A perfect day presented itself, as a small group of early morning adventurers met at Kayak Amelia on Little Talbot Island just south of Amelia Island. The group did not know each other before they set out on a kayak adventure coordinated by John Adornato, the Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association and Lisa Welch, Director of Development. The group would experience only one of the national parks that comprises more than 380 areas covering more than 83 million acres and protected by acts of congress. Our national parks need support organizations like the National Park Conservation Association to promote and protect our land.

Recognizing that the park land in north Florida is one of the least known, Adornato invited a group that supports the efforts of the Conservancy to take a kayak trip down Simpson Creek to the St. George River. When most think of national parks, we think of dramatic mountain ranges, deep dramatic canyons and vast, dangerous rivers; not the quiet gentle marshes that hug the coast of Northern Florida. The group included active members of the Conservancy and other groups working to save and protect endangered land.

Kayakers of all skill levels can experience this unique type of adventure.
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Not only are the unspoiled wetlands endangered, so is the evidence of 6,000 years of human habitation. The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve was established in 1988. The label "preserve" is an important distinction as it allows for hunting and fishing in designated areas. The Timucuan Preserve encompasses 46,000 acres, 75 percent of which are waterways and wetlands where the Nassau and St. John's rivers meet at the Atlantic Ocean.

Led by Park Ranger Richard Bryant and accompanied by Ray Hetchka of Kayak Amelia, the group set out to rediscover the beauty of the lush marshes of the Florida coast and to find out more about what threatens them. Gathering at the edge of Simpson Creek the scene was postcard perfect - high tide and the water smooth as glass in the still morning. The group climbed into the crayon-colored kayaks lined up by the shore.

Hetchka and his wife Jody are the official outfitters for the Preserve, and have been kayaking since 1991. After moving here from the northeast, they have followed their dream of spending more time in and on the water. They are passionate about the environment. Jody shared, "Ray and I have always been driven by the belief that getting people to actually experience the salt marsh ecosystem is the best way to get them to protect it."

The fourteen adventurers were soon in the water, life preservers clicked into place and ready to set out. Once in the water, comfort levels were tested. Some on the trip were clearly experienced and some were first timers. Safely in their kayaks and stable in the water, the group waited for a signal. Paddles began to flick at the dark water and they were off. After some preliminary thrashing, each kayaker found their own rhythm and moved through the tunnels of bright green spartina grass, while enjoying the lightly clouded sky. The absolute quiet added to the serenity of the morning as they quietly passed in review. The first timers quickly learned a kayak is easy to maneuver and a calm mind and instinctive dip of the paddle can set you right fairly quickly.

Mullet in unabashed enthusiasm threw their silvery bodies into the air. An American eagle soared across our watery path. Egrets worked quietly on the edge of the marsh grasses looking for snacks.

A sandy beach tempted the group, and they pulled in for a stop giving Park Ranger Richard Bryant a chance to give an overview of the park and its increasing problems with silt. He encouraged some of the group to go swimming, and as they reached what looked like the middle and deepest part of the creek they could stand. It has not been that many years ago that motorized boats could navigate the same creek. No more.

"We're going to lose this," Bryant shared with the group, "if we don't do something to stop the silt from filling in our salt marshes."

Time out to snack on the Hetchka's famous chocolate chip cookies, and then the kayakers pulled their colorful crafts back into the water and headed for the next destination; Ft. George Island. As the group approached the wide island, it was even more apparent that silt had nearly closed it off completely. Beautiful white sand was filling in the wide river. It is clear something has to be done before the entire park system is compromised and changed forever.

In 1999, the National Park Service, the Florida Park Service, and the City of Jacksonville joined to form a partnership, the Timucuan Trail State and National Parks. This is no small commitment. This partnership enhances and protects a coastline estuary system that is 50 times bigger than Central Park.

A quote of Theodore Roosevelt's seems to say it all: "The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So we must and we will."

At the end of the morning excursion, kayaks were pulled out of the water, and the travelers climbed aboard their transport vehicles, exhilarated by the beauty they had seen, and sobered by the challenges that lay ahead. The group experienced a waterway that cannot speak. Hopefully, we can be that voice.

For more information, contact John Adornato, Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association. (954) 961-1280. www.npca.org. Or you may also contact Ray and Jody Hetchka at Kayak Amelia. (904) 251-0062.