The Trailblazer

In CELM, our favorite dogs are those who are always kept on a 6’ leash and cleaned up after while on hikes in our  Conservation Parks or Nature Preserves . What are our second favorite dogs? Coyotes! In the diverse array of North American wildlife, few animals evoke such contrasting emotions and narratives as the coyote. From folklore to modern ecological and ethical debates, these canines have been both revered for their adaptability and resilience and maligned for their perceived threat to livestock and pets. Coyote’s scientific name, Canis latrans , means “barking dog,” and the name we know them as “coyote” comes from the Nauhuatl/Aztec word coyotyl , which is believed to loosely translate to “trickster.”   Many cultures in America have viewed the coyote as clever, and it’s likely because of the coyote’s resilience. They’ve been able to fill niches we’ve created, live alongside us, and outsmart us for centuries. Love them or hate them, coyotes are here to stay. Learn...

Lake Dan Nature Preserve, in combination with Lake Francis Nature Preserve, encompasses 2,700 acres in Northwest Hillsborough County. This expansive area showcases a diverse mosaic of ecosystems, from cypress domes to mesic flatwoods, presenting both ecological significance and management challenges. Two deer stand alert in a misty wetland area of Lake Dan Nature Preserve, surrounded by cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Photo by Sonja Pedersen. Environmental Lands Management Specialist Ryan Cosbey paints a vivid picture of the preserve's unique landscape: "It takes you to another place. Once you leave the red trail, you enter these low, open areas, but all around you there are these cypress domes. They rise up like mountains, and you get the feeling like you're in a valley." As we explore Lake Dan, we'll uncover how its history has shaped its current ecology, the ongoing efforts to restore native habitats, and its role in protecting Florida's unique biodiv...

Long before us, the flora and fauna of the land mass we now call Florida experienced frequent fire. Hot, dry weather combined with lightning strikes created ecosystems over time that adapted to these fires, with plants and animals coming to expect it and modifying their life cycles to not just tolerate fire but to thrive with it. Indigenous people saw these cycles of fire and growth and harnessed the power of fire to help clear land, hunt, and cultivate the plants they used most. Today, people still use the power of fire to shape natural communities and to protect our own through what we call “prescribed fire.” Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management (CELM) has been utilizing fire for decades. Prescribed fire, also known as prescribed burning, is a safe and economical technique used by land managers worldwide. This time-honored practice is used to restore and maintain fire-dependent ecosystems and to enhance forest health. Fire improves habitat quality by...

  Florida's Hidden Labyrinths Florida's landscape is often overlooked for its apparent lack of topographical interest. This conception may cause visitors and residents alike to overlook geological features worth visiting; locations such as our Sacred Hills of Hillsborough County's Edward Medard Conservation Park, Polk County's Iron Mountain at Bok Tower Gardens, or Devil's Den Spring in Levy County are all worth the trip. But, broadly speaking, the state of Florida is flat. However, it is anything but static. Florida's recent emergence as a land mass has resulted in the development of truly unique habitats, the conditions of which put huge demands on pioneering species to adapt. A gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) peering out from its burrow entrance. Photo by Geoff Gallice, April 27, 2011. CC BY 2.0. Technology has only recently revealed the extent to which our keystone species, the gopher tortoise ( Gopherus polyphemus ), transforms some of our most ex...

Since 2016 this festival has been a can’t-miss event! The Florida Birding & Nature Festival aims to promote appreciation and conservation of Florida’s birds, its wildlife and their habitats through responsible nature-based tourism and public awareness. 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. Field trips and hikes will be held nearby at Cockroach Bay, Lower Green Swamp, Blackwater Creek, and Fred and Ida Shultz Nature Preserves as well as Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park and many other wild locations throughout Hillsborough, Polk, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties! 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 ...