Kolomoki Mounds is the largest and oldest protected Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States.
Native plant, (yucca filamentosa)
(gopherus polyphemus)
The sandy soils here in the Southwest Georgia coastal plain are home to the endangered gopher tortoise. Several burrows, including this one, can be found within walking distance of the visitor's center.
When I was a little girl I remember going on a field trip to visit Kolomoki mounds. Looking back, I am so glad our teachers found this place important enough to visit, even though at the time the very disturbing theatrics performed scared the bejesus out of all of us. Inside the museum and visitors center one can see the actual remains of an excavated mound, and at that time actors performed some kind of bad rendition of a ritual dance full with feathers and stereotypical pow wow chants as if they got the entire skit from a black and white country western movie. I just remember having this utterly horrible feeling that THIS IS SO WRONG. It was a desecration of a sacred space that was being turned into a tourist attraction. I honestly don't know if they do this anymore, but if they do I just hope that someone with actual native blood is being paid for the performance.
(Solenopsis invicta)
also known as the Red Imported Fire Ant, making one of their colonies on this young Long Leaf Pine tree. Be careful of these ants if you hike here, because they attack quickly when disturbed and inflict a painful sting that will burn and itch for days.
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