Soon, visitors can cross a swamp without getting their feet wet.

Continuing a long-term volunteer project with The Nature Conservancy, Gulf Power employees will be working to enhance a nature trail for the Betty and Crawford Rainwater Perdido River Nature Preserve, which is now open to the public.

On Thursday, Nov. 13, Gulf Power employees from Plant Crist and Environmental Affairs will help complete a boardwalk for a nature trail located at the south end of the preserve in the Hurst Hammock area. The Gulf Power team built 200 feet of the boardwalk in October.

The 2,300-acre preserve is open from dawn to dusk year round, but may be closed periodically while controlled burns or other management activities are being conducted. The preserve parking area and trailhead are located at 5955 Hurst Hammock Road. Visitors should always stay on marked trails. Located only 30 minutes from downtown Pensacola, it is easy for the public to enjoy the natural beauty of this hidden gem.

Since 2010, Gulf Power employees — primarily from Gulf Power’s Plant Crist — have planted more than 1,000 native longleaf pine, cleared firebreaks and carved nature trails. They helped build and install natural fencing from cedar trees, refurbished an information kiosk and installed parking bollards for the nature trail area. The teams also helped restore the original caretakers’ home that will serve as a headquarters for the preserve.

"Our employees are doing something they know will make a difference," said Natalie Smith, Gulf Power spokesperson. "Their work will help expand access to the preserve so that visitors can see this very special place.”

The Betty and Crawford Rainwater Perdido River Nature Preserve protects more than 14 miles of shoreline along the Perdido River on the Florida-Alabama state line. The preserve has been one of many regional projects receiving grants from programs such as the Longleaf Stewardship Fund, which is supported by Gulf Power along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other partners. More than 400 acres of the Perdido preserve was restored with grants in recent years.

“Enduring conservation success depends on the active involvement of people and partners whose lives and livelihoods are linked to the natural systems we seek to conserve,” said Chris Oberholster, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Alabama. Part of a significant protected corridor that runs through Florida and Alabama, the Betty and Crawford Rainwater Perdido River Nature Preserve is stewarded from the state of Alabama.

Through a Longleaf Stewardship Grant last year, the Conservancy was able to plant 150 acres of longleaf pine seedlings and conduct prescribed burning on close to 1,000 acres. A bald eagle rehabilitated at the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida was released there in May.

“Partnerships like this one with Gulf Power help keep our preserves open to the public,” said Brent Shaver, director of the Conservancy's Conservation Forestry Project. “The expanded nature trail offers visitors an opportunity to experience natural Florida – from rare carnivorous plants and Panhandle lilies to swallow-tailed kites and rare warblers. Our goal is to keep the preserve wild and natural.”

Longleaf pine forests once blanketed 90 million acres of the Southeast until development, logging, and fire suppression decimated it. Now, about 4 percent of that lush native forest remains. The longleaf ecosystem is a haven for biodiversity, with nearly 600 species of plants — half of those rare species — and is home to bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, gopher tortoises and other wildlife.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 436,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at MyGulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”

The Nature Conservancy is the leading organization working around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the web at www.nature.org/alabama.

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