We were tasked with helping build a new loop trail through this unique habitat. The mile-long trail corridor had been flagged three weeks earlier, and other groups had cut down the trees and bushes in the new corridor, but they had thrown the cut-offs into the vegetation on both sides of the new trail which would eventually affect the ecology of the area (as well as look bad.) We pulled this debris onto the trail and then carried, pulled, and wheel-barrowed it to the trailhead for disposal.
The temperatures reached the middle and upper 80s with humidity over 50 percent, so we were sweating and exerting ourselves. Several of us had step-counter devices and we were walking 6 to 8 miles a day!
In the future, these accumulated cut-offs will be shredded and the mulch will be used as the new trail tread material.
Sharon, Sheila, Linda, and I along with BLM employees Neal and intern Cecily labored four days to clear the debris from the trail...
...and then we had to locate and remove the stumps and stalks protruding up which were dangerous tripping hazards, after which our BLM supervisor, Peter, demonstrated how he wanted us to level the trail before the mulch was applied......
Finally, we spread the supply of mulch which was already available, thus completing a section of the trail and showing what the finished trail will eventually look like...
It will be a beautiful trail and the mulch tread will make for comfortable and safe footing...
Our AHS crew: Sheila, Sharon, Linda (our leader), and Chuck
Our BLM workers, Neal and intern Cecily
The Lighthouse and Museum
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse dates to 1860. Peter took us on a special tour of the lighthouse and the grounds, and he explained how there were two types of lighthouses -- those that show the way to a safe harbor and those that warn boats to stay away from hazardous reefs. Juniper Lighthouse falls into this second category and its light reaches 25 miles out to sea!
The lighthouse has a Fresnel lens which was developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses and it has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." It allows this small light to be seen over 25 miles away.
Several of us climbed to the top...
...and enjoyed the view of Jupiter Island, the Loxahatchee and Indian Rivers, and the Jupiter Inlet.
...as well as the Atlantic Ocean Coastline.
A side note: This project was held the week that the worsening Coronavirus pandemic was sweeping the world. AHS cancelled all projects for the next 8 weeks and was about to send us home midweek until they learned the four of us volunteers each had our own bedroom in our lodging and thus could practice some amount of "social distancing" so we were allowed to finish the week's labors.
Here is a 5 minute video of this project...
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