Fw: Broward County Parks Monthly Newsletter - September 2011 Issue

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SEPTEMBER 2011 Newsletter www.broward.org/parks

Focus on Lafayette Hart Park

Labor Day Holiday Weekend Hours

Making a Difference

Better Homes and Gardens

Swimming + Biking + Running

Return of the Native

Last Swim

There’s a Hill in Broward County?

Find the Heavens Above

Take a Hike

Friday Fun

What’s So Wonderful About Reptiles?

Quote of the Month

Advisory Board Notice

Special Attractions

Mission Statement

Your Opinion Counts!

SWIM Central

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

Focus on Lafayette Hart Park

The namesake of this 1.6-acre park was a founding member of the Washington Park Civic Association, which led efforts to clean up the neighborhood and establish a county park there in the early 1970s. Washington Park opened in May 1974. After Hart died in 1989, the community began lobbying the Broward County Commission to rename the park after him, which the board did in 1992.

Original park amenities included tennis, racquetball, and basketball courts; a picnic shelter; restroom facilities; and a playground. In September 2002, an additional shelter was added, along with a pedestrian bridge that spans the North Fork of the New River and connects the park to the Washington Park neighborhood. The new aluminum bridge is 80 feet long and 6 feet wide and has an arched roof. The project was made possible with a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant and an additional $94,000 from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.

Activities at the park include Broward County Parks’ After-School and Summer Recreation programs. The Washington Park Civic Association continues to meet at the park, on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.

For more information, call Lafayette Hart Park at . The park is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #11 and #40.

Labor Day Holiday Weekend Hours

All Broward County regional parks and nature centers, including water parks and campgrounds, and all natural areas will be open on Friday, September 2, and Monday, September 5, with the exception of Deerfield Island Park, which will be closed on both days. AllGolf at C.B. Park, Butterfly World at Tradewinds Park, the tennis centers at Piccolo and C.B. parks, and Ski Rixen USA at Quiet Waters Park will also be open on both Friday, September 2, and Monday, September 5. All neighborhood parks will be open on Friday, September 2, and closed on Monday, September 5. The administrative offices of Parks and Recreation will be closed on both days. All parks will be open during their regularly scheduled hours on Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4.

Making a Difference

For the past quarter of a century, the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup has cleared the trash from thousands of ocean and waterway sites, using volunteers from 152 countries and locations. The cleanup, in fact, is the largest volunteer event of its kind in the world and attracts nearly half a million participants.

In 25 years these volunteers have not only collected 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans, they have also catalogued it carefully to provide a clearer picture of the scope of the problem. A few statistics will give you an idea of the magnitude of this undertaking: The cleanups have collected a total of 1,248,892 balloons; 7,825,319 plastic bags; and 52,907,756 cigarette butts/filters.

This year the event celebrates its 26th anniversary on Saturday, September 17. You can be a part of the landmark undertaking by participating in its local component, the Florida Coastal Cleanup, which takes place from 9 a.m. to noon at Hollywood North Beach Park in Hollywood. On-site registration is required.

Volunteers will almost certainly get wet and dirty and should dress accordingly. Participants should also bring gloves, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and drinking water. The event is for all ages, although children under age 17 must be accompanied by adults.

For more information, call the Anne Kolb Nature Center at . Hollywood North Beach is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #4 and #12.

Better Homes and Gardens

Last call for home landscapers! The 10-week series of free lectures at Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach, the Summer Home Landscape Series 2011, has its finale on Thursday, September 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. The topic for this final presentation is “Fungus Among Us,†and the lecturer is Broward County Park Aide .

The lectures are designed for average homeowners who are interested in adding to the beauty of their homes through landscaping. For more information, call Secret Woods at . The nature center is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6.

Swimming + Biking + Running

If you’re one of those for whom a single sport isn’t enough, consider signing up for the Third Annual Time Trial Triathlon & Duathlon, which takes place starting at 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 4, at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. The triathlon consists of a quarter-mile lake swim, a 10-mile bike ride, and a three-mile, two-loop run on a scenic lakeside path. The duathlon includes a half-mile run followed by a 10-mile bike ride and a three-mile run. For more information, contact the race-management company Multirace at or info@.... For directions to Tradewinds, which is also accessible via Broward County Transit Route #34, call the park at .

Return of the Native

In subtropical South Florida just about anything you stick in the ground has a good chance of growing, which is why so many plants classified variously as non-native, invasive, or exotic can thrive. Such plants may have been introduced intentionally. Australian pines, for example, were originally planted throughout the region as shade trees and windbreaks; now they’re out of control in many areas. Likewise melaleucas, which were once recommended as ornamental landscape trees but are now considered a nuisance plant.

Other times unwitting home landscapers cultivate the wrong kinds of plants, thanks to misinformation from such seemingly reliable sources as books, friends, nurseries, and the Internet. A home landscape including, say, areca and Chinese fan palms, wandering-Jew, lantana shrubs, flowering four o’clock and ground orchids, and such trees as schefflera, weeping fig, mimosa, and orchid trees might seem like a good plan, but all these plants wreak varying degrees of havoc on the native environment. Even such fruit trees as mango, guava, and sapodilla come with their own sets of problems. And forget about tossing out houseplants that have outgrown their containers – they can easily take root and spread until they run amok.

That, simply put, is the potential problem. Non-native, invasive, and exotic plants can go wild in our yards, parks, and natural areas and on our roadsides and canal banks. The vast majority pose so serious threat, but some grow out of control, competing with native vegetation and gradually displacing it, forever altering ecosystems that have developed over millions of years.

