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The Broward County Commission invites the
public to attend the Opening Ceremony at Long Key Natural Area at 4
p.m. on Friday, March 14, 2008. 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.
For more information call the Broward
County Parks and Recreation Division at 954-357-8114.
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