LIVING HISTORY
17
funding to improve Martin Grade and the Allapattah Flats
Management Area, a 20,000-acre public preserve located
nearby. Setting up kiosks, picnic tables, and restrooms might
make it friendly for passive recreation. Plans are under way
to advertise on state and national websites to draw tourists
who can enjoy hiking, fishing, horseback riding, primitive
camping and hunting in the preserve.
If you’re planning a hike through Allapattah Flats,
be prepared for the rustic Florida outdoors. Bring some
binoculars because you might well spot deer, gopher
tortoises, gators and diverse bird and plant life. “You’ll feel
like one with nature,” said Brian Powers, a member of the
scenic project. “You’ll feel more like you’re a part of their
world than they’re a part of your world.”
The Martin Grade Scenic Project also plans to provide
educational programs by partnering with the University of
Florida, Florida Atlantic University and the South Florida
Water Management District. With all the recent concern about
the health of the Indian River Lagoon, residents and visitors
can learn about the importance of the uplands’ ecosystem and
its strong linkage to the lagoon and to the rivers that feed it.
Martin Grade is more than the green cathedral-like canopy
that decorates the highway. The Grade is a way of connecting
to Old Florida.
In another time, the rhythm of life moved to a slower beat
in these parts as no one seemed to be in a hurry. The early
Floridians were a hardy breed with grit and determination,
who lived off the land and enjoyed its plenty.
Iris Wall, a resident of Indiantown since 1929, spent much
of her childhood along The Grade. She vividly remembers
when the ditches were bursting with bream. “We’d go out >>
PAUL STRAUSS
Wildlife is abundant
in the wetlands near
Martin Grade.
/www.heathcotebotanicalgardens.org
/www.jbriceoriginaloils.com