The Vic Ramey Tribute Walk was held on January 21, 2006 at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park; one of Vic's favorite natural areas. Over sixty people gathered in the park at the Interpretive Museum (an old sandstone bunkhouse) to participate in a hike along the Rim Ramble Trail. The tour was guided by Park Biologist Extraordinaire,Jim Weimer and consisted of winding pathways leading the group past various sink holes, an overlook of the Prairie itself, and even by an unsuspecting water moccasin!

Jim stopped occasionally to read from William Bartram's Travels --

memoirs from a botanist who travelled through Paynes Prairie in the 1700s and was so moved by the beauty it held that he was compelled to write about it. Standing in the same location where Bartram once stood, the group contemplated his
musings while taking in the vast scenery of the prairie.

After the hike the group gathered into the museum where we watched a short film created by Vic in addition to a 10 minute compilation of footage from his nature video endeavors. Lastly, everyone had the chance to share a "Vic Story," which was a wonderful and rare opportunity to learn more about our friend that may not have been known otherwise. To read some of those stories, visit the Vic Blog Page.

For those of you who were unable to attend the Tribute, we invite you to be a part of it all by viewing the Tribute photos below. We are still adding statements to our Blog page, so if you feel inspired to send your thoughts, memories or anecdotes, please email it to:

mailto:CAIP-WEBSITE@ufl.edu

Sincerely,

The CAIP Team