Fw: Broward County Parks - October 2012 Newsletter

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OCTOBER 2012 Newsletter

broward.org/parks

Focus On Crystal Lake and Highlands Scrub Natural Areas

Find Thrills & Chills

Bow-Wow, Splish-Splash

Old-Fashioned Fun

Emphasis on “Abilitiesâ€

For the Birds

Bugs!

Family Affair

An Exercise in Forgiveness

Festive Fall Fun

Pedal Pushers

Find History – At Deerfield Island

You’re Invited…

Quote of the Month

Special Attractions

Mission Statement

Your Opinion Counts!

SWIM Central

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

Focus On Crystal Lake and Highlands Scrub Natural Areas

Two of Broward County Parks’ prime natural areas celebrate an anniversary this month: Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub, which opened to the public 10 years ago, on October 21, 2002, and Highlands

Scrub, which opened almost five years later, on October 5, 2007. Both sites were purchased by the county through the 1989 Environmentally Sensitive Lands Bond Issue, with Highlands Scrub later supplemented by additional acreage obtained through the 2000 Safe

Parks and Land Preservation Bond Referendum.

Both natural areas will celebrate their “birthdays†with an

Open House and Scavenger Hunt, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 7 at Highlands Scrub, and on Sunday, October 21 at Crystal Lake. Each event also includes a free

Guided Nature Hike at 10:30 a.m., with preregistration required by calling Quiet Waters Park at .

The two comparably sized sites – Crystal Lake is 24.2 acres, and Highlands Scrub is 34.27 acres – represent one of the rarest and most ecologically sensitive communities in South Florida, the

sand pine scrub. Urban development has left less than two percent of Broward County’s original sand pine scrub, a type of community unique to Florida, making it a plant community that is difficult to recognize today.

The “scrub†is home to many species of plants and animals, many of which are rare or endangered. Crystal Lake contains a variety of scrub plant species such as sand pine, saw palmetto, tallow-wood,

and several types of scrub oak. Understory plants include rosemary, prickly pear cactus, gopher apple, scrub mint, and spike moss. Highlands Scrub is characterized by loose white sand with a canopy of sand pine and scrub oak, and a subcanopy of saw palmetto,

gopher apple, and prickly pear. Among the resident wildlife of both sites are the common gray fox, five-lined skink, six-lined racerunner, zebra swallowtail butterfly, and gopher tortoise (a protected species).

After acquisition, site restoration at both natural areas was initiated, including large-scale trash removal, exotic plant eradication throughout, and placement of protective fencing to stop

destructive entry. Thanks to these efforts, the sites have been healing themselves over time.

Today, amenities at the sites include informational kiosks, interpretive signage, seating areas, and shelters (one per site). Highlands Scrub also offers picnic tables. Each site features more

than 2,200 feet of paved and unpaved trail.

For more information, call the North District Office at .

Crystal Lake is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #20, while

Highlands Scrub is accessible via Route #50.

Find Thrills & Chills

Celebrate Halloween a few days early at a

Hallo-Green Special Event, at Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood. The event, which charges $1 per person, includes environmentally friendly activities, games, and arts and crafts. It’s from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 20. For more information,

call

Anne Kolb (accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #12) at .

Then on Friday, October 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek will host its

Ghosts and Goblins Family Fun Night. The popular annual event, for ages 2 to 11 accompanied by an adult, includes a costume parade, games and prizes, arts and crafts, photos in the Pumpkin Patch, and an age-appropriate storytime. Refreshments will also

be available for purchase. The overall event is free, although there are nominal fees for arts and crafts and photos in the Pumpkin Patch. For more information, call

Fern Forest at . The nature center is accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #31 and #42.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, at 7 and 8:30 p.m., Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach offers its own prelude to Halloween with

Spooky Woods, a thrilling and slightly chilling tour of the history of Halloween. The program is designed for ages 6 and up and may not be suitable for younger children. The fee is $5 per person, and preregistration is required. Call

Secret Woods (accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #6) at for additional information.

For a completely different take on pre-Halloween festivities, sign up for the ninth annual Spooktacular 5K, a run and walk at T.Y. Park in Hollywood, presented by the Greater Fort Lauderdale

Road Runners Club. It’s on Saturday, October 27 from 7 a.m. to noon. For more information, call the park at , or visit

www.gflrrc.org.

T.Y. is accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #3, #12, and #17.

Bow-Wow, Splish-Splash

The dog days of summer may be long gone, but you can still pamper your pooches during the lingering heat of a South Florida fall by letting them frolic at two water parks on dogs-only days. One

of Broward County Parks and Recreation’s most popular programs for the past dozen years, the

K9 Water Festivals, returns this year with three weekend events in October and one more in November.

The series kicks off on October 6 and 7 at

Castaway Island at T.Y. Park in Hollywood, then runs again on October 20 and 21.

Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach follows on October 27 and 28 and then again on November 10 and 11.

