Pine rockland field trips

The EEL Program's Larry & Penny Thompson Memorial Park preserve 

This gorgeous and diverse 270-acre pine rockland is owned by Miami-Dade County Parks and managed by Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL). This is one of the more frequently burned pinelands in the EEL preserve system. Two federally threatened species have been recorded for the preserve: Everglades bully (Sideroxylon reclinatum subsp. austrofloridense) and Pineland deltoid spurge (Euphorbia deltoidea subsp. pinetorum). Croton linearis, a host plant for the federally endangered Strymon acis bartrami (Bartram's scrub-hairstreak butterfly), is also present, and numerous endangered and threatened state listed plants have been recorded for the site.

Date/time: October 28, 2024    2:00-4:00PM.

Meeting location: Park on the west side of the park near the waterslide, and meet at Picnic Shelter 2.

Location map:  TBA

Trip leaders: TBA, contact info TBA

Registration: Pre-registration not required. You will be asked to sign in upon arrival. 

Everglades National Park

This field trip will be located in the "Long Pine Key" area of Everglades National Park.  Participants will learn about the Hole-In-the-Donut restoration, Long Pine Key prescribed fire, pineland croton and federally listed butterflies, and other threatened and endangered species. The group will carpool from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center into the park interior. Admission fees will likely be waived (but only if you are on time to meet the carpooling group).

Meeting Time & Place: 8:30AM at Everglades National Park, Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center,  40001 State Road 9336 Homestead, FL 33034 

Directions: Start by turning west at the intersection of US 1 and Palm Drive in Homestead, Florida (this is where the Florida Turnpike ends.). Continue on state road 9336 (Palm Drive and Ingraham Highway). Take Palm Drive to the stop sign on Tower Rd (SW 192nd AVE) and turn left. You will see Robert Is Here Fruit Stand. Continue on Tower Rd. until you come to a stop sign and then turn west (right). This is Ingraham Highway (State Road 9336). After entering the Park look for the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center on the north side of State Road 9336. The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center can also be entered into most navigation apps. 

Agenda (Wednesday October 30):
8:30 am - Meet at the Visitor Center, organize carpools.
9:00 - 10:00am - Maria/Jonathan - Hole-in-the-Donut: View restored areas that currently have natural recruitment of pine trees.  Discuss history of HID and current status. 

10:15 - 11:15 am -Maya/Michael - Prescribed Fire: Members of the Prescribed fire community will discuss how fire is used to maintain ENPs pine rockland community.   

11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Pablo - Will discuss Croton/Butterflies and Threatened &Endangered species

Leaders: Hillary Cooley, Jonathan Taylor, Maya Tupaj, Michale Gue, and Pablo Ruiz.  If you are running late or are lost, please call Hillary at 305-297-0338. 

Registration: Pre-registration is required (a link will be posted here).  Maximum 20 participants.

Pine Ridge Sanctuary

West of Homestead, Barbara and Terry Glancy manage 15 acres of beautiful and lovingly-managed pine rockland.  Join them for a tour of their private property, which may have a very recent prescribed fire, or it may be just about to have a prescribed fire.

Read an update from Terry about the sanctuary.

Date/time:  Wednesday October 30th, 2:00-4:00PM

Meeting location: 21100 SW 300th Street, Homestead, FL 33030. The best place for parking is the grassy area just to the north of the row of Lychee trees. Please do not block the entrance gate to the northern neighbor.  

Location map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IwDzgKU5rAdzu7fy52EslBnBMoKC3rMJ/view?usp=sharing 

Trip leaders: Barbara and Terry Glancy. If you get lost, call Terry's cell at (305) 796-0067

Registration: Pre-registration not required.