Highland Hammock Park is about an hour and a half from Sarasota, and it has a variety of interesting and accessible ecosystems. Probably the most distinct is the cypress swamp, which we really don’t see much of in SRQ. More info on Highlands Hammock…
Lazy Naturalist Nature Journal
The nature journal is where we post updates on recent excursions into the wild. Click here to have these updates mailed to you.
Urfer Family Park
Urfer Family Park, at the corner of Bee Ridge and Honore is surprisingly diverse in plant life, and on a Friday afternoon, is very quiet. I was excited to spot a Gopher Tortoise, as well as a Zebra Swallowtail, which made me look forward to future trips.
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park is co-managed by the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It consists of a variety of habitats including palmetto-oak scrub, pine flatwoods, and seasonal wetlands. Views of scenic Hickey Creek can be enjoyed from the trail and overlook areas. The ecosystem presently […]
Myakka Dry Prairie Hike
Walked in the FNAI reference area out Ranch House Road — a Beautiful spot. From the datasheet: There are no trees in the reference dry prairie. The shrub cover is approximately 40 percent and generally less than 2 feet tall. Dominant shrubs are saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and dwarf live oak (Quercus minima). Other common […]
Brooker Creek Preserve
Brooker Creek Preserve is approximately 8,700 acres, and the largest natural area in Pinellas County. It consists primarily of forested wetlands and pine flatwoods. Bordered by dense urban development, the Preserve provides both a unique refuge for native flora and fauna, as well as an opportunity for citizens to explore the natural beauty of wild Florida. […]
Browning Plants at Myakka
It felt like a cold and windy day at Myakka (for Florida) as I did my usual route out Ranch House Road and back via Power Line. And many of the plants were browning and beautiful. A little thin in the fauna department, but I saw about six turkeys cross Ranch House Road. After that, […]
Myakka Walk
I walked down to the river at the power line where there was a glossy ibis by the shore. I tried to get closer to him, but he wouldn’t have a part of me. Fortunately, I had a long lens so I could get a picture. I walked along the edge of big flats to […]
Cabbage Palm Hammock
The cabbage palm hammock is admittedly an acquired taste. In the dry months, it looks like a bomb has hit the place, and in the wet moths, it’s…. wet. November can be dry or wet, but this year, particularly after hurricane Eta, it’s wet.
Lake Wales Ridge Scrub Habitat
I went to Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area is in the center of Florida, far away from the ocean, but but it felt like the waves were a breath away. Walking through the area is very interesting… there’s a lot of plant life that I’m not familiar with living on the west […]
North Lido Beach
This is one of the best beaches in Sarasota for seeing plants and birds, and on arrival, we sawa northern harrier hunting in the scrub. There were also a bunch of Sandwich Terns on the beach.
Hardwood Hammock
I spent some time in the beautiful hardwood hammock at Myakka River State Park. The hike I went in on is called Fox’s High Trail which is that the north end of the park where there are lots of big oaks and cabbage palms it’s a super wet environment this time of year, wet underfoot, […]
Myakka Pinelands
I headed out to the mesic flatwoods site reference in Myakka River State Park, which you can get to by going from the main park road to the Ranch House Road trail. Head straight out there all the way to Bee Island Campground and right there is a big stand of longleaf pines, which are […]