Emerson Point Preserve

En route the trees grew over the road forming a green tunnel.

On Saturday we went exploring again driving across the Manatee River to the north of Bradenton into a town called Palmetto then continuing northwest to Snead Island and the Emerson Point Preserve.  The preserve is a 365 acre wildlife preserve at the mouth of the Manatee River's entry into lower Tampa Bay.  The land is a tropical hammock with shady trails and boardwalks leading through native plants to the river's edge.  There is a drive that takes us through the entire preserve along side of wide bike trails ending at the point overlooking lower Tampa Bay.

An osprey or eagle's nest.

Kayaking out into the Manatee River.

Fishing along the beach and wadding out into the water.

Mangrove trees at the edge of the river.

Mangroves are essential for preserving the shoreline and create a quiet marine area for young organisms like algae, barnacles, oysters, sponges, shrimps, mud lobsters, crabs and more to grow until they are big enough to compete and survive in the river or bay.     

Mangrove roots growing into the water.

Kayak or canoe launching site at the Preserve.

Personally, I would not want to canoe through the waterway above because of the potential exposure to native wildlife (primarily snakes that I am terrified of) but the wood boardwalks might be a possibility for getting further out into the preserve.  Alternatively, kayaking in the river or bay would suffice for me to get close to some of the wildlife.  Apparently dolphins are present in the bay as well I am told.

Drying wings of a Cormorant sitting on a bird house.

Interestingly, southwest Florida's largest Native American temple mound is located here with its surrounding midden complex, called the Portavant Temple Mound.  It was produced by the Safety Harbor culture between 900 AD and 1725 AD constructed of soil and middens.  The Safety Harbor people lived primarily in villages along the shoreline of Tampa Bay and the nearby Gulf of Mexico coastline.  Their villages or "chiefdoms" were about 15 miles in length along the shoreline and extended inland about 20 miles with each chiefdom having a temple mound and central plaza within it.  Fifteen of these have been identified in the Tampa Bay area.  Important individuals lived within the plaza with the chieftain living upon the temple mound itself.  Midden mounds and burial mounds were also created near the temple mound.

It was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday.  We got a bit of lunch at a riverside cafe overlooking the Manatee River southerly toward Bradenton.  The options for exploring this area seem endless at the present.