Going Native
Top Seven Signs Your Holiday Tree Has Been Up Too Long
Holiday Hours
Go Fish
The Excitement Is Spreading
You’re Invited
Digging Into the Past
Advisory Board/Public Participation Forum Notice
YouTube
Nature To Go
Your Opinion Counts!
Nature Centers of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
Special Attractions
Mission Statement
Broward County Board of County Commissioners
If you’ve lived in South Florida for any length of time and have an interest in home landscaping, you’ve probably heard the ongoing debate about whether to use native plants or succumb to the temptation to install cheaper, prettier plants. While most plants known variously as nonnative, invasive, or exotic pose no serious threat to the environment, some such plants grow out of control, competing with native vegetation and gradually displacing it, forever altering ecosystems that have developed over millions of years.
The most notorious invasive plants – Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca – have long been targeted by intensive campaigns to curb their spread. But you can also do your part simply by paying closer attention to what you grow on your own property. (And yes, it’s possible to find native plants that are both inexpensive and good-looking.) Here are some tips:
· Don’t buy plants just because they’re recommended by friends or neighbors. They may be misinformed.
· Don’t trust older editions of landscaping guides. They may contain outdated information.
· Don’t put your indiscriminate faith in the Internet. It is rife with misinformation.
· Don’t toss out houseplants. They may take root and spread until they run amok.
Finally, do educate yourself on what you put into the ground and what you do with it once it’s planted. For help with that, you can turn to Broward County Parks. We regularly offer programs to help you make smarter choices when it comes to home landscaping. Our Extension Education Section is also a valuable resource when you have questions.
We also regularly host plant sales at our nature centers, such as the upcoming Go Native in Broward County Plant Sale at Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach. It’s scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 28. Native plant nurseries and other vendors will display and sell plants native to South Florida, and Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions about your common gardening problems.
For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-8884 or Extension Education at 954-357-5270. Secret Woods is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6.
1. You’ve taken to using it as a coat rack.
2. The bird that got into your house stayed – and nested.
3. Visitors ask how you’ll be decorating it for the spring holiday.
4. It’s sprouted roots and started growing again.
5. Squirrels gather at your window and look in longingly at it.
6. You can no longer see the carpet through the layers of dried needles.
7. You’ve decided just to go ahead and leave it up for next year.
Is there anything sadder than a holiday tree that’s still standing around in someone’s living room well into the new year? If the holidays are long gone but your tree isn’t, it’s time to chip in and donate your used evergreen to our annual Chip-a-Tree initiative. Last year Broward County Parks recycled more than 9,000 trees, representing more than a hundred tons of material that would otherwise have gone to landfills, and this year your tree can join those recyclable thousands.
The free program encourages Broward County residents to remove all decorations from their holiday trees (no decorated trees will be accepted), then bring the trees to a participating park, where they are chipped and used for landscaping throughout the county park system. There is a limit of two trees per vehicle, artificial trees are not accepted, and no commercial vehicles or garbage trucks are allowed.
This season’s program runs from Monday, December 26, 2011, through Sunday, January 22, 2012, giving you plenty of time to take advantage of those after-the-holidays sales before hauling your tree to a park. And remember, the regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee will not be in effect for recyclers, so there’s no excuse not to do the right thing. Hours vary; call the park of your choice for details.
- Brian Piccolo Park, 9501 Sheridan St., Cooper City 33024; 954-357-5150
- C. B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines 33028; 954-357-5170
- Easterlin Park, 1000 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park 33309; 954-357-5190
- Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut Creek 33063; 954-357-5198
- Markham Park, 16001 W. State Rd. 84, Sunrise 33326; 954-357-8868
- Plantation Heritage Park, 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation 33317; 954-357-5135
- Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach 33441; 954-357-5100
- Reverend Samuel Delevoe Park, 2520 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale 33311; 954-791-1036
- Snake Warrior's Island, 3600 S.W. 62nd Ave., Miramar 33023; 954-357-5161
- Tradewinds Park, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek 33073; 954-357-8870
- Tree Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100th Ave., Davie 33328; 954-357-5130
- T.Y. Park, 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood 33021; 954-357-8811
- Vista View Park, 4001 S.W. 142 Ave., Davie 33330; 954-257-8898
- West Lake Park, 751 Sheridan St., Hollywood 33019; 954-357-5161
All Broward County regional parks and nature centers, neighborhood parks, and natural areas will be open their regular hours on Saturdays, December 24 and 31, and Sunday, January 1 (New Year’s Day); the parks’ regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50 per person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect. All parks, nature centers, and natural areas will be closed on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25.
Get out your rod and reel, it’s time to hit the water at the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood. A one-time Family Fun Fishing event will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 14. Participants in this free program will learn a few basics about fish as well as some saltwater fishing techniques. Bait will be provided. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-5161. Anne Kolb is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #12.
Last season’s inaugural series of Propagation Classes proved so popular that Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach is repeating the program, starting this month with “Part I: Seeds,” from 2 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 22. The series includes both lectures and hands-on instruction in various techniques, and participants are invited to bring their own plant seeds and cutting to the applicable class.
The program, which is designed for ages 12 and up, continues on Sundays, February 26 and March 25, with “Part II: Cuttings” and “Part III: Grafting,” respectively. The fee is $5/person per session. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-8884. Secret Woods is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6.
Find out more about one of our key partners – the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS), which works closely with the Parks Extension Education Section – this month when the agency hosts its annual Open House. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, at our Extension Education complex in Davie.
