After leaving Palatka I drove west toward the broad Alachua Savannah, south of Gainesville. I stopped and explored at two connected sites; Sweetwater Preserve and Sweetwater Wetlands. Both are roughly the same size at 125 acres but they are owned by different government entities, protect different kinds of habitats, and are therefore, managed differently.

The Preserve encompasses a stretch of Sweetwater Branch (a small creek) with narrow, dirt trails that wander through an upland forest. In contrast, the adjacent Wetlands are a series of highly engineered water retention basins that serve as a natural filtration system to improve water quality before it flows into Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer.

I weathered the hottest part of the afternoon next to the quiet creek in the shady Preserve before venturing over to the wide open Wetlands. As is usual with man-made waters- if you build it, wildlife will come. The tall berms between basins afforded not only great views of wildlife but of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to the south as well.

I spotted dozens of species of birds and quite a few alligators as I strolled the along. It was difficult to tear myself away but I still had a 2.5 hour drive. It turned out to be a good thing that I left when I did as my route home from the Wetlands paralleled Paynes Prairie State Park and there was enough light left to spot a herd of horses from the roadside lookout.

It was my first time seeing some of the wild-roaming Florida Cracker horses and I enjoyed watching the interaction of the band. The mares, and last year’s young (which was still trying to nurse), were carefully watched from the side by their stallion (there was another small band in the distance that he kept a wary eye on). I had surmised he was a stallion by his stance and thick neck but then he relieved himself, letting it all hang out which erased any doubt (see photo above).

Even though much has changed in the Alachua Savannah during the past 250 plus years, William Bartram’s description of the area from 1774 still holds true: it is a vast, fertile savanna surrounded by forests, teeming with cattle, horses, and wildlife.