Hammock and swamp, left in their natural state in Myakka State Park. Photo © Liesl Clark
There are some places on Earth where it’s hard to know what the original local habitat used to look like, what the land should look like if we weren’t here. With all of our built-up neighborhoods, networks of roads, mini-malls, shopping centers, urban and suburban landscapes, even rural farmland sprawl can hide what the land truly could be if we simply left it alone.
Spanish moss-covered canopy at Myakka State Park. Photo © Liesl Clark
Today, in the United States at least, many of these untouched places are only available in protected places, our national, state, and sometimes local parks, sanctuaries for fauna and flora alike. Whether you’re at home or traveling, I implore you to find your nearest wild places.
Myakka River State Park © Liesl Clark
Seek these unfettered wildernesses out and help steward them by volunteering to keep them in their pristine state, or give money to help keep them wild.
Great Egret on the banks of the Myakka River. Photo © Liesl Clark
We recently visited Myakka River State Park outside of Sarasota, while on a spring break trip to see Grammy. This beautiful park is the largest state park in Florida, and you won’t regret a visit as you’ll see more alligators, up-close-and-wild, here then just about anywhere.
The waterfowl here are stunning:
Heron. Photo © Liesl Clark
You can travel by an air boat tour to view the wildlife, or gently glide through the waters in a canoe or kayak.
Or, rent bikes right there at the park and pedal along the water or oak forests to view the undeveloped wildscape.
It’s like stepping back in time to a lost world.
A wooden walkway takes you over the marshland to birdwatch from a pier that provides a vantage onto the open water and grasslands.
Where grass meets sky. Florida’s original landscape.
But perhaps most spectacular of all is the canopy walk, a chance to get up high above the trees and view the wilderness from the perspective of an egret, turkey vulture, or crow.
Here, above the treetops, you can see so far you almost see the curvature of the Earth.
Find your wild places. Define them, why they’re important to you. Help protect them. Visit them often and share them with your loved ones. 
Before it’s too late.
Pioneering The Simple Life 
Absolutely spectacular being in the park. I think that you hyped the colors though, nothing could be so colorful could it?
Dad
Sent from my iPhone
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In a few of them, they looked so murky compared to the vibrant green of reality, we upped the saturation, but in many they are totally out-of-the-camera green!
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Beautiful, thanks for the tour☺️ And I love your dad’s comments, he makes me smile 😄 Dad’s always believe there’s room for improvement no matter how successful you are 😉
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Yes! He’s my toughest critic. I think most of my work is created with him in mind.
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My dad died 30 years ago but I still ask myself what he would think about whatever I am doing ☺️
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Gorgeous photographs; looks out of a storybook. Reminds me of photos of abandoned places and how nature reclaims the surroundings once humans vacate.
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Thanks so much, Nadine! I appreciate the encouragement.
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Love this! That park looks awesome. National Parks are my very favorite thing, we just got back from the rainforest in Puerto Rico. Love your pictures, hopefully I’ll be able to visit that corner of Florida one day.
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It’s an absolutely stunning park. Would love to hear your recommendations, Kelsie, for Puerto Rico. I’ve been there once in the off season and the parks were the best places to visit.
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Wonderful pictures, and a great reminder to always seek your local Wild Places. Love it – Thank you!
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Thanks so much!
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