Category Archives: Rivers and Streams

How do Tupelo Trees and Crawfish Help Apalachicola Bay?

Apalachicola River and Bay, Rivers and Streams, Swamps and other Wetlands, Waterways Big and Small, , , , , , ,

Perhaps no swamp tree captures the imagination more than the ogeechee tupelo.  But altered river flows on the Apalachicola River are causing a decline of this critical plant in the river floodplain.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Public Media

I have to state, for the record, that it was Georgia’s idea to do a segment where she learns to drive the Riverkeeper boat.  Georgia Ackerman is one of the most experienced people I know out on the water.  In a kayak.  But as the new Apalachicola Riverkeeper, she needs to drive the boat.  I wanted to cover the transition between herself and Dan Tonsmeire, and I had two requests.  First, take me (and the WFSU viewers) somewhere we’d never seen before.  Second, I wanted some last nuggets of wisdom from Dan, as he handed the reigns to his successor. Continue reading How do Tupelo Trees and Crawfish Help Apalachicola Bay? →

Steephead Salamander Search, and the Apalachicola’s Ice Age Refugees

Apalachicola River and Bay, Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf Pine, Swamps and other Wetlands, Wildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small, , , , , ,

In a steephead ravine, we enter a landscape as Appalachian as it is Floridian- perhaps a glimpse at the Apalachicola River of the ice ages.  In part 3 of our salamander adventure, Bruce Means climbs down in search of the Apalachicola dusky, an animal he discovered here over 50 years ago.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Public Media

“We’re standing at one of the places I most love in this world,” Bruce Means tells the camera.  “There’s a big surprise right behind me.”

Dr. Means stands in an open field, a row of oak trees a short distance away.  When we get to the tree line, we look down.  Up here, all we see are the tops of trees and a slope that descends into shadows.  At the bottoms of those trees, however, lies the promise of rare plants and animals, a few of which aren’t found anywhere but the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines region.  This is a steephead ravine. Continue reading Steephead Salamander Search, and the Apalachicola’s Ice Age Refugees →

Underwater archeologists excavate the Ryan-harley site on the lower Wacissa River.

Seeing the Ice Age Wacissa Through Artifacts and Fossils

Archaeology, Paleontology, History, and Indigenous Cultures, Rivers and Streams, , , , , , , ,

Last week, we met Morgan Smith’s team and got to know their archeological sites on the Silver River.  Today, we’ll revisit their Wacissa River site, see some of the artifacts and fossils they’ve found, and learn what they can tell us about ice age Florida.   We’ll also look ahead to potential off shore digs.

Special thanks to Shawn Joy, Morgan Smith, and Matt Vinzant of Karst Underwater Research for letting us use their underwater footage.  Morgan’s research is sponsored by the Felburn Foundation, Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M University, and the PaleoWest Foundation. He would like to thank the Silver River State Park, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Public Media

In the video above, we visit three archeological sites on two rivers.  When you watch footage from each sites, one sticks out as the most visually striking.  It’s an underwater cavern at the head spring of the Silver River, and it’s full of mammoth bones.  It looks like a cool place to explore.  But it’s also the site with the least scientific value. Continue reading Seeing the Ice Age Wacissa Through Artifacts and Fossils →

Morgan Smith, in full scuba gear, descends into Silver Springs' (Florida) head spring, also known as Mammoth Spring.

Underwater Archeology in Florida Part 1 | Silver River Mammoths

Archaeology, Paleontology, History, and Indigenous Cultures, Rivers and Streams, , , , , ,

Last year, an archeological site on the Aucilla River made international news when an artifact was found in sediment radiocarbon dated to 14,550 years ago.  This makes it one of the oldest sites in North America, further evidence that people were here earlier than once believed.  We catch up with the research team behind that find.  Our area is a hotbed for underwater archeology; in fact, our many waterways might be our greatest archeological asset.

Special thanks to Shawn Joy, Morgan Smith, and Matt Vinzant of Karst Underwater Research for letting us use their underwater footage.  Morgan’s research is sponsored by the Felburn Foundation, Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M University, and the PaleoWest Foundation. He would like to thank the Silver River State Park, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Public Media

“Ocala famous, baby!” Shawn says as he and Morgan look over the cover of the Ocala Star Banner.  In one photo, the two of them are beneath the Silver River in scuba gear, under the headline “Unearthing History”.  Excavating a submerged mammoth kill site might be as glamorous as prehistoric archeology gets, and it looks good on the newsstand. Continue reading Underwater Archeology in Florida Part 1 | Silver River Mammoths →

Mist covers a Saint Vincent Island Beach.

Saint Vincent Island | Where Red Wolves Learn to Be Wild

Apalachicola River and Bay, EcoAdventures, Wildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small, , ,

The following video on the red wolves of Saint Vincent Island premiered at our screening of Red Wolf Revival at the Tallahassee Museum last Saturday.  Next Thursday, April 27, at 8 pm ET Reel South: Red Wolf Revival will air on WFSU-TV.  This award winning documentary looks at the wild population of red wolves, which lives in North Carolina.

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REEL SOUTH is a co-production of UNC-TV, South Carolina ETV, and the Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

If you missed it, make sure to check out our previous red wolf segment, on the breeding program at the Tallahassee Museum.

