List of nature centers in Florida
Appearance
There are nature centers and environmental education centers throughout the state of Florida.
Name | Location | County | Region | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amelia Island Nature Center | Amelia Island | Nassau | Greater Jacksonville | website, operated by Amelia Island Plantation |
Anne Kolb Nature Center | Hollywood | Broward | South | website, located in the municipal West Lake Park, 1,500 acres of coastal mangrove wetlands, 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium |
Apalachicola Environmental Education and Training Center | Eastpoint | Franklin | Florida Panhandle | website, operated by the State, features tanks and exhibits about the river, bay and gulf habitats found in Apalachicola |
Arch Creek Park Museum & Nature Center | North Miami | Miami-Dade | South | 8 acres, operated by the County, museum features Native American artifacts |
Archbold Biological Station | Venus | Highlands | Central | 5,192.63-acre (21 km2) research institute, open to visitors, environmental education programs |
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey | Maitland | Orange | Central | website, raptor rehabilitation and environmental education center, operated by the National Audubon Society |
Audubon House | Vero Beach | Indian River County | Central | website, an environmental education center surrounded by 444 acre Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, operated by the Pelican Island Audubon Society |
Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake | Tampa | Hillsborough | Tampa Bay Area | Operated by the Tampa Audubon Society in the 240-acre park |
Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge & Education Center | Orlando | Orange | Central | Facebook site, wildlife rehabilitation center |
Bahia Honda State Park | Marathon | Monroe | South | 524 acres, Sand and Sea Nature Center features displays about local sea and shore life, including corals, shells, crabs, sea urchins, drift seeds, sea sponges and sea turtles |
Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center | Melbourne Beach | Brevard | Central | 34 acres in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, operated by the County, partners with Sea Turtle Conservancy for sea turtle guided walks |
Bill Sadowski Park and Nature Center | Miami | Miami-Dade | South | website, operated by the County, 30 acres |
Blowing Rocks Preserve | Jupiter Island | Martin | Treasure Coast | 73 acres, owned by the Nature Conservancy, Hawley Education Center features rotating natural history and art exhibits |
Bonita Nature Place | Bonita Springs | Lee | Southwest | website, operated by the City, 30 acres, preserve for gopher tortoises, bee house, bat house |
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | Operated by St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation, 245 acres, features the Boyd Hill Environmental Center |
Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center | Tarpon Springs | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | ,800 acres, operated by the County |
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary | Jupiter | Palm Beach | South | website, nature center and wildlife rehabilitation hospital |
Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium | Fort Myers | Lee | Southwest | Includes the museum, 105 acres with three nature trails, a planetarium, butterfly and bird aviaries |
Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center | Ruskin | Hillsborough | Tampa Bay Area | website, 160-acre preserve, environmental education and hands-on learning center |
Castellow Hammock Preserve & Nature Center | Miami | Miami-Dade | South | website, 112 acres, operated by the County |
Cedar Point Environmental Park | Englewood | Charlotte | Southwest | website, 115 acres with pine flatwoods, salt marsh, mangrove fringe and hammock areas, environmental center |
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center | Punta Gorda | Charlotte | Southwest | website, provides over 20 different educational programs, manages 8 environmentally sensitive lands and provides a total of over 8 miles of hiking trail and other recreational opportunities |
Chinsegut Conservation Center | Brooksville | Hernando | Tampa Bay Area | website, cover 408 of the 850 acres comprising Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
Collier-Seminole State Park | Naples | Collier | Southwest | 7,271 acres of mangrove swamp, cypress swamps, salt marshes, mangrove river estuaries, and pine flatwoods, nature center |
Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center | Naples | Collier | Southwest | 21 acres |
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary | Naples | Collier | Southwest | Operated by the National Audubon Society, includes the Blair Audubon Center in the 13,000 acre swamp preserve |
Crane Point Museum and Nature Center | Marathon | Monroe | South | 63 acres, includes the natural history museum, trails, wild bird rehabilitation center |
Crowley Natural and Cultural History Center | Sarasota | Sarasota | Southwest | website, 185 acres, includes trails, pioneer museum and historic buildings, wild and farm animals |
Crystal Springs Preserve | Crystal Springs | Pasco | Central | 525-acre sanctuary with Magnitude 2 spring system, nature center and learning lab |
Daggerwing Nature Center | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | South | website, 40 acres, located in South County Regional Park, operated by Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation |
Deerfield Island Park | Deerfield Beach | Broward | South | website, accessible by boat only, 53.3-acre nature-oriented park with guided nature walks, trails, water shuttle |
Discovery Center at Tuscawilla Park | Ocala | Marion | Central | Operated by the City of Ocala, environmental and science education[1] |
Ed Yarborough Nature Center at Geneva Wilderness Area | Geneva | Seminole | Central | website, 180 acres, operated by the County |
Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center | Hobe Sound | Martin | Treasure Coast | Located in the 11,500-acre Jonathan Dickinson State Park |
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary | Titusville | Brevard | Central | website, 471-acre nature preserve, management & education center features hands-on exhibit room, discovery room |
Environmental Center at Miami Dade College | Kendall | Miami-Dade | South | website, 9-acre nature preserve, features a lake, an endangered pine rockland, hammocks, butterfly gardens, native plantings, an organic garden and a variety of animals |
Environmental Learning Center | Vero Beach | Indian River | Treasure Coast | website, 64 acres, environment of the Indian River Lagoon |
Erna Nixon Park Nature Center | Melbourne | Brevard | Central | 54 acres, operated by the County |
Fern Forest Nature Center | Coconut Creek | Broward | South | website, operated by the County, 247-acre Designated Urban Wilderness Area |
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center | Key West | Monroe | South | Native plants and animals of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, both on land and underwater |
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center | Tavernier | Monroe | South | website, wild bird rehabilitation center, boardwalk trail past aviaries of rescued but unreleasable birds |
Florida Museum of Natural History | Gainesville | Alachua | North Central | Exhibits include fossils, butterfly rainforest, recreated southwest Florida mangrove forest and sea grass estuary, area Native Americans, Northwest Florida ecosystems, outdoor wildflower and butterfly garden, trails through 60-acre Natural Area Teaching Lab |
Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center | Hutchinson Island | Martin | Treasure Coast | 57 acres, focus is Florida's coastal ecosystems |
George C. McGough Nature Park | Largo | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | website, operated by the City, nature center houses live animal exhibits and hands-on activities for children, outdoor birds of prey |
Grassy Waters Preserve | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | South | website, operated by the City of West Palm Beach, 23 square mile wetlands ecosystem with nature center |
Green Cay Nature Center | Boynton Beach | Palm Beach | South | 100 acres, operated by the County |
Greynolds Park | Miami | Miami-Dade | South | Operated by the County, 249 acres |
Guana River Environmental Center | Ponte Vedra Beach | St. Johns | Greater Jacksonville | Exhibits and education about the ecosystem of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve |
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | South | 20 acres of protected barrier island, operated by the City, includes saltwater tanks displaying different South Florida marine habitats, sea turtle rehabilitation center |
Harbor Branch Ocean Discovery Center | Fort Pierce | St. Lucie | Treasure Coast | Exhibits about marine environments and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University |
Hobe Sound Nature Center | Jupiter Island | Martin | Treasure Coast | Provides support for the 1,035-acre Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge's volunteer, environmental education, interpretation and visitor services programs |
Homer Powell Nature Center | Titusville | Brevard | Central | website, operated by the County in 25-acre Wuesthoff Park |
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park | Homosassa Springs | Citrus | Tampa Bay Area | Park features manatee observation area |
Honeymoon Island State Park | Dunedin | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | 385 acres, Rotary Centennial Nature Center features exhibits about the natural and cultural history of Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands and an elevated observation deck |
J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge | Sanibel | Lee | Southwest | 5,200 acres, education center features interactive exhibits on refuge ecosystems, the work of "Ding" Darling, migratory flyways, the National Wildlife Refuge System and a hands-on area for children |
Johnnie Johnson Nature Center at Lori Wilson Park | Cocoa Beach | Brevard | Central | website, 32 acres, operated by the County |
Ladell Brothers Outdoor Environmental Center | Madison | Madison | North Florida | website, 20 acres, located on the campus of North Florida Community College |
Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center | Englewood | Sarasota | Southwest | 210-acre nature-based County park, black mangrove forest, mangrove fringe along the shoreline, pine and scrubby flatwoods, educational classes, guided nature and bird walks |
Loggerhead Marinelife Center | Juno Beach | Palm Beach | South | Education center and sea turtle hospital, features live sea turtles, aquaria, displays of local wildlife, educational displays about South Florida's marine environment |
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center | Davie | Broward | South | website, operated by the County, 164.8 acres, exhibits on natural history and area Native Americans, elevated oak hammock, 14-acre orange grove, restored wetland marshes, man-made ponds and canals |
Lyonia Environmental Center | Deltona | Volusia | Central | website, located in the Deltona Regional Library complex, adjacent to the 360-acre Lyonia Preserve, operated by the County |
Manatee Observation and Education Center | Fort Pierce | St. Lucie | Treasure Coast | website, waterfront environmental education and wildlife viewing center, touch tank, aquaria |
Margaret Hames Nature Center | Palm Bay | Brevard | Central | Located in over 100-acre Turkey Creek Sanctuary, operated by the City |
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center | Key Biscayne | Miami-Dade | South | Located in the 808-acre Crandon Park, cooperative project of three partners: Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department and the not-for-profit community support group |
