Approximately 25 miles due south of Tallahassee, Florida visitors to the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge can drive out onto a peninsula and step back in time. The feeling is primitive and gives a hint of what coastal Florida must have been like before the coming of the European settlers. The only hint of human presence is the paved road and levees on the fresh water ponds to maintain the water level. To find such a parcel of land on the coast of Florida that has not been paved over and covered in waterfront homes is uncommon, but to find such a natural habitat with numerous species of wildlife is rare indeed. This is a perfect example of salt-water marsh habitat with all the necessary elements to attract a variety of animals.
Alligators are common.
Waterfowl are abundant in winter and a wide variety of wading birds frequent the area. One pond has a dead tree that is an egret rookery, and bald eagles can be found in the refuge almost any season. Currently there are nine pairs nesting on the refuge. A massive migration of Monarch butterflies usually appears in late October, covering trees and bushes, and other species include gulf fritillaries, sulfurs, buckeyes, and skippers. Wild turkeys and armadillos are here and occasionally making an appearance are the bobcat and black bear.