Staff and volunteers have been busy with several projects the last few months, and have gotten a lot done, in spite of the cold & rainy weather. Earlier we posted about the new tower boardwalk, & new platform at the end of Big Tree Trail. Now we have two more completed projects.

 

There is a wonderful new platform at the Alligator Viewing Area. This one is great because it's raised, so that you look down on Thomas Slough & the area the alligators like to lie in. You can get really nice views, while remaining perfectly safe. You can also see among the cattails, to better search for birds. It's wheelchair accessible, too.!  

 

The other platform is on Heron Flats Trail, after the trail curves back towards the woods. This viewing platform had to be closed, and was greatly missed by many. It offers a view of the "far end" of Heron Flats that can't be had anywhere else. The platform has now been rebuilt and conforms to current codes.

 

Most of our seasonal residential volunteers have left now, and the others will be leaving soon. They have made a tremendous difference, though, and their work will be enjoyed by refuge visitors for many seasons to come!