Sherwood Stokes Preserve
Thousands of years ago the black water of Lake Marion Creek flowed gently north to join Snell Creek in route to Lake Hatchineha. Duggout canoes quietly parted the dark reflective water as hunters from the nearby villages began their day in search of the river's bounty. Today, because of the cooperative efforts of the Polk County Environmental Land Program and Green Horizon Land Trust, Lake Marion Creek will forever provide the same bounty of tranquility to modern man that early Indian residents enjoyed.
Two parcels containing 217 acres on Lake Marion Creek, east of Haines City, Florida, have been purchased through partnering with Polk County's Environmental Lands Division. Green Horizon negotiated the purchase from the Sherwood L. Stokes Estate to preserve this largely pristine creek.
A 57-acre portion of the property can be accessed from Marion Creek Road and encompasses the mouth of Lake Marion Creek. The site contains several houses that were used as a retreat by the late Sherwood Stokes. Now these buildings are home to the Long-Eared Bat (below) which is rarely seen in Florida.
The second parcel is a 160-acre tract through which the creek flows. It connects to several thousand acres acquired by the South Florida Water Management District.
This beautiful property is a treasure trove of plants and animals in a setting of wetlands and uplands that has remained relatively unchanged from ancient times. Gopher Tortoise can be seen on the upland portions as well as a family of Scrub Jays. The woods are replete with cabbage palms, gum, oak, maple, hickory, bay and magnolia.
The site will be named the Sherwood L. Stokes Preserve and will initially be managed by Polk County. When open to the public, the property will offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy low impact recreation such as canoeing, fishing, hiking and bird watching.
