by TRC_Admin | Oct 30, 2021 | Nature
Photo: City of Ormond Beach
“The impending winter means something a little different for Floridians.
No need to bundle up indoors with hot cocoa and a cozy blanket. No, as the humidity wanes and the scorching summer temperatures give way to 70 degree highs, now is the time we head outdoors.
One of the best ways to spend time in the sun is by kayaking or canoeing into the wilderness. Central Florida is home to some of the country’s finest springs, and the Indian River Lagoon is the most biodiverse estuary in North America.
Here’s a guide to nine of the best places to go kayaking in Volusia County.
Cracker Creek – The slow-moving water of western Spruce Creek cuts through a gorgeous blackwater cypress swamp with palm trees and ample ferns lending the water a tropical charm.
It’s located on 20 acres historically owned by the caretaker of James Gamble’s winter retreat, according to the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts & Sciences. Gamble worked for his father’s company, Proctor & Gamble, for decades and was best known for devising the formula for Ivory soap. Some historical buildings remain standing on the property.
De Leon Springs – The two oldest canoes ever found in the Western Hemisphere were discovered in this spring and 6,000 years later, De Leon Springs State Park continues to provide access to 22,000 acres of serene lakes, creeks and marshes in Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge…
The cool, clear waters provide excellent opportunities for fishing and birdwatching, and run a constant 68 degrees. You might spot otters, alligators, manatees, osprey, bald eagles, sandhill cranes and — if you’re lucky, a black bear out for a swim…
Tomoka River State Park – The Tomoka River, which extends 13 miles upstream (south) from Tomoka State Park, is part of Florida’s 4,000-mile network of designated paddling trails.
A manatee refuge and excellent site for birdwatching, the views vary from lush, narrow canopies to wide, grassy marshes that empty into the wide Halifax River. The land was was once occupied by the indigenous Timucua tribe, from which the name Tomoka was derived…
Hontoon Island State Park – Hontoon Island is a natural freshwater island that is surrounded by the St. Johns River, Hontoon Dead River and Snake Creek. It’s nestled in between Lake Beresford and Blue Spring…
The island can only be reached by boat and features 8 miles of trails that wind through swamps, marshes, pine flatwoods and oak hammocks. The Mayaca natives were believed to inhabit the island some 12,000 years ago and a shell midden remains on the shore of Hontoon Dead River today…
Gemini Springs – Gemini Springs Park is named for its crystal-clear twin springs, where an estimated 6.5 million gallons of pristine fresh water bubbles up every day…
Ormond Beach’s Central Park – This city park contains five interconnected lakes surrounded by forest and gardens in the heart of Ormond Beach. It’s an excellent birdwatching spot, and encompasses 149 acres…
Highbridge Park on the Ormond Loop – Highbridge Park is a county park that sits on the banks of Halifax River in the northernmost reaches of Volusia County.
Navigate up to 11 miles along Bulow Creek, part of Florida’s 4,000-mile network of designated paddling trails and witness the transition from wide tidal marsh to a tree and cabbage palm-lined paradise…
Blue Spring State Park – Blue Spring contains refreshingly cool, crystal-clear fresh water and is best known as a winter refuge for manatees. Hundreds of sea cows huddle in the spring during cold snaps, as the temperature remains 72 degrees year-round.
Kayaks and canoes can’t enter the spring run, but may be paddled on the St. Johns River, which is also home to alligators, fish and a spectacular array of birds…
Mosquito Lagoon – The mangrove mazes of the Mosquito Lagoon are vibrant places to explore, home to dolphins, manatees and coastal birds. The Mosquito Lagoon constitutes the uppermost reaches of the Indian River Lagoon, believed to the most biodiverse estuary in North America…”
— Mary Helen Moore, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
For details about paddling routes, rentals, launch sites, guides and gear please click here to read entire article
by TRC_Admin | Jun 15, 2021 | Nature, Trees
Photo: Mangrolife FB
“Jonah Basi may be 16 years old and a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, but he’s got a big vision for what he wants South Florida to look like in the future.
‘I want to see huge green mangroves all along the seawalls that I know are contributing to that cleaner water,’ he says. ‘A blue waterway that’s reflecting the sky and not reflecting the toxins and everything that’s in it. And a waterway that’s not filled with trash.’
And he’s not waiting for anyone else to do it. Basi, who founded the nonprofit MangroLife, is getting his hands dirty and being the change he wants to see in the world.
‘This is the most important fight there is for me,’ he says. ‘This is the topic of my college application essays. This is all I talk about.’
Heartbroken to see the constant garbage and pollution clogging the Fort Lauderdale waterway behind his family’s new home, he decided to do something about it — not just collecting trash, but seeds of life.
