We begin our virtual journey at the top of the bluff that overlooks the Indian River/Intracoastal Waterway. It will be a trip through three distinct habitats. The land we're standing on is actually an ancient beach dune — thousands of years ago the ocean would have been right in front of us instead of a thousand yards or so to our east. It's now scrub, one of the rarer habitats in Florida, but at 51 acres, the largest natural habitat within Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Natural Area. The high mound of sand doesn't hold water very well, so any rain that hits the land percolates deep into the ground. It's tough, tough land and the plants and animals that live here have to be equally tough.NEXT STOP: A Taste of the Tropics
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