Find Focus
An Ounce of Prevention
Think Greenery
When the Sun Goes Down…
Good Morning, Starshine
Find Your Getaway
You’ve Got a Friend
YouTube
Nature To Go
Advisory Board Notice
Your Opinion Counts!
Nature Centers of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
Special Attractions
Broward County Board of County Commissioners
Learn more about nature photography when Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach hosts a free Photography Workshop. It’s from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, and is led by photographer Susan Gunter. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-8884. Secret Woods is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6.
Help keep Deerfield Island Park in Deerfield Beach clean and free of invasive plants by volunteering at this month’s EcoAction Day on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers clean up trash, plant native plants, and/or remove non-native invasive plants. Students can earn community service hours for graduation and college scholarships, and others can help improve and preserve the environment. Volunteers should dress appropriately with long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes that can get dirty. Participants should bring gloves, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and drinking water. Extra tools such as shovels, rakes, and hand pruners are welcome. A volunteer form must be filled out in order to participate. For more information, call Quiet Waters Park at 954-357-5100.
Looking for some plants to spruce up your home landscape? Look no further than the Broward County Plant Affair. The popular annual event takes place the weekend of May 7 and 8 at Plantation Heritage Park, where you’ll find a plant show and sale with up to 30 vendors. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. For more information, call the park at 954-357-5135. Plantation Heritage is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #30.
The next weekend, on Saturday, May 14, Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach will host a Go Native in Broward County Plant Sale, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Native plants from nurseries and other vendors will be on display and for sale, including plants to attract butterflies and other wildlife. Florida Master Gardeners will also be on hand to answer questions about common gardening problems. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-8884. Secret Woods is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6.
…nocturnal animals emerge at Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center in Davie. Be there when it happens from 8 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 20, when the park hosts a Nature at Night Hike. A park naturalist will lead participants as they explore the nature trails of Long Key. The fee is $3 per person. For more information, call the nature center at 954-357-8797.
One of South Florida’s best-kept secrets is the Fox Observatory at Markham Park in Sunrise, and the South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association (SFAAA) would like to change that. The SFAAA regularly opens the observatory to anyone who’s curious about the heavens above on Saturdays from dusk to midnight, weather permitting. Saturday, May 7, however, is Astronomy Day, and the nonprofit group will open the Fox at 2 p.m. for a rare opportunity for solar viewing. The observatory will then remain open for the remainder of the day and through the evening for viewing of the night sky as well. And it’s all free.
The SFAAA has been around since 1965 and is dedicated to, as its Website puts it, “bringing the universe closer to all South Floridians.” The group has a wide variety of telescopic equipment at its disposal, and you’re also invited to bring your own telescope. Members will be on hand to help you learn more about your gear and how it operates. The group also has its monthly meetings at the Fox at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, and there are monthly members-only events as well. Regular club dues are $20, and student memberships are $10. One membership fee covers the entire family and includes the organization’s monthly newsletter.
For more information, call the park at 954-357-8868 or the SFAAA at 954-384-0442, or visit www.sfaaa.com. Markham is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #23.
Find Your Getaway
Looking for a way to get in touch with nature without going far away? For a fun, affordable getaway close to home, look no farther than Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, where the campground offers 25 Rent-a-Tent sites and two tepee sites. The tent sites feature a canvas platform tent already set up for you – all you have to do is move in. Each site comes with water and electricity, as well as a grill, a picnic table, and a fire ring. Tepee sites are similarly equipped.
Two camping specials run from June 1 through October 1, 2011. The Family Fun Package offers a two-night stay (Fridays and Saturdays only) for four campers for just $55; two more campers can be added at only $1.50 each. Along with your campsite, you’ll also get $6.50 all-day admissions to Quiet Waters’ Splash Adventure water park, along with Rent One/Get One Free boat rentals and 50 percent off admissions at the park’s skate park.
The Escape Special, which runs from Sundays through Thursdays, offers a one-night stay for four campers for only $20 per night per site, or three or more nights for $17.50 per night per site; two additional campers can join you for just $1.50 each. This special also includes $6.50 all-day admissions to Splash Adventure. For more information, call the park at 954-357-5100.
Beginning with the Anne Kolb Nature Center’s grand opening on February 10, 1996, volunteers have continuously supported the Hollywood facility with their dedication and hard work. Many volunteers participated in that opening by greeting visitors and sharing information about the nature center. Today our volunteers continue that commitment of service to our park patrons. They have even created a Website for the Friends of the Anne Kolb Nature Center, www.friendsofannekolb.org.
Incorporated in May 1999, this nonprofit organization is dedicated to supporting the efforts of the nature center to preserve and protect the environment and educate visitors. The Friends' goals are as follows:
• To protect, foster, and advance the unique ecology of South Florida environments through nature-oriented activities such as field studies, nature walks, workshops, and other projects.
• To assist with special projects designed to inform the public of the environmental and ecological processes of the South Florida coast in general and mangrove wetlands in particular.
• To increase public awareness of threatened and endangered species and the need for solutions to pollution and other environmental degradation.
• To assist with visitor relations, newsletter writing, and general office work.
• To operate fundraising activities for the benefit of the nature center.
Find out what the Friends are doing at a monthly meeting; the next one is scheduled for Thursday, May 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information on becoming a parks volunteer and a friend, contact the Anne Kolb Nature Center Volunteer Site Coordinator at 954-357-5161 or e-mail FriendsofAKNC@gmail.com.
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 the Ski Rixen 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.
Advisory Board 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 Wednesday, May 4. The meeting will take place at Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut Creek 33063; 954-357-5198. More information is available here.
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.
Special Attractions
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) – Multipurpose Athletic Fields (Brian Piccolo Park, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, 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)
Founded in February 1956 and accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, Broward County Parks and Recreation Division manages more than 6,500 acres, encompassing 19 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.
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