Fw: Broward County Parks September 2012 Newsletter

[Guest guest]

----- Forwarded Message ----- To: PARKSMARKETING Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012 10:15 AM Subject: Broward County Parks September 2012 Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2012 Newsletter

broward.org/parks

Focus on Tall Cypress Natural Area

Meet the (Air Potato Leaf) Beetles

An Everglades Experience

Labor Day Holiday Hours

Last Swim

There’s a Hill in Broward County?

We Sell a Night Hike by the Seashore…

Return of the Native

Making a Difference

Starry, Starry Nights

Mud & Mettle

Advisory Board Notice

Quote of the Month

Special Attractions

Mission Statement

Your Opinion Counts!

SWIM Central

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

Focus on Tall Cypress Natural Area

The Tall Cypress Natural Area, owned jointly by Broward County and the

City of Coral Springs, has long been known for its diverse flora and fauna, so it’s fitting that the site will host a

Jewels of Diversity Nature Walk this month. The free, volunteer-led event will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 15.

This 66-acre urban forest contains a dense, continuous canopy of cypress trees transitioning to slash pines, interspersed with shallow willow and pond apple depressions, sabal palm heads, red maples,

and strangler figs. There is also a thick understory of ferns, saw palmetto, and other basin swamp plants.

Fortunately, there’s an elevated boardwalk with two overlooks, interpretive signage, and seating areas to allow for public access to the site, which opened in February 2002. Other amenities, all

made possible through the 1989 Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Bond Program, include a parking lot and restrooms. ESL funds also helped fund the purchase of the property. The

Coral Springs High School environmental group Save What’s Left also played a role in saving the site from development.

Due to the density of the vegetation and the lack of disturbance, Tall Cypress presents an ideal woodland habitat. Mammals that may be found include gray fox, cotton mouse, and Eastern gray squirrel;

reptiles include Florida box turtle, Southern ringneck snake, and green anole; and resident and migratory birds include great horned owl, pileated woodpecker, cardinal, bluejay, and many species of warbler.

To reserve your spot for the walk, call . For other information on the site, call the North District Office at .

Tall Cypress is accessible via

Broward County Transit Route #34.

Meet the (Air Potato Leaf) Beetles

The USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Invasive Plant Research Laboratory will host a “Meet the Beetlesâ€

program to illustrate the lab’s newest biocontrol agent, the air potato leaf beetle

Lilioceris cheni. The program will be held at

Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center on Friday, September 21 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and is open to the public.

The program is part of a two-phase beetle release resulting from ARS research to combat air potato vine – an

aggressive, invasive plant that is displacing native plant species and disrupting ecological functions throughout Florida and the Gulf Coast. Brief presentations by partner agencies will be followed by a release of the beetles in the natural area where the

air potato vine is prevalent, and then there will be a visit to a nearby beetle establishment site to observe the beneficial impact of the biocontrol program.

For additional information, contact

Sue.Keusch@....

An Everglades Experience

Last month we offered a narrative version of an airboat tour at

Everglades Holiday Park. Now you can vicariously experience such an excursion via video at our Parks

YouTube channel. Follow this

link.

Labor Day Holiday Hours

All Broward County regional parks and nature centers, including water parks and campgrounds, and all neighborhood parks and natural areas will be

open on Monday, September 3, Labor Day, with the exception of

Deerfield Island Park. The administrative offices of the Parks and Recreation Division will be closed. The

Markham Park Target Range will also be open on Labor Day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Last Swim

Enjoy while you can! There are only a few remaining weekends 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 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. based on the following schedule: Monday, September 3 (Labor Day), and weekends, September 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, and 29-30. After that, the

water parks will remain closed until spring 2013, except for the K9 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 – 65 feet above sea level. Vista View is also the site for the

Sixth Annual King of the Hill 5K Challenge. The event is on Saturday, September 1, and registration gets under way at 7:30 a.m. Hang around afterward for a barbecue party and awards ceremony. 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 .

We Sell a Night Hike by the Seashore…

Okay, so it doesn’t have the same ring as “She sells seashells by the seashore,†but you get the idea. Hollywood North Beach Park in Hollywood will host another

Night Hike by the Seashore, for all ages, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 1. Participants will learn techniques for observing creatures of the night as they hike the beach and adjacent coastal areas. The fee is $5/person, and preregistration

and prepayment through the Anne Kolb Nature Center are required. For more information, call

Anne Kolb at .

Hollywood North Beach is accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #4 and #12.

There’s also a night hike much farther inland and much later in the month, as in the

Full Moon Hike at Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center, form 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 28. A naturalist will lead hikers along the nature center’s trails under the light of the full moon as it rises. The fee is also $5/person. For more information,

call

Long Key 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 vines, 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 1, Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach will hold its Go Native in Broward County Plant Sale, which emphasizes the right kinds of plants to grow in your home landscape. Then, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, Fern Forest

Nature Center in Coconut Creek will have its Fall Into Foliage Native Plant Sale, a comparable event. Gardening information and other activities will be offered at both events.

For more information, call

Fern Forest at or

Secret Woods at . The nature centers are accessible via

Broward County Transit Routes #31 and #42 (Fern Forest) and #6 (Secret Woods).

Making a Difference

For more than a 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 more than15 countries and locations.

The cleanup, in fact, is the largest volunteer event of its kind in the world and regularly attracts nearly half a million participants.

In 26 years these volunteers have not only collected nearly 150 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.

This year the event celebrates its 27th anniversary on Saturday, September 15. 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.

Starry, Starry Nights

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 vote 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 21, 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.

Mud & Mettle

Does the idea of proving yourself physically on a down-and-dirty obstacle course appeal to you? If so, you’re a good candidate for the

Broward 5K Fun Mud Run, a challenging event scheduled for Sunday, September 30 at

Markham Park in Sunrise. Participants will face military-style obstacles, mud pits, strength and endurance tests, wall climbing, aquatic hurdles,

and crawling and balance events. The 5K, which starts at 8:30 a.m., is for ages 13 and up. There’s also a

1K Mini-Mudder Kid Run for ages 7 to 12; it starts at 11:30 a.m. Check-in for both runs is an hour before start time. Fees vary. For more information, contact the event sponsor at , or visit

www.muddogsevents.com.

Advisory Board Notice

The public is invited to the next meeting of the

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday, September 7. The meeting will take place at

Everglades Holiday Park, 21940 Rd., Fort Lauderdale 33332, . For more information, follow this

link.

Events Calendar

Quote of the Month

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.†–

American tennis player Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)

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

Subscribe/Unsubscribe

to the Highlights Newsletter

Parks and Recreation is a service of the

Broward County Board of County Commissioners.

Find Us.

Follow Us.

Experience Us.

Under Florida law, most e-mail messages to or from Broward County employees or officials are public records, available to any person upon request, absent an exemption. Therefore, any e-mail message to or from the County, inclusive of e-mail addresses contained

therein, may be subject to public disclosure.