The Trailblazer

Arguably, the most important survival technique employed by the animal residents of Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands is reproduction, but romance can look quite different for wild animals. Here’s the top five wild love affairs in our area, from the most dedicated, to the most bizarre! 1. Adrenaline Junkies: The Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) Cartwheel Courtship The Bald Eagle thrives in the nature preserves and conservation parks of Hillsborough County, with active, monogamous pairs fishing and nest building in properties such as Upper Tampa Bay , Eureka Springs , and Morris Bridge Conservation Parks . Visit in the fall as nesting season approaches, and you may see something alarming! Two juvenile bald eagles practicing the "Cartwheel" courtship behavior. Photo by Paul VanDerWerf; CC BY-2.0 Bald eagles linking claws in midair. Photo copyright ChristiLaLiberte. The Bald Eagle's courtship ritual looks more like mortal combat as pairs perfo...

Lettuce Lake Loop March 10 th , 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM Lettuce Lake Conservation Park,  6920 E. Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL, 33637 Register for this program and join a Park Ranger on a hike through Lettuce Lake with conservations about ecosystems, native plants, wildlife, and more. You can check off one of your Hiking Spree hikes on this walk of the Hammock run and Boardwalk, with views from the observation tower. Participants must be registered to attend. This is a 1 mile hike. Participants must be registered to attend. $5/person. Registration Link Calendar Info   Warbler Walk with the Audubon Society March 17th, 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM Lake Dan Nature Preserve, 19116 Huckavalle Rd, Odessa, FL, 33556 Register for the Hiking Spree and join Audubon Volunteer Lily Saul on a walk through Lake Dan Nature Preserve while seeking out our favorite feathered friends. You’ll be seeking for all kinds of birds on this slower paced walk, so watch for warblers, hunt for hawks, and survey for sparrow...

  Do you know someone who is otter-ly adorable, that you cannot live withowl-t, who you know loves Florida wildlife just like you?  Give them a wild valentine!  Click the button below to easily print the coloring sheet.  Print the whole sheet!   W‌ant to share last year's virtual valentines? Find them here!   

Few flowers which frequent our Nature Preserves in Hillsborough County rival the alien beauty of the passion vine. But, far more than just an ornament, this diverse genus of species ( Passiflora ) plays an important role in nature, as well as your garden and pantry! Two clouded skipper butterflies ( Lerema accius ) visit a Maypop passionflower. Photo by Bill Carlisle. Grocery store aficionados are likely familiar with passion fruit and passion fruit juice, and some may recognize passionflower tea or passionflower sleep aids. These are indeed all products of Passiflora plants. Most of the fruit and juice production in the United States comes from the species Passiflora edulis. This Brazilian plant is widely cultivated in Florida, but not native to North America. However, its close relative Passiflora incarnata , or maypop, is. left is the Brazilian edulis vine and on the right, the native maypop (incarnata). Photos by Meagan Arnold and Brady Reed, respectively. Maypop plants have m...

Longleaf pines planted at Triple Creek Nature Preserve, 2020. The towering longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris )   once covered most of the Southeastern United States, believed to comprise a total of 90 million acres of land. They were plentiful and helpful to early settlers of Florida and felt like a resource that could never end. Longleaf pines are found in several ecosystems in Florida, all typically in areas we call “ uplands ” because of their location further “up land” from the coasts and water. These ecosystems range from pine flatwoods just above the waterline, to high pine lands further from sea level with well-draining soil. All these ecosystems are fire-dependent, meaning the plants and animal species living there evolved with frequent wildfires that played a crucial role in their regeneration. Fire helps to clear out underbrush, recycle nutrients, and promote the growth of these fire-adapted species. Longleaf pine growing among palmetto - note smaller pines growing belo...

Many fascinating creatures thrive in fire-adapted ecosystems like those you can find in our Conservation Parks and Nature Preserves. These ecosystems, often characterized by longleaf pine-wiregrass or scrub habitats, are shaped by the natural occurrence of fires. The flora and fauna that live in these habitats have evolved unique adaptations to coexist with and even benefit from these fires. Without periodic fire, all of these species are negatively affected.  Tampa Butterfly Orchid  (Encyclia tampensis)  Photo by Malcolm Manners, 2011. (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic) When visiting our parks and preserves, don’t forget to look up once in a while or you’ll miss sights like the Tampa butterfly orchid ( Encyclia tampensis ) growing on a variety of trees in some of our hardwood forests. Orchids often depend on very specific light conditions for optimal growth and reproduction. The open canopy resulting from periodic fire allows for increased light pen etration, benefiting epi...