Judy's Tree

As you ride along what is now called McColsky Avenue in the Osceola National Forest, perhaps you have seen a wooden sign hanging from a crooked slash pine tree off the side of what was once called Still Road. The routed sign says "Judy's Tree".
The location of this site is roughly a half mile north of NFR278 on the right hand side of the road. The person this tree belongs to is the late Judy Hancock, 11/26/1939-6/28/2004 who died of melanoma cancer.
Judy will long be remembered as a tireless champion of the Osceola National Forest and a vast number of other conservation causes during her lifetime, too numerous to document.
If not for the efforts of Judy, this road could well have been the entrance to a vast phosphate mining operation, ruining the beauty of the forest. One of Judy's last projects was establishing a wildlife corridor from the Osceola National Forest to the Okeefenokee Swamp in Georgia.
The sign was placed on this tree by my friend Steve Williams of White Springs and I about two years ago. Steve and Judy spent many hours in meetings and hearing over the years representing things wild through the Sierra, Audubon and Florida Panther Society. Bill Sepko, a friend of mine at work, routed the nice wooden sign for us. During Judy's last days, it was my wife Melanie's honor to be her cancer care nurse. She got to know Judy and was drawn to her sweet, gentle spirit and love of God's wonderful creation. Like Steve, Judy and I were friends from back in the 1980's.
This particular tree was chosen because when Judy was alive, whenever she would be heading into the Osceola in her old beat up pick up truck, Dick Couch and other Foresty workers riding along would point to the crooked tree and say, that is Judy's tree over there.
So next time you are traveling down the old Still Road, on your way into the deeper recesses of the Osceola, slow down and thank Judy Hancock for spending tireless hours protecting the wild and scenic lands we are now able to enjoy.