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Long Key Natural Area Opens
The public is invited to attend the Opening Ceremony for the Long Key Natural Area at
4 p.m. on Friday, March 14. The site is at 3501 S.W. 130th Ave., Davie. The opening
ceremony, which will include a wildlife release conducted by the SPCA
(Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Wildlife Care Center, will be followed by light refreshments.
At 157 acres, Long Key, in the Town of Davie west of Flamingo
Road and between Griffin Road and I-595, is one of the largest natural
areas managed by the Parks and Recreation Division. As recently as a
century ago this elevated oak hammock was part of a series of islands
surrounded by Everglades marshes. Long Key encompasses some of the most
significant archaeological, historical, and ecological resources in the
County, as the area served as a habitation site for the ancient Tequesta
Indians and the more modern Seminoles.
Long Key’s magnificent live oak hammock has served as an
important habitat for wildlife and is one of the largest remaining stands
of upland hardwood forest in Broward. Typical trees found in the hardwood
forest include live oak, red bay, paradise tree, strangler fig, and the
occasional cabbage palm and gumbo limbo. Among the diverse plants you can
see are many species of epiphytic bromeliads and ferns that abundantly line
the limbs of the oaks.
Additional features include a 14-acre orange grove, a remnant
of a once-active citrus industry; restored wetland marshes, which have
become a haven for a variety of migratory and resident birds; several
man-made ponds and canals; and an active bird roost/rookery. The site is
also a refuge for butterflies and a variety of mammals, including foxes and
bobcats. Of special significance is the property’s Baez House, a
recently restored 1940s farmhouse that received a 2007 award from the
Broward County Historical Commission, which recommended that the house be
designated as an Archaeological and Historical Cultural Resource Site.
The centerpiece of the park is the 18,050-square-foot nature
center building, which includes an assembly hall, an exhibit hall, a
classroom, a theater, offices, a kitchen, and restrooms. The exhibit hall
is a 2,390-square-foot facility highlighting the history of the Seminole
and Tequesta Native Americans on Long Key. Natural history exhibits include
an actual archaeological dig pit; interactive, hands-on exhibits on
vegetation, birds and birdcalls, and more; and live animals, including a
baby alligator, snakes, frogs, lizards, and scorpions. The exhibit hall
also includes a 10-foot-by-27-foot black-and-white photo mural by famed
nature photographer Clyde Butcher, commissioned for the site. The nature
center lobby features a scale miniature model of the site, along with a
hand-carved bench made from an African mahogany tree planted near the Baez
House by pioneer families and uprooted by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
A bridge spanning a restored wetland connects the nature
center to nature trails, and an equestrian trail runs through the site and
connects with the Davie Multipurpose Trail that runs along the perimeter.
The total cost of the nature center is approximately $6.8
million from the 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond program, which
includes a Public Art and Design project by artist Lorna Jordan inspired by the site’s geological and hydrological features.
?: R.S.V.P. by noon on Monday, March 10, by calling 954-357-8114.
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Bicycle Week Is Now Bicycle Month
When a week’s worth of events proved popular with the public, the
organizers of Bicycle Week opted to expand it to Bicycle Month 2008, which now includes more than 60 events and activities From March 1 through 31. The
purposes of this special month are to promote bicycle safety and education;
to provide leisure and recreational bicycling opportunities for all ages
and abilities; and to offer competitive/challenging cycling opportunities
throughout Broward County within both the public and the private sectors.
Bicycle Month is made possible by Broward County and the
cooperation of the Cities of Dania
Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Margate, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, and Tamarac, and Broward Sheriff’s Office, CycleMobility, Florida Park Service, Memorial Healthcare Systems, Motorola, South Broward Wheelers, South Florida Commuter Services, and
South Florida Regional Transportation
Authority. Together these organizations have committed to hosting
bicycle rodeos, recreational rides, bike-to-work challenges, nature bike
hikes, lunchtime rides, bicycle scavenger hunts, and tandem rides for the
visually impaired. Times, fees, locations, and registration requirements
vary.
?: www.broward.org/parks/bicycle.htm.
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Make a (Tropical) Splash!
When Paradise Cove at C.B.
Smith Park, Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park, and Castaway
Island at T.Y. Park reopen for the season on March 1, they’ll be
joined by the Parks and Recreation Division’s newest interactive
water playground, Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park.
All four water parks will be open on weekends from 9:30 a.m.
to 5:20 p.m. through May 4. They’ll also be open the same hours daily
for Broward Spring Break, Friday, March 28 through Sunday, April 6. Safari
Isle at Markham Park
will open in late May.
?: C.B. Smith,
954-437-2650; Central
Broward Regional, 954-321-1170; Quiet Waters, 954-360-1315;,
T.Y., 954-985-1980.
$: Call the park of your choice for fees.
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Your Vote Counts!
You can help Lafayette Hart Park win $25,000 for park improvements and a
chance to meet NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade in person in the Staples Dream
Park Challenge. Vote once per day on line at www.StaplesDreamPark.com
and pick up a “power card” at your local Staples to
obtain 10 extra votes. Voting ends on April 10.
The park with the most votes will receive $25,000 and a winner’s celebration with D-Wade. The second-place park will receive $10,000
and third place will receive $5,000 for park improvements. The remaining 15
parks will receive $1,000 each for their participation.
As an extra incentive to vote, voters will automatically be
entered to win a chance to meet D-Wade in person, or one of five
autographed jerseys.
“When community parks have all the necessary amenities,
they become a great place for children and families to come
together,” says Wade. “With larger prizes and more parks participating
in this year’s contest, we’re expecting the competition among
communities to be intense. Together, Staples and I are working to improve South Florida parks through the Dream Park Challenge.”
