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...

Lake Dan Nature Preserve Each year, more and more people move to the sunshine state, requiring more housing and infrastructure. Thankfully, in January 1987, Hillsborough County leaders had a plan to conserve land. Because of that plan, and the voter approved support of our residents, the  Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program  (ELAPP), has grown to be the largest local preservation program in the State. Since inception, the program, managed within the Conservation and Environmental Lands Management (CELM) department, has protected just over 65,000 acres of environmentally sensitive wildlife habitat and corridors. These lands provide critical space for threatened and endangered species to continue thriving and passive recreational opportunities for people to enjoy. But, they also provide free services that are important to our quality of life in the form of ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services are any positive benefit that wildlife ...

When travelling along the Florida coast, you are certain to spot mangrove trees that appear to be on stilts growing out of the water.  Their "stilts" are called prop roots which not only help the trees withstand the ebb and flow of tides, but they also  and stabilize the shoreline. M angroves are not merely trees, but are havens along the coastal intertidal zones that host an array of creatures, over 200 species of fish, more than 150 species of birds, two dozen amphibian and reptile species and over a dozen species of mammals.  Mangroves have been nicknamed the "kidneys of the coast" because they are wonderful filters occurring near sea grasses for corals. These trees are key in providing the foundation for estuarine  communities. In 1996, the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act was put in place to prevent alteration and trimming of mangroves growing on public lands and restrictions for maintenance and removal of those found on private property. " Red Mangr...

Trail CATS workdays are scheduled on the second Saturday of each month. In July, the pounce prowled through Pebble Conservation Park, the new park in Riverview that will be opening soon. They came to clear and establish a trail for park visitors to enjoy. Pictured from left to right: Back Row - Grecia D., Karlos, S. D., Karlos del Aguila., Linda Reed, Dave Reed, Emilio Dominguez, Joe Guidry, James Carson, Melanie Bacca, Daniel Allen, Joy Langone, Bryson A., Annita Nall, Maddox R., Elliott Tegan-Tawney; Front Row - Alan Bailey, Heidi Taylor, Lenny Chew, Amy Robertson, Bob McElroy  Trail Bosses Daniel Allen & Joe Guidry remove a tree from the path The group began their day at 8AM by trimming tree branches, removing overgrowth of saw palmettos and various bushes along the path. Some removed bags of Cesar's Weed and others used a hand saw to remove a small tree that lay across the trail. All in all it was a good productive day and the work was finished by around 10:45AM. It is true...

SWAMP Members from left to right: David Karlen, Mike Filby, Teresa Klicker, Greg Rogers and Karen Bickford. Each month members of SWAMP get together to work on trails within Wilderness Conservation Parks. This month the crew got together on  June 11. Even though it was a rainy day these fabulous five accomplished what they set out to do. These volunteers cleared the drainage ditch above and below a small bridge on the main trail, and dug out sediment from beneath the bridge to improve drainage in this area. Summer rains cause this area to flood and now water levels will be lowered due to their efforts. Two cyclists also did a "ride & clip" where they travel the trails and remove "face slappers", branches that have grown into the trail. One of SWAMP's long time routine volunteers who participated that day is David Karlen, an environmental scientist and a General Manager at Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission. Dave is also very active in w...