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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.
For more information call the nature
center at 954-327-8797.
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