The white sand beaches....I must have seen these at some point in my travels but didn't remember how gorgeous they were. Finely grained white sand with a tiny hint of brown and nearly deserted this time of year.
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| Long Beach, MS |
Not far from Long Beach is the Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR where a subspecies of 150 nonmigratory cranes reside. The habitat is wet pine savanna with an acidic clay soil that supports orchids and several carnivorous plants. It is also a prime wintering sanctuary for the Henslow's and Bachman's Sparrow, neither of which had any interest in my brief visit. The public is not allowed on most of the refuge, but a short trail near the VC is maintained and has numerous interpretative signs. It must be vibrant with color when the plants bloom. I could only see the ghosty brown winter foliage now, although the pitcher plants were still recognizable. It was sunny, windy and chilly.
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| Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR - MS |
An articulate and eager woman volunteer at the desk immediately began talking to anyone who walked through the door about the refuge in general, the five subspecies of Sandhill Cranes and said she would start the short film. The cranes are managed partly by captive breeding and subsequent egg and/or chick transport. Since this subspecies is critically endangered and subject to predation by raccoons, armadillos and bobcats, when two eggs are laid, one is sent to Patuxent NWR, incubated, raised with care so the cranes do not imprint on humans and then eventually brought back to Mississippi. The handlers wear crane costumes and crane hand puppets, a delightful image.
Visitors don't often see the cranes but guided tours are sometimes available.
I know I'm putting in a lot of quotes but extraordinary people in NWR history (like Jake Valentine) need recognition:
WWW.FWS.GOV
The true story of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR involves the hard work and dedication of a leader in conservation. Jacob M. (Jake) Valentine, Jr. was a champion of the Mississippi sandhill crane and "father" of the Refuge. Jake was born May 18, 1917 in Racine, Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, assigned to the 32nd Division in New Guinea. He received a Silver Star at age 26 for heroism in action at Saidor where, under Japanese fire, he risked his life swimming a river several times carrying wounded comrades.
He received his MA in Zoology in 1950 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and served as refuge manager at several refuges. Eventually, he became Regional Wildlife Biologist for the Gulf Coast Region, making Lafayette his home for over 39 years. One of his early assignments was an investigation into the effects of the building of Interstate 10 on the sandhill crane population in Jackson County. With severe habitat decline and other problems, he realized the cranes were at great risk and called for a refuge. In the 1970s during the ensuing "cranes and lanes" controversy, stoppage of I-10 construction, and case in federal court, Jake's expertise, courage, and determination led eventually to the creation of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.
Without him, there would simply have been no refuge.Leaving this refuge I continued east and south to Bon Secour NWR, five small units on the barrier island / peninsula at the mouth of Mobile Bay, another naturally stunning area with man-made structures wherever possible. Houses built on sand....hurricanes....wind...major ecological disturbance...
Where the beaches are protected (as on NWRs and to a certain extent on state park properties) there are signs forbidding dune access, and small paths lead between the sea oats and other dune flora for beach access. The beaches here are nesting habitat for Kemp's and loggerhead sea turtles and home of the endangered Alabama beach mouse.
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It's all beautiful and wild in-between the multistory hotels and condos. I arrived just as the office was closing but was assured there was no hurry. Even though the reception area was small, it had an impressive collection of beach and dune natural history specimens and information. The visitors just before me in the guest book were from Lapeer, MI.
It was late afternoon. I didn't walk any trails but did drive to the beach and a couple of the trailheads which disappeared into thick dense scrub / bush. Inevitably, the scene becomes serene as one drives onto a refuge; birds appear; advertising and commerce disappear.
I drove through Gulf State Park thinking I might camp there, but it was cold, the park was full of RVs and I would only sleep. I figured I could do that in a parking lot for free so continued along the coast before turning northeast to Perdido Key which sounds exotic but was actually a suburb of Pensacola. I ate horrid Chinese food at a restaurant across the street and slept until 1:23 when I woke up, read an hour and ate half a scrumptious chocolate pecan caramel brownie I had also bought at the same gas station as the king cake. This product had a great Southern name...something like Mama's Sweet Wishes. I awakened because the temperature was dropping. It got to 21 degrees. I piled on every blanket and my down jacket and went back to sleep soundly until 6:30. The deal about waking early is the chance to watch night leave the eastern sky, which first pales and then colors as a new day begins (on clear days); otherwise, it is mostly just the subtle replacement of dark with light.
I do admit that simultaneously reading, eating, managing the reading light and trying to stay warm in a van in the middle of a cold and getting colder night will be a lasting memory....
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| Just in case you missed the first one... |
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