It is a cool, overcast day. Highland Hammock Park is lush, green and has the feel of pristine Florida. Walking through the calm dense underbrush we look up and see the the tall waving tree tops blown about by the wind. Intriguing encounters along the cypress strewn paths are delicate black winged, deep blue-green bodied damsel flies, dancing water bugs reflecting clear oval bubbles on the dark waters and a small armadillo shuffling through the crunchy leaves. An entertaining cormorant trying to eat a fish too fat for its thin neck is spotted while we balance on a narrow, one side railed boardwalk. Twisted Oak trees 1000 years old grow here.
Human impact on this park is limited. Next to the nature trails we saw a citrus rimmed clearing an early pioneer made to build his homesite; the wooden structures of the Civilian Conservation Core from the 1930s and 40s and a lovely playground.