The Trailblazer

  Valentine’s Day is coming up – and if you’ve got a Valentine, Galentine, or just looking to Treat Yourself on February 14 th – we have some ideas! Bring Them to the Bouquet Eureka Springs Conservation Park  continues to be a favorite “hidden gem” of the county. They rotate much of the greenery you can see seasonally so your trip will be different every season. Take a stroll through the unique park and see stunning orchids, lilies, and more. It’s the perfect place for a sweet escape! In our Nature Preserves be on the watch for wildflowers starting to bloom like Lyreleaf Sage ( Salvia lyrate ),  Walter's Viburnum ( Viburnum obovatum ), and Coral Bean ( Erythrina herbacea ). They’ll put on a beautiful early show before the spring and summer wildflower season fully begins – but remember – look but don’t pick! Get Away for the Night Forget Netflix and chocolates– it’s time for campfires and s’mores. Cooking over a fire, cuddling up on chilly nights, stargazing – ...

  We know you love your Hillsborough County Conservation Parks and Nature Preserves - so we thought we'd make some Valentines for you to share with those you love the most! They feature some beloved species you can find in our preserves and parks, and we hope you enjoy them. 

  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – We’ve heard for years that these three things can help us save the planet – but can they? Sometimes it seems like we just skip to the last one, Recycle. All I have to do is put my recyclables into the blue bin and I’m doing my part, right?  What have I reduced ? Have I been reusing ? A re there other “R’s” I should be thinking about?  If you want to start 2023 being purposeful and working on reducing your impact, consider making your list of R’s a little longer. Rethink : It’s what we’re doing right now; rethinking about how we buy, use, and waste products in our lives. Take time to look around your home or community and think about how much waste is created, what you’d like to see changed, and what you think you can tackle first. Start small and remember: this is a cycle! Reduce & Refuse : Renting clothes, buying thrifted items, and borrowing all help us Reduce what we buy and waste, while getting us to consi...

Their ships have landed after a long time away - it's time to go Hiking with a Viking once again! This favored event will be back four times this Hiking Spree season, the first of which will be held Saturday, December 10th. Registration to these events is limited, but it will be the adventure of a lifetime as  Park Rangers and members from Wyrd Vikings lead you through Edward Medard Conservation Park and Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park four times this Hiking spree season.  On the journey, your Viking guides will teach you about their lifestyle, skills and crafts, weapons and combat, and most importantly, their appreciation and dependence on nature.  Don't miss these rare opportunities to go Hiking with a Viking ! Subscribe to the Trailblazer  to be the first to know when registration opens for these events!  Watch a video about past events here . 

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...