 Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Baby American Alligator on Spatterdock lily pad bed; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. At 9:50 AM, we reached the Middle Fork Junction and headed north on the Suwannee River up the red trail through beautiful channels of Spatterdock and Neverwet. We had made this journey in 2015 and marked in the GPS where we had encountered a pod of baby alligators and their mother. Would they still be there? Approximately a quarter mile before the GPS waypoint, we encountered a group of juvenile gators floating on the lily pads. Could these be our 2015 babies turned into pre-teens? They were sized consistently with a two year passage of time. (My thoughts were given confirmation as the 2015 waypoint contained no sign of any young gators.) We lingered for quite some time to point out and photograph each one.  Baby American Alligator on Spatterdock lily pad bed; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017.
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Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Pair of roosting Anhingas on a chilly Okefenokee spring morning; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Monday, March 6, 2017. 9:20 AM. Billy’s Lake is perfectly calm, still and quiet. The clear, dark, tannin-stained waters reflect the swamp landscape like a mirror of obsidian. Only an overcast sky and somewhat chilly breeze. It is amazing how chilly it can be on an Okefenokee early spring morning.
We have the swamp to ourselves! No other paddlers on the water. And even better, no loud motor boats to toss our little vessel, spout gasoline fumes into the air, or to break the wonderful silence. Even the gators haven't yet pulled themselves out of the water. A few roosting Anhingas were perched, tucking their bills into their feathers until the sun comes to warm up the day. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Cypress Tree knees along the Suwannee River Middle Fork kayak trail; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com Excerpt from William Bartram's Travels, Part II, Chapter V "THE Cypress stands in the first order of North American trees. Its majestic stature is surprising, and on approaching them, we are struck with a kind of awe, at beholding the stateliness of the trunk, lifting its cumbrous top towards the skies, and casting a wide shade upon the ground, as a dark intervening cloud, which, for a time, precludes the rays of the sun. The delicacy of its colour, and texture of its leaves, exceed every thing in vegetation. It generally grows in the water, or in low flat lands, near the banks of great rivers and lakes, that are covered, great part of the year, with two or three feet depth of water, and that part of the trunk, which is subject to be under water, and four or five feet higher up, is greatly enlarged, by prodigious buttresses, or pilasters, which, in full grown trees, project out on every side, to such a distance, that several men might easily hide themselves in the hollows between. Each pilaster terminates under ground, in a very large, strong, serpentine root, which strikes off, and branches every way, just under the surface of the earth; and from these roots grow woody cones, called cypress knees, four, five, and six feet high, and from six to eighteen inches and two feet in diameter at their bases. The large ones are hollow, and serve very well for beehives; a small space of the tree itself is hollow, nearly as high as the buttresses already mentioned." William Bartram was a botantist, artist, and nature writer that explored the southeastern United States around the time of the American Revolution (1773-1776). He was a scientist, creationist and Christian that gave glory to the Author for all the wonderful works he observed and documented in his book, Travels Through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, swiming in tanin stained black water swamp of Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. It was a 1933 letter from Jean Harper to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt which lead to the protection of the Okefenokee Swamp as a National Wildlife Refuge. The efforts and studies of Harper and her husband, Francis, have preserved a treasure for generations: Dear Mr. Roosevelt: there is a matter that needs your immediate attention - the preservation of the Okefinokee Swamp. Perhaps you may recall that a few years ago, Francis sent you some of his reprints on the swamp. For twenty odd years naturalist and nature-lovers have been working for the preservation of this marvelous wilderness; unique in its nature not only in this country, but in the world. The character of its fauna, its flora, and its human life is unsurpassed. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Cypress knees along the Middle Fork canoe trail; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com Passing north beyond Minnie’s Lake along the Suwannee River Middle Fork trail, the kayak channel constricts through a more mature Cypress forest. Here the dense, towering trees cast their shadows and darken the swamp below. One gets a feel for what it was like throughout the entire Okefenokee before the saws and lumber mills of the 1920’s. In a dark cove where the channel turns, groups of Cypress knees stand out from the dark soil on the banks of the water. I remembered this exact spot from our first trip up the red trail and had affectionately named it “Cypress Knee Bend.” This was true swamp: shadow, Spanish Moss, green hues of growth and algae among the browns of tree and stump. How I’d love to linger in this scene, perhaps camp overnight.  Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  American Alligator peering out from Spatterdock lily pads and Maidencane grass, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017 ©www.williamwisephoto.com An excerpt from the 1895 adventure novel, In the Okefenokee: A Story of War Time and the Great Georgia Swamp: "To say nothing of the possible encounters with reptiles, bears, and panthers, he knew that there were thorny jungles through which it was difficult to go without paying a penalty of torn clothing and bleeding limbs, and that there were vast marshes, wherein one often sank to the armpits in mud and water. None the less, however, was there an alluring attraction about the great swamp; its remote recesses rose before the boy's imagination, unveiling their wonders and inviting his approach." Pendleton, Louis. In the Okefenokee: A Story of War Time and the Great Georgia Swamp. United States, Roberts Brothers, 1895. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Okefenokee canoe trail, Cypress trees and Spanish Moss, blackwater tannin, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park The mysterious blackwater river. Textured cypress tower high above, doubled in their height by their reflection in the obsidian-glass water. Their knees bumping and hindering the passage of the canoe. Pale green lichens and mosses creep out of the waters, ascending the base of every tree. Like swaying specters, the Spanish moss haunts every level overhead, left and right. The waters draw you slowly onward, hardly hinting at a current, and refusing to reveal what awaits around the next turn. So still, so quiet, so dark. Mystery. That is what draws us here. The Okefenokee.  American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, swiming in tanin stained black water swamp of Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA.  Pond Cypress Swamp, Spanish Moss, Swamp plants, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Pond Cypress Knees, Spanish Moss, Swamp plants, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  River Cooter pond slider river turtle, duckweed, lily pad, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia, USA Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Little Blue Heron wading bird in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Monday, 9:25 AM - Frustrated by my pursuit of a quality Wood Duck photograph, we continued our travel along the edges of Billy’s Lake. We began a “leap frog” chase of a pretty Little Blue Heron. It was bold, but cautious. Standing on the Spatterdock, we’d pull in close and get a few shots. He then took to the sky, but landing again only about 75 feet away. We’d pull in close, get a few shots, and he’d move down again. The chase was fun and allowed some good shots on different backdrops.
Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Minnies Lake, Pond Cypress trees, Spanish Moss, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. DAY 3 – TOWARD BIG WATER LAKE ON THE RED TRAIL Just past 11:00 AM we entered upon Minnie’s Lake. This area is such a beautiful site, all you imagine of a pristine swamp scene: black waters reflecting Cypress knees, Spanish Moss and blue sky. As it opens up on the lake, the canoe trail widens and is lined by large, green lily pads of Spatterdock and White Water Lily. Stumps and fallen logs rise above the water and vegetation, each occupied by a sunning turtle or basking alligator. Just past the rest area platform lay some large gators, basking in groups of three and four. A brave Little Blue Heron fished right alongside three monsters. Minnie’s lake is a place to slow down and enjoy, not hurriedly paddle through.  American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log in spatterdock lily pads yellow flowers, Little Blue Heron in foreground, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  An American Alligator hides in lily pads near our turn-around spot on the Middle Fork canoe trail; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. As the afternoon wore on, we pressed north more quickly, passed the green trail junction that leads to Floyd’s Island, and then turned around at the red trail spur. Once again, the thought of “will we make it back before dark” was beginning to press upon my mind. Picking up the pace, we used the trolling motor in conjunction with the force of the current. This, however, proved to be our frustration in some areas. We spent most of our time using the oars to push off stumps and branches to keep ourselves out of the bushes. But at one point, the current bore us full steam ahead into a rather large tangle of twigs. Both of us closed our eyes, ducked our heads and screened our faces from the scratching sticks. Coming out the other side, Amanda realized her head band had been snatched off her head by the Okefenokee, never to be found again. Realizing the frustration of attempting to steer through the narrower channel with the trolling motor, I told Amanda to turn it