The Trailblazer

Get ready - the Hillsborough County  Hiking Spree begins November 1st!  This year's Hiking Spree will feature new trails, new prizes, and new opportunities to get out and explore all that Hillsborough County has to offer. Choose from over 20 trails all over the county, from wild and wonderful Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve in Plant City to Tampa Electric's beautiful Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. Hike eight or more trails and win a prize - this year's prizes feature an amazing Florida favorite, the Southern fox squirrel. Keep an eye on the official Hiking Spree web page for information and updates - the page will be updated with the trail list and other details at the beginning of the Hiking Spree! Thank you for joining us for another Hiking Spree. Let's make it the best one yet.  Happy Hiking!

  Parks provide a relaxing and safe environment to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with friends and family, but the trip to and from the park may not be a tranquil experience. This is why the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is conducting a Park Speed Zone Pilot Study to identify ways to calm speeds on roads near parks and improve safety getting to and from parks.   The TPO evaluated over 400 parks in Hillsborough County, and they identified three parks for the pilot study: the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, Copeland Park, and Sulphur Springs Park . For more on the evaluation criteria, see  Park Selection Process   and  Park Prioritization .   Your input and transportation safety data will provide the TPO with information to develop a toolbox with approximately 80 techniques (countermeasures) to improve safety and decrease traffic speed. From this countermeasure toolbox, the TPO will provide specific recommendations to implement ar...

White-tailed deer are an exciting sight - how can we help them flourish for future generations to enjoy? An alarmed white-tailed deer bounding across the trail Fall is here, and with it some exciting changes. Colorful leaves and wildflowers abound, and sometimes there’s even a little nip in the air (or is that just wishful thinking?). Along with pleasant hikes and shorter days comes another exciting autumn development: lots of deer along the trail! This is one of the best times of year to spot white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) – look for the white flash of a tail through the trees or an antler-crowned head peeking over the palmetto as you hike the  Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve in Plant City or Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve  in Lithia. In the greater Hillsborough County area, white-tailed deer biological physiology differs from that of deer in the rest of the state; antler growth, breeding, and birthing all occur significantly later than in other areas ...

  The Florida Birding and Nature Festival is coming to the Tampa Bay area October 17th - 20th, 2021! The festival, headquartered at FWC’s Youth Conservation Center in Apollo Beach, coincides with the peak migration of more than 180 species and features expert-led field and boating trips to the best wildlife sites in West Central Florida. The festival also will offer two days of Zoom broadcast seminars, where experts will cover topics such as swallow-tail kites, rattlesnakes, butterflies, coyotes and roseate spoonbills. A Nature Expo on Friday, Oct. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 19, at the FWC Youth Conservation Center will feature displays from numerous environmental organizations, nature-related businesses and artists.  Exhibitors will offer for sale artwork, binoculars, bird boxes and other products for nature lovers. There will be a silent auction each day. Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department has partnered with the festival t...

  The end of summer in Florida is one of the most colorful times of the year, with a rainbow of fall wildflowers blooming all over the state. Get out and enjoy a bright and beautiful hike! Here's what's blooming in September in Hillsborough County's nature preserves and conservation parks.

  Always know before you go! We've introduced the Wild Score to rate Hillsborough County’s conservation parks and nature preserves on a scale of 6 (tame) to 30 (wild). A high score doesn’t mean that spot is “better,” just that it’s more wild- if you’re looking for a more developed, people-centered experience, you’ll want to look for parks and preserves with a lower Wild Score.  We’ll use 6 metrics for this rating system, scored from 1 (most developed, most tame, etc.) to 5 (most wild). We’ll break down each rating for you and explain exactly how the park or preserve got its score. This month we rated Bell Creek Nature Preserve in Riverview, a 477-acre natural area which was purchased using funds from the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program, or ELAPP. One of the County's most popular nature preserves, this beautiful area is most often used for hiking, jogging, dog walking, and wildlife viewing. Surrounded by neighborhoods, Bell Creek provides a r...

What's Out There? “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” - Ferris Bueller Everyone has their own hiking style - some like to get their steps in and work up a sweat, while others prefer to stop and sketch what they see to really soak in the flora and fauna around them. Many adventurers prefer a combination of the two, depending on the season. On your next hike, try adopting a relaxed pace and try to spot all of the interesting things you won't want to miss! Please keep in mind that ALL flora, fauna, and everything in between on nature preserves is protected and should never be removed or interacted with. Look, but don't touch! Triple Creek Nature Preserve - fireflies In the warm, rainy season (think May-July) hike in the afternoon or join us on a night hike to spot fireflies! There are 56 species of fireflies to be found all across the state, and you're most likely to find them in grassy areas with sandy soil and a...