Colloquium

Lovers Key  (Carl E Johnson)  State Park   25 February 2020 Today we spent the morning at Lovers Key State Park. This protected state park encompasses 4 barrier islands, Long, Inner, and Lovers Key and Black Island. Many of the islands have a history behind their namings that related to the people who established or frequented the island. Carl E Johnsons’ name lives on as the joint naming of the park for his contributions to the founding and protection of it. But that protection only extends locally, as this area is connected to the Caloosahatchee River which feels the direct effects of freshwater release from Lake Okeechobee during the summer months. This unnatural connection of waterways has drastically altered the biological ecosystems along our coastlines.  A picture of a beautiful spider web woven between the branches of the mangrove trees just off the boardwalk. And a reminder to slow down and notice the little things around you. Evidence of human presen