Some visitors come to the nature park for the Earth Day celebrations in the spring or the Native American festival in the fall. Others come for school field trips, to attend naturalist courses, or participate in water-related research with the Phinizy Center for Water Sciences (formerly known as the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy). Since the park is open to the public (during the daytime hours), some visitors are regulars who use the park for hiking, nature photography, bicycling, and bird watching. Regardless of why they visit, only a few take the time to travel to the far corners of the nature park. One of those corners, the area where the water exits the constructed wetlands into a channel to leads back to Butler Creek, is where you can find this cache.
Alligators are apex predators and the largest reptiles in North America, so be respectful. They are usually within the fenced clarification pond, but they also live in areas outside the fence, so be aware. At least six different alligators have been spotted in the pond at the same time, but there could be more. The alligators can travel through the drainpipe so they are not trapped in the pond. Normally, the alligators eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. On the day this cache was placed, an alligator had snagged a beaver and was trying to protect the catch from the other alligators. Meanwhile, the same alligator caught a large turtle and made a terrible crunching sound as it closed its jaws on the turtle's shell. In all my visits to the area, this was the first time I had witnessed any feeding, but just to be safe, do not climb inside the fence and do not let children play near the water's edge.
This cache does not require bushwhacking or pose any risk of falling into the water. This is an easy find; only the hike may be taxing, especially during the summer heat. Some of the surrounding wetlands may occasionally smell, but it all is part of nature's way of cleaning the water. Also, do NOT disturb any equipment on or near the observation deck. This equipment is used to take readings and monitor the quality of the water that returns to Butler Creek and flows back into the Savannah River. As always, CITO. I have posted a few pictures of the alligators, all taken the same day I placed the cache. The first to find gets $20, or a choice of small toys in the ammo can.
****** Congratulations to Sought and Found for the FTF ******