The Trailblazer

In honor of World Wildlife Day, we thought we'd share some of the wildlife that is home in Hillsborough County. But you won't have to search hard to find signs of life, these spectacular creatures can be viewed throughout Hillsborough County at your nearest Hillsborough County Conservation Park or Nature Preserve . In 1987, Hillsborough County leadership thought it prudent to conserve land, waterways, and  wildlife   thus ensuring that these resources were preserved for future generations to enjoy. Because of the wisdom of our community leadership, wildlife thrives in our backyards. Here is a sampling of 10 mammals, reptiles, birds and fish you may encounter in the untamed, undeveloped lands of our County: 1. Alligator Alligators are large reptiles that can be found in fresh and brackish water throughout Florida. Adult alligators have 80 teeth. Females can grow to reach up to 10 feet in length and on average weigh 200 pounds. Their male counterparts grow larger with an averag...

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. Just under 120 staff members staff and manage Hillsborough County's Conservation parks, which are spread out throughout our county. This is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation parks 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! This month's staff spotlight is Park Ranger Terrell "Terry" Brownlee. He began working at Conservation & Environmental Lands Management on 11/22/2002. Before coming to work for Hillsborough County he worked in a window plant. When Terry came to the department, being a Park Ranger was a very sought after job. It seemed to draw talented applicants with pride in their abilities. There was...

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our nature preserves regularly, you may not ever get a chance to talk to our staff. Just under 50 staff members manage Hillsborough County's over 64,000 acres of nature preserves, which are quite 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 healthy. 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 Travis Parker, an Environmental Technician at Bell Creek Nature Preserve, to give us some insight into his position and what conservation means to him. Here's what he had to share with us!    Travis joined Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department on May 11, 2020, as an Environmental Technician. Previously he worked for the City of Greensborough and Gilford Count...

It’s an amazing sight – a helicopter swoops low with a bucket dangling from a long line. On the ground, a wildfire crackles, running quickly through the grass. Suddenly, the bottom of the bucket splits, dumping 100 gallons of water directly onto the flames. The fire wavers, weakens, and then dies! Helicopter pilots working with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Tampa are trained to use this technique to aid in the suppression of wildfires. Helicopter buckets (sometimes referred to as Bambi buckets) can be used to pick up, transport, and drop water onto an active wildfire. This helps slow down the fast-moving front of the fire when the fire is too big, or spreading too quickly, for firefighters on the ground to safely attack. The availability of this resource is incredibly valuable to Florida’s wildland firefighters, but using a 75 gallon to 115 gallon bucket dangling from a helicopter isn’t easy – it requires lots of practice with live fire. Pilots must learn e...

The Hillsborough Greenways Committee is comprised of local citizens, local government staff, and other stakeholders, and exists to help guide implementation of the County’s Greenways Master Plan. The Committee meets quarterly, with occasional additional special meetings. Receive updates and offer feedback on various Greenways related topics and help set funding priorities among pending Greenways projects. Membership includes local citizens, representatives of local governments, and utility company representatives. The committee has 12 citizen seats, which are presently filled, but each seat also has a designated alternate who may participate in meeting discussions and may also cast a vote if the primary member is absent. The committee presently has multiple openings for alternate seats, including several at-large seats as well as seats representing particular trail use interests including hiking, equestrian, natural resources and others. Service as an alternate is a great way t...

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...