Canoeing Through Goodale State Park

When I took field botany with John Nelson, he marched us right into the lake at Sesquicentennial State Park. Apparently, back in the days of Dr. Batson, students would literally be up to their neck in water; at my diminished height I might have been treading water by then. So, you might be surprised to hear that I instigated a water botany field trip with John again. This time we went to the somewhat hidden gem of Goodale State Park in Camden. The outstanding park rangers helped us with canoes (you can also rent kayaks) and we explored the mini ecosystems on the swollen bases of the pond cypress growing near the shore. We did need hornet -wasp spray – paper wasps had built their nests on nearly every single “island.” Trying to get away from wasps while in a boat seemed dicey at best.