Admission is $5 per dog per 50-minute session, with sessions beginning on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Only dogs weighing 25 pounds or less will be permitted for the final session of each day.

Donations of dog and cat food, treats, blankets, and toys will be accepted on behalf of the homeless animals at Broward County shelters.

A few rules apply: All dogs must be off leash when inside the facility and must be sociable and well behaved. Proof of current rabies vaccination and county license tag are required. Other than

lifeguards, no humans will be allowed inside the water playgrounds. Finally, dogs are limited to no more than two sessions per day, and dogs must be at least 4 months of age to participate.

For more information, call the park of your choice:

Quiet Waters at , or

T.Y. at . The parks’ regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect for these events.

Old-Fashioned Fun

What could provide more good old-fashioned fun than a campfire you can sit around and roast marshmallows to make s’ mores? Find out what such simple pleasures are all about when several parks

host their Family Hayride and Campfire Series, for all ages, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on various Fridays throughout the fall and winter. The campfire is free, although the optional hayride and a bag of fixings for the s’ mores will set you back $3.50 per

person for ages 3 and up; you can also buy a series pass covering all 12 events for $21. Additional refreshments will also be available for purchase at these events.

Advance tickets are required and can be bought in person at the relevant park office. The schedule is as follows:

·

Oct. 19, Nov. 30, Feb. 22, and Mar. 8 –

Easterlin Park in Oakland Park ()

·

Oct. 5, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, and Jan. 11 –

Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach ()

·

Nov. 2, Jan. 25, Feb. 8, and Mar. 22 –

Tradewinds Park & Stables in Coconut Creek ()

If you’re more interested in such events in the southern portion of Broward County,

T.Y. Park in Hollywood will offer its own series from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 7, Jan. 4, and Feb. 1. The fee is also $3.50 per person per event. For more

information, call the park at .

Emphasis on “Abilitiesâ€

Learn about services, resources, products, and information for individuals with disabilities at the

2012 DisAbilities Expo. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 6 at

Nova Southeastern University at the Don Taft University Center.

Event highlights include children’s activities, a resource fair with more than 60 exhibitors, an art exhibit, fun and games, live entertainment, educational forums, a fashion show, wheelchair

basketball, and demonstrations.

Visit Parks and Recreation in the atrium at the

Don Taft University Center during this event. For more information, call the Parks

Special Populations Section at , or visit

www.DisAbilitiesExpo.com.

For the Birds

Plantation Heritage Park in Plantation doesn’t host a

Bird Walk often, so when the park does it’s a special occasion – and especially when someone like Barbara DeWitt is leading it. Not only does DeWitt have three decades’ worth of worldwide birding experience, she’s also a Master Naturalist, a Master Gardener,

and a National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward. Did we also mention that she knows a thing or two about butterflies, having coordinated counts in Broward for the North American Butterfly Association? In other words, DeWitt’s an ace when it comes to things

that fly. Don’t miss her free program from 8 to 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 28. Call the park at for more information.

Plantation Heritage is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #30.

Monthly Bird Walks also get under way again this month at Deerfield Island Park in Deerfield Beach, with the first volunteer-led walk scheduled for 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October

13. Participants must be at the dock at Sullivan Park by 8 a.m. to catch the boat shuttle to the island, and tour space is limited, so preregistration is required by calling Quiet Waters Park at . The fee is $3 per person.

Deerfield Island is accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #48 and #50.

Bugs!

If you’ve never outgrown that childlike fascination with insects, there are two events on Sunday, October 14, that will let you indulge your passion for all things creepy-crawly. From noon to

12:30 p.m., Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach will offer the latest installment of its ongoing program

Delightful Flight, which focuses on Florida’s butterflies and how to attract them to your home landscape. The fee is $1.50 per person. For more information, call

Secret Woods, which is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #6, at .

Then, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood will kick off its

Family and Friends Nature Series with a session called “Bugs Are Cool!†Participants will learn about some of the “freakishly large bugs†found in South Florida, both the beneficial ones and the pests. Light refreshments will be served at this event,

which requires preregistration. Admission is a recommended $2-per-person donation to the Friends of Anne Kolb volunteer group. For more information, call

Anne Kolb, which is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #12, at .

Family Affair

For years

Plantation Heritage Park in Plantation has been hosting the Broward County Plant Affair, a weekend-long event for the whole family. This popular plant show and sale, with up to 30 vendors, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, from

9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.

Admission to the plant sale is free, although the park’s regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect. For additional details or

vendor information, call the Plantation Historical Museum at , or the park at . The park is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #30.

An Exercise in Forgiveness

Are you one of those unfortunate folks who has bought or adopted an exotic animal, only to discover you got more than you bargained for? An Exotic Pet Amnesty Day at

Tree Tops Park in Davie will give you an opportunity to surrender your exotic pet rather than release it into the wild, where it might create ecological havoc. The innovative program

is sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and this local event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 20. There are no charges or penalties involved. You’ll be doing the right thing,

and you’ll know your animal will be taken in that same day by an adopter who has been preapproved through the program. For more information about the program or this specific event, or to find out more about how to become an approved adopter, call 1-888-IVE-GOT1

and select the “Pet Amnesty†option, or e-mail

Liz.Barraco@.... More program info is also available at

MyFWC.com/nonnatives. The park’s regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect.

