Ross Witham Beach, Hutchinson Island, Treasure Coast, Florida

The House of Refuge Canvas and Framed Prints by Olga Hamilton

Ross Witham Beach, one of the most beautiful places in Martin County, is located on Hutchinson Island and well-known for its exposed section of the Anastasia formation, a geologic formation deposited in Florida during the Late Pleistocene epoch.

Olga Hamilton Photography Ross Wotham Beach Hutchinson Island Florida Canvas and Framed Prints — Canvas and Framed Prints are available

The Anastasia formation, named by E. H. Sellards in 1912, is composed of interbedded sands and coquina limestones. The formation is an orangish brown, soft to moderately hard, coquina of whole and fragmented mollusk shells within sand often cemented by sparry calcite. This formation is an integral part of the surficial aquifer system

Olga Hamilton Photography Hutchinson Island Florida Ross Witham Beach — Canvas and Framed Prints

Biologist and DNR’s Marine Turtle Coordinator Ross Witham “The Turtle Man”. mage caption: Ross Witham, biologist in charge of the turtle rearing program at the Stuart Field Station maintained by the Dept. of Natural Resources, holds a young green turtle. Florida Memory

The beach is named after a local environmental activist Ross Witham, also known as Martin County’s ‘Turtle Man’ since the late 1950s. Through public education and in his role as Marine Turtle Coordinator for the Florida Department of Natural Resources Mr. Witham had a profound impact on the field of sea turtle biology and conservation. He authored more than 30 professional papers about aspects of sea turtle and spiny lobster biology and coached countless volunteers (including children, retirees, and academics) on how to identify and protect sea turtles. Mr. Witham’s projects at the House of Refuge hatched and released more than 28,000 turtles. Mr. Witham passed away on 27 February 2004, on the last day of the 24th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium, at the age of 87. A memorial has been established at the Environmental Studies Center in Jensen Beach, Florida. His ashes were scattered in the ocean when that year’s cohort of green turtle hatchlings were swimming offshore to start their pelagic lives.

Ross Witham Beach is located in front of Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge, 301 S.E. Mac Arthur Blvd, Stuart.

Sunrise Over The House of Refuge Hutchinson Island Florida Olga Hamilton Photography — Sunrise Over The House Of Refuge Canvas and Framed Prints by Olga Hamilton

Photography by Olga Hamilton and Robert W. Hamilton, Jr

Ross Witham Beach, Stuart, Martin County, Florida

Olga Hamilton, MCLM Media Pro Photography and Video Production — Olga Hamilton Photography and Art at Ross Witham Beach Anastasia Formation

Robert W. Hamilton, Jr MCLM Media Pro Photography on the Treasure Coast — Robert W. Hamilton, Jr at Ross Witham Beach Anastasia Formation

The 1895 Church of StuArt - historical building in Downtown Stuart, Martin County, Florida. Local history and fine art on the Treasure Coast

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The 1895 Church of StuArt is a historical building of the first community church, also known as the Pioneer Church (the oldest church building in Martin County), built in Stuart in 1895! Your donations help us maintain, restore, and preserve the building, and also continue our research and share historical information and articles. We greatly appreciate your support! The donations are not tax deductible.