As in that previous segment, original music was composed for this video by Tracy Horenbein.  Thanks to Tracy, and to Velma Frye and Becky Reardon for allowing us to use their song, Saint Vincent Island.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Media

Looking at it on a map, you can see how Saint Vincent Island is different than its neighbors.  Think of Cape San Blas, St. George Island, and Dog Island as its siblings, all four birthed by the Apalachicola River.  The others are skinny, while Saint Vincent, the oldest sibling, is, to put it nicely, thick.  It’s not typical of barrier islands in Florida.  However, this size makes it an ideal host for endangered red wolves. Continue reading Saint Vincent Island | Where Red Wolves Learn to Be Wild →

A kayaker makes her way down the Wacissa River.

Wacissa Springs Adventure | Kayaking a Wild Florida River

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Kick back and relax on a short trip down the Wacissa River.  Recent rains had darkened the water on our shoot day, but wildlife was out in full force.  This segment aired on the February 16 episode of Local Routes.

Music in the video was provided by Brian Bowen.  Thanks to Brian, and to Dave Murphy of Winterstone Sound for providing instrumental versions of Brian’s songs.

Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Media

“If I had to come back to the same place over and over again, I would pick the Wacissa,” Harry Smith told us as we paddled back to the boat ramp.  Harry is an outfitter based out of Tallahassee’s Railroad Square.  We spent the day kayaking with him, his wife, and a few friends.  Retired FWC biologist Michael Hill came along to get in some fishing and share his knowledge of aquatic flora and fauna.

Continue reading Wacissa Springs Adventure | Kayaking a Wild Florida River →

A Geologist’s View of the Apalachicola River | Shark Fossils and Rocks

Apalachicola River and Bay, Archaeology, Paleontology, History, and Indigenous Cultures, EcoAdventures, Kayak and Canoe Adventures, Rivers and Streams, , , , ,

MegaThis week’s musical guest on Local Routes is Taller Trees, who perform their song Old As Earth.  That’s kind of the theme of this video as well.  In it, we look at rocks and fossils with geologist Harley Means.  He shows us what the old earth around the Apalachicola River tells us about its ancient past.

Music in this video was provided by Chris Matechik.  You can catch his band, The Flatheads, playing in and around Apalachicola.  The RiverTrek kayak trip featured in this story is a fundraiser for Apalachicola Riverkeeper.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU Media

Alum Bluff was once Apalachicola Bay.  Currently, it towers above the Apalachicola River, 84 miles from the coast.  Florida’s largest geologic outcropping is a peek under the skin of the earth, eroded into view by the river.  Here, we can see millions of years of shifting shorelines and animals long gone.  And by we, I mean geologist Harley Means.  He sees these things, and he was nice enough to interpret them for us on RiverTrek 2016.

Continue reading A Geologist’s View of the Apalachicola River | Shark Fossils and Rocks →

Upper Chipola River Kayak Adventure | Ghosts & Thunder on the Water

Apalachicola River and Bay, EcoAdventures, Kayak and Canoe Adventures, Rivers and Streams, ,

November is Paddle sports Month in Florida, and what better way to celebrate than with a trip down the Upper Chipola River?  We’ve got a ghost story, some log climbing, and a little inclement weather.

Music for the segment was provided by the Adventures of Annabelle Lyn.  Check out their performance on Local Routes from a few weeks back.

Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU-TV

“Well, you do have dry bags, right?”  Tyler Macmillan asks, sitting in his kayak and consulting his phone.  We’re almost half an hour into our Upper Chipola River kayak trip, and we’re starting to hear thunder.  We have a choice to make- do we paddle back upstream or race ahead? Continue reading Upper Chipola River Kayak Adventure | Ghosts & Thunder on the Water →

Saint Vincent Island | Appalachian Sands and Rising Seas

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We journey to one of the most remote places in the WFSU viewing area: Saint Vincent Island. Our hosts are author Susan Cerulean and Florida State University oceanographer Dr. Jeff Chanton. They shared their respective artistic and scientific perspectives of this stunning barrier island.

In the video, you’ll hear a song titled St. Vincent Island, which was written and performed by Velma Frye and Becky Reardon.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU-TV

After we visited Saint Vincent Island, Jeff and Susan drove me out to a strip of sand called Flagg Island.  A popular nesting site for shore birds, the 25 acre sand bar has been proposed as a Critical Wildlife Area.  This designation would prohibit people from getting within a certain distance of the island, letting the birds do their thing. Continue reading Saint Vincent Island | Appalachian Sands and Rising Seas →

The Apalachicola Oyster in 2016 | A Long Road to Recovery

Apalachicola River and Bay, Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef, ,

A few weeks ago, we explored the Apalachicola oyster’s connection with the Apalachicola River Delta, and the mysterious Tate’s Hell swamp.  Today, we take a closer look at the oyster itself, and its embattled bay.  We return to the bay next week for an adventure on Saint Vincent Island with author Susan Cerulean and FSU Oceanographer Jeff Chanton.

As in the Tate’s Hell video, music was composed for the piece by Chris Matechik.  Chris plays in the acoustic duo, the Flatheads, and is a marine technician at the FSU Coastal & Marine Laboratory.

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Rob Diaz de Villegas WFSU-TV

An oyster is tonged from Apalachicola Bay.  It is shucked, handed to me, and eaten just minutes after it left the water.  Almost immediately, a wave of energy washes over me.  This must be what Popeye feels when he eats spinach, or Mario when he eats the mushroom and becomes Super Mario.

It is, as Shannon Hartsfield says in the video, a perfect half shell oyster. Continue reading The Apalachicola Oyster in 2016 | A Long Road to Recovery →