Billie Swamp Safari Camp-Out
February 15-16 2003
Sponsored by the Hopi Tribe
(attendance: 106; tribes participating: Apache, Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Creek, Hopi, Iroquois)
Seven tribes were represented at the February Nation Event, a visit to Billie Swamp Safari on the Seminole Reservation in Big Cypress. At just over an hour driving time, this is a good 'local' venue for camping out, and the Seminole 'chickee' cabins make it an easy event for everyone. Our attendance included 18 dads and daughters on day trips, and 88 spending the night.
Our events included airboat rides, daytime and night-time cross-country swamp buggy rides, presentations on snakes and birds of prey, beadwork, and night-time story telling. Some tribes also hiked the nature trail, went to see the Panthers, and visited the nearby Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum.
Nearly everyone brought picnic lunches for Saturday, and either grilled out or ate at the 'Swampwater Cafe' for dinner and breakfast.
Our weather was near perfect, with sunshine and highs in the upper seventies on Saturdays, a clear, cool night with a 250-watt full moon, and a slightly misty morning over the lake.
The Safari grounds were in very good condition. Over the past year they have re-built the airboat dock and closed-in the auditorium chckee, and added enough greenery to the main courtyard to make you feel you ARE on a safari.
Dad and daughters outside their Chickee
Touching a Red-Tailed Hawk
The highlights of the camp-out were, as always, the night time swamp buggy rides. We were able to see a wide variety of animals, including several varieties of deer, buffalo, wild boar, watusi bulls and
Hopi Dad and Daughter trying out a dugout canoe
cows, and of course the eyes of alligators reflecting back from across the water. There were a large number of medium sized 'gators in the lake immediately next to the camping area. There were also lots of raccoons. Any left-overs from dinner dissappeared without a trace(except for paw prints).
One of the highlights from the daytime buggy ride, in addition to visiting 'Superman', the giant alligator, was seeing a newborn buffalo, only one day old. The girls also enjoyed the ostriches and families of wild boar. We also spotted an otter running away with a just-caught fish.
In the 'auditorium chickee'
The Snake Show included a kingsnake, a diamondback rattlesnake, and an indigo. There was also a small (3-foot) alligator which most of the girls took turns holding and posing for pictures after the show.
The Birds of Prey Show included a beautiful red-tailed hawk, and a crossed peregrine/gyr falcon. The girls had a rare opportunity to get very close and actually touch the hawk after the show.