Lovers Key

Lovers Key was where I went for this field trip and it was so relaxing! I really didn't mind going to the beach for school. I really enjoyed taking in all the sights, smells, and sounds. The shells here were so beautiful and there were so many different kindsI went out in the morning and there were a lot of people out looking at the shells. As I was walking up there was a  sign that had all the types of shells and how to identify them. Although, it did make it tough to walk barefoot on. When I closed my eyes, I heard the sounds of waves and birds and the smell of the salt water. The beach is always a great place to go to relax, but this one had a lot of unique characterisitics that was very interesting to learn about.



As I walking the boardwalk to get to the beach, I noticed a lot of birds were out feeding. In the picture to the left is the first one I saw, and this is the Great Egret. Other birds I saw included Brown Pelicans, Ibis, Laughing Gulls, and Willets. A lot of them were wading through the mud and the mangroves hunting for food. And, of course, the Pelicans, Willets, and Gulls were all over the beach.

What I think is so unique  about Lovers Key are the different habitats that you get to see in just the short walk on the boardwalk. I went from mudflats, to mangroves, to beach. The mangroves are so important to the wildlife here because they provide a nursery for the fish, as well as food for them. They also provide food and shelter for the birds. Mangroves are also important to us. This is because they are a natural barrier from the ocean and protect the mainland. This is very helpful during high tide and while there is a hurricane. There were a lot of different plants that I saw. The trees I saw included mangroves, Sea Grapes, Cabbage Palms, Royal Palms, and Wax Myrtle. For non-woody plants, I saw Sea Oxeye, Sea Purslane, Railroad Vine, Beach Panic Grass, and Sea Oats. There was also a lot of drift wood around.

The history of this area is also different than from other beaches. This is actually a barrier island. A barrier island is pretty much a piece of land that runs parallel to the main land. In 1965, a road was made to connect the island to the main land. Lovers Key is one of 4 other barrier islands that were all accessible at the park. In the 1960’s the islands were going to be developed for houses, however, the land was altered because of the dredging that was made. So in 1983, it became property of the state and became a park not too late after that. The land has also been eroded greatly due to hurricanes. However, in 2004 there was a restoration project where they added sand and native plants. I have to point out that I thought how the this island got it’s name was funny. In the pamphlet it explained that since this use to be only accessible by boat, the only ones that would make the trip over would be lovers at sunset. Hence the name Lovers Key.

This picture to the right is one of the reasons why I loved so much. I'm sorry but I don't know the technical term for this, but this was the "step" on the beach that everyone has to walk down. Well I sat in my spot and took a look behind me and saw this. I think it's so amazing that you can see the layers in the sand, and the layers are so well defined! Call me nerdy but I spent some time just looking at the sand here and looking at the differences in these layers. I've grown up on the beach, the one on the East Coast of Florida, but I've never gotten to see these layers. There has been massive erosion on this beach, as the picture shows. This is due to the hurricanes that have hit the area. In 2004, there was a restoration project where they added sand and native plants to the area.

Lovers Key is a beautiful area with so many things to learn about! I learned a lot by visiting this area and can't wait to go back!