|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Summer
2004 issue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New
State Park
by Kristin Ebersol, Park Biologist |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On
January 1 2004, Talbot Islands State Parks took over management of Pumpkin
Hill Creek State Buffer Preserve. Effective July 1, it will officially
become Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park. Grand Opening events are
being planned for Labor Day weekend and will be in cooperation with the
grand opening of the City’s Betz Tiger Point Park.
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park is located on Jacksonville’s
northside, approximately 3 miles, but a 45 minute drive, from Talbot
Islands. The park consists of nearly 4000 acres of predominantly flatwoods,
with marsh front along Pumpkin Hill Creek.
Areas of Pumpkin Hill Creek have served as a private hunt club, timber
plantations, an oyster processing plant, turpentine processing, and a
one-room schoolhouse. Most of the property has been acquired through
the St Johns River Water Management District, the City of Jacksonville,
and the State of Florida.
Currently the park offers walk-in access to Pumpkin Hill Creek for canoe
and kayak launching and fishing. There is a loop trail system established
for hiking, horseback riding, and off-road bicycling, with about 5 miles
of trails.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Growing
up at the Ribault Club
by Anna Boswell & Peggy Childs, Volunteers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday,
March 3rd, volunteers and Park Service staff spent a delightful morning when
John and Charlotte Goodhue came to visit. John's father was a proprietary member
of the Ribault Club and vacationed here with his family from 1928 to 1942.
John showed some home movies taken by his father, and we were able to tape
his memories while viewing the film. It was, for the Goodhues and other families,
a time to be treasured and we could begin to sense the vitality and camaraderie
of a time gone by.
Captains of industry from the North and South were founders
of the Ribault Club, which was open only in winter and early spring. They
ventured to this idyllic spot to escape the
rigors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Previous
Newsletters
Spring 2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ribault
Volunteers Anna , Peggy & Donna talk with John & Charlotte Goodhue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of
winter. For John's family it was an all-night train ride from Pennsylvania
Station to Jacksonville, where they were met and driven to Fort George Island.
What a wonderful sense of abandon swimming in the ocean off Little Talbot
Island's sandy beaches or in a neighbor's sulfur pool, golfing for all ages
with even the caddies joining in, engaging in tennis matches, biking, and
various youthful mischievous pursuits. Family meals were served in the dining
room and in the evening there were impromptu games and story telling. The
fun and spontaneity of the times shone through in John's reminiscences.
We are blending John's narrative with the film so all will be able to participate
in the slice of life at the Ribault Club. We thank John and Charlotte for their
generosity and we hope to see them again next year when they wind their way south. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Park
Staff changes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fundraiser
@ Ranch |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Kelly Seahorse Ranch
at Amelia Island State Park will be hosting a fundraiser on Saturday,
September 18, 2004 to benefit Friends of Talbot Islands. This
fundraiser will be in the form of an openhouse and "Ride-A-Thon".
Approximately 20 riders will be required to collect pledges
for their participation. Anyone interested in sponsoring a rider
should contact the Kelly Seahorse Ranch at 904-491-5166 or send an
e-mail to with your name, address, phone number and amount
of your pledge. We hope to see you all there!
|
Talbot Islands State Parks congratulates Kristin Ebersol on her
recent promotion to Environmental Specialist 1. Kristin has been
with the park since August 2001, when she began her conservation
career as a Park Ranger after completing her Bachelor of Science
in Biology from the University of North Florida. In February 2003
she was promoted to Park Services Specialist, and remained in that
capacity until her most recent advancement to Environmental Specialist.
Kristin coordinates the on-going Talbot Islands Shorebird Survey
Project and the transition of the Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve property
into Florida Park Service management. Once the transition is complete
in July 2004, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park will be another
unit of the Talbot Islands State Parks. The complex of parks includes
Little Talbot Island State Park, Big Talbot Island State Park, Fort
George Island Cultural State Park, Amelia Island State Park, George
Crady Bridge State Fishing Pier, Yellow Bluff Fort State Park, and
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park. |
The Department of Environmental Protection
and the Talbot Islands State Parks welcomes Nathan Rezeau as their new
Park Services Specialist. Nathan attended the University of Florida for
both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. While in
graduate school Nathan completed an internship with Paynes Prairie Preserve
State Park in Micanopy. Most recently, Nathan worked with the USDA Forest
Service as a Project Coordinator for the Boise and Sawtooth National
Forests.
