The Trailblazer

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 25 trails all over the county, from wild and wonderful Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve in Plant City to the ever-popular Lettuce Lake Park, from our newest site Pebble Park (opening in November), to a city history hike through Ybor.  When you #TakeAHikeHC at eight or more trails you've won a prize! E very year our prizes feature a special species to our area - from the scrub jay to the fox squirrel - and this year is no different. Instead of an animal, our first ever plant species is featured: Sea Oates! The deep roots of these plants help protect our sand dunes and beaches, and can be seen on one of our hike locations this season - Egmont Key State Park.  There are a lot of new places to discover this year, and plenty of chances to hike. We'll even be announcing some other BIG developments and scheduled...

September 10th was forecast to be rainy, but these CATS weren't afraid of water. This workday at the  Alafia River Corridor North Nature Preserve  was attended by 20 determined volunteers. The pounce was divided into four groups, e ach led by a different Trail Boss, Daniel Allen, Bob McElroy, Dave Reed and Joe Guidry and Annita Nall shared the final group. T wo groups took to the red trail and two to the yellow trail.   Moises Tourgeman This workday was unusual because we were accompanied by Environmental Lands Management Coordinator Danielle Ivey and Environmental Specialist Travis Parker. Danielle and Travis transported the tools and two groups of yellow trail volunteers via truck and UTV.  The red teams headed out by foot and parted ways at the loop to care for half of the red trail. By splitting up, the team was able to complete work on both trails simultaneously which total almost eight miles in length. Alison Hughes & Jenn Grof f Our brand new Senior Outrea...

There are many reasons to love the Sunshine State, breezy beaches, warm sunny days, cool showers, oranges, palm trees and alligators. Florida not only has unique residents but also is home to many species that are endemic to Florida. This means they are only found here. Which is another reason to love this land. In the United States Florida, Texas and California are where t he highest numbers of endemic plant species are found. S upporting  roughly 700 species of freshwater and land vertebrates, Florida has  extraordinary diversity of animals. Several of these species are found nowhere else in the world.  Unfortunately, some of these species are threatened. Florida Bonnetted Bat myfwc.com The Florida Bonneted Bat Eumops floridanus is Florida's largest bat and considered the rarest in the world. It is federally endangered and was recognized as a distinct species in 2004.  These bats are insectivorous, although their diet is poorly understood, it includes beetles...

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! Rodney is a military veteran of the United States Marine Corps with a total of 30 years of active service. He retired in October of 2013, took some time off, and began working for the County’s Procurement Services Department as a Senior Procurement Analyst in January of 2016. He joined the Conservation and Environmental Lands Management...

  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...