Festive Fall Fun

Visit Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, when the park will host a variety of games and activities to celebrate its

Fall Festival. Tickets ranging from $1 per individual ticket to 25 tickets for $20 will let you pick and choose which specialty activities you want to participate in. A hayride, for instance, “costs†three tickets, while two tickets will get you into

the bounce house. Other regular park activities are fee-based: a model steam train ride, for example, is $1 per person, and a farm tour is $3 per person.

The extensive roster of activities includes a harvest dash seed, pumpkin bowling, autumn tic-tac-toe, a bean bag toss, a candy corn lollipop pull, a great harvest dig, a pumpkin dash, piñatas,

a photo station, arts and crafts, hayrides, a bounce house, deejay music, food trucks, train rides, farm tours, and trail and pony rides.

All proceeds go to the event sponsor, the nonprofit organization Tradewinds Farm Hands. The park’s regular weekend gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect.

A car or van with nine or fewer occupants pays $8, and a commercial school bus is charged $20 for admission. For more information, call the park at .

Tradewinds is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #34.

Pedal Pushers

Pass along your passion for pedaling when Markham Park & Target Range in Sunrise hosts

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 6. There are approximately 10 miles of trails at the park, so introduce your kids to the joys of mountain biking. For more information, call

Markham at , or contact the sponsor at or

tkmbd.broward.@....

And if you enjoy those 7.1 miles of novice and intermediate mountain biking trails at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield, consider chipping in to keep them shipshape. There’s a

Mountain Bike Trail Maintenance Day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 13. Ages 6 and up are welcome to participate, although they must be registered as volunteers and present a valid photo I.D. For more information, call

Quiet Waters at .

For safety purposes, both parks require mountain bike riders of all ages to watch a safety video and complete a release and waiver of liability. Riders under the age of 17 must watch the safety

video and have the waiver signed by a parent/guardian.

Find History – At Deerfield Island

Few corners of Broward County’s park system are as rich in history as the 53.3 acres that make up Deerfield Island Park in Deerfield Beach. A link with gangster Al Capone in the early 1930s,

for instance, led to the land being labeled Capone Island – even though Capone himself never actually owned it, and the area at that time was a peninsula, not an island.

This is the sort of tidbit you might pick up when the park, which opened in September 1980, resumes its monthly

Intracoastal History Tours. The first one will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 28. The cost is $5 per person, and boat transportation to the island is provided, although you must be at the Sullivan Park dock by 9:30 a.m. to catch the shuttle.

Space is limited, so preregistration is required and can be made by calling

Quiet Waters Park at .

Deerfield Island is accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #48 and #50.

You’re Invited…

…to the Alpha Omega Cross-Country Invitational, a series of running events that will take place at

Vista View Park in Davie from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 13. The competitions, geared to elementary and middle school students, are sponsored by Alpha Omega Elite Track Team

& Fitness, a nonprofit, community-based health, fitness, behavior modification, educational, and character-development organization that works primarily with young people. Fees vary by age, and registration is ongoing now at

www.aoett.org. For further information, contact Alpha Omega at . Spectators are welcome and will pay the park’s regular weekend gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free).

Events Calendar

Quote of the Month

“Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content.†–

American writer Louis L’Amour (1908-1988)

Special Attractions

Airboat Rides (Everglades Holiday Park) –

Batting Cages (AllGolf at

C.B. Park) – Butterfly World (Tradewinds Park & Stables)

– Cable Water-Skiing (Ski Rixen USA at

Quiet Waters Park) – Campgrounds (C.B. Park,

Easterlin Park,

Markham Park & Target Range,

Quiet Waters Park,

T.Y. Park) – Dog Park (Barkham at

Markham Park & Target Range) – Educational Farm (Tradewinds Park

& Stables) – 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

& Velodrome, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium,

Tradewinds Park & Stables) – Observatory (Markham Park

& Target Range) – Riding Stables (Tradewinds Park & Stables,

Tree Tops Park) – Skate Park/Track ( Piccolo Park & Velodrome)

– Target Range (Markham Park & Target Range) – Tennis Centers (

Piccolo Park & Velodrome, C.B. Park) – Velodrome (

Piccolo Park & Velodrome) – 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 a countywide park system with diverse facilities and recreation opportunities, along with natural area conservation and research-based educational outreach, to enhance the well-being

of residents, businesses, and visitors.

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 19 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 Gunzburger

Dale V.C. Holness

s

Chip LaMarca

Ilene Lieberman

Ritter

E. Rodstrom Jr.

Barbara Sharief

Lois Wexler

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