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Fakahatchee a tropical jewel unlike any other in United States

By Susan Cocking, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

MIAMI _ Nestled in the center of Southwest Florida's vast wilderness _ but only a two-hour drive from Miami-Dade and Broward counties _ is a unique jewel that has been dubbed "Florida's Amazon."

At about 80,000 acres, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park tends to be overshadowed by its larger and more famous neighbors _ the Big Cypress National Preserve to the east and Everglades National Park to the south.

But this is a swamp unlike any other in the United States. The major feature of this 20-mile-long, five-mile-wide region is a shallow valley of watery depressions called sloughs covered with a dense tree canopy of cypress, pop ash, royal palm and pond apple. The constant moisture, enclosed by greenery, provides a protective bubble against drastic temperature changes _ such as last month's cold wave _ which allows a rich array of orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytic plants to thrive year-round.

"These sloughs create tropical conditions on a micro-scale," veteran Fakahatchee park biologist Mike Owen said. "These tropical plants surviving are already telling us this is frost-free."

Despite a record-low temperature of 28 degrees recorded in the nearby hamlet of Copeland on Jan. 11, Owen said he observed little damage to the park's weather-sensitive flora.

A good thing because this moist oasis is widely recognized as America's orchid capital (47 native species); fern capital (39); bromeliad capital (14); and royal palm capital (between 5,000 and 7,000 trees). And now _ with seasonable temperatures, little rainfall and few stinging insects _ is a great time to explore it on foot.

GUIDE OR SOLO

You could take a guided swamp walk with Owen or one of his colleagues from Friends of Fakahatchee, or you could just set out on foot for a self-guided tour, like I did a couple of weeks ago. (I recommend the guided swamp walks, but I couldn't make it because of a scheduling conflict.)

The strand is crisscrossed by more than 100 miles of tramways _ small railroad corridors from the 1940s and 50s built when the region was logged. According to Owen, most are too choked with vegetation for hiking. But there probably are about six miles of passable trails, mainly on the east and west main tramways. You also can take an easy stroll along the 2,500-foot boardwalk on U.S. 41 or a slow car trip along the 11-mile Janes Scenic Drive, beginning at the ranger station.

I chose the east main tram road because I had ridden past it on my bike about a half-dozen times and was curious about what was down there.

Apparently, I wasn't alone in my desire for exploration. When I arrived late on a Monday morning, there already were three cars parked outside the gate. Armed with lunch, water, a map and my cellphone, I started walking.

The first two miles were an easy, shaded hike because park rangers have mowed and widened the trail. I was greeted by the cry of a red-shouldered hawk, and tipped my hat to a five-foot alligator sunning itself beside the slough. I could hear what I thought was the cinderblock-pounding peck of a pileated woodpecker, but I never saw it.

I probably passed thousands of orchids attached to the pop ash, palms and cypress in the swamp, but I didn't really see any. Many are dull green or brown and far from showy. You really have to wade in the water to get a proper look, or have someone knowledgeable such as Owen point them out to you.

GHOSTLY PURSUIT

The Fakahatchee probably is best known for the mysterious ghost orchid _ a beautiful white blossom found deep in the slough during summer months. This storied bloom was the subject of Susan Orlean's best-seller The Orchid Thief and the subsequent movie, Adaptation, starring Nicholas Cage and Meryl Streep. During the winter, when the ghost orchid is not in bloom, you probably would walk right by and not notice it. I entertained myself by admiring the numerous bushy cardinal air plants in the trees and large, healthy-looking strap ferns sprouting from fallen logs in the water.

At two miles, I arrived at a ramshackle wood-and-aluminum cabin, where a small group of people was cleaning up and preparing to leave. One person, a Miami firefighter identifying himself as "Al," showed me around the property, dubbed the "Fakahatchee Hilton."

The cabin, one of a handful of in-holdings, was built in 1957 _ well in advance of the preserve's establishment in 1974. Today, it is owned by Craig Britton and Art Ballard, descendants of the builders. It has an outhouse and a neat wooden dock leading to a small, open pond. The welcome mat on the front doorstep bears a picture of a grinning alligator and the legend "trespassers will be delicious."

I thanked Al, and continued my trek north on the tram road. Just a few hundred yards north of the cabin, the trail became narrower, muddier and more overgrown. I had to wriggle through clinging vines and tall ferns spreading out of the forest. I wondered if I might encounter a black bear, like I did on the Janes road about 10 years ago.

I never saw a bear, but I did see evidence it had walked the same path as me: a large pile of scat riddled with Brazilian pepper berries. I also came upon some scat evidence of one of its fellow creatures _ possibly a panther _ because it contained the remains of a furred animal. I felt confident of my identification skills; I am, after all, intimately familiar with cat poo.

Tired of clearing the path, I decided to turn around. When I reached the Fakahatchee Hilton about a half hour later, all the humans were gone, and the wild creatures had taken over.

A flock of turkey vultures perched on the roof and in the clearing _ rustling their feathers as I passed _ and a large alligator was sunbathing on the dock.

I continued down the trail for about 45 minutes, spotting two otters swimming north in the slough. When they saw me, they sped up to get well past me, then leapt out of the water and scampered away at top speed.

I grinned. Soon, it would be sunset, and the forest creatures would have their home all to themselves once again.

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(c) 2010, The Miami Herald.

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

	   Fakahatchee