Florida Destinations

Urfer Family Park (Sarasota, FL)

by Steve White, March 5, 2021 Categories: Florida Destinations, Sarasota Destinations

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. Urfer Family Park provides playgrounds for toddlers through […]

Hickey Creek Mitigation Park (Alva, FL)

by Steve White, February 13, 2021 Categories: Florida Destinations

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 […]

Brooker Creek Preserve (Tarpon Springs, FL)

by Steve White, February 5, 2021 Categories: Florida Destinations

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. […]

Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area (Lake Wales, FL)

by Steve White, November 6, 2020 Categories: Florida Destinations

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 (Sarasota, FL)

by Steve White, November 5, 2020 Categories: Florida Destinations, Sarasota Destinations

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.

Myakka Hardwood Hammock (Sarasota, FL)

by Steve White, October 30, 2020 Categories: Florida Destinations, Sarasota Destinations

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 (Sarasota, FL)

by Steve White, October 26, 2020 Categories: Florida Destinations, Sarasota Destinations

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 […]

Joan M Durante Community Park (Longboat Key, FL)

by Steve White, July 16, 2020 Categories: Florida Destinations

This is a wonderful little park with a variety of plant species and many opportunities to see birds. Joan M. Durante Park, located at 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is the result of a private/public partnership to enhance and restore one of the few remaining vacant island properties on Longboat Key to a viable wetland and […]

Bok Tower (Lake Wales, FL)

by Steve White, May 19, 2019 Categories: Florida Destinations

“Bok Tower — the Taj Mahal of Florida.” With a tag line like that, I didn’t expect much, but the gardens and the estate are beautiful, and well worth the 2+ hour drive to get us there. My recent mandala interest got me taking a lot of straight-on flower pix.