The Trailblazer

How much do you love racoons? October first is “Raccoon Appreciate Day,” and we’re celebrating by featuring your raccoon photos and sharing some interested raccoon information! Raccoon in a palm, by Beth R.  Raccoon Fast Facts: Raccoons have highly sensitive front paws that they use to manipulate their environment. These paws are so dexterous, and raccoons so intelligent, that cities have spent millions of dollars trying to develop raccoon-proof garbage cans.  While raccoons are native here in Florida, they’re considered an invasive species in Japan. In the 1970’s they were imported there as pets after a TV show popularized them, but now they’re loose and causes hundreds of thousands of dollars in agricultural damage.  Raccoon in a pool, by Douglas G.  Raccoons hold a prominent place in various cultures and folklore, often symbolizing cleverness and resourcefulness due to their intelligent nature and adaptability. Toronto is believed to be the raccoon capital of the ...

The cooler weather is approaching – are you ready to Emerge and Explore ? The ninth annual Hillsborough County Hiking Spree features new trails, new prizes, and new opportunities to get out and explore all that Hillsborough County has to offer. What is the Hiking Spree? The Hiking Spree is a collaborative effort between Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management and Parks and Recreation departments. It is meant to highlight our unique outdoor spaces throughout the county. It is one of the largest and longest running events Hillsborough County does annually. This five-month event encourages people to discover new places to hike, learn more about conservation, and be active outside. The hikes chosen for the Hiking Spree are at Neighborhood Parks, Conservation Parks, Nature Preserves, and at other sites in Hillsborough.  The wide variety of sites to is curated to give everyone a chance to complete the Hiking Spree and have a great time, regardless of age, sk...

The Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department has many uniforms. The Parks and Preserves are of course what people expect, but there’s also the Bakas Equestrian Center, the grounds of the Veteran’s Memorial Park, Camp Bayou outdoor learning center, and your Hillsborough County boat ramps! These boat ramps are your gateway to water recreation, and we want them used safely and consciously for boaters and the environment. The man behind this magic is Melvin Dickson. “In blue skies, I’m the Safety, Security, and Logistics Manager for CELM. I’m responsible for the management of the Marine Safety Unit, Park Deputies, and Stand-Alone Boat Ramps, and logistics as it relates to acquiring, and facilitating new innovations for the department.” Before Melvin joined Hillsborough County two years ago, he spent 24 years in active duty service with the Navy.  Because of that experience, of course his favorite days at work are the ones he gets to go out on the water with...

Over 30 volunteers from TECO and Duke Energy showed up bright and early to EG Simmons Conservation Park on a sunny Tuesday last month to plant red and black mangrove trees that will help restore the shoreline and lessen further erosion.  Mangroves are an important tree for all of us in Hillsborough County. Florida's  mangrove ecosystems serve a vital role in the overall health of the state’s coastal estuaries. Mangroves reduce coastal erosion caused by storm surges and improve water quality by absorbing excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Mangrove soils and roots also sequester carbon dioxide while providing habitat and refuge to a wide variety of fish and wildlife. Red and Black Mangroves grown by CCA arrive at EG Simmons Conservation Park The trees planted were home-grown and donated by the  Coastal Conservation Association  and the Duke Energy Crystal River Mariculture Center, a company-owned-and-operated environmental restoration and conservation cente...

The Hillsborough County Department of Conservation and Environmental Lands Management (CELM) is hosting a series of field trips for the Florida Nature and Birding Festival in October. In anticipation of the October 20th trip to our largest ELAPP property, Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve, I was lucky enough to get a tour from CELM Environmental Lands Management Specialist, Rebecca Winch. So, come along with us for a virtual walk of this 12,809-acre property and its history. The bridge over the  Itchepackesassa Creek. After passing Lower Green's management office, the first feature on the central trail is a sturdy bridge crossing Itchepackesassa Creek. This was shortly after Hurricane Debby came through, and I was curious if there had been any concerns about the structure, as several ELAPP properties had seen flooding. Rebecca had this to say: "After the storm, the water got almost up to the supports underneath the bridge, but not quite. We checked for signs of erosion on eit...

A raccoon pleads for you for a snack to share your raccoon photos.  Upper Tampa Bay Park, 2019 October 1st is Raccoon Appreciation Day, and we'd like to show off YOUR favorite raccoon pictures! Send us photos you've taken of raccoons - bonus points if they're in a Hillsborough County Conservation Park or Nature Preserve - and we'll highlight our favorites with some raccoon facts in the October Trailblazer! As always, you can also send us any of your favorite photos from your time in our conservation parks and nature preserves for a chance to be featured in the trailblazer newsletter.  Send your photos with this link , or email us at CELMOutreach@hcfl.gov! 

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...