FELLSMERE — The slash cheek goby, for which the annual Goby Fest at the St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park is named, is a tiny, endangered fish that calls the river home. It’s that same fish that inspired the festival held at the park on Saturday as a way to not only educate visitors about the 70 endangered animals and plants on the 22,000-acre preserve, but also introduce more people to the park.
“People just don’t know about it,” said Mike Beck, a member of the board of the Citizens for the St. Sebastian Preserve State Park, which hosts the annual festival on Buffer Preserve Drive, just off Babcock Street/County Road 507. “It’s literally in your backyard.”
Newcomers to the park learned about the four trails that wind through the preserve, ranging from 5 to 10 miles in length. Visitors are encouraged to walk, hike, bike, ride horses, canoe or kayak and go fishing.
There are even six primitive camping sites for those who want to rough it, according to Beck.
“This is really quite a unique park,” he said.
Aside from stopping at one of the handful of informational and vendor booths set up outside the Visitor’s Center, attendees had an opportunity to take a hayride back into time, traveling to 1876 and visiting with Grazer, a real Cracker – or cow hunter – at his cow camp deep in the preserve.
“I’m just like the cows I hunt – I graze all day long,” Grazer said while tending his camp fire. He offered a cup of coffee to his visitors – telling them it was just right, three days old and strong enough to float a lead bullet.
There were no takers.
He explained to them how cow hunters came to be known as Crackers – due to the sound of their cracking whip (or drag, as Grazer called it) when they round up their cattle.
In 1876, there were 32 major cattle owners, many of whom paid $1/day – good money for the day, Grazer said.
He also dispelled the preconception that all cattle were branded. Instead of using brands, the Florida Crackers cut the tips off the right ear and put an under cut in the bottom of the left ear of each cow. He explained that served as a better marker than a brand because if a calf were branded, it could be four to seven years before it’d make it to market, growing big and distorting the brand. The cuts, however, were permanent and wouldn’t change despite the growing calf.
“It’s always interesting,” said Connecticut self-proclaimed snowbird Judi Elder, who brought her husband, Jim, to Goby Fest. This was the third time they’ve come out to the park.
“We go to all the festivals,” Jim said.
The couple enjoys traveling Florida, taking in its rich history and natural beauty, they said. Goby Fest is no different.
They had recently read “A Land Remembered” which is about the Florida Cracker time in the state’s history. Being able to combine the book with Grazer’s visit helps to solidify the information, they said.
Evelyn Bacskay, who had held a vendor booth at the festival last year, decided to attend as a “normal” person. Though she wished attendance were stronger, she said she was enjoying her time walking her three dogs – Allie, Beanie, and Whyitt – around the site.
“It’s a nice park,” she said. “It’s a beautiful park.”
