Cooperative Living July 2022 - 30

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Experience
Of Wildlife and
Local Legend
by Amanda S. Creasey, Outdoors Writer
Visiting the Blackwater National
Wildlife Refuge
bald eagle sightings,
and maybe some
sika deer on the
Little Blackwater
River.
A
s flflon flfl flfl flflflfls flhe flflflflfl
flfl
fl
om the mflflflflflflfl
flfl fl fl
fl
fl
, I seflse a
change. The land seems flatter,
change. The land seems flatter,
tflflhe trees shorter, the sky broader. I have
flfl
never been to this part ofMaryland's
Eflflastern Shore, and my friends Ashley,
Sflflfltephanie, Sarah and I have been looking
fflflflorward to this trip with an anticipation
aflflkin to a child's at Christmas.
After a quick lunch at our lodgings
iflfln Church Creek, my three friends, my
tflflwo dogs and I are back in the car for the
sflfl
hort drive to Blackwater Adventures.
Wfl e have scheduled a two-hour guided
pflfladdle on the Little Blackwater River,
wheflfl re it meanders through the
Bflfllackwater NationalWildlife Refuge.
The outfit's website has promised
uflfls bald eagle sightings, as well as the
pflflotential to see other waterfowl and
mfl flaybe some sika deer, one ofthe few
flfl
non-native species that our guide Jamie
SflflpicerWilley says people are glad to
hflflave around.
Like industrious ants, we scramble
arflflflound the SUV, unloading life vests,
sflflunscreen, camera gear, towels and
wflflater bottles. My friends help me heft
mfl fly paddleboard from the roofrack,
28 ● Cooperative Living ●
July 2022
and I sheaflh my dofls
fln tflflfl
r skflflflflflfl
flt,
SPF flfl flflfl-50 sun shiflflrts
and life vests before
applying sunscreen
and donningmy vest.
Jamie provides a
briefpaddling and
safety lesson, and everyone settles on
their boards or in their kayaks as we
launch. For me and my dogs, this is the
first paddle ofthe season and I feel a
sense offreedom and peace as the little
wavelets click against the underside
ofmy board.
PADDLING LITTLE BLACKWATER
We have hardly paddled out ofthe
small, makeshift harbor when we see
our first bald eagle. It soars above us
as we paddle toward our first stop:
a nest high up in the pine trees on the
opposite bank.
When we reach it, we crane our
necks up, up, up, in awe ofthe massive
nest. Bald eagles return to the same nest
every year, increasing its size with new
branches and moss.We will see two
more nests, one 15 years old, one
flflflflflps brand nefl, as Jamie says she
flfls neflflr sefln it, and she looks forflflfld
flo tflflflflflg her felflflw guides abflflt the
flflflflflflflflfl.
As flfl flflift aflflflflfl flflflily flflflflflflflfl
flflflflnd a pflflflflflula for a diffeflflflt vflflw
of flhe fiflst nest, flflflflflys flfly flflflfle flflfl
flflflflflfll more adolesceflt and adult eaflflflfl
flflide on flhe flflflflze or flflflfl flflflflr flflflfls
fl fl flflflt ovflflflflflfl, their mflflflflflflflx
flflfll eflflflflflg dflfln to us ofl tflfl wflflflflfl
While fle paddle, flflmie flflflflflfl fls
flfl a bit of flflflfll flflflflflflflflfl flhe flflflflnd flfl
Big flflflfl. Big flflflfl, she flflflls fls, flfls an
flflflflflflfld flflfl an whose fl flflflflfl flflflflflflflflfl
flflr of flflflflflflflflg flfl a fl flion flflflfl flflflflflflfl
for his flflflflflflflflflfle flflflflflflfle, he flflflflflfl
Big flflzz flfl flflflfly a flflflflfl flflflflk flflflfl flflflfl
flhe flflflflfly flflflflflflflflflfl flflflflp, flflflfle
he comfl flflflfld her to dig a hole wheflflflfl
flo hide the tflflflflflfle. When she fiflflflflflfl
co-opliving.com
PHOTO BY AMANDA CREASEY
PHOTO COURTESY JAMIE SPICER WILLEY
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living July 2022

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