Sometimes, I don't have the time or inclination to venture out to a trail somewhere for a hiking, biking or kayaking adventure. That's when I can find adventure is right in my backyard! Granted, I live in a forested area south of Tallahassee that is wilder than most downtown neighborhoods, but I hear stories of encounters with foxes, coyotes, snakes and other wildlife in downtown areas that tells me that these adventures are widespread.

Ochlockonee River State Park, just south of Sopchoppy along Highway 319, is the perfect setting to walk along high river banks under arching live oaks and to walk (or ride) a scenic drive through some of the best maintained pine flatwoods in the state. The red-cockaded woodpecker, an endangered species, is in relative abundance here along with an array of songbirds, deer and white squirrels (a color variant of the gray squirrel). Bobcat, fox and the occasional bear can also be seen.

An island juts from the sea along our Big Bend Coast that is like no other in Florida-Rock Island. This 20-acre chunk of land left over from when sea level rose during the past ten thousand years is solid limestone along most of its edges, and to walk its shores is to visit a moonscape of pocked holes and tidal pools. Live oaks and sable palms dominate the interior and swarms of noisy grackles and wading birds fill their branches. Anyone can visit the island by boat or kayak-it is three miles southeast of the Hickory Mound Impoundment-but camping is limited to sea kayakers doing all or part of the 105-mile Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

George Floyd hopes to bring visitors up and down the Apalachicola and Chattahoochee Rivers on a large paddle wheeler. Seem far-fetched? Not if you know George Floyd.

The 55-year-old Apalachicola/Tallahassee native and retired owner of a corporate accounting firm has a proven track record for big projects. He has put together a professional team to revitalize the Apalachicola Maritime Museum along the town's waterfront in a former seafood processing plant. The museum celebrates the rich maritime history of Apalachicola through exhibits, educational programs, and sailing trips on the 58-foot vessel Heritage of Apalachicola.

In spring 2011 I became a volunteer at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. My role there is to count all the shorebirds and wildfowl at least every 2 weeks.

I'm no stranger to counting birds; I've been counting them, for one job or another for 16 years. Razorbills in Pembrokeshire, Yellowhammers in Lancashire, Northern Wheatears at Dungeness, and Surf Scoters migrating south, past Cape May. I love counting birds; it's one of my favorite things to do. My brother-in-law calls me Rain Man!

Mother Nature is putting on a spring show along our area rivers these days, and the Sopchoppy River is one of the best showcases for wildflowers. A great profusion of wild azaleas bloom along the shorelines, some with almost pure white blossoms and others revealing a deep pink. They smell like honeysuckle, much sweeter than the non-native azaleas seen in landscaped environments. 

You may be surprised to learn that Tallahassee is one of the best cities in the United States to watch birds. Really? Florida's state capital, in terms of number of species observed, consistently ranks in the top 10 during Cornell University's annual Great Backyard Bird Count. In 2012 we ranked 7^th in the nation with 148 species, true testament to the great birding opportunities our wonderful city provides to residents and visitors alike. So where can I go to watch all these amazing birds?

Tornado warnings, fierce winds and sheets of rain greeted more than thirty kayakers and canoeists at Ed and Bernice's Fish Camp along Highway 20 twenty miles west of Tallahassee. The camp was the gathering point for Paddle Florida's second annual Dam to the Bay Paddle on the Ochlockonee River in early March-six days, 76 miles-and by first impressions, it would be a trip of the damned. But we knew favorable weather was in the forecast. So, we squeezed tents under pavilions and stayed dry the best we could. We even started a fire along the edge of one pavilion. Sleep was difficult that night as rain battered the tin-roofed shelters.

My main advice for hiking the Cathedral of Palms Trail is to avoid going with a chatty friend. Talking is fine along the 1.7 mile unpaved road walk on the Florida Trail from Wakulla Beach Road heading west, but upon entering the towering stand of sabal palms with the interlocking canopy overhead, the trunks and fronds forming a mosaic of dappled sunlight, a hush seems to envelop and verbal communication just seems out of place. After all, this is a cathedral of sorts, a special place, and quiet just helps you soak it all in.

One of the premier citizen support organization's in the state is in our own backyard-the Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park. Few other organizations supporting state parks or other public lands have raised as much money, or advocated so strongly for the resource, as the Friends group, and they have won several awards to prove it.