Remote Little St. George is ideal for field trip

One of my favorite field trips I've gone on was to Little St. George Island. It was with a small group called the Outdoor Club of Swift Creek Middle School. We went in vans to Apalachicola, and drove over to a building for the Apalachicola National Reserve. An educator for the reserve told us a little bit about it, and then we got into a boat and rode over to Little St. George Island.

The island used to be a part of the famous St. George Island, but too many fishermen had to go all the way around the island to get to Apalachicola. In 1954, the government split the island in two parts. Little St. George Island is the smaller part and it is a remote island that's just a few miles long. The only way to get there is by boat.

After we ate lunch on some picnic tables, we went inside an old house and learned about the history of St. George Island. It turns out that the house was used by a past sheriff of Franklin County, who would sometimes take inmates on the island to do work. When they got sweaty, they brushed their hands on the ceiling to wipe off the sweat. Now, years later, it has left dark prints on the wood ceiling that makes the house seem creepy.

Later we walked around part of the island. Along the way, we saw all sorts of exotic plants, bushes, and trees. In a small pond we saw a huge alligator. Later someone spotted a snake in some grass right next to the path. Our guide told us many past experiences that he and other people have had with snakes on the island.

Soon we got back in the boat and rode to the other end of the island. It was the end that was right on the strait that separates St. George Island from Little St. George Island. There were huge sandy beaches that stretched across the area. We picked up some trash, and then headed back to the mainland. I wish we could have more field trips like this.