Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

When I heard we were going to a swamp, I wasn't too excited; although Prof. Muldoon promised we weren't going to get dirty or anything, nothing about a swamp sounded like the way to spend an enjoyable evening....the ride there was made enjoyable by a video about our water supply.  It was an interesting video and held my attention during the hour drive to the sanctuary; again, it made me think about things that I never think about (like the water that runs into the culverts that have oil and chemicals in it...this water eventually runs into the ditches, then to creeks, rivers and the ocean).  

When we got to the sanctuary, we were split into two groups, and we started walking across this boardwalk that winds throughout the swamp.  The swamp was GORGEOUS...I've lived in Florida for 12 years, and I've never seen a swamp, let alone a preserve like that. It was so peaceful, so untouched by development, or industrialization.  I can see why our professor would want us to experience this place, and for someone who has not spent any time in nature, it was overwhelmingly beautiful.

The tour however was completely UNDERwhelming; we did not stop more than a handful of times to discuss any of the plant or animal life in the sanctuary, and we were practically running across the boardwalk to reach an overlook point.  Our tour guide thought that it was ultimately important to reach the spot, and while it was a great photo op, and significantly more awesome than anything nature related I'd ever seen, I would have rather slowed the tour down to LEARN more about the swamp.  It felt like were just running to the overlook so we could see the swamp...that's fine, but I want to learn about the swamp! I could tell that Prof. Muldoon felt the same, and that we should have rather taken the shorter route so that the trip would have been more meaningful.

Overall, I value the experience and I have encouraged everyone I know to go see the sanctuary, and I got some great pictures ;)