Walks through the newly acquired preserve are helping us discover
many important native wildlife and
plant species. To see a photo gallery
of what we have discovered so far
click here.
A SLIDESHOW BY EVA FURNER
(click here)
A SLIDESHOW BY EVA FURNER
(click here)
On land-use maps, the 80-acre Wildflower Golf Club in Cape Haze was always called a park.The Lemon Bay Conservancy was happy to announce in September of this year its purchase of the defunct 80-acre Wildflower Golf Course. The Conservancy has set aside $50,000 to build trails, remove exotics, plant native species and pay for other improvements.
Groups such as the Audubon Society and the Native Plant Society will lend their expertise. The neighbors have said they will help maintain the park and keep an eye on it. Nature has already obscured the former golf course, enabling the park to live up to its name. Native plant enthusiasts Al Squires and Denny Girard took an inventory of wildflowers in the spring. They came up with five pages of species.
To read more about the Wild Flower Preserve, as featured in local magazine and newpapers, simply select a link below.
CLICK HERE TO THE WILDFLOWER PRESERVE BROCHURE
CLICK HERE FOR WILDFLOWER USER RULES
THE ENGLEWOOD SUN ARTICLE
Conservancy Buys Wildflower
THE SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE
Wildflower battle royal has a happy ending
EXPERIENCE THE PARK WITH DR. BILL DUNSON
Nature walks will be held at the new 80 acre Wildflower Park recently purchased by the Lemon Bay Conservancy. Walks will start at 9 am and last about two hours. A loop walk over about two miles will provide an overview of the new nature preserve, which was a golf course before it was abandoned six years ago. The manicured greens have become overgrown with shrubs, some desireable and some not. But wildlife is already using the area and we will identify plants and animals seen, and discuss future management plans for the park. We will meet in the parking lot at 3120 Gasparilla Pines Blvd. Take Placida Rd (rt 775) south from Englewood and turn left on Gasparilla Pines. Proceed several hundred yards to the first parking lot on the right. The leader will be Dr. Bill Dunson, a retired Professor of Biology from Penn State. The trails are flat but uneven in spots, and provide an interesting exploratory look at the future park. Two recent sightings at the park are shown in photographs of a legless island glass lizard and an unusual soldier butterfly (First ever recorded in Charlotte County). For further information contact Bill Dunson at 473-2534 or wdunson@comcast.net
Second Year Eagle
Third Year Eagle
click either to enlarge
Where Eagles Soar
An immature bald eagle quickly soared by at Wildflower Preserve in Charlotte County, FL, yesterday. It is obviously one of the two "white-bellied" plumage stages, and based on the relatively smooth trailing edge of the wing I am guessing a Basic 3 (in third year). But retention of a distinct diagonal white underwing band is interesting.
Compare this with a definite stage basic 2 eagle (in second year) which was seen Dec. 27. Note the uneven trailing edge feathers. The diagonal white underwing band is indistinct in comparison.
2980 PLACIDA ROAD
SUITE 201
ENGLEWOOD, FLORIDA 34224
info@lemonbayconservancy.org
941.830.8922