Timucuan Ecological Preserve

Discovery and diversity describe Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve. The 46,000-acre preserve is nestled between northeast Florida's lower St. Johns and Nassau Rivers. It was set aside in 1988 for its historical as well as natural value. Varied wildlife and plant life thrive in the wetland and upland habitats of the Preserve. The strains of African people working open fields in a harsh environment echo in the pine and oak woodlands that have today reclaimed the land. Wood storks, great blue herons and marsh crabs carry out the daily work of survival in the vast savannahs of spartina grass and needlerush. Alligators may appear in the fresh and brackish waters of the Preserve and remind us of wilderness.

The outdoors set will want to head for the Theodore Roosevelt Area, a natural treasure of hardwood forest, wetlands, and scrub. Located 12 miles east of downtown Jacksonville, Florida, the main entrance is located at 13165 Mount Pleasant Road, approximately one mile southeast of Fort Caroline National Memorial. A portion of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, the area's overall management, includes maintaining ecological quality of natural habitats, protecting cultural resources, and providing recreational activities that leave this site unimpaired for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The Theodore Roosevelt Area contains more than 600 acres of diverse natural flora and fauna native to northeast Florida. Visitors can experience miles of thickly wooded peaceful nature trails, a vast grassland that supports both water and land animals, an ancient trash pile whose refuse yields clues about an extinct culture, and the legacy of preservation bequeathed to all by this property's last private owner, Willie Browne.

A variety of recreational activities may be enjoyed including: hiking, birdwatching, bicycling and fishing.

Hiking is the predominant recreational activity at the Theodore Roosevelt Area. Over 4 miles of nature trails meander through natural communities of maritime hammock forest, scrub dunes, and fresh and saltwater marshes. A shell peninsula, on the western edge of Round Marsh offers a scenic view of tidal salt marsh creeks of the St. Johns River. Ask about the ranger-guided walks, which generally happen on Saturday afternoons.

Bicycling is allowed on the Willie Browne Trail only. Groups of 5 bicyclists or more must obtain a permit. Please contact Fort Caroline National Memorial for more information.

Motorized boats can navigate the St. Johns and Nassau Rivers as well as some of the deeper tidal creeks. Those who wish to explore the salt marshes more thoroughly will need shallow draft vessels. Hiking, birding, photography, fishing and seasonal harvesting of shellfish are activities that many visitors enjoy.

The Theodore Roosevelt Area offers visitors the chance to enjoy the solitude of wilderness within the confines of a large metropolitan area. As the late Willie Browne once said:

"People have to work in the cities, they can't live in the woods anymore. But they ought to have a place in the woods they can go to."

History
People have lived and depended upon the rivers, creeks and wetland areas for thousands of years. Timucuan people witnessed the coming of strangely dressed visitors with new customs from far away places. The promise of personal freedom and new riches inspired Europeans to seek new lands in this part of our continent. The French, Spanish and British attempted to establish permanent settlements but failed. Jean Ribault, Rene de Laudonniere Saturiwa, Zephaniah Kingsley, Francisco Pareja, John Bartram and Willie Browne are names associated with the long human history of the Timucuan Preserve. People from the African continent also made their homes here in great numbers, though for very different reasons. Although laboring as slaves in the salt air of the upland, river valley islands, these people maintained a distinct and enduring African-American culture which has become a valuable part of our American heritage.

The Atlantic Ocean, Nassau River and la Riviere de May, later to be known as the St. Johns River, continue to provide life giving water to the biological and human populations thriving within the Preserve boundaries. Human artifacts and structures tell of past and current struggles that took place and continue to occur in this hot and wet environment. River breezes whisper stories of French and Timucuan struggles to comprehend a changing world.

A short walk at Fort Caroline National Memorial provides a glimpse into the past and the opportunity to understand the story of the ill fated colony at la Caroline.

A stroll through ruins of slave quarters at Kingsley Plantation allows one to experience the daily life of enslaved people contrasting with the life of the Plantation owner living nearby.