It’s that time of year again…when hundreds of baby squirrels begin to venture out from their nests. Unfortunately, many end up falling from trees and become easy prey when encountering the jaws of cats and dogs.
Many also are lucky enough to be rescued by willing volunteers who either take care of the furry critters themselves or who take them to such wildlife help groups as Florida Wildlife Care.
Donna Green-Townsend shares the experience of fostering baby squirrels. Green-Townsend has fostered more than 30 baby squirrels. In this video produced by one of her former broadcast students, Trimmel Gomes in 2005, she introduces the viewer to squirrels she has successfully released into the wild in Alachua County, FL.
Listen and Watch song samples from the new “Tribute” CD below: The newest video just added is, “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home.”
Jessie and Lee’s CD is the newest professional recording for this sister/brother duet.
(To order a CD, please send $15.00 to: Jessie Townsend, 13501 SE 171st Lane Hawthorne, FL 32640)
Jessie, Red and Chris Henry and David McBrady in the studio
Jessie and Lee Townsend recently went back into the studio to record six more songs to add to their CD Sampler. The CD will now have 12 songs and be titled, “Tribute” as it will have songs from several of Florida’s best songwriters past and present including Will McLean, Steve Blackwell, Jim Ballew, Dale Crider, Don Grooms and Ann Thomas to name a few.
Lee Townsend in the studio
Below you will find music videos of six of the songs included on the project followed by audio samples from all of the songs on the CD including “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home,” written by the late Ann Thomas about a tourist travelling by bus from Boston who was headed to Miami, but got off in the Florida scrub by mistake; “Crying Bird,” written by the late Will McLean about the potential demise of the Florida Limpkin; “Lonesome Wind Blues,” written by the late Wayne Raney and made popular by the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe; “When I Die” written by the late Jim Ballew; “Oh Kissimmee River” written by environmental troubadour Dale Crider from Windsor, FL and “Wild Birds” written by the late Don Grooms.
Jessie and Lee were joined in the studio for this CD by Chris Henry (guitar, mandolin and vocal harmony), Red Henry (fiddle, mandolin and vocal harmony), David McBrady (bass and vocal harmony), Jason Thomas (mandolin). Gabe Valla (rhythm guitar), Christian Ward (fiddle), Elisabeth Williamson (vocal harmony) and Lon Williamson (bass). The lost tourist in the first video, “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home,” is portrayed by Harriett Meyer.
Lost Tourist’s Letter Home
Crying Bird
Lonesome Wind Blues
When I Die
Wild Birds
Oh Kissimmee River
Song samples:
Jessie and Lee Townsend (all photos by Donna Green-Townsend)
Kentucky Borderline(written by Rhonda Vincent and Terry Herd) Performing on this fast-paced bluegrass tune that was the 2004 IBMA Song of the Year are Lee on banjo, Jessie singing the lead vocal, Jason Thomas on mandolin, Gabe Valla on rhythm guitar, Christian Ward on fiddle, David McBrady on bass and Elisabeth Williamson singing vocal harmony.
Bury Me Beneath The Willow This traditional bluegrass song features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and David McBrady on bass and vocal harmony.
Nails In My Coffin(written by Gerald Irby) This song orginally written in 1946 features Lee on banjo and rhythm guitar, Jessie singing lead vocal, Elisabeth Williamson on vocal harmony, Christian Ward on fiddle and David McBrady on bass and vocal harmony.
If I Needed You(written by Townes Van Zandt) features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar, Christian Ward on fiddle, David McBrady on bass and Elisabeth Williamson and David McBrady on vocal harmony.
Lee and Jessie Townsend with David McBrady performing Macclenny Farewell at the Will McLean Festival in March, 2016
Macclenny Farewell(written by Will McLean) This love song written by the late Father of Florida Folk features Jessie on the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and David McBrady on bass.
The Line(written by Steve Blackwell) The line was written by the late Steve Blackwell from Punta Gorda who penned this beautiful song about someone reflecting on all of the family members who have gone on before. This rendition of the song features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and Lon Williamson on bass.
Oh Kissimmee River (written by Dale Crider) Oh Kissimmee River written by environmental troubadour from Windsor, FL, Dale Crider, brings attention to the disastrous environmental effects of trying to straighten the Kissimmee River. This version features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on banjo, Chris Henry on guitar, Red Henry on mandolin and David McBrady on bass.