The most notorious invasive plants – the aforementioned Australian pines and melaleucas, along with Brazilian pepper – have long been targeted by intensive campaigns to curb their spread. But you can also do your part simply by paying closer attention to what you grow in your own yard. Don’t trust older editions of landscaping guides, which may contain outdated information, and don’t buy plants just because they’re pretty or your friends or neighbors recommend them. And by all means don’t put indiscriminate faith in the Internet, which is rife with misinformation.

The key is educating yourself on what you put into the ground and what you do with it once it’s planted, and for help with that you can turn to Broward County parks. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek will have its Fall Into Foliage Native Plant Sale, which emphasizes the right kinds of plants to grow in your home landscape. The event will also include gardening information, displays, and children’s arts and crafts, and Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions about your common gardening problems.

For more information, call Fern Forest at . The nature center is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #31 and #42.

Last Swim

Enjoy while you can! There are only a few remaining days left in the current aquatics season at Parks and Recreation’s four interactive water parks: Paradise Cove at C.B. Park in Pembroke Pines, Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium in Lauderhill, Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, and Castaway Island at T.Y. Park in Hollywood.

The water parks will be open based on the following schedule: On Thursday and Friday, September 1 and 2, hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Labor Day), September 3-5, hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And for the remaining weekends this month – Saturdays and Sundays, September 10-11, 17-18, and 24-25 – hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After that, the water parks will remain closed until spring 2011 except for the K-9 Water Festivals for dogs, which will be in October and November (see next month’s Highlights for details).

There’s a Hill in Broward County?

Yep, and it’s at Vista View Park in Davie, home of the highest manmade elevation in South Florida. That’s also the site for the Fifth Annual King of the Hill 5K Challenge. The event gets under way with the 5K run at 7:15 a.m., followed by the invitation-only Elite Race at 8:30 a.m., a 1.2-mile trail run at 9:30 a.m., and a kids’ race at 10 a.m. Hang around for a barbecue party and the awards ceremony at 11 a.m. For fees, registration, and additional information, visit the Website of the race-management company Split Second Timing. For directions to Vista View, call the park at .

Find the Heavens Above

The French writer Victor Hugo once observed: “Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view?†No doubt the telescope would get the votes of the members of the South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association (SFAAA), which opens the Fox Observatory at Markham Park in Sunrise every Saturday evening, weather permitting, for free stargazing from dusk to midnight.

The SFAAA also hosts the quarterly program An Evening With the Stars at Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek, where speakers cover basic telescope techniques and general astronomy information. The next session will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 23, and the program is free and for all ages.

For more information, call Fern Forest at or the SFAAA at , or e-mail info@.... The nature center is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #31 and #42, while Markham is accessible via Route #23.

Take a Hike

What could be more enjoyable than a hike on the beach at night? Learn techniques for observing creatures of the night and hike the beach and coastal areas of Hollywood North Beach Park during a Night Hike by the Seashore. The event, which costs $3 per person, is from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, September 16. Preregistration and prepayment are required by calling the Anne Kolb Nature Center at . Hollywood North Beach is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #4 and #12.

Friday Fun

Parks and Recreation’s Special Populations Section and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Broward County will offer a Friday Night Social from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 23 at the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood. The social is designed for adult mental health consumers and is free. Activities will include deejay music, dancing, door prizes, refreshments, and, of course, socializing. For more information, call Special Populations at or NAMI Broward County at , or e-mail SpecialPopulations@....

What’s So Wonderful About Reptiles?

Find out starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, when Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach offers the free program Wonderful Reptiles. Consider, for example, that reptiles – lizards, snakes, and their kin – help control insect pests. For more information, contact the nature center, which is accessible via Broward County Transit Route #6, at .

Events Calendar

Quote of the Month

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.†– American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882))

Advisory Board Notice

Twice a year Broward County Parks and Recreation invites the public to provide suggestions, voice concerns, and ask questions about recreation needs in the county park system. In order to encourage attendance at this meeting, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board reschedules its meeting to 6 p.m. instead of the regular 7:30 a.m. meeting time. Accordingly, the next Public Participation Forum will be held on Thursday, September 8 at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park in Hollywood, immediately after the Advisory Board Meeting. T.Y. is accessible via Broward County Transit Routes #3, #12, and #17.

Special Attractions

Batting Cages (AllGolf at C.B. Park) – Butterfly World (Tradewinds Park) – Cable Water-Skiing (Ski Rixen USA at Quiet Waters Park) – Campgrounds (C.B. 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. Park) – Multipurpose Athletic Fields ( Piccolo Park, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, Tradewinds Park) – Observatory (Markham Park) – Riding Stables (Tradewinds Park, Tree Tops Park) – Skate Park/Track ( Piccolo Park) – Target Range (Markham Park) – Tennis Centers ( Piccolo Park, C.B. Park) – Velodrome ( Piccolo Park) – Water Playgrounds/ Waterslides/Swimming

(C.B. Park, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, Quiet Waters Park, T.Y. Park)

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.

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.

SWIM Central

Broward County Commission's primary resource and referral service for available swim programs in cooperation with various cities and nonprofit organizations. Call 954-357-SWIM (7946).

Founded in February 1956 and accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, Broward County Parks and Recreation manages nearly 6,500 acres, encompassing 18 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, a skate park, 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 or TTY at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event to request an accommodation.

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

Sue GunzburgerDale V.C. Holness

sChip LaMarcaIlene Lieberman Ritter E. Rodstrom Jr.

Barbara ShariefLois Wexler

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