West Summerland Key
Encyclopedia
Scout Key is an island
in the lower Florida Keys
, previously known as West Summerland Key until 2010.
The Key was renamed to reflect the two adjoining scout camps
on it, Boy Scout
Camp Sawyer and Girl Scout Camp Wesumkee. Camp Wesumkee is the site of the Winter Star Party
, an annual gathering of amateur astronomer
s. The name change also removed some confusion about its location – despite its name, West Summerland Key is about 10 miles east of Summerland Key
.
U.S. 1
(the Overseas Highway
) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 34—35, between Spanish Harbor Key
and Big Pine Key.
Originally, there were three keys at this location. They were connected by fills at the time the Overseas Railroad
was built. The keys were West Summerland Key (westernmost), Middle Summerland Key (center), and no name is known for the easternmost key. West Summerland retained its name, but the other two are known simply as the Spanish Harbor Keys; named for the anchor
age located between this key and Big Pine Key. Interesting features of this key include indian mounds, and storage buildings still standing from the Flagler railway construction
era.
Its ecology
has suffered recent hurricane damage. The swim platform at Camp Sawyer which was rebuilt after a 2004 storm became, in turn, scrap
lumber
in 2005. The storm surge
s came in from the east and eliminated many more trees on the Camp Wesumkee side of the Key than at Camp Sawyer, which still had many fifty-year-old buttonwood
trees taken out.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the lower Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
, previously known as West Summerland Key until 2010.
The Key was renamed to reflect the two adjoining scout camps
Scouting in Florida
Scouting in Florida is composed of Boy Scout and Girl Scout local councils in Florida. Scouting in Florida has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live....
on it, Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
Camp Sawyer and Girl Scout Camp Wesumkee. Camp Wesumkee is the site of the Winter Star Party
Winter Star Party
The Winter Star Party, aka WSP, is an annual convention of amateur astronomers where the primary activity is nighttime astronomical observation. Most attendees camp on site....
, an annual gathering of amateur astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s. The name change also removed some confusion about its location – despite its name, West Summerland Key is about 10 miles east of Summerland Key
Summerland Key
Summerland Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles east of Key West.U.S. 1 crosses the island at approximately mile markers 24—25.5, between Ramrod Key and Cudjoe Key. The name appears on U.S...
.
U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
(the Overseas Highway
Overseas Highway
The Overseas Highway is a highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially...
) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 34—35, between Spanish Harbor Key
Spanish Harbor Key
Spanish Harbor Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys.U.S. 1 crosses the keys at approximately mile markers 35--36, between Bahia Honda Key and West Summerland Key....
and Big Pine Key.
Originally, there were three keys at this location. They were connected by fills at the time the Overseas Railroad
Overseas Railroad
The Overseas Railroad was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 30,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula...
was built. The keys were West Summerland Key (westernmost), Middle Summerland Key (center), and no name is known for the easternmost key. West Summerland retained its name, but the other two are known simply as the Spanish Harbor Keys; named for the anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
age located between this key and Big Pine Key. Interesting features of this key include indian mounds, and storage buildings still standing from the Flagler railway construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
era.
Its ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
has suffered recent hurricane damage. The swim platform at Camp Sawyer which was rebuilt after a 2004 storm became, in turn, scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
in 2005. The storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
s came in from the east and eliminated many more trees on the Camp Wesumkee side of the Key than at Camp Sawyer, which still had many fifty-year-old buttonwood
Conocarpus
Conocarpus is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Combretaceae, native to tropical regions of the world. One of the species is a widespread mangrove species, the other is restricted to a small area around the southern Red Sea coasts, where it grows alongside seasonal...
trees taken out.