Withlacoochee River
When I Die (written by Jim Ballew) When I Die is one of the most beautiful songs ever written by the late Jim Ballew. It features Jessie on vocals, Lee on guitar, Chris Henry on mandolin, Red Henry on fiddle and David McBrady on bass.
A Florida Limpkin
Cryin’ Bird (written by Will McLean) Cryin’ Bird by Will McLean brings attention to the potential extinction of Florida’s Limpkin because of the lack of food resources the Limpkin eats in the Wakulla River. Jessie sings vocal, Lee plays guitar, Chris Henry plays mandolin, Red Henry is on the fiddle and David McBrady is on bass. Elisabeth Williamson adds vocal harmony.
Lonesome Wind Blues (written by Wayne Raney) Lonesome Wind Blues is a very traditional bluegrass song. It was originally recorded in 1947 by Wayne Raney and later made famous by the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe. In this version Jessie sings the vocals with harmony added by Chris and Red Henry. Lee plays banjo, Chris Henry plays guitar, Red Henry is on the mandolin and David McBrady is on the bass.
Wild Birds (written by Don Grooms) Wild Birds is a love song written by the late Don Grooms. Jessie sings the vocals, Lee is on guitar, Chris Henry is on mandolin, Red Henry is on fiddle and David McBrady is on bass.
Lost Tourist’s Letter Home (written by Ann Thomas) In this tongue-in-cheek song the late Ann Thomas pokes fun at what a lost tourist would write home about if he or she got off a tour bus in the middle of Florida. Jessie sings vocals, Lee plays banjo, Chris Henry is on guitar, Red Henry is on mandolin and David McBrady is on bass
Jessie and Lee have been performing for several years. Venues have included the Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival, the Alachua and Micanopy Festivals, bluegrass events in Waldo, the Christmas Candelight program at Disney World and a variety of other church services and community events.
To order a CD, please send $15.00 to:
Jessie Townsend 13501 SE 171st Lane
Hawthorne, FL 32640
To book Jessie and Lee for musical performances call 352-575-3042, or send an email to townsendjessie@gmail.com.
Blue Springs in Gilchrist County, FLDante Wyndam from Sebring enjoys a swim in Blue Springs
Update February, 2018: Florida officially added Blue Springs as the 175th state park.
Update June 14, 2017: On Wednesday morning the Florida Cabinet approved purchasing Blue Springs Park in Gilchrist County. The state has agreed to pay $5.25 million dollars for the 407-acre property which includes frontage along the Santa Fe River. Real estate sites indicate the value of the property is closer to $10 million dollars. Environmental organizations are praising the purchase decision and have described Blue Springs Park, which has been privately owned since the late 50’s, as an environmental jewel and a win-win for the state.
The park, like many springs in North Central Florida, is packed on a typical summer weekend with swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers, tubers and picnickers.
The video below depicts a typical summer weekend at Blue Springs Park.
(videography by Donna Green-Townsend. Song Blue Springs Swing by Lauren Heintz. Wildwood Flower performed by Sam Pacetti and Gabriel Valla)
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Earlier post: June 19, 2015: Friday morning in Tallahassee, Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council unanimously voted to add Blue Springs and the 405-acre property on the Santa Fe River near High Springs to the list of first-magnitude springs the state is seeking to buy with Florida Forever funds.
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Original post:
On June 19th, the state’s Acquisition and Restoration Council will decide whether to add Blue Springs to its larger “First Magnitude Springs” aquisition project. Hundreds of people have signed a petition urging the state to purchase Blue Springs Park in Gilchrist County and turn it into a state park. Environmental groups like, “Our Santa Fe River,” and others point out the purchase would protect the spring from future development and make it available to the general public. They point out how the park already has campsites, parking, boardwalks and other infrastructure which would make the transition to a state park easier.
The 405-acre property along the Santa Fe River in Florida has been privately owned by Kimberly David and Matt Barr since the late 1950s. Blue Springs has been a very popular recreation destination for years. Environmentalists say Blue Springs is a unique treasure and protecting the popular water body is what Floridians had in mind when they voted for Amendment 1, the land conservation constitutional amendment that voters overwhelmingly approved in November.
