Audubon Florida executive director Eric Draper submits this post from his time spent with the amazing Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition. Eric's journeyed with the team from Rice Creek to Etoniah Creek State Forest - a great 12 mile trek. You may recall that Audubon's Dr. Paul Gray also spent time with the expedition back in March. We wish the team the best of luck on their adventure. Enjoy:

On Saturday, April 7, I finally got the chance to hike with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition. I invited Adam Kent (President of Florida Ornithological Society) and Gina Kent to join us at Rice Creek to look for some birds and meet Carlton Ward and the expedition crew. Adam and Gina identified 27 birds including Hooded Warblers.

I was pleased on arrival at the Rice Creek Conservation Area camp site to see Robert Christianson of the St. Johns River Water Management District.  Getting to spend time with Robert walking and talking was one of the treats of the day.

We hiked out of the bone dry Rice Creek floodplain and walked along the Florida Trail beside SR 100 for several miles before turning north to find Etoniah. Once in those beautiful woods we were treated to the splendor of a well preserved deep creek ravine system with old growth trees and clear running water.  The best view of the day was a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites soaring over the forest.

As we walked I got a chance to have long conversations with Elam Stoltzfus and Mallory Lykes about their experiences over the previous 80 days. The crew seemed interested in how to leverage the expedition to gain support for land and water conservation.

I left my companions to camp at Etoniah, tired, fulfilled and inspired.