Alabama State Parks Archives -

The Un-Wilding of a Green Destination

By Simone Lipscomb | February 8, 2019

Sustainable tourism….Eco-Tourism…Green Destinations. All buzz-words to attract Earth-loving, conscious travelers wanting to invest their vacation dollars into a place that honors sustainability and earth-friendly practices.

*All underbrush must go….old growth native plants are being completely cleared*

It’s the latest goo-goo-ga-ga for all the tourism officials along the Alabama Gulf Coast. “We’re going to be one of only a few GREEN destinations in the world.”

*Not just near buildings….ALL OVER THE PARK…clearing native plants*

Meanwhile Gulf State Park has ‘sold’ itself to Hilton Hotels –all part of this grand scheme–and the image of un-manicured, un-sightly flora growing amok (gasp) has caused a systematic effort to remove all underbrush from buffer zones. What does that mean? They are removing old growth palmettos and other underbrush that serves as wildlife habitat and erosion control when hurricanes push the Gulf of Mexico into the heart of the park. (Oh…but wait…there’s no such thing as hurricanes).

*The latest assault….all of the undergrowth in the live oak area…across from the resort….was being removed when I took this photo*

My usual passive blogs about love and peace and connecting with your inner wild has yielded to the important reminder that a state park isn’t supposed to be Hilton manicured….is it? Sure, around the resort area…I’ve got no complaints about that really. But along trails? Along the lake? And you are bragging that you are a GREEN destination?

*All undergrowth was cleared between the trail and road….why?*

The irony that to create this mega-green destination you are destroying the vegetation that makes it truly green. I suspect the only true green-tourism officials want is the kind that fills their bank accounts.

*All along the trail, beautiful palmettos and shrubs cleared…prime wildlife buffer zones*

Kind citizens of Alabama, lovers of this beautiful state park…are you aware that your park has been sold? That the wildlife we love and cherish is being pushed back yet again….and again…and again? That it is a sin to be wild in a place set aside for wild-life?

I was park naturalist at Gulf State Park in the early 1980’s and worked summers there while in college. The love I have for this place is real and yet I left the job when I saw how developers and politicians, local and state level, constantly were clawing for a piece of the land there. Now, over three decades later, I’m watching as day-by-day a little more wild is removed to make way for a GREEN travel destination.

I wonder what the awesome people spending their hard-earned money visiting a green destination would think if they knew how the land was being managed. I’m betting they would care if they are investing in eco-friendly places. And to be clear…there is nothing eco-friendly about the destruction happening at the park. Every time I cycle through these areas I feel both boiling mad and heartbroken for the habitat that is removed to make it what….pretty…less snaky?

We must change the way we calibrate beauty. If green lawns and palmetto-free zones is the definition of a green destination, count me out. And you can make sure that before I invest my travel dollars into any ‘eco-tourism’ destination, I will research to see how they treated the wild ones, the innocents that had the audacity to be born there, while they were developing their eco-friendly resort.

There is a growing trend to re-wild ourselves…to connect deeply with nature and rekindle the fierce wildness within ourselves and unwind ourselves from domestication….to become more authentic. How ironic that humans are working toward this ideal while the ‘wild’ around us is being removed from ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ destinations. There’s something very perverse and insane about this.

Like the wild animals, I need to retreat to a place where I can be in wild habitat. My heart is breaking to see the ideals of sustainability screwed over in the name of ‘eco-tourism.’

The Jewels of Alabama

By Simone Lipscomb | April 23, 2015

Today as I was cycling through the backcountry of Gulf State Park, I reflected on how much this beautiful conservation area has meant to me throughout my life. The recent threat to close the majority of Alabama State Parks by the governor prompted an inner exploration of how the park’s past and mine are interwoven.

It was such a lovely morning with blue sky, low humidity and temperatures in the 70’s. Pedaling through live oak forests, pine forests, marshes and swamps I felt so fortunate to be able to live close enough to enjoy the trails. And I thought how people who live near parks scheduled to close will lose their special places that perhaps they have enjoyed throughout their lifetime.

My first memory of Gulf State Park was swimming in Lake Shelby as a toddler. The dark, tea-colored water always scared me, even with my trusty rubber ducky. It’s still a popular place to cool off on a hot summer day.

State Park Naturalist with one of my favorite winter friends who appreciated my love of organic foods. — *Me as Gulf State Park Naturalist with one of my favorite winter friends who appreciated my love of organ*ic foods.

My summer jobs in high school and college were at Gulf State Park with the naturalist program, at the campground and at park headquarters. After completing my undergraduate studies at Auburn I was hired as park naturalist. My passion was educating people about the beauty and sacredness of over 4000 acres of land and water, protected from encroaching development. But my frustration grew as money, greed and politics were always placed over conservation and protection, even with a great park superintendent trying to maintain balance.

When my daughter was born we lived in Gulf Shores and enjoyed the beaches, lakes and trails even when she was very young. And after moving away, I always wanted to visit the park and take her so she would know it…know its treasures.

So many memories of the park are connected with my daughter. Much of what I wanted to pass along to her as an environmental ethic began in this state park.

I took Emily and Kevin's engagement photographs in the park — *I took Emily and Kevin’s engagement photographs in the park*

Many milestones of my life have been celebrated at this beautiful place and today, as I pedaled through forests of live oaks and white sand, I remembered many wonderful times with joy…tempered with sadness for people who could lose their special state parks due to the governor robbing them…robbing us…of some of the most sacred places in our state.

John Muir said, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

He was born in 1838 and worked his entire life to create protected areas such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainer and Sequoia. I have thought of him often after discovering the plans the governor has for our state parks. How long will voting residents allow this kind of behavior to continue? Perhaps his next move is to open public jewels such as our parks for fracking….or worse.

“When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realize that one cannot eat money.” Cree Proverb. We think it’s not possible. We deny that it could ever happen. But it is happening and the assault is being led by people we elect to serve us and to protect our resources.

Note: Today it was reported that the governor has put a stay on closing the parks May 1st. A stay of execution? He is looking for funds in other areas. Why….WHY!!! is conservation always the very first department to be de-funded? In the grand ‘scheme’ of things it makes absolutely no sense.