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An online petitionis circulating asking folks to support the state’s acquisition of Blue Springs Park. The petition reads:
To be delivered to Mr. Hank Vinson, Staff Director, Acquisition and Restoration Council and Mr. Gary Clark, Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation Designee
Dear Sirs: Your council will soon meet to determine the fate of one of Florida’s finest remaining natural resources and a prime example of what our state can boast as a unique treasure. Gilchrist Blue Springs seems made to order for what the people of Florida had in mind when they voted in Amendment 1. This spring is categorized as a second magnitude, just short of a first magnitude producing approximately 40 million gallons of fresh clean water each day, and as such is one of Florida’s major springs. There are 4 large springs and 2 smaller springs on the property, which has multiple buildings and 25 campsites with electric and water. In addition there are 100+ primitive campsites, nature trails, and a long boardwalk to the Santa Fe River. Wildlife is abundant on the property and especially important for two reasons: it boasts ten species of turtles, second only to the Ichetucknee in the Santa Fe basin, and it has a very high populations of snails, one of which, Elimia sp., is important for controlling nuisance algae. The surrounding land totals nearly 400 acres, which would then be protected from development and would further enhance the overall designation of the Santa Fe as an Outstanding Florida Waterway, ecological greenway, and paddling trail. The venue is already a park and has recreational facilities for swimming, camping and picnicking. The availability of the Gilchrist Blue Springs property comes at an opportune moment, when Amendment 1 funds have been assured by law. Our Santa Fe River encourages your council to grasp this opportunity to preserve this beautiful and invaluable part of the pristine Florida for which it is renowned.
If interested in signing the petition you can go to:
The 1988 Pines and Palms television program hosted by the late Don Grooms featured several singer songwriters who have since passed on. They may have left this earthly life, but their music lives on. Their songs can still be heard on the stages of many music festivals around the state.
In 1988, Grooms who was working as a telecommunication professor at the University of Florida, gathered together several of his greatest music friends including Bobby Hicks from the Tampa area, Seminole Chief James Billie from South Florida, Frank and Ann Thomas from Lake Wales and Dale and Linda Crider from Windsor.
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The program was recorded in the studios of WUFT-TV in Gainesville. This is a very rare recording as many of the archival tapes from that time period have been destroyed or have been lost. Thanks to Frank Counts who was the producer-director for this program, this copy still exists. Frank was a telecommunication assistant professor at UF and worked for 37 years as the Production Manager for WUFT-TV before his retirement in 2010.
The program ran nearly an hour. To make it easier to watch, the program is broken up into four separate segments below:
Pines and Palms Part 1
Part 1 includes Bobby Hicks singing, “I’m Florida Need I Say More,” Frank and Ann Thomas singing, “Cracker Cowman,” and Don Grooms singing, “Winnebago.”
Pines and Palms Part 2
Part 2 includes James Billie singing his “Big Alligator” song and a song about a bashful star. Also featured are two songs from Dale and Linda Crider: “Under the Southern Bald Eagle” and “Last Live Photo”
Pines and Palms Part 3
Part 3 includes Don Grooms as he sings “Vitachuko.” Bobby Hicks sings his Condo/Hurricane song. Frank and Ann Thomas sing their song “Buttermilk Biscuits” and their song about “Sam Jones.” James Billie sings his song “Back To The Swamp.”
Pines and Palms Part 4
Part 4 includes Bobby Hicks singing a song about “Zachariah Creech,” Dale and Linda Crider perform their “Proof In the Wild Turkey Sign,” and Don Grooms sings, “Walk Proud My Son.”
Sandhill cranes near McIntosh, FL (photo by Donna Green-Townsend)
The Father of Florida Folk, Will McLean, penned hundreds of songs about Florida. McLean, who was the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame loved to watch sandhill cranes. In Florida there are migratory sandhill cranes and cranes that stay in the state all year long. Below is a video produced by Donna Green-Townsend of migratory cranes incorporating one of Will McLean’s most popular songs, “Courtship Dance of the Florida Sandhill Crane.” Accompanying Will McLean are Kayt Kennedy on bowed psaltry and David Beede on hammered dulcimer. The music was recorded at McLean’s concert in 1985 at the Thomas Center in Gainesville, FL, just five years before his death.
Every Fall a new litter of baby squirrels emerge from the dead Bay tree outside my bedroom window. It’s such a delight to see them scrambling around the tree for the first time and playing with each other. I know when I see them it won’t be long before the mother squirrel will carry them to another tree farther away from my window. This year I decided to capture some of those precious moments and add music. I couldn’t think of anything more appropriate than the late Steve Blackwell‘s song, “Mystery Tree.” Singing the song are Amy Carol Webb and Carrie Blackwell Hussey.
Cabbage pickers quickly work to bring in the crop before the expected hard freeze on Monday.
With record-breaking temperatures expected in Florida, cabbage pickers between Hastings and Palatka were busy today trying to harvest the latest crop.
