The Trailblazer

The 2022 Hillsborough County Hiking Spree is a perfect way to keep your mind and body healthy.  Scientific studies show that spending time in nature can improve health and reduce stress. Luckily, the 2022 Hillsborough County Hiking Spree is full of gorgeous spots where you can recharge and connect with the great outdoors. Check out the Hiking Spree web page for a trail list, instructions, and maps of the longer hiking trails included in the Spree! Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Located along the Hillsborough River in Tampa, the trails and boardwalk provide ample opportunity for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. Cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, and a beautiful butterfly garden give you plenty to look at along the way! Stop at the observation tower for a bird's-eye view of the natural surroundings.  For a bit more adventure, check out Little Manatee River State Park’s North Trailhead . This trail is full of natural beauty and the sooth...

As you hike, you'll come to posts marked with the letters A through D (shown on the map). At each trail marker,  stop and listen to (or read)  the short informational clip provided.  You can download each marker separately using the links provided OR download the entire audio file and pause it between trail markers. You can also download the text to read along instead of listening. Remember to  bring a trail map, water, bug spray, and a snack  with you and tell someone where you're going.  Happy hiking!  Trail Map and Text Links: >>Alafia Scrub Trail Map This is a geo-referenced trail map, meaning that if you download a mapping app like  Avenza  on your smartphone and open this PDF in the app, it will let you see your location on the map as you hike.  >>Full Hike - Text Only Audio Links: >>Full Hike Audio You only have to download one audio file, but you'll have to pause it between trail markers.  >>Introduct...

If you live anywhere near the coast, your neighborhood gardens probably contain plenty of Kalanchoe x houghtonii .  This bright-blooming succulent can grow in pure sand, with practically no nutrients and no extra irrigation needed. It spreads quickly through garden plots and requires no maintenance, and its varicolored leaves and bright red flower panicles make it a popular plant both indoors and out. Throughout the year, the leaves sprout tiny bulbils, which grow into fully formed small plants. These tiny plants then drop and take root, spreading rapidly from the parent. It’s not unusual to see a patch of adult plants surrounded by hundreds of babies- and that’s where this plant gets its common name, mother of millions. Kalanchoe x houghtonii leaves growing bulbils Edso, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons As is often the case, the same characteristics that make this plant well-loved by gardeners also make it horribly invasive in Florida’s coastal areas. Its ability to grow in sa...

  Panthers and otters and bears, oh my! If you’re hiking by a cypress dome, pond, or creek and hear rustling in the bushes, stay alert! You may be treated to a glimpse of the elusive North American river otter, Lontra canadensis . Despite its northern-sounding scientific name, this furry swimming mammal is found in many areas of Florida and has even been sighted on several Hillsborough County Nature Preserves .  North American river otters socializing Dmitry Azovtsev , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons The North American river otter is found all the way from Canada and Alaska down to Florida, although its range has shrunk significantly since European colonizers arrived in the Americas. Trapping and hunting have significantly impacted otter populations and other stressors like habitat loss have also taken their toll. Otters are extremely sensitive to pollution, and because they’re near the top of the food chain, they can sometimes accumulate high levels of certain pollutants...

Staff Spotlight: Ross Dickerson, Section Manager  (Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program) Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our nature preserves all the time, you may not get a chance to talk to our staff too often. Just under 50 staff manage Hillsborough County's over 64,000 acres of nature preserves, so they're pretty spread out. We want to give you this opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's nature preserves in good shape. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more!  This month, we asked Ross Dickerson to give us a little insight into his position and what conservation means to him.  Here's what he had to share with us! How did you get into this field? This is a long story, so I will give the quick version.  The first part of my childhood I grew up in Nassau County, whic...

  Florida is an international birder’s paradise.  Visitors travel from all over the world to see our amazing variety of avians, from the bright roseate spoonbill and crested caracara to the threatened Florida scrub jay and the tiny, endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow. Many birders who come from out of state head straight for the Everglades, which have an incredible variety of birds species, or the Keys, where a dazzling array of migratory birds rest in the spring on their way north. But don’t despair if you can’t make it to the Keys or the Everglades this year- we’re here to tell you that Hillsborough County also has amazing birding opportunities, even in the winter! Hillsborough County’s nature preserves offer breeding and nesting sites and year-round habitat for hundreds of bird species- in fact, over 300 bird species have been sighted at Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve alone! Although going out during nesting season makes for a great birdwatching experience, some of our m...

As you hike, you'll come to posts marked with the letters A through E. At each trail marker,  stop and listen to (or read)  the short informational clip provided.  You can download each marker separately using the links provided OR download the entire audio file and pause it between trail markers. You can also download the text to read along instead of listening. Remember to  bring a trail map, water, bug spray, and a snack  with you and tell someone where you're going.  Happy hiking!  Trail Map and Text Links: >>Lake Dan Trail Map This is a geo-referenced trail map, meaning that if you download a mapping app like  Avenza  on your smartphone and open this PDF in the app, it will let you see your location on the map as you hike.  >>Full Hike - Text Only Audio Links: >>Full Hike Audio You only have to download one audio file, but you'll have to pause it between trail markers.  >>Introduction >>Trail Marke...

  Fluffy, green, and totally harmless-looking, asparagus fern ( Asparagus aethiopicus ) is often used as a groundcover or a container plant in gardens all over Florida.   This spreading plant’s bright foliage and colorful red berries make a statement wherever it’s planted, and its shade tolerance makes it a popular garden choice. This lovely, lacy plant is also grown indoors and is known as virtually indestructible. You can over-or under-water it for weeks and it still won’t die!  Asparagus fern in a garden Yinan Chen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Unfortunately, the same characteristics that make asparagus fern so well-loved by gardeners also make it extremely invasive in Florida’s natural areas. In fact, asparagus fern has been listed as a category I invasive species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, or FLEPPC. Category I invasive plant species are those that damage Florida’s ecosystems by displacing native plants, altering water flow and soil composition...

Wildland Fire Training S-130/S-190 On November 19th, four new staff were trained to assist with prescribed fires in Hillsborough County Nature Preserves. But what does this really mean? When staff join the Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department, they're always excited to begin assisting with prescribed burns on our properties. Some folks (like several of our new Wildland Fire Crew based out of Lower Green Swamp Preserve) come from other agencies where they have already obtained the required certifications. Others are brand new to burning and rely on both our experienced staff and the Florida Forest Service for training.  Our seasoned employees are our best asset in regards to training. When one begins their journey in this field, the first step is to take a combination of online courses and field tests to ensure they're prepared to serve as a crew member. "S-130" and "S-190" are the two basic required courses to be abl...