Two Lake County Schools employees recently embarked on a week-long historical reenactment that will translate into deeper learning for their students.
Grassy Lake Elementary School Assistant Principal Laura Sachs and teacher Lesa Roe loaded up their horses and gear and set out to experience The Great Florida Cattle Drive, reliving Florida history and life as it used to be.
They slept on the ground in a tent, ate chuckwagon food, and endured the cold weather as they traversed the open lands, prairies, swamps, and hammocks of south Florida. In the process, 375 cows were moved along the route from an area just south of Yeehaw Junction. The journey ended as the cattle were brought right down Hwy 441 for the final mile and entered the Okeechobee Cattlemen's Arena for the grand entry of their End of Trail Heritage Festival.
As they traveled, Sachs and Roe also followed live lessons presented by the University of Florida on the book, “A Land Remembered: Where Cattle, Conservation, and Beef Come Together.” The project brought the Great Florida Cattle Drive into classrooms across Florida, and Sachs and Roe say they look forward to sharing the livestream recordings with Grassy Lake students.
“Administrator Laura Sachs and I have great lifelong memories to share because of this,” Roe said.
Learn more about the experience at this link to an article published by National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/great-florida-cattle-drive-wildlife-corridor-cowboy-history
