Anastasia in St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Maritime Hammock
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 1, 2024
1. Maritime Hammock Marker
The natural area you are standing in is called a maritime hammock. It formed as the coast line receded, creating stabilized beach dunes that allow for larger growth trees. Though maritime hammocks extend the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the specific mix of live oak, red bay, and cabbage palm found in this maritime hammock extends from southern Georgia to Cape Canaveral. The shrub layer consists of saw palmetto, yaupon, and wax myrtle.
Walking through the trails, you may spot lizards, skinks, rabbits (eastern cottontail), mice, raccoons, and possibly even a gopher tortoise. From the tower, you may spot red-shouldered and Cooper's hawks, ospreys, bald eagles, and roseate spoonbills roosting in their nests or flying over the treetops.
[Captions:]
This photograph (right) taken in 1887, shows the lighthouse from the east. Dunes still remain and the vegetation is all shrub. Because the shrubs grew taller and formed a dense canopy of the maritime hammock, it is affectionately called "a grown up beach dune."
Ospreys are common inhabitants of the maritime hammock. They are avid fishers and are often seen from the tower with their catch.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Indigenous Peoples and Communities
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Location. 29° 53.109′ N, 81° 17.296′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. It is in Anastasia. It can be reached from the intersection of Red Cox Drive and Ocean Vista Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Red Cox Dr, Saint Augustine FL 32080, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in First Coast and in Greater Jacksonville. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Q: Were Women Lighthouse Keepers? (a few steps from this marker); Q: What Did The Keepers' Wives Do At The Light Station? (a few steps from this marker); Keepers' Garden (a few steps from this marker); Juan Ponce de Leσn - Adelantado and the Final Voyage to Florida (a few steps from this marker); Q: What Were Responsibilities Of The Keepers' Children? (a few steps from this marker); Discover Four Authentic Experiences (a few steps from this marker); Q: What Did Keepers Children Do For Fun? (a few steps from this marker); Florida's Butterflies (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 1, 2024
2. Maritime Hammock Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 151 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
