Juliann and Matthew Krogh, members of the Coast Guard Historic Ship’s Company, give a living history presentation to Franklin County, Fla., middle school students recently at historic Fort Gadsden on the Apalachicola National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service Photo/Susan Blake)
More than 100 Franklin County middle and high school students got to explore the life of an 18th century sailor through a living history program presented by employees of the National Forests in Florida and the U.S. Coast Guard. Read more »
Debbie Casto, Forest Service fire management officer for the National Forests in Florida, discusses the precautions taken before conducting a prescribed burn near threatened and endangered species sites on the Apalachicola National Forest. The forest is home to several endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. (Forest Service photo by Susan Blake)
More than 8,000 miles from home, fire management officers from Australia and New Zealand recently visited the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida to share techniques and strategies in the use of prescribed fire.
“We see how the use of frequent fire intervals helps manage the different fuel types,” said Andrew Greystone, fire and emergency service manager from Victoria, Australia. The Apalachicola appears to be a more diverse forest – including species, flora, fauna, habitat for birds and other animals – than what we’re used to seeing.” Read more »
The National Forests in Florida hosted Native American teenagers from the Florida Indian Youth Program on the Apalachicola National Forest. The program, sponsored by the Florida Governor’s Council on Indian Affairs focuses on job skills, academic skills, life-skills, social and cultural activities.
Their eyes wide open and their minds prepped to learn, a group of Native American youths from Florida recently glimpsed the skills and knowledge needed for Forest Service careers during a field trip to the Apalachicola National Forest.
Forest professionals from civil engineering, landscape architecture, archaeology and recreation escorted teenagers from the Florida Indian Youth Program during their visit. The teens got the stories behind several hiking, biking and fishing day-use areas on the forest. The goal was to give the teens insight in the process of creating user-friendly recreation sites. From idea, to planning, to execution, the employees presented the stages involved in site development. Read more »
View of the Apalachicola River from Fort Gadsden located on the river’s east bank. The site is the only historic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region. Photo Credit: Forest Service photo
Nestled in the southwest corner of Florida’s Apalachicola National Forest sits a historic fort known today as Fort Gadsden—the only historic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region.
The fort served as a Native American trading post, a British fort, as U.S. Fort Gadsden, and as a Confederate fort during the Civil War. The fort was also used as a safe haven for runaway slaves travelling the Underground Railroad, which ran south to Spanish Florida prior to 1821. Read more »
CNN news and weather anchor Rob Marciano highlights multi-agency partnerships and the benefits of prescribed fire during a visit to Bristol, Fla., hosted by The Nature Conservancy on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Prescribed fire is integral in improving forest health and is one of the most effective tools used
This summer’s wildland fires in the West have galvanized the nation’s attention and mobilized arsenals of fire-fighting support to bring those fires under control. But there is another type of fire known as prescribed fire which helps make forests and grasslands healthier and protects communities and natural resources including access to clean, abundant water. Read more »
Recreation Technician Sherry Gaston of the Apalachicola National Forest bags trash littering the forest during Super-Clean Sweep. (U.S. Forest Service photo by Susan Blake)
Volunteers from the U.S. Forest Service joined forces with Leon County, Florida residents recently to participate in the county’s 17th annual Super-Clean Sweep cleanup activities which included parts of the Apalachicola National Forest.
The county-wide event was part of the “Keep Tallahassee Leon County Beautiful” program which drew nearly 100 volunteers from county and city agencies, local organizations and local citizens. Read more »