Springer's Point is one of the most beautiful places on Earth! 
mosses and fungi spread out like doilies over the tree branches 
mushrooms pop up from the underbrush 
vines drip off the trees like tinsel
ground cover mingles with the root systems
a dead tree is reclaimed by the forrest
a wave of leaves breaks on the path
the canopy thickens, but vines seek out runaway sun rays
an ancient well holds court in the middle of the forrest
This fresh-water well once attracted Algonquin-speaking Native Americans. They came for the water source, and also for leaves of yaupon that grow here, which they used to make a tea.
When pirates in the 1700s heard wind of this fresh-water well they made Springer's Point a resting place. A pirate's life is one of the hunter and the hunted. Their tiny sloops could navigate the shoal-speckled inlets better than the large ships that were both their predators and targets. Blackbeard the Pirate made Springer's Point his camp on many occasions, and he even hosted the largest known pirate gathering here, shortly before his capture and death just offshore at what's now known as "Teach's Hole." At this party, the pirates consumed massive amounts of rum!
When pirates in the 1700s heard wind of this fresh-water well they made Springer's Point a resting place. A pirate's life is one of the hunter and the hunted. Their tiny sloops could navigate the shoal-speckled inlets better than the large ships that were both their predators and targets. Blackbeard the Pirate made Springer's Point his camp on many occasions, and he even hosted the largest known pirate gathering here, shortly before his capture and death just offshore at what's now known as "Teach's Hole." At this party, the pirates consumed massive amounts of rum!
the ocean dazzles beyond trees that are so windblown they grow horizontally
just when the forrest becomes impenetrable, it breaks onto a lonely beach
the forrest floor creeps onto the sand as far as it is able
looking back, the trees seem to be guarding the land from the sea
walk right, and you approach civilization
head left, and you reach a marsh seeping with crabs and oysters
Behind the marsh a small field of needle grass leads up to a thicket. Here, in the top-center of the photo you see white flower bunches of yucca plants, and behind them you see the canopy edge rising up like a hill out of the grass plain.
live oaks, myrtle, and yaupon mushroom out and lock together to form a sharp wall just behind the yucca
I spy a break in the forrest edge and head back into the brush
In all of this, I am on the search for yaupon leaves
Yaupon leaves make a caffine-rich tea once drunk by Timucuan and Seminole Native Americans. It is related to yerba mate. In the last century, this local product has all but been forgotten. I found a few plants among the myrtle and love oaks, but I didn't pick from here because Springer's Point is a wildlife preservation area.
Back in the forrest the live oak branches reach out to the sky like veins and form a fine lace canopy. From the beach the thicket seemed like a solid tangle of wood, leaves, and insects; but inside, birds dart through the spacious atmosphere between the ground cover and the canopy leaves, spiders tie branches together with their webs, tiny lizards dash among a carpet of dried leaves, dragonflies perch for a moment on purple flowers that seem entirely too delicate for their surroundings. It's loud in here-- full of the sounds of life and rustling branches. The waves fade out, the brush envelops you, you feel as if the forrest has wrapped you up. The canopy of this forrest creates a shell around the entire "bubble" ecosystem that exists within the branches. The incredible anatomy of this place protects it from hurricanes and storms that can batter the Outer Banks, and creates a haven for wildlife that could not survive on the beaches in high winds.
Aside from being a unique wildlife preserve, Springer's Point has been a central location for major events in beverage history: this was the site of Blackbeard's legendary rum party, a place where Native American's travelled to collect yaupon for sacred rituals, and the location of a fresh-water well which attracted Native Americans, pirates, colonists, and seamen.
There are a few yaupon plants at Springer's Point, but much more yaupon grows all over Ocracoke Island. I found some plants along the bike trails and picked leaves to make tea. Click here to learn more about yaupon tea.
Aside from being a unique wildlife preserve, Springer's Point has been a central location for major events in beverage history: this was the site of Blackbeard's legendary rum party, a place where Native American's travelled to collect yaupon for sacred rituals, and the location of a fresh-water well which attracted Native Americans, pirates, colonists, and seamen.
There are a few yaupon plants at Springer's Point, but much more yaupon grows all over Ocracoke Island. I found some plants along the bike trails and picked leaves to make tea. Click here to learn more about yaupon tea.
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