washed away by rains, creating the deeply eroded gullies and canyons that are still slowly eroding today. I found a geologic guide by Lisa Joyce, which noted to a story that the canyon was started by water leaking from the roof of a barn that used to sit on top of it. While this may not be true, you gotta love a southern folk tale. We are full of them.
Because the canyon is created by loose sediments, rapid changes can occur suddenly and visitors are warned to be extra careful in wet or rainy conditions.
The exposed clay formations of the canyon gives us a look back in time, and through geological analysis one can even see where the ocean once flowed over the area, lowered, and flowed again. Some of the major sediments present are iron-ore, mica, and kaolin clay.
We visited Providence Canyon on a sunny Thanksgiving Day, 2015. It was a typical South Georgia day in November, just chilly enough for a light jacket and hardly no wind at all.
The slightly running stream of water and minerals at the bottom of the canyon is full of iridescent particles that are hard to see from the photographs alone.
Kaolin clay mining production near Providence Canyon in Bluffton, Georgia. Photo take 11/24/2016
http://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon
Located about 150 miles southwest of Atlanta in the Coastal Plain eco-region of Gerogia, Providence Canyon was formed over 150 years ago from agricultural erosion. Forests were cleared on a massive scale for cotton fields and timber, and with no vegetation to protect it the remaining topsoil was washed away by rains, creating the deeply eroded gullies and canyons that are still slowly eroding today. I found a geologic guide by Lisa Joyce, which noted to a story that the canyon was started by water leaking from the roof of a barn that used to sit on top of it. While this may not be true, you gotta love a southern folk tale. We are full of them.
Because the canyon is created by loose sediments, rapid changes can occur suddenly and visitors are warned to be extra careful in wet or rainy conditions.
The exposed clay formations of the canyon gives us a look back in time, and through geological analysis one can even see where the ocean once flowed over the area, lowered, and flowed again. Some of the major sediments present are iron-ore, mica, and kaolin clay.
We visited Providence Canyon on a sunny Thanksgiving Day, 2015. It was a typical South Georgia day in November, just chilly enough for a light jacket and hardly no wind at all.
The slightly running stream of water and minerals at the bottom of the canyon is full of iridescent particles that are hard to see from the photographs alone.
Kaolin clay mining production near Providence Canyon in Bluffton, Georgia. Photo take 11/24/2016
