Jonathan Dickinson State Park

This 11,500-acre park is named for Jonathan Dickinson, a Quaker merchant whose vessel shipwrecked nearby in 1696. Jonathan Dickinson State Park is located just south of Stuart, Florida. The park teems with wildlife from 13 natural communities, including sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps. The Loxahatchee River, Florida's first federally designated Wild and Scenic River, runs through the park. Ranger-guided tours of the 1930s pioneer homestead of Trapper Nelson are available year-round. Visitors to the park can enjoy paved and off-road biking, equestrian, and hiking trails, Boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing.

A variety of wildlife can be found in the park including: deer, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, opossums, alligators, otters and over 140 species of birds.

The nature and history of the park comes to life through exhibits and displays in the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center. Programs for the kids, or for the whole family, are also offered here. The park also offers two full-facility campgrounds and a youth/group primitive campground. Visitors can arrange boat tours of the river and rent canoes, kayaks, and motorboats by calling (561) 746-1466. Located 12 miles south of Stuart on U.S. 1.

Online Resources:
Download park brochure or learn about available Ranger Programs.

Field Trip Tips:
Plan on spending the day at the park. Arrive in the morning and take the river tour, stopping off at Trapper Nelson's, take a picnic lunch break in the pavilions near the playground before going to the nature center where you can schedule labs in advance. The water is higher in the summer but it makes for a cooler trip if you go in the winter or spring. There is really no bad time to visit this incredible park.

Have you visited Jonathan Dickinson State Park? Share your field trip experiences in the comments section or by linking your blog post below.

Loxahatchee River

Loxahatchee means "river of the turtle," which is a fitting name for the Loxahatchee River which is one of the few rivers in the United States that can boast such a diversity of plant and animal life due to its various fresh and saltwater ecosystems. This river winds slowly through the Jonathan Dickinson State Park and was designated as Florida's first, "National Wild and Scenic River" in 1985.

This scenic river winds through subtropical cypress and mangrove swamps. Orchids, leather ferns, Pond-apple trees, red mangroves, sabal palms, century old cypress trees, and a variety of bromeliads (air plants) can be found along the river's edge. Otters, raccoons, bobcats, ospreys, wading birds, alligators and a variety of turtles including: Peninsula cooters, softshells and Florida snapping turtles, live along the river---hence the name.

Painting By Jackie Brice

Discussion Questions:

What are bromeliads? Can you name a few? (answer page 174; YNGF)

What does brackish water mean? (answer)

When a river takes on a dark color like tea because of the tannic acide from vegetation, what is it called? (answer page 24, YNGF)

Online Resources:
Loxahatchee River Historical Society

Field Trip Suggestions:
Take a trip down the Loxahatchee River by visiting Jonathan Dickinson State Park or Loxhatchee River Center

Video:
Of course no video could do a trip down the Loxahatchee River justice, but here is a preview.

Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site

The Loxahatchee River is one of the few wild and natural rivers remaining in southeast Florida. This beautiful river winds its way through both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems making it one of the few rivers in the United States that can boast such a diversity of plant and animal life.

It is here on the Loxahatchee River that you will find Trapper Nelson's campground. As a child Trapper told his parents that when he grew up he was going to find a place out in the woods where he could live off the land, away from everyone else...and he did in 1936. Although he was a loaner for the most part, for 38 years he became a local legend known as the "Wildman of the Loxahatchee" because he marketed himself to tourists as a modern day Tarzan who wrestled alligators (including a 3-legged one- named Stumpy that he kept as a pet), and trapped Florida wildlife that he sold in town or by mail order.

When you arrive at the Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site you will be greeted by a Ranger who will give your group a personal tour of Trapper Nelson's "zoo", guest cabin, woodpiles, Personal cabin, Chickee Shelter, and water tower. Everything is an original with a few things being restored as needed using authentic materials and tools.

Plants you will see:
Wild almond
Bamboo
Citrus
Mangoes
Sausage Tree
Surinam Cherry
Guava
Pineapple
Screwpine
Java Plum

Online Resources:
Trapper Nelson from Jupiter Kids History website.

If you are still curious about this local legend, you can read more about Trapper Nelson in, Life and Death on the Loxahatchee by James Snyder.

The site is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 9AM-5PM. River tours are offered five days a week aboard the 25-passenger Loxahatchee Queen II. Please call 561.746.1466 for tour times and information.

Have you visited the Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site? If so, share your experiences with us in the comments or by linking your blog post using Mr. Linky below.

Lake Okeechobee

"Lake Okeechobee---which means "Big Water" in Seminole---covers 1,175 square kilometers (730 square miles). It is not only the largest lake in Florida, it is the second largest freshwater lake wholly within the United States."
The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida (page 26)

Lesson:
Read pages Chapter 5: Rivers & Lakes; pages 26-27 in The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida

Suggested Activities:

1. Learn about conservation efforts at Lake Okeechobee
2. Lake Okeechobee loses an enormous amount of water each year to evapotranspiration. Download a lesson plan to explain this concept to students, and to show them how this process actually works.

Field Trip Ideas:
Visit Lake Okeechobee and go fishing or take an airboat tour

Additional Online Resources:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission links for educators
Download map of Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail