Beyond the Trail: A River Runs Through It Wrap- Up Party

The final event of Beyond the Trail: A River Runs Through It took place at the UNF Sawmill Slough Preserve. Jake Tucker, an employee of UNF’s Environmental Center that performs wildlife monitoring in the preserve was the featured speaker for the event.

Former UNF President John Delany classified the area as a preserve in 2006. The preserve has almost 400 acres and includes wetlands, sandhills and flat woods regions. The goal that Delany set out to accomplish was to preserve the vital wetlands and natural habitat for the many native plants and animals that live in the preserve.

The preserve includes five different trail routes of varying lengths and difficulty levels. Tucker took the group by Lake Oneida – a man made lake that is home to crayfish and turtles. Students can often be found kayaking in the lake.

The Gopher Tortoise Ridge is a short trail that boasts many gopher tortoise burrows along turkey oaks and longleaf pines. If the weather is right and you are lucky enough, you may see a gopher tortoise or two outside of their burrows.

The 2018-2019 series for Beyond the Trail has now concluded. Each event revealed new information about how the St. Johns River connects us to our parks and our city.

Katie Vearil

I joined the Environmental Leadership Program to aid in my growth both professionally and personally. The program allows for a community of like-minded students to help one another gain valuable skills and achieve their goals. Through the program I hope to gain the skills needed to become a strong leader and advocate for the environment while making a positive impact in our community.