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Managed by The Nature Conservancy, the Blowing
Rocks Preserve is a magnificent barrier island sanctuary
located on Jupiter Island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River
Lagoon. The Hawley Education Center provides information about the variety of natural habitats in the preserve.
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Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Jupiter, is managed by the Peter W. Busch Family Foundation.
This unique refuge offers visitors a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about Florida's wildlife and natural environments. A combined nature center and wildlife hospital with nature trails and boardwalks leading visitors through wildlife habitats exhibiting a variety of native animals from eagles to panthers, crocodiles, foxes, otters, bears, and more.
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The Cypress Creek Management Area is one of the newest additions of conservation lands in NENA. Presently, the area has no public use facilities,
but one of the
Cypress Creek Interim Management Plan goals is to
provide passive recreational opportunities.
This management area lies directly across the County line from Palm Beach County's Cypress Creek Natural Area.
The Historic Jupiter-Indiantown Trail includes public use facilities for hikers, bikers and equestrians.
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The DuPuis Management Area, managed by the South Florida Water Management District
and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission,
is a 21,875 acre area of remnant Everglades marsh and pine flatwoods interspersed with numerous ponds, wet prairies and cypress domes. The area provides miles of hiking and horseback trails, an equestrian center, graded vehicle roads, backpack
and group campsites and seasonal hunting.
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The J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, managed by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission,
contains over 60,000 acres of natural lands including sawgrass marsh, wet prairies, cypress dunes, pine flatwoods and tropical hammocks. The Everglades Youth Conservation Camp, an on-site youth camp,
is managed by Florida Atlantic University's Pine Jog Environmental Education Center.
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Historically part of the Florida Everglades system, the Grassy Waters Preserve
functions as the City of West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area. This 20-square-mile preserve includes the Charles W. Bingham Wilderness Pavilion and Everglades Pavilion,
meandering boardwalk trails, hiking, canoeing and offers unique educational and recreational opportunities.
For more information on programs and events at the nature center, click here.
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The
Hobe Sound Nature Center, Inc. is located within the 1,035-acre Hobe
Sound National Wildlife Refuge, 2 miles south of Bridge
Road in Martin County. The center offers a variety of environmental education
presentations to schools and organizations as well as supplementary activities
for the public, including turtle walks, summer camps, evening forums, scrub
tours and more.
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A visit to the 325-acre John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is no ordinary day at the beach.
The park offers snorkeling, kayaking, nature walks, the William T. Kirby Nature Center and gift shop and daily guided programs. It is located on the north end of Singer Island, bordering the Lake Worth Lagoon.
The Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park (check out the calendar) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the park.
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Jonathan Dickinson State Park includes
11,500 acres of sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamp.
The Loxahatchee River, which was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1985 (the first in Florida), runs through the park. This historic site is located in between Hobe Sound and Tequesta.
The Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education Center has exhibits on wildlife, natural communities, and the history of this unique and beautiful part of Florida.
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The John C. and Mariana Jones/Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
and the South Florida Water Management District.
The 12,415-acre area includes some of the highest quality pine flatwoods remaining in south Florida. Here you can camp, hike, or bike along the Historic Jupiter-Indiantown Trail,
hunt for deer, hog, and small game, and fish for largemouth bass, bluegill, and warmouth.
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Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum offers climbing tours of the landmark 1860 lighthouse, other historic buildings and outdoor exhibits. The waterfront Museum in the restored WWII building exhibits Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee. Also available are the museum gift shop, Sweet Shop, educational programs for children and adults, sunset tours, moonrise tours, weddings & proposals, and special events. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the 120 acre federally designated, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (JILONA.)
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Designated as part of the Florida National Scenic Trail in 1993, the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST)
is a 110-mile trail encircling the lake on top of the 35-foot-high Herbert Hoover Dike. Visitors can enjoy miles of trails for walking, hiking, rollerblading, bicycling and horseback riding.
More than half of the trail is paved; the remainder consists of a two-track gravel roadway.
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Loggerhead
Marinelife Center of Juno Beach is a not-for-profit
education and conservation facility located on the ocean in northern Palm Beach County.
The facility houses a variety of exhibits, live sea turtles and
other coastal creatures. Exhibits include a giant leatherback sea turtle,
salt water aquaria and displays of local wildlife, as well as educational
displays about South Florida's marine environment.
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The
Loxahatchee River Environmental Center offers a combination of displays, interactive exhibits and live tanks that
allow visitors to learn about Florida's first federally-designated Wild and Scenic River. The Center emphasizes the history of the river and its watershed,
including modifications to the ecosystem and associated problems, and provides information on programs and projects underway to help
restore this unique system.
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The mission of the Martin County’s Ecosystem Restoration and Management Division
is to preserve, enhance, and maintain the natural resources of the County's environmentally sensitive lands. The department provides an active volunteer and community outreach program.
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The Palm Beach County Department
of Environmental Resources Management manages more than 31,000 acres
of the County's last wild places. The natural
areas are open for passive recreational activities
such as hiking, bird watching, nature study, photography, environmental
education, and scientific research. Twelve natural areas have public use
facilities including accessible nature and hiking trails, parking areas,
bike racks, and informational kiosks.
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Palm
Beach Maritime Museum operates the former U.S. Coast
Guard Station and President John F. Kennedy's bomb shelter located on the 80-acre Peanut
Island Park. One of the premier boating destinations in
Southeast Florida, the park includes a fishing pier, campgrounds, boat slips,
picnic and snorkeling areas, an observation deck and a boardwalk.
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Riverbend
Park, located off Indiantown Road in Jupiter, is considered
a jewel in Palm Beach County's park system. Five miles of waterways and
15 miles of access roads and trails have been carved into over 680
acres of diverse marsh and subtropical terrain. Self-guided
trails are open for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking.
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The Solid
Waste Authority provides a solid waste management
and recycling system for Palm Beach County residents. A 300-acre conservation area at the north county landfill contains a greenway multi-use trail system and provides habitat for thousands of
Florida wading birds and two endangered species, the Snail Kite and the Wood Stork.
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The City of Palm Beach Garden's Sandhill Crane Access Park is a passive park allowing its visitors to enjoy the quiet, natural beauty of the area. Amenities including a fishing pier, renovated boat ramp, picnic facilities, restroom facilities, observation deck, interpretive educational displays, and boat and trailer parking. The park is a major component and destination point along the City's PGA Boulevard Parkway system, a State recognized parkway that extends from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area.
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- Sign up for the next Young Photographers Event on May 24th! [PDF]
- Read the latest edition of Environmental Times, Spring 2013 [PDF]
- Read the latest edition of Lake Worth Lagoon E-News, Spring 2013 [PDF]
- Download a FREE 2013 Palm Beach County Natural Areas Calendar! [PDF]
- Stay up to date with the Department's Monthly Status Reports.
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Coastal