As Park Services Specialist Nathan will be acting as a media and
partnership liaison between the Florida Park Service and many local
organizations, such as the Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks, the
City of Jacksonville, and the National Park Service on several on-going
and future projects. He will also be promoting special events, interpretive
programs, marketing, resource management, and environmental education
programs provided by the park. |
Everyone is invited to our
Summer Social at the Ribault
Club
Saturday June 19
10am-noon
Slide show on Shorebirds, John Goodhue's home movie on
the early days at Ribault, Tour of the Visitor Center
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| President's
Message
Again,
our park volunteers have amazed me by going beyond their job descriptions
and helping our parks grow and improve. John Goodhue is a longtime
CSO member who lives in New Hampshire. On a recent visit he was
interviewed by two volunteers from the Ribault Club, Anna and Peggy,
who have gone way above and beyond. On their own they recorded
the interview with John and will have that dubbed over his home
movies from his family visits to the Club (this may be done by
our Summer Social on June 19). They have also set up a program
called “I remember when...” as a way for other Club
visitors from the 1930’s and 1940’s to document their
memories. This should provide the park with a wealth of personal
history of the Ribault Club.
If you get the chance to see old photos from the early days
at the Club you may notice the Adirondack type chairs.
These were a unique design. Park Rangers and volunteers
Fred and Barbara Savino have re-created these Ribault
chairs and the CSO will sell them for $250 each. I had
a chance to sit in one the other night and it was incredibly
comfortable! They will be on display at the Club. So
stop by, have a sit down and ask a volunteer how you
can take one home for your house. I would like to thank
these, and all our volunteers, for making our park a
wonderful place to visit. If you are interested in becoming
a volunteer we have needs for just about every skill
you may have. Contact Kathleen Kelso, Volunteer Coordinator
at the ranger station 904-251-2320.
As a follow up to last issue’s feral cat story.... My son was camping with
our RV in Fort Clinch recently. When he returned home we heard cries coming from
the rear storage compartment. Evidently, during his stay, a litter of kittens
was born there. Momma cat must have gone out to get food when the door was locked
and the RV left. We bottle fed the kits for a few days while the rangers at Ft
Clinch tried to trap Momma. This story has a happy ending, five days later Mom
and kittens were reunited and are presently at the Humane Society. But please
remember domestic animals don’t belong in the wild.
----Jody
|
The Award Winning Ribault Club
by Nathan Rezeau, Park Service Specialist
The
Ribault Club Rehabilitation Project was honored by receiving
City and State preservation awards in May. The Jacksonville
Preservation Commission presented the project a “2004
Historic Preservation Award,” and the Florida Trust for
Historic Preservation recognized the project for “Outstanding
Achievement.”
According to Bob Joseph, Talbot Islands State Parks Manager, “The incredible
thing about this project is how so many people and organizations came together
to make it happen. These awards are truly a shared honor to this community.”
A group of interested people from northeast
Florida, The Ribault Task Force, was assembled in 1998 to determine
community interest in preserving the building and assess potential
uses compatible with the State Park. The Task Force was facilitated
by Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI). Thanks to funding
from The Florida Park Service, Historic Preservation Grants,
The City of Jacksonville and the National Park Service, the
building now serves as a gateway to the Timucuan Trail State
and National Parks. The Timucuan Trail is a consortium of our
local City, State, and National Parks. The Talbot Islands State
Parks, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and Preservation
Project Jacksonville Parks have come together to create a “seamless experience” for
visitors to these parks, as one.
The 18,000 square-foot structure houses a visitor center with
exhibits telling the stories of Fort George Island’s rich
natural and cultural history, a bookstore and gift shop, and
lodging rooms for visiting researchers and volunteers. The two
Grand rooms, with modern catering kitchens are available for
rent for social functions and business meetings. Leana Gallagher’s,
Amelia Occasions manages these event rentals and functions for
the park. The Ribault Club is open to the public 9:00am – 5:00pm
Wednesday through Sunday.
The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission presented awards on May 4,
hosted by the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art. The Florida Trust for Historical
Preservation award ceremony was held in Delray Beach on May 14. Join us in
our congratulations of this community acknowledgement!
|
|
Service
Providers in the Park
Kelly Seahorse Ranch - one hour trail
rides leave at 10, noon, 2 & 4, Call for reservations 904-491-5166,
www.KellyRanchInc.com
Nassau Sound Bait & Tackle - rental
& sale of fishing equipment, bait, sandwiches and cold drinks, 904-277-9772
Long Island Outfitters (Kayak Amelia) -
guided kayak/ nature tours, kayak & canoe rentals, cold drinks and
earth friendly gifts, 904-251-0016 www.KayakAmelia.com
Amelia Occasions at the Ribault Club -
complete function facilities for weddings and meetings, 904-251-1050
www.AmeliaOccasions.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|