Audubon's Dr. Paul Gray reports on his recent trip to the incredible Archbold Biological Station with continuing education journalists studying at Florida Atlantic University in Palm Beach County. Enjoy:

Neil Santanielo, Director of the School of  Communication and Multimedia Studies, leads a week-long continuing education institute for journalists from around the nation (and world) at Florida Atlantic University each year.  I have been fortunate enough to meet with the class for the past several years to discuss south Florida environmental issues.  This year I met them in the City of Okeechobee on their way to the Archbold Biological Station.

My assignment was to help narrate Okeechobee’s watershed as we drove through it, and discuss various restoration initiatives. The drive on Highway 70 first crosses former prairies and flatwoods that are converted to crops and pasture, then the channelized Kissimmee River, followed by the drained and cropped Indian Prairie region south of Istokpoga, and then up onto the Lake Wales Ridge where scrub habitats and Archbold reside.  The need to reduce drainage effects and control nutrient pollution is fairly evident on this route.

At Archbold, our leader and host was Station Director, Dr. Hilary Swain.  At 100-200 feet above sea level, the scrub communities of Archbold are more than a million years old and have individual plants believed to be more than 10,000 years old.  The ancient scrub has more endemic species (found no where else) than virtually any location in the world, including Florida’s only endemic bird species, the Florida Scrub-Jay. Lake Annie’s sediments contain a pollen record that goes back 50,000 years.  And being on deep sand, it also can be unbelievably dry and hot, as we found on our trek back to the Learning Center.

After lunch, Hilary gave a presentation on the importance of Biological Stations, including Archbold, and some history of the scientific studies from the 70-year old institution.  A panel of scientists from Archbold then held a question and answer session, followed by informal discussions before the bus ride back.

Journalists are bright, inquisitive, and informed people and getting to spend the day with them is special. Add being able to visit Archbold with its own special people and qualities, and guess what?

I had a really fun, educational day.