Nature Done Wright

I have a new favorite birding spot in Cape May: the Garrett Family Preserve at Cape Island Creek. I love The Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows, Reed’s Beach, and Cape May Point, but a new place always provides a treat and adventure.

 I had seen the Garrett Family Preserve many years ago – from the air, while taking aerial photographs for The Nature Conservancy. It’s a little embarrassing to say, but because I was taking photos the whole time, I never really saw the preserve, except through my photos.

  Since then, I kept hearing what an amazing place the preserve is, but it was so far off the beaten path (as far as I knew) that my wife and I never visited even though we go to Cape May a few times a year.

   This spring, I learned of a recent Cape May tourist attraction called Revolution Rail, where you take a tour via self-propelled rail cars through a lesser-developed part of the peninsula. 

  That sounded pretty cool, and when I heard the 90-minute excursion included a stop at the Garrett Family Preserve on self-propelled little cars, I said, sign me up.

  My wife Patty and I took the rail-pedal tour earlier this summer, and it was terrific. But the highlight of highlights was the 180-acre Garrett Family Preserve.

  We had maybe 20 minutes to explore – with so much to see:  a bird blind, a pollinator trail, a braille trail (and accompanying audio tour), and four miles of nature trails that one can travel on foot or by bicycle.

There’s also an interactive monarch butterfly sculpture by artist Rubem Robier that opens next week.

 The preserve offers so many reasons to return. That’s why my wife and I plan to come back in early September – perhaps via the Revolution Rail, but definitely by car so we can wander the preserve to our hearts’ content.

You can read more about Jim Garrett here:

https://www.celeryfarm.net/2022/07/honoring-jim-garrett.html