Eighteen South Florida parks are competing for the $25,000 grand prize. The winning park will be announced in April.
Lafayette Hart Park is an essential part of the Broward County community. Amenities at this 1.6-acre park include a basketball court, a
picnic shelter, a playground, a racquetball/tennis court, and volleyball.
The park is located at 2851 N.W. Eighth Rd. in unincorporated Broward County.
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Water, Water Everywhere
Water is an integral component of the quality of life to both residents and
tourists alike in Broward County. Two significant March events in parks
attest to the importance water holds in our lives, in terms of both
recreation and daily life.
The first event is Broward’s largest environmental
event, the 31st Annual Waterway
Cleanup, organized by the Marine Industries of South Florida in
cooperation with civil, public, and private partners to promote
environmental awareness and responsibility. This year’s event, from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, is scheduled for three dozen sites
around the County.
The event typically attracts between 2,000 and 3,000
volunteers to work at waterfront locations and on floating sites on the Intracoastal Waterway. Last year 67 tons of trash and debris were collected from the
county’s roughly 300 miles of navigable waterways, canals, and
shorelines. Participants should wear clothes that they don’t mind
getting dirty, as well as gloves and shoes. Sunblock, sunglasses, hats, and
drinking water are also recommended.
This year’s event adds five new cleanup sites to the
list: Cooley’s
Landing, Fort Lauderdale; Everglades
Holiday Park, Southwest Ranches; C.B. Smith Park, Pembroke
Pines; Sailor’s Point, Hollywood; and the public works facility in
Lauderdale Lakes. For additional information, including a list of locations
and volunteer opportunities, visit www.waterwaycleanup.org or call 954-524-2733.
The second event that will focus on water quality and
conservation is Water
Matters Day, scheduled for Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. at Tree Tops Park in Davie. Water Matters Day provides a distinct
educational opportunity for organizations to showcase programs that support
a critical idea: By working together we can have affordable, high-quality
water for now and for the future.
The family-oriented event, now in its fifth year, includes
live music, educational booths, tree and mulch giveaways, hands-on
activities, and more. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
There will also be mini-workshops on a wide range of water-related topics,
including the dos and don’ts of irrigation, the impact of global
warming on water resources, stormscaping to help hurricane-proof your
landscape, and landscaping for wildlife.
For more information, call the park at 954-370-3750, ext. 28, or visit www.broward.org/watermatters.
Learn How To Landscape
If you’d like to (1) help your garden survive the drought, (2) learn easy ways to conserve water, soil, and vegetation resources, and (3) learn how to
design and create Florida-friendly landscapes that will save you time and
money while improving the health and longevity of your landscape, then we
have the ticket for you. Check out the free Landscaping Seminar,
from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, at the Lauderdale Lakes
Multipurpose Building, 4340 N.W. 36th St. Expert horticulturists John J. Pipoly III and Mike Orfanedes will give an overview of the current water situation as it
relates to landscapes, and they’ll provide tips on controlling pests
such as the fig whitefly and the red palm mite. Presented by the City of Lauderdale Lakes in conjunction
with the UF-IFAS Broward County Extension Education Section, Parks and Recreation Division, Urban
Horticulture Program.
?: 954-535-2785.
Spring Has Sprung
The spring holiday bunny is out at
both Broward County neighborhood and regional parks during the month of
March. The lineup of festive activities is as follows:
Spring Egg Swim & Search
T.Y.
Sat., Mar. 15, 10 a.m.
Spring Egg Hunt
West Lake
Sat., Mar. 22, 9 a.m.
Spring Egg-Stravaganza Egg Hunt
Tradewinds
Sat., Mar. 22, 10 a.m.
Splash Egg-Citement
Quiet
Waters
Sun., Mar. 23, 9 a.m.
Spring Egg Hunt
Lafayette Hart
Sun., Mar. 23, 3 p.m.
?: Call the park of your choice for more information.
Advisory Board Notice
The next meeting of the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5.
The meeting will take place at the Quiet Waters Skate Park, 401 S. Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach. For more information, visit http://www.broward.org/parks/abmeeting.htm.
Highlights Goes Electronic
The monthly newsletter of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
is now available only as an electronic publication. Pass this information
on to friends and family so they can sign up and become part of the
Division’s online community. You will receive the latest information
about upcoming events and special programs, as well as park news, via our
monthly e-newsletter. To sign up, send your name and e-mail address to ParksMarketing@broward.org.
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Key to Symbols
?: Call the number indicated for further information about the
event.
$: Participation
fees.
R: Registration
requirements.
+: Plus park gate
entrance fee on weekends/holidays;
$1.50/person
(children 5 and under free).
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Quote of the Month
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every
time we do.”
– Chinese philosopher
Confucius (551 B.C.E.-479 B.C.E.)
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Commit 2B Fit™
Patrons can visit
any Broward County park office and receive a Commit 2B Fit™ Rewards Card to keep track of their activities. The card will be stamped every
time someone comes to the park and completes a 30-minute fitness
activity. Use our online calendar of events to find an
activity to fit your lifestyle. Participants can get up to six stamps
each month. Rewards Cards collected monthly will be eligible for
quarterly prizes.
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Mission Statement
The Parks and Recreation Division is dedicated to providing exceptional
services and facilities essential to the quality of life in Broward County
while preserving our natural areas.
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Swim Central
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Broward County Commission's primary resource and referral
service for available swim programs in cooperation with various cities
and nonprofit organizations. 954-357-SWIM (7946)
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