In 2008, Helen Roth inherited land that her brother had been using for hunting. She didn't know much about it, but when she started finding interesting-looking plants, she joined the Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, and a new world opened up. The high, dry parts of her property were sandhills, a fire-dependent habitat dominated by longleaf pine and wiregrass. Within the sandhills are steephead ravines, geologically unique landscape features that are home to rare plants.
Soon, Helen's friends started buying property along the ravine, which they call Crooked Creek. Each of their properties was in a different state when they bought it, and they discussed with us the different ways they've restored it. Helen also removed a dam along the creek to allow it to flow freely. Helen and her friends have reintroduced longleaf pine, wiregrass, and fire to their sandhills. They've seen diverse grasses and wildflowers emerge in the understory.
They have also found botanical treasures in their ravines, and watched as wildlife returned to the sandhill, animals such as gopher tortoises, bobwhite quail, fox squirrels, nighthawks, and more.
Crooked Creek is part of the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines region. The steephead on their lands flows into Torreya State Park, and from there into the Apalachicola River.
Joining Helen in this episode were: Annie Schmidt is a conservation biologist and a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. Annie used to live on The Nature Conservancy's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP) when her husband worked there. On the WFSU Ecology Blog, we first met Annie on RiverTrek 2012 when we scaled Alum Bluff, and she gave us a tour of the ABRP sandhill. We met her again on that property as we looked for indigo snakes.
Dr. Jean Huffman is a Dedrochronologist at Tall Timbers Research Station. Jean was on Coast to Canopy in 2025 to talk about her tree-ring fire study.
Dr. Susan Carr is the Senior Conservation Project Manager with the Putnam Land Conservancy and president of the Paynes Prairie Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.