
The Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle is created at the Georgia border by the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers and then flows 112 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The river has been in the news in recent years as Florida, Georgia and Alabama fight over who owns the water. Atlanta takes more than its fair share, some say, starving natural areas North to South down the panhandle and, worse yet, the fragile ecosystem of Apalachicola Bay.
From the air, there are places where the river looks like a very large green snake because it twists and turns and almost coils back on itself. The ecosystems have been under stress for years. The river has been improperly dredged; the pine forests have been over logged and–when it comes to longleaf pines–poorly managed; roads to the timber have blocked natural water flows through swamps and other wetlands. The rare Florida Panther can no longer be found in the river’s watershed.
The Apalachicola River was the western boundary of my childhood, for we camped along its banks and on the barrier islands protecting the bay, sailed from its mouth to and from Alligator Point and the St. Marks River to the east, drove or walked every forest service road from Tallahassee to Tate’s Hell Forest (near the mouth of the river at Carrabelle), and experienced one of the most unique ecosystems in the country.
The Apalachicola Riverkeeper says that the river’s basin is home to 127 very rare plant and animal species along with more reptiles and amphibians than any other place in the in the northern hemisphere. The river is not only a resource many habitats, but also for kayakers, fishermen, paddle boaters, swimmers, photographers and–in the bay–a very large fishing industry.

I’ve always been rather jealous of those who knew every plant in the swamp and forest as well as those who knew how to chart river flows, analyze soil and restore forest lands. The Nature Conservancy is at work in this area, trying to undo many years of damage while protecting lands from more “development.” Since I’m not a scientist or a naturalist, I try to focus on natural resources in my fiction. It’s my way of drawing attention to the environment.
Lately, I’ve been at work on a novella set in a fictional town a few miles from the Apalachicola River in Liberty County, the Florida county with the lowest population. In many ways it’s like going home to look at these areas again and put them into stories. I recently finished reading a political thriller novel called Mercedes Wore Black (which I review here.) The main character is an environmental reporter, making the book a very strong window framing Florida’s ongoing developers vs. the environment battles.
The author of that book lived in Florida more recently than I have and as a long-time reporter, she could focus more clearly on the issues from a practical standpoint. I try to focus on the locations and make readers aware of the ecosystems’ value in the scheme of things without getting into many political rants.
Some of my poet friends write poems about the environment. Photographers are taking pictures of things the way they are while hoping they won’t become the way they were. I’m pleased at the number of groups, blogs, Facebook pages and initiatives that are campaigning for various ways to save the land before we ruin it all.

I’m not a political activist, though I’ve dabbled in it from time to time. My focus is fiction. Many of my readers’ focus is travel and outdoor recreation, often with a spiritual component. If you’re a writer, you can “go on location” in a dozen ways to pinpoint natural resources and the need to keep them natural.
There are times when I think that the land itself is an important “character” in my novels and stories. If the land draws you, then your pen, camera, blog and voice can help preserve it.
You May Also Like:
- The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve
- Tate’s Hell Forerst restoration plan
- Apalachicola River Paddling Trail System
- On Location: Longleaf Pine along the Florida coast
Malcolm R. Campbell’s novel “The Seeker” is partially set in Tate’s Hell Forest, while his short stories “The Land Between the Rivers,” “Emily’s Stories,” “Cora’s Crossing” and “Moonlight and Ghosts” also have Florida settings.
Hey Malcolm, thought you could appreciate this song I wrote and recorded with my band . . . http://www.reverbnation.com/kingcotton/song/19056492-legend-of-tates-hell
I grew up with Will McLean’s Legend of Tate’s Hell; I think it was on his Florida Sand album. Nice to hear your take on one of my favorite places. Thanks for the link.
you can see her walk beside the river
with her dog at dawn
she stops and stares at the water
with eyes like a fawn
she don’t fret about the weather
in the muggy morn-in’ air
time can make things better
wonder how she got there
well leather gets soft
after years of being worn
and cypress once grew old
in the land she comes from
she shares coffee as the day breaks
you can bet the woman knows
bees make white tuples honey
and it’s better than gold
the combs will be ready
april through june
and night bloom-in’ jasmine
isn’t jasmine and all
but it sure smells sweet
between summer and fall
strong walls held back storms
a tin holds out the rain
the shrimp can still get caught
out on Apalachicola Bay
she takes it slow like the current
gets. her feet wet on the shore
likes sweet tea on a front porch
you can bet the woman knows
bees make tupelo honey
and it’s better than gold
the combs will be ready
from April through June
night bloom-in’ jasmine
isn’t really jasmine at all
but it sure smells sweet boys
between summer and fall
old leather will get soft
after years of being worn
old Cypress once grew big
near the town where she was born
you can see her walk beside the river
with her dog at dawn
she stops and stares at the water
with eyes like a fawn
she don’t fret about the weather
in the muggy morn-in’ air
time can make things better
wonder how she got there
well leather gets soft
after years of being worn
and cypress once grew old
in the land where she was born
she shares hot coffee in her kitchen
you can bet the woman knows
bees make tupelo honey
and it’s better than gold
the combs will be ready
april through june
and night bloom-in’ jasmine
isn’t jasmine and all
but it sure smells sweet
between summer and fall
strong walls held back storms
a tin roof holds out the rain
the shrimp can still get caught
out on Apalachicola Bay
she takes it slow like the current
gets her feet wet on the shore
likes sweet tea on a front porch
you can bet the woman knows
bees make tupelo honey
and it’s better than gold
the combs will be ready
from April through June
and night bloom-in’ jasmine
isn’t really jasmine at all
but it sure smells sweet boys
between summer and fall
old leather will get soft
after years of being worn
old Cypress once grew big
near the town where she was born
Very nice. Thanks for sharing this. (I miss tupelo honey.)
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Thanks Malcom, I thought I was editing the first comment spelling I guess it posted twice.