Propagules are the seeds produced by red mangroves. Basi finds them floating on the water, and since last fall he’s been planting them, first along the seawall behind his home, then growing them in tanks and replanting the seedlings in pots as they grow.
‘But those ones, instead of keeping them on our property we’ve always had the intention to transplant them,’ he says.
And that’s how MangroLife was born. Baby mangroves, nurtured by Basi in his backyard until they’re big and strong enough to be replanted where they’re needed most — along the shorelines and seawalls, near ailing waters desperate for the good they bring.”
— Louis Aguirre, Local 10 News, Fort Lauderdale
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by TRC_Admin | Apr 23, 2021 | Nature
Photo: Florida Museum
“…Watch two free films online and register to view a corresponding panel discussion about the important role of Florida springs with the Florida Museum of Natural History and the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute.
The films, ‘The Santa Fe River Turtle Project’ and ‘Welcome to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex,’ will be posted online at the museum’s website and YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/channel/UCv0fbbG8Lqnuk-lnziLDZ1Q,
for six days from April 22-27 with the panel discussion held the last day.
Documentary filmmakers Eli O’Hearn and Eric Flagg make up the panel along with Santa Fe College biology professor and Santa Fe River Turtle Project leader Jerry Johnston. It will be moderated by Stacie Greco, water conservation coordinator at the Alachua County EPD…”
— Danielle Ivanov, Gainsville Sun
Read entire article
Register online here
Visit Florida Museum’s site for complete details about this event
by TRC_Admin | Apr 23, 2021 | Greenways, Nature, Scenic Highways
Photo: Molly Reed, WKMG News 6 Orlando
“Residents who had been fighting to stop planned development along a beloved scenic route in Volusia County have won their battle.
The county council on Tuesday voted to buy 36 acres of historic land on the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail.
‘The public literally rose up and supported this project,’ Founder of Dream Green Volusia Suzanne Scheiber said.
Scheiber’s organization handed out over 600 yard-signs and collected 71,000 signatures in hopes to save the land from development.
‘If you drive the loop today you can see all of the developments, you can see all the traffic and you can see the loss of wildlife habitat,’ she said.
Scheiber was able to get the developer of the plantation oaks subdivision to sell 36 acres to the county for $988,000. The organization raised money to help with that cost, too.
‘We raised collectively with North Florida Land Trust $26,250,’ she said.
On Tuesday, the council voted to do that, after the county ECHO committee approved the land as historic with portions of Old King’s Road running through it.
‘Old Kings Road was built by the British in the 1700s and it was called an engineering treasure and one of the most important roadways in the growth of Florida,’ Dona Butler with the county’s community services said…”
— Molly Reed, WKMG News 6 Orlando
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by TRC_Admin | Mar 31, 2021 | Nature
“Explore Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas through a unique scavenger hunt experience!
From May 1 – 9, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host a series of scavenger hunts on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the state. With the free and easy-to-use GooseChase app, you can go on a wild adventure at your local WMA and discover some of Florida’s best spots to see wildlife and enjoy the outdoors.
Go on a WildQuest scavenger hunt with your family, friends or as a solo adventurer. Use the app to record photos and videos, responding to fun prompts and earning points as you go…”
Some of the featured Wildlife Management Areas:
Babcock/Webb
Big Bend–Tide Swamp
Fisheating Creek
Guana River
L. Kirk Edwards
Chinsegut
Tosohatchee
— Florida Nature Trackers
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by TRC_Admin | Dec 30, 2020 | Greenways, Nature, Zoning
Photo: Google Earth, Tampa Bay Newspapers
“Landings referendum
Clearwater voters Nov. 3 soundly rejected a bid to transform the Landings Golf Course into a light industrial complex.
Just over 61% of voters (35,464) voted no on a referendum question on whether the city could lease approximately 58 acres of city-owned property across the street from the Clearwater Airpark to Harrod Properties.
The owners of the course currently lease the property from the city for $1,000 a month. City code states that voters must approve the sale of any city-owned property identified as recreation/open space on the comprehensive land use plan…
City economic development officials say redeveloping the underused golf course into an industrial park would’ve brought major financial benefits, including generating $9.735 million for the city during its first 10 years and also creating 3,281 jobs with an average salary of about $47,000.
Council member Kathleen Beckman and many neighbors of the project led the charge against it, claiming it wasn’t compatible with the area and expressed concerns about traffic and the environmental impact of eliminating the green space…
‘Once these 77 acres are gone and they’re not green anymore, they’re gone,’ Beckman said in June.”
— Chris George, Tampa Bay Newspapers
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