SALTERS — Before the March 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Meadows tract of Black River State Park, Chris Crolley went for a paddle in search of inspiration.
He didn’t have to travel far.
Crolley weaved through a winding maze of bald cypress and tupelo gum trees; listened to the calls of the Golden Swamp Warbler and a symphony of songbirds; surprised a bobcat enjoying its morning drink; and spotted fresh tracks of deer, beaver, raccoon, and even barefoot human footprints on a muddy sand bar by the river’s still, tannin-tinged waters.
In the absence of any visible signs or audible sounds of human development, Crolley experienced the exact same scenes that have been playing out in these pristine coastal swamplands for millennia — and now will continue to play out for generations to come.
