from
The
Nature Coast and Cedar Key
Florida
Landing
on the central gulf coast of Florida, I
immediately wondered what kind of Nature can be
found along one of the most highly developed
parts of the western shoreline. It turns out
that there is a lot of natural substance to see
and experience. This is an area of rivers, some
of them born in the abundant springs of the
region, flowing with crystal clear water toward
the sea, and then mixing with the gulf's salt
water to create estuaries with fine salt
marshes. Manatees gather in the warmer estuaries
along with tropical fish and plants. River
otters patrol the stream banks, and shore birds
mix with sea birds where the rivers meet the
sea. This is a zone where the sub-tropical meets
the temperate, a world of wetlands where the
landscape is constantly changed by water and
wind, most dramatically by hurricanes and
tropical rainstorms.
The
southern boundary of this region is Tampa Bay,
while the Suwanee River, to the north with its
origins in Georgia, cuts a swath through
northern and central Florida, ending in a wide
estuary just north of Cedar Key.
Since
1983, three manatee refuges have been created
along the Nature Coast. But this notable
accomplishment may have come too late, for the
manatees are severely endangered, and as
recently as the spring of 1996, more than 120
manatees perished along this part of the coast
and in Southwest Florida---more dead manatees
than are usually found in all of Florida in a
full year. Scientists are trying to find a
reason for this disturbing phenomenon: perhaps a
red tide that has visited the Gulf Coast all to
often in recent years. Recent cold weather may
have weakened the warmth-loving "sea cows," and
made them susceptible to a red tide toxin. Or
could it be a more serious and permanent
disease? The previous decline of the manatee has
been largely credited to destruction by boat
propellers. Before this recent event, there were
about 2,000 West Indian manatees in Florida
waters. The annual death rate hovers around ten
percent.
The
plight of the manatee has finally brought a
great deal of attention to the declining state
of wildlife along this busy and popular part of
the gulf coastline. The newly dedicated
sanctuaries and previously established estuarine
preserves may help to restore the delicate
wetlands balance to this highly-developed
region.
The
"Nature Coast" is a new designation, creating a
tourism region cobbled together from the coastal
counties. The area's chambers of commerce and
political leaders have realized that the
economic future of the region depends on
tourism, and the best form of tourism is that
which is based on visits to natural attractions.
A visit to the Nature Coast can be extremely
rewarding, with all of the sites within an easy
day's drive of each other. The most important of
these is Cedar Keys National Wildlife
Refuge, based on the rustic barrier island
which retains much of its 19th century
atmosphere. This is not an area of deluxe
resorts, in the fashion of Sanibel, but a rustic
area blessed with flocks of white pelicans
between November and April, and nesting cranes,
among many other species.
To
the north is the Lower Suwanee Wildlife
Refuge, taking up 26 miles of gulf shoreline
and the banks of the Suwanee, the river made
famous by the Stephen Foster song. The refuge
combines salt water marshes with swampy
alligator country. In the middle of the Nature
Coast is Chassahowitzka National Wildlife
Refuge. Located just south of the Crystal
River, this is manatee country, and a sanctuary
for many other animal species.
This
part of Florida was one of the first to be
settled. The town of Cedar Key had its
first boom during the 1870s, when a thriving
port was quickly built, complete with a railway
line snaking across the state from Tallahassee.
Ships loaded cotton, lumber mills cut timber,
and the logs were loaded on freighters for
transport along the Gulf Coast and to foreign
nations. Hotels and warehouses were built. The
bust came as soon as Tampa was designated as the
region's deep water port, and commerce forgot
about Cedar Key. The town is now much as it was
many years ago, with period architecture, small
inns, and a relaxed lifestyle. None of the
original human inhabitants of the Nature Coast
are found here now. While the Cedar Key area was
once the home of the Timucua Indians, the sad
story of all of the Florida native people was
played out here, as well.
Cedar
Key
Located
mid-way between Tampa and Tallahassee, the town
of Cedar Key is out-of-the-way, and the local
residents prefer it that way. While big things
were forecast for this area more than a century
ago, little has happened to make it a center of
commerce, although there have been some notable
tries to make it so.
About
800 people live here, the remnants of the up and
down existence that has plagued Cedar Key since
sugar magnate and slaveowner David Levy Yulee
planted a sugar plantation and championed the
cross-state railroad that linked Cedar Key to
Fernandina in 1861. Cedar Key was the second
largest city in the state during the 1880s, with
the trains bringing hundreds of thousands of
tourists. Eagle Pencils set up a factory here to
take advantage of the abundant cedar forests,
and proceeded to make their famous pencils,
which they exported to the world. The only
problem was that within a few years the cedars
had all been cut down, and Eagle moved to more
productive areas. By 1890, the grand dream was
over, and the town settled into a rustic
obscurity. The two current reminders of Levy's
career in the area are the ruins of his sugar
mill at Homosassa, and the county which bears
his name.
What
commercial activity remained centered on
harvesting seafood, including fish and oysters.
Then, in 1896, a devastating hurricane destroyed
the town and the docks and Cedar Key went back
to square one. The venerable Island Hotel
(1861) is one of the few pre-hurricane buildings
standing today, and still operates as a favorite
place to stay. Today it's a quiet little tourist
town, next door to the Cedar Keys National
Wildlife Refuge, playing its part in the growing
eco-travel business. The Cedar Keys State
Museum not only reflects the stormy and
checkered history of the town, but also hosts a
fine shell collection. The Cedar Key
Historical Society Museum offers more
artifacts and local lore. Several small cafes
offer basic dining, including the indigenous
mullet, served three meals a day.
Evening
walks on the wharf and through the small town
park where a plaque marks the terminus of the
old railroad provide a reflective time, and
spark quiet enjoyment at the thought of this
little community sitting here after all these
years of boom and bust, looking much as it must
have looked before the rails came to town and
the machinations of Senator David Levy Yulee
faded from the scene.
Seashore
Key is a nearby island that attracts visitors to
its sandy beaches and excellent bird watching.
You get there by local shuttle boats. The
channels between the small islands provide
chances for perfect canoeing
expeditions---through bird-filled salt marshes
and mangrove swamps, and through the mazes of
the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.
This is not an area for a fast, hurried visit.
There is much to see from this rustic little
community, and a chance to explore remote areas
not filled with other visitors. The mainland
areas offer a look at shell mounds from the age
of the Tocobaga people, plus much wildlife
amongst the scrub, palmetto flatlands, and live
oak groves. There is a lot of Nature on the
Nature Coast.