off and steer with her oar. Immediately, she lets out a gasp. “The Oar! Where is the oar?” All I could say was, “You’re kidding me?” But no, the oar, along with her headband, had been pulled overboard by the Okefenokee. Although the day was getting late, we had to turn around. The battery on the trolling motor was dying and we’d never make it without Amanda’s oar. I expelled one of those quick prayers of dire need, “Jesus, please let us find the oar.” Backtracking just a short distance I spotted the bright glare of metal drifting downstream toward me. Thank God oars float! Once again, despite my lack of faith, we made it back to Billy’s Lake before sunset. Our trip to base camp rewarded me with the Anhinga shot I had so been desiring. A strikingly contrasted black and white plumed male sat perched with wings spread. Amanda skillfully held the canoe in place against the wind so I could fire away. At the campground’s comfort station, Amanda gasped in the mirror at her reverse-raccoon tan caused by sunburn around her sunglassed eyes. We walked the boardwalk again, took some photos of Sophie in the same spot (reptiles are creatures of habit) and retired to our tent for another game of battleship (which Amanda won, again.)  Anhinga; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  American Alligator sunning Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park Even if you don't own a canoe or kayak, the Stephen C Foster State Park is worth a stay. The park has plenty of canoes lined up along the canal ready for rental. If your time is short, or your body doesn't agree with paddling, there are motor boats too. The park ranger guided pontoon boat tour is also a great option. The ranger on board will point out many of the natural sights that one might miss. I love using Stephen C Foster State Park as a base for our treks into the Okefenokee Swamp. Sure, it is nice to get a permit and camp within the swamp, but it is also nice to come back to a well-maintained campground each evening for a shower and more comfortable rest. Plus, there are always fellow campers to talk with and share stories of other treks and campgrounds.  Swamp Pond Slider River Turtle, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Anhinga bird, snakebird, darter, American darter, water turkey, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  A pair of elusive Wood Ducks hiding in Bonnet Lilies and Spanish Moss; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. Monday, 10:33 AM. - Far in the distance I see a duck on the water. Could it be? It is! Once again, our chase of the elusive Wood Duck begins. And once again he blasts off into the sky with a mocking call before we could get within a photograph's distance. I was now obsessed with getting a close, sharp photo of a male Woodie. But time after time that shot would evade my capture. Often, the Wood Ducks would jettison from an unseen nook before we even knew they were there.
Being tricked and foiled so often, I began to hate the little buggers! Each time they blasted from the water, I’d let out an audible, “ARRGGGGG! Again!” Seeing just how skittish these elusive waterfowl are, it is no wonder they are such a prized trophy by duck hunters. Missing the first shot, we pressed further north along the red trail up the Suwannee Middle Fork, missing, of course, another good photograph of a pair of Wood Ducks that swam behind a Cypress tree and quietly disappeared into the gloomy recesses of a small cove. But as I sat in frustration having missed another, the male popped back out from behind the spatterdock. Not the best photo, but I got him! Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, on spatterdock lily pads and maidencane in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park “The ornithologist is thrown into an ecstasy of delight, for birds ranging from the majestic whooping crane to the lowly wren, inhabit this swamp, and too, there are many rare species almost extinct in other sections of the country to be found here. And to those who like to observe and study the wild in its native haunts, it is an enchanting spot, for all the animals native to this section can be found, from the scurrying water-rat to the vicious panther, the amiable bear and the harmless, beautiful deer.”
Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  An Alligator hides among the Bonnet Lilies in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 6, 2017. In 1875, The Atlanta Constitution published the dramatic headline: “We now announce to our readers, and the people of Georgia, that we are fitting up an expedition for a complete and thorough exploration of Okefinokee. The full details of the plan and expedition will be published soon – if they come out alive.” Over the next months, the Constitution and other papers published many exciting stories from the Okefenokee and provide a rich history of what is now a great National Wildlife Refuge:
 Large American Alligator hiding in the Spatterdock yellow lily pads in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Anhinga perched on a Cypress in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. An excerpt from naturalist Bradford Torrey's, A Florida Sketch-Book, 1895:
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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