Marine Science Center | Ponce Inlet | Volusia | Central | Operated by the County, includes marine environment exhibits, sea bird and sea turtle rehabilitation |
MacArthur Beach State Park | North Palm Beach | Palm Beach | South | 225 acres, includes William T. Kirby Nature Center |
Moccasin Lake Nature Park | Clearwater | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | 51 acres, operated by the City |
Morningside Nature Center | Gainesville | Alachua | North Central | Operated by the City, 278 acres, includes living history farm |
Oakland Nature Preserve | Oakland | Orange | Central | website, 128 acres on Lake Apopka, environmental education center |
Okeeheelee Nature Center | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | South | website, 90 acres, operated by the County |
Oscar Scherer State Park Nature Center | Osprey | Sarasota | Southwest | 1,400 acres |
Oxbow Eco-Center | Port St. Lucie | St. Lucie | Treasure Coast | website, operated by the County, environmental learning center located on a 225-acre preserve |
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park | Micanopy | Alachua | North Central | 22,000 acres, exhibits in the visitor center, nature programs |
PEAR Park | Leesburg | Lake | Central | website, 268 acres, operated by the County, park includes nature center with a geology lab, trails. demonstration gardens, observation pavilions, viewing blind |
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | South | 150 acres, a unit of the College of Education of Florida Atlantic University |
Polk's Nature Discovery Center | Lakeland | Polk | Tampa Bay Area | Operated by the County on the 1,267-acre Circle B Bar Reserve |
Ridge Audubon Center | Babson Park | Polk | Tampa Bay Area | website, 3 acres, owned by the National Audubon Society, home to the Ridge Audubon Society |
River Center | Jupiter | Palm Beach | South | website, operated by the Loxahatchee River District, features live aquatic tanks, interactive exhibits, and a touch tank that represent the river system from a freshwater cypress swamp to seagrass-dominated estuary to marine ecosystems |
Riverwalk Park Nature Center | Rockledge | Brevard | Central | website, 6 acres, operated by the County, habitats and animals of the Indian River Lagoon |
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve | Naples | Collier | Southwest | 110,000 acres, features a 2,300-gallon aquarium and interactive exhibits about the park's natural and cultural history |
Rotary Park Nature Center | Merritt Island | Brevard | Central | Facebook site, 37 acres, operated by the County |
Roy Hyatt Environmental Center | Cantonment | Escambia | Florida Panhandle | website, 120 acres, owned and operated by the Escambia County School District, not open to the public |
Sandoway Discovery Center | Delray Beach | Palm Beach | South | Features large shell exhibit, coral reef pool with sharks |
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Nature Center | Sanibel | Lee | Southwest | website, features a touch tank and exhibits teaching about the ecology of Sanibel and Captiva, 4 miles of trails |
Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital | Coral Springs | Broward | South | website, 5 acres, nature center and wildlife rehabilitation hospital |
Secret Woods Nature Center | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | South | website, 57 acres, operated by the County |
Sense of Wonder Nature Center | Miami | Miami-Dade | South | website, 65 acres, operated by the County in A.D. (Doug) Barnes Park |
Shamrock Park and Nature Center | Venice | Sarasota | Southwest | website, over 80 acres, County park, includes 1.2 mile paved multi-use trail |
Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center | Ocala | Marion | Central | Program of the Marion County Public School System, located within the Silver Springs State Park, area cultural and natural history |
Street Audubon Nature Center | Winter Haven | Polk | Tampa Bay Area | website, owned by the National Audubon Society, 42 acres, operated by the Lake Region Audubon Society |
St. Andrews State Park | Panama City Beach | Bay | Florida Panhandle | 1,200 acres, Environmental Interpretive Center features ecosystem dioramas, butterfly, bird egg and sea shell collections, sea turtle nesting exhibit, saltwater aquarium |
Tallahassee Museum | Tallahassee | Leon | Florida Panhandle | 52 acres, open-air museum, nature discovery center, 1880s period farm, Florida wildlife on outdoor and indoor display |
Tree Hill Nature Center | Jacksonville | Duval | Greater Jacksonville | 50 acres, features a Florida natural history museum, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, and native animals |
Tropical Audubon Society | Miami | Miami-Dade | South | website, Steinberg Nature Center, 3 acres, botanical garden |
Trout Lake Nature Center | Eustis | Lake | Central | website, 230 acre wildlife preserve, includes the Charles Newell Hall and Museum and the Environmental Education Center |
Water Works Environmental Education Center | Palatka | Putnam | Northeast | Owned by the City, focus is conservation of clean freshwater, open on a limited basis |
Weedon Island Preserve | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | Tampa Bay Area | Owned by the County, features the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center |
Wekiwa Springs State Park | Apopka | Orange | Central | 7,000 acres, nature center open on weekends |
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida | Pensacola | Escambia | Florida Panhandle | website, wildlife rehabilitation center |
Vera Carter Environmental Center at Tibet-Butler Preserve | Orlando | Orange | Central | website, provides a variety of exhibits and displays; hike on miles of trails and participate in ongoing environmental programs. |
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[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Facebook site". Discovery Center. Retrieved 7 November 2017.