Bartram exhibit starts tour of Alabama State Parks

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By David Rainer

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

 

As one of the first people to experience Alabama’s incredible diversity of landscapes and wildlife, 18th century explorer William Bartram traversed much of central and south Alabama during a three-year period of exploration from 1775-1778. He extensively documented the plants, animals and native tribes in what is now the Southeast U.S.

To commemorate that period of discovery and the vast contributions of this early adventurer, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ State Parks Division is teaming up with Auburn University to highlight Bartram’s travels through Alabama with a traveling display that will be showcased at 12 Alabama State Parks, starting at Lake Guntersville State Park, where the exhibit is currently on display until February 1.

“Alabama State Parks are living classrooms,” said Alabama State Parks’ Chief Naturalist Renee Raney. “This has been our theme over the past few years as we increase our education outreach and bring more field trips and K-12 teachers into our parks.

“Bartram’s story belongs in the landscape that shapes those discoveries, and I believe our public lands are those landscapes. Hosting this exhibit allows guests to encounter Bartram, not as some distant, historic figure, but as a fellow explorer or naturalist to walk many of our rivers, forests and ridges. I really think our parks provide the perfect settings to connect observations from more than 250 years ago to the living ecosystems you can experience in our state parks today.”

Raney said Dr. Mark Wilson invited Alabama State Parks to host “William Bartram and Alabama.” Raney and her team then developed a program to enhance the exhibit at State Parks. In addition to Alabama, Bartram’s travels included North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

“Bartram’s work not only helped lay the foundation for the study of natural history in America, his observations in 1775 as he traversed Alabama inspired the very roots of our own interpretive program and the mission of our state park naturalist team,” Raney said. “As we approach the 250th birthday of our nation in 2026, I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate our country’s natural history and Alabama’s Year of Trails than by sharing this remarkable exhibit and its companion program, ‘In the Footsteps of Bartram: Discovering Alabama’s Natural Heritage,’ with visitors across our state parks.

“Bartram’s legacy of curiosity and wonder, whether he was ‘paddling through innumerable millions of mating mayflies, marveling at the gilded coat of mail of the yellow bream or observing the frog whose call resembles the barking of little dogs’ continues to inspire how we interpret and protect Alabama’s natural treasures today. We look forward to welcoming the public as the exhibit travels to 12 state parks from December 2025 through January 2027 and as our statewide education team leads special programs ranging from hiking to kayaking to nature journaling to Junior Ranger activities and beyond!”

Raney said Auburn’s Bartram exhibit will visit many cultural venues around the state, while the exhibit at Alabama State Parks will be in the midst of the landscapes that Bartram discovered and documented.

“The Parks-based exhibit will be history unfolding where it happened,” she said. “We’re inviting visitors to stand in the same ecological story that Bartram helped record.”

The State Parks’ Bartram exhibit expands the experience with the “In the Footsteps of Bartram” programming that allows visitors hands-on involvement developed by State Parks naturalists.

“The programming invites guests to slow down and observe the world the way Bartram did,” Raney said. “Through guided hikes, interpretive kayaking, nature journaling, immersion programs and place-based adventures, participants engage their senses and curiosity. These experiences transform visitors from spectators into naturalists, echoing Bartram’s restless spirit of inquiry. Not only was he exploring, he was deeply documenting what he found, like the experience near Meaher State Park (at the head of Mobile Bay) where he commented that the little frogs remind him of barking puppy dogs. I just love that he took the time to write that down.

“I also hope the exhibit helps visitors see Alabama State Parks differently. So many of our visitors are repeat customers. They love our parks as they are, but they enjoy diverse experiences. Through this exhibit, I feel like Bartram gives us a lens of wonder and attention. His writings encourage visitors to notice the texture of bark, the scent of wildflowers, the movement of birds and the sound of frogs. Through his eyes, familiar places become layered with history, science and storytelling. My personal desire is that it will reveal the parks as both natural sanctuaries and cultural landscapes.”

Visitors headed to Lake Guntersville State Park to view the Bartram exhibit will also be able to visit during peak eagle-viewing season as well.

“The Alabama State Parks Division is continuously striving to enhance the opportunities for our visitors to experience our beautiful parks,” said State Parks Director Matthew Capps. “The Bartram exhibit is just one example of how our team goes beyond expectations to share the story of the discovery of Alabama’s biodiversity and natural wonders. Take advantage of this opportunity when the exhibit comes to a park near you.”

For those who want to follow the route of Bartram’s exploration in southwest Alabama, the Bartram Canoe Trail traverses the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, also known as “America’s Amazon” because of its amazing flora and fauna. The Bartram trail allows paddlers to experience our nation’s second largest river delta, a vast wetland of estuarine marsh, swamps rife with tupelo and cypress trees and stands of bottomland hardwoods. More than 50 rare and endangered plant and animal species can be found in the Delta, which encompasses 250,000 acres, 100,000 of which are publicly owned and managed.

ADCNR’s Alabama State Lands Division opened the Upper Bartram Canoe Trail system in 2003, followed by the Lower Bartram Canoe Trail system in 2018. Day-use and overnight trails with land-based campsites and floating or elevated platform campsites are available. Visit www.alabamacanoetrails.com/bartram for more information about the paddling and camping opportunities available.

Raney said Bartram’s adventurous science mirrors the mission of Alabama State Parks: discovery, conservation and connection.

“His desire to understand nature through direct experience is the same spirit we cultivate in our interpretive programs,” Raney said. “As Chief Naturalist for Alabama State Parks, I believe his work continues to inspire how we invite guests to learn from the land, enjoy it, protect it and feel a sense of belonging within Alabama’s natural heritage.”

The Bartram exhibit will be displayed at Gulf State Park February 6-28, followed by Meaher State Park from March 3-30, Rickwood Caverns State Park April 2-23, DeSoto State Park April 29-May 28, Chewacla State Park June 3-24, Monte Sano State Park July 1-29, Joe Wheeler State Park August 4-18, Cheaha State Park September 1-22, Lakepoint State Park October 1-23, Oak Mountain State Park October 27-November 30, and Wind Creek State Park December 3-January 15, 2027.

Visit https://reserve.alapark.com/register for a list of upcoming events at Alabama State Parks.