The Trailblazer

  Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks or nature preserves, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. When fully staffed,  Hillsborough County's Conservation & Environmental Lands Management Department has almost 200  staff members spread out throughout the county. Staff spotlight is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation lands thriving and beautiful for all to enjoy. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more! Kimberly started working for CELM on July 11, 2022. She is the Administrative Specialist to Billy Graham, Division Manager. She previously worked in the Parks & Recreation Department for over 15 years and the Facilities Management Department for over two years before joining us.  Her favorite part of the job is that she ...

Dogs can be great buddies to join you on outdoor adventures, since they're always ready and eager to explore new places. Enjoying outdoor walks with your pet offers health benefits for both of you and can help deepen the bond between animal and owner. If you’re a lover of Hillsborough County’s conservation parks and nature preserves, grab some water for you and your best friend, get ready to hit the trails, and always remember to be a B.A.R.K . Ranger when bringing your dog out to hike! B ag your pet’s waste. Dog waste has potential to spread disease to other pets, humans, and wildlife, so we don’t want it hanging out in our parks and preserves. Bring waste bags and deposit in an appropriate waste receptacle. A lways leash your pet. This should be a given as it’s actually the law in Hillsborough County, but just in case - remember to always keep your pet on a 6ft or shorter leash and stay on marked trails to avoid confrontation and potentially dangerous situations with wildli...

This year the festival will be held from October 17 through October 20 at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission (FWC) Suncoast Youth Conservation Center at  6650 Dickman Rd, Apollo Beach, FL. F ield trips and hikes will be held nearby at Lower Green Swamp, Cockroach Bay, Blackwater Creek, and Fred and Ida Shultz Nature Preserves and many other wild locations! The festival is timed just right to coincide with the peak migration of more than 180 species of birds and features expert-led field and boating trips to the best wildlife sites in West Central Florida. The festival will  also  offer two days of live seminars featuring talks on fiddler crabs, field ornithology, black bears, citizen science, and some of our favorite bird species from renowned experts.  There will be two  keynote speakers . Stephen Shunk will talk about woodpeckers critical roles in our continent's forests and woodlands, and Carl Safina will discuss cognition, emotion, and culture i...