Prologue

The past two winters we traveled south and west, visiting Florida, Texas, the southwest, Mexico and Belize. This winter we decided to settle down and contribute to the parks and refuges we enjoy so much by volunteering for the winter season. We selected Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia based on the wide array of things we can do as volunteers as well as the proximity to Jacksonville and the kids. Although the refuge does not have a public campground, they have created a “Volunteer Village” with full service campsites (water, electric, sewer, cable TV and propane) as well as six travel trailers for volunteers without their own RV. For this season of “free camping” we are obliged to each work 24 hours per week. We expect to spend most of our time in the visitor center, leading interpretive walks or boat tours. We may even get a chance to work with the park biologist. Okefenokee is home to the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker (no Ivory Billed Woodpeckers though). All of this is sufficient motivation to overcome the presence of thousands of alligators, five species of venomous snakes along with an assortment of spiders and scorpions. Repeat after me, “It is 50 miles from Garrett, Wyatt, Tara and Scott!

Our mail will be forwarded and we will get it eventually. If you’d like to send something directly to us in Georgia, here’s the address:

Carl & Sandy Greenbaum, Volunteers

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Route 2, Box 3330

Folkston, GA 31537