It’s early Wednesday morning and Jan and Fleetwood Chesnutt’s Australian shepherd, Duncan, has been waiting impatiently at the front door. He knows it’s tour day at Indian River Land Trust’s Bee Gum Point Preserve, and he’s anxious to get going.
Once at the 111-acre protected property, the three Chesnutts will meet, greet, and lead those who have made reservations along a sandy trail winding through the designated bird sanctuary. Not only is Bee Gum Point a popular winter stopover for millions of waterfowl and other migratory birds heading south on the Atlantic Flyway (156 species logged to date), its wetlands provide the perfect setting for fish nurseries. While some IRLT properties are open to the public, Bee Gum is available only for scheduled events.
“The tour, which is limited to 15 people, lasts about an hour and a half, and dogs are welcome,” says Jan, patting Duncan’s head…