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Saving endangered species: St. Catherines Wildlife Center did its part

 Originally published in 2009. Most of the exotics are no longer on the Island, except the Lemurs. In the interior of St. Catherines Island, deer roam freely and wild hogs jog playfully throughout the woods. Suddenly, in the distance you hear a sound definitely not native to the area. A group of ring-tailed lemurs hang from the trees or a small herd of African Jackson hartebeest prance by. You might even glimpse an exotic great hornbill bird. You’re in the sanctuary of St. Catherines Wildlife Survival Center. When Lifesaver candy creator John Edward Noble purchased the island in 1943, he brought a herd of Angus cattle and allowed them to graze the fields once used to grow corn, rice and cotton. After Noble died in 1958 his foundation worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society to turn part of the island into a research and breeding station for rare mammals and birds. The St. Catherines Island Wildlife Survival Center is now a last resort for endangered species of birds and animal...
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Exploring the Spanish Mission at St. Catherines Island

  Since the ruins of the Santa  Catalina de Guale Spanish mission on St. Catherines Island were discovered in the 1980s, countless artifcats have been unearthed In the early 1980s American Museum of Natural History archeologist David Hurst-Thomas found the ruins of the Spanish mission, Santa Catalina de Guale, on the western side of St. Catherines Island. Unearthing the mission provided evidence the Spaniards had made it to the New World centuries before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. It also provided a glimpse of the Guale Indian tribe believed to be among the first settlers on the coastal island since it formed roughly 5,000 years ago. On May 15, amid torrential rain, the  Courier  got to tour St. Catherines Island, including a visit to the mission site led by Anna Semon, lab director for the North American Archeology Division of Anthropology for the AMNH. She is also the excavation crew chief for the archeological projects on the island. "There was a chain ...
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What lies beneath the ground

  St. Catherines Island is home to pristine beaches, lush greenery and countless wild animal species, but its  mysterious interior holds clues about cultures and  civilizations believed to have existed thousands of years ago. Originally published in 2009 Roughly 50 miles south of Savannah, deep in the marshes of Liberty County, lies St. Catherines Island. The unspoiled island boasts a complex history and was designated as a National Historic Landmark on Dec. 16, 1969. Currently owned by the St. Catherines Island Foundation, the island boasts 14,640 acres of tidal marsh and wetlands, 6,700 acres of forested land, endangered exotic wildlife, and a plantation home reportedly once used by Button Gwinnett. But, more importantly, it’s the site where several important archeological artifacts were unearthed, proving Spaniards discovered the area centuries before Europeans landed on Plymouth Rock. For more than 30 years, researchers and archeologist from New York’s American Museum...
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Let's talk turkey!

 Another great Thanksgiving memory.... We all get to that point in our lives when we start to transition from adolescence to adulthood. We go out and get our first job. We find our own places to live, buy our own groceries and cook our own meals. Cooking our own meals — wait, what? Yes, at some point I had to start cooking, but leave it to me to do things backwards. I got a job, saved up, got my own place, moved out, bought my groceries and then stared at the oven and stovetop like they were foreign objects. I wanted the home-cooked meals my mom made. But I had never watched her cook or worked with her in the kitchen. I just showed up when she would call out, “Dinner is ready!” from the front door. (Remember that era, when kids played outside?) There I was, a strong independent Cuban woman who could boil an egg (sometimes), but didn’t know how to cook rice, let alone marinate a steak or chicken (what spices should I use?) or how long to even bake a potato. Pathetic right?...
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Thanksgivings of yesteryears

  It’s November already and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This will be our third turkey day without my dad at the head of the table. It still doesn’t feel the same. I can recall Thanksgiving dinners when we lived in the section of Miami known as Little Havana. Our house was just two blocks off the busy and bustling famous Calle Ocho (S.W. 8 street also known as the Tamiami Trail). Thanksgiving was a family get-together and my family is HUGE. There was the table for the adults that sat roughly 20 people. And there were three more tables for the kids. If folks had too much to drink, they stayed overnight. It was a pretty big two-story house, so there was plenty of room for everyone. The women spent the day in the kitchen. Cooking, prepping and gossiping. The men set up a table in the back yard and played dominoes, talked about work and drank beer. The kids ran around the entire neighborhood playing, Hop-Scotch, Red Rover, Cowboys and Indians, Hide-n-Seek. We had turkey, dr...
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The Everglades bring back some fond memories.

  When I was a little girl, my Dad used to take my Mom, brother, and I on frequent weekend trips to the Everglades. We had a pull behind camper and there was this dirt road we’d always take which dead-ended on a huge lake. This spot was a frequent stop for weekend campers like us. It was like having a cool secret hideaway. There was no signs or posting showing you the way, you just had to know how to get there. I remember how we would travel along the Tamiami Trail, the main corridor that literally runs from Miami to Tampa. Once you left the City limits of Miami and West Dade County you entered into a whole different world. Along the Trail there was the tiny town of Cooper City, population 10 and known for their touristy airboat rides and sales of frog legs. The further west you drove you entered into the Miccosukee Indian Reservation and Big Cypress National Preserve. This was before they built their resort and gaming casino in 1983. Along the way there were several places to take...
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Florida Man with a new twist

  As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, there’s not much I miss about living in Florida, other than the friends I grew up with and had throughout the years, the Florida Keys and just a few other hidden gems. Driving over the seven-mile bridge was always my favorite part of a Key West road trip. Surrounded by the ocean, you knew you were that much closer to paradise. Also on the Gulf Coast, but closer to the panhandle, is a small, welcoming place called Cedar Key. It is not the touristy, barfilled, rambunctious and in-your-face place Key West can be at times. On the contrary, Cedar Key, while just as laid back, offers a more unique visitor’s experience. It is the clam capital of the state. The main attractions are the tranquility of the Gulf waters, with plenty of porpoises and loggerheads, art and crafts stores and boutiques, just a few dining facilities and the best sunsets in the state. The Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge is a group of small islands with trails and rich birdl...
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