The Okefenokee Swamp is dear to Larry Woodward, deputy manager of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, even though he has only spent three of his 30-year career on its waters.
“It is beautiful, unique, and pristine,� he says. “It is still in its natural state, with the hydrology intact like it was 7,000 years ago when the ocean waters receded.� It’s pristine because of its clean water, and the peat below, which is a big carbon sink. “The amount of carbon stored in the peat-filled depths is monumental, the peat encapsulating over 140 million metric tons of carbon and 514 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, comparable to almost 8% of the annual U.S emissions of CO2.�
“Over 620 plant species demonstrate that it is intact and clean,� Woodward says. “Fall is spectacular with all the cypress trees turning brilliant orange.�
Woodward gets out of the office as much as he can, taking bird surveys, checking trails, and managing projects. When he does, he takes his camera. Woodward is soft-spoken, but his photos speak volumes.
“If you are patient and observant, you will see so much,� he says.
Surprises abound, a small green anole hiding in a carnivorous pitcher plant Woodward photographed recently. “It was in the middle of the swamp, in the middle of a prairie. How did it get all the way out there? That is why I love taking photos,� he says.