Today’s scene was very similar to 2011 when cabbage growers also faced the risk of losing their winter crop to a hard freeze. Click on my archive story below to watch the process of cutting the cabbage and packaging it up for transport across the country.
Vegetable growers in North Central Florida scramble to get their crops to market during a January, 2011 freeze.
It’s that time of year again when North Central Florida serves as host to migrating sandhill cranes. Floridians are very familiar with the loud, squawking sounds of these tall birds with wing spans as wide as 6 feet as they circle above and fly to favorite feeding grounds around the Gainesville area, especially Payne’s Prairie and the shoreline and marshes of Orange and Lochloosa Lakes in Alachua County. The father of Florida folk, the late Will McLean (1919-1990), was inspired by the “dancing and prancing” of the cranes and penned the song called, “The Courtship Dance of the Florida Sandhill Cranes.” McLean is accompanied in this 1985 live recording by Kate Kennedy on bowed psaltry and David Beede on hammered dulcimer.
Cover photo of CD recorded in 1985 at the historic Thomas Center of Florida’s Black Hat Troubadour Will Mclean
Sandhill cranes flying over Watson Prairie near Cross Creek, FL.
In the news video below produced by Donna Green-Townsend on nesting ecology of Sandhill Cranes in Florida, you will hear the melody of McLean’s song performed by Melrose singer-songwriter David Beede and Kate Bostrum. The nesting ecology research was a cooperative effort between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Wildlife and Range Sciences Department at the University of Florida. (this report originally aired statewide on the IFAS program Florida File in 1990)
Drought and overpumping of the Floridan aquifer are blamed for low lake levels in the Keystone Heights area.
Singer songwriter Elisabeth Williamson was so saddened by the low level of Gatorbone Lake in the Keystone Heights area in recent years that she wrote a song about it called, “Land of Flowers.” Lake levels in many North Central Florida lakes have been low for a long period of time (some say since 2005, the year after the busy 2004 hurricane season). Many blame not only the lack of rainfall, but also overpumping by businesses, agriculture and utilities. Scenes from Gatorbone Lake, White Sands Lake, Lake Geneva, Newnan’s Lake, Cross Creek and Orange and Lochloosa Lakes are included in this video produced by Donna Green-Townsend.
Some photos in this video were contributed by Keystone Heights Mayor Mary Lou Hildreth. Other video and pictures were taken by Donna Green-Townsend and Lee Townsend.
The Florida panther “Big Guy,” pictured here in 1987 at the White Oak Plantation, received medical care from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine after being hit by a car in South Florida. (photo by Donna Green-Townsend)
Florida’s official state animal, the Florida panther, continues to be an endangered species with only between 50 to 150 animals left in the wild. Many of the big cats are hit by cars each year. Florida’s growing population has encroached on the panther’s historic territory. As Donna Green-Townsend reports, wildlife biologists and researchers continue to look for ways to save and increase the panther population while struggling with panther inbreeding, traffic mortalities and loss of panther habitat.
This story note: This feature originally aired on statewide public television in 1990. The panther “Big Guy” featured in this story has since died. Researchers hoping to use the “Big Guy’s” sperm for reproduction efforts found that most of it was deformed from inbreeding. Since that time, in an effort to save the species, the USFWS introduced some Texas cougars into Florida’s panther population to diversify the genetic material.
Florida panther on display for educational purposes at an Everglades Coalition Meeting in Key Largo in 1978. (photo by Donna Green-Townsend)
(from a report on January 12th, 2012) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has reported three Florida panther deaths already this year. Two were hit by vehicles and the third fatality was caused by a fight with another panther. Last year 24 panther deaths were recorded, but FWC biologists also observed 11 radio-collared females giving birth to 32 panther kittens. Overall, the known number of newborn panthers in 2011 appears to have offset the known number of panther deaths. Today, an estimated 100 to 160 adults of this federally endangered species live in Florida.
Panthers almost disappeared from the wild in this state when their numbers fell to fewer than 30 in the 1970s. Collisions with vehicles continue to be the greatest source of human-caused mortality to the panther. The FWC officials say they will continue to work with many partners to conserve and increase habitat available to panthers on both public and private lands to try and ensure the survival of Florida’s official state animal.
People are encouraged to report sightings of an injured or dead panther by calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.
The Line (written by Steve Blackwell) The line was written by the late Steve Blackwell from Punta Gorda who penned this beautiful song about someone reflecting on all of the family members who have gone on before. This rendition of the song features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and Lon Williamson on bass.