Among the things you’ll learn about:
· UF’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences degree programs – in Gainesville, here in Broward County, and online
· Native vs. exotic reptiles in Florida
· Beneficial insects such as honeybees vs. destructive ones such as termites
· Managing your landscape (turf grass, trees, and palms)
· New nutritional guidelines
· Insects that help control invasive weeds
· How to keep a lake healthy by stocking fish and managing aquatic plants
· 4-H youth development programs
· Where you can find natural Florida the way it used to be
· How to make your home stronger for the next hurricane season
· Geomatics (GPS, GIS, and YOU – great careers in an expanding field of study)
For more information, call Extension Education at 954-357-5270.
This month’s installment of the Lunch-and-Learn Nature Series at the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood takes place from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, January 23. The featured lecturer is Rachel K. Wentz of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, and her topic will be “Windover: A Mortuary Point From Florida’s Archaeological Past.” Dr. Went will talk about Windover, a site in Brevard County near Titusville that is one of the most ancient, well-preserved archaeological sites in North America. Analyses from Windover, which was used for the interment of the dead, have provided insights into the life and health of people 7,000 years ago in Florida.
Preregistration is required a week prior to the event. Admission is a $5 recommended donation to the Friends of the Anne Kolb Nature Center volunteer group. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-5161. Anne Kolb is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #12.
Advisory Board/Public Participation Forum Notice
The public is invited to the next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 6. The meeting will take place at Butterfly World at Tradewinds Park, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek 33073; 954-977-4400. Please note that in 2012 the advisory board will meet six times instead of monthly. For more information, follow this link.
Broward County Parks now has its own YouTube Channel at www.YouTube.com/BrowardCountyParks. If you’ve never gone kayaking at West Lake Park in Hollywood, you’ll get a glimpse of this urban oasis. Other park experiences you can watch include mountain bike riding at Markham Park in Sunrise, cable water-skiing at Ski Rixen USA in Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, and even Eli the Dog’s outing to Barkham dog park at Markham Park!
Nature To Go
You can now take a little bit of Broward County nature home with you – thanks to a series of nature posters produced and sold by Broward County Parks. The six posters, all photographed in the county’s parks, nature centers, and natural areas, feature American white waterlilies, burrowing owls, a gray fox, live oak trees, a prairie iris, and a queen butterfly. The posters look great either framed or unframed, and they’re a distinctive way to bring a taste of nature into your home or office. They also make excellent gifts.
The offices at seven facilities have the posters available for purchase: the Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park in Hollywood, Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek, Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center in Davie, Markham Park in Sunrise, Plantation Heritage Park in Plantation, Tree Tops Park in Davie, and T.Y. Park in Hollywood.
The high-quality posters, which measure 18 inches by 24 inches, retail for $10, including Florida sales tax. You can also purchase posters by mail from Broward County Parks and Recreation, 950 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park, FL 33309. Mail-order posters are $15 (includes Florida sales tax, shipping, and handling), with checks/money orders payable to Broward County Parks and Recreation. For more information, e-mail ParksMarketing@broward.org.
Your Opinion Counts!
We’d like to know what you think about our programs and facilities. Please take a moment to tell us how we’re doing by filling out this survey.
Nature Centers of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
For more nature activities, please go to www.broward.org/parks/calendar.
Batting Cages (AllGolf at C.B. Smith Park) – Butterfly World (Tradewinds Park) – Cable Water-Skiing (Ski Rixen USA at Quiet Waters Park) – Campgrounds (C.B. Smith Park, Easterlin Park, Markham Park, Quiet Waters Park, T.Y. Park) – Dog Park (Barkham at Markham Park) – Educational Farm (Tradewinds Park) – Exhibit Halls (Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park, Fern Forest Nature Center, Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center, Secret Woods Nature Center) – Golf Facilities (AllGolf at C.B. Smith Park) – Softball/Baseball Fields (Brian Piccolo Park, Sunview Park, Tradewinds Park) – Observatory (Markham Park) – Riding Stables (Tradewinds Park, Tree Tops Park) – Skate Parks/Tracks (Brian Piccolo Park, Quiet Waters Park) – Target Range (Markham Park) – Tennis Centers (Brian Piccolo Park, C.B. Smith Park) – Velodrome (Brian Piccolo Park) – Water Playgrounds/ Waterslides/Swimming (C.B. Smith Park, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, Quiet Waters Park, T.Y. Park)
The Parks and Recreation Division is dedicated to providing a countywide park system with diverse facilities and recreation opportunities, along with natural area conservation and research-based educational outreach, to enhance the well-being of residents, businesses, and visitors.
Founded in February 1956 and accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, Broward County Parks and Recreation Division manages nearly 6,500 acres, encompassing 18 regional parks and nature centers, six neighborhood parks, and 21 natural areas at various stages of development. Facilities include water parks, campgrounds, a target range, a stadium, skate parks, an observatory, mountain bike trails, an educational farm with stables, and a velodrome and other sports facilities. Hours and fees vary by location. For more information, visit www.broward.org/parks.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations in order to participate in County programs, services, and activities must contact the Special Populations Section at 954-357-8170 or TTY 954-537-2844 at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event to request an accommodation.
Broward County Board of County Commissioners
Sue Gunzburger
Dale V.C. Holness
Kristin Jacobs
Chip LaMarca
Ilene Lieberman
Stacy Ritter
John E. Rodstrom Jr.
Barbara Sharief
Lois Wexler
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Parks and Recreation is a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.