If your New Year’s Resolution is to get more steps in, check out St. Lucie County’s free, award-winning guided hike series managed by the Environmental Resources Department.
Hikes in January with open spots include:
- Sunday, January 1, 2023 from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Annual New Year’s Day Hike. Join a local naturalist for a fun New Year's Day Tradition – the family hike. Enjoy the fine Florida weather and time with family or neighbors in the community.
- Friday, January 6th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Steven J. Fousek Preserve: Wolf Moon Hike. Join us for a walk under the first full moon of the new year. The Wolf Moon will be our companion in the hammocks and wetlands of Teague Hammock Preserve.
- Saturday, January 7th from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM - Donald B. Moore Preserve: Florida’s Coastal Gems. Come enjoy this beautiful coastal hammock trail that leads to the Indian River Lagoon while learning about the preserve’s history and the importance of this coastal ecosystem. You will also learn about the lagoon’s aquatic preserves, the spoil islands and the challenging balance between recreation and protection of our coastal resources.
- Sunday, January 8th from 3:30 PM to 5:45 PM - Bluefield Ranch Preserve: Panther Prow. Join us at St Lucie County's most rural preserve to learn about Florida's elusive big cat: The Florida Panther. With an estimated population of 120-230 individuals, the Florida Panther is one of our state's most magnificent and endangered species. We will make multiple stops on our two-mile hike to discuss panther facts, panther biology and the ongoing fight to save the Florida Panther.
- Monday, January 9th from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM - Indrio Savannahs Preserve: Remember Those Resolutions. Remember your plan to start the new year healthier and happier? Let us help with a longer walk through Indrio Savannahs.
- Friday, January 20th from 4:30 PM to 6 PM - George LeStrange Preserve: Leave No Trace. Join us on a hike focused on the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace. Learn how to enjoy our wild spaces and who to keep them a special place for all. We will make multiple stops to discuss the problem the Leave No Trace program was started to solve, the seven principles, and Leave No Trace in Daily Life.
- Saturday, January 21st from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM – Petravice Family Preserve: Sunset Smart Phone Photography Hike. Smartphones have made us the most photographed generations in history. Get the most out of the camera you carry every day by trying all its features on this hike.
- Sunday, January 22nd from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM - Sheraton Scrub Preserve: Sunrise Stroll. Enjoy a tranquil sunrise hike through a 56-acre preserve hosting scrub and scrubby flatwood communities. Sunrise is a fantastic time to take in the sounds of nature, as the morning stillness allows a symphony of bird songs to resonate. This preserve is home to the endemic Florida Scrub-Jay as well as our state bird, the Northern Mockingbird.
- Sunday, January 22nd from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Bluefield Ranch Preserve: Sunday Starlight Stroll. The New Moon and distance from town offer great stargazing. Come out west and enjoy a leisurely walk while we look at and talk about stars.
- Saturday, January 28th from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM - Sheraton Scrub Preserve: A Morning with the Florida Scrub-jay. Endemic birds found in Florida, but nowhere else, these charismatic, cobalt blue corvids steal the hearts of their admirers. Learn about this listed species, its habitat, and the conservation planning to ensure they have a future in St. Lucie County for the next generation of Floridians.
- Sunday, January 29th from 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM - Sweetwater Hammock Preserve: Twilight Chorus Stroll. Conclude the day with a setting sun while being serenaded by the “twilight chorus,” courtesy of the area’s resident and migratory bird species more vocally active in the evenings.
Visit www.SLChikes.org for more information and to register. For more information, call the Environmental Resources staff at 772-462-2536 or email slchikes@stlucieco.org. Nature hikes and family programs are free, kayak tours are $15 per person and $10 if you bring your own kayak. Reservations are required and space is limited. The Guided Nature Program season runs from October through August 2023 with a variety of topics, locations and distances all designed for different ages and abilities.
Purchased through a voter-approved bond referendum, St. Lucie County manages more than two dozen preserves that are open to the public for passive recreation. For more information about St. Lucie County’s Environmentally Significant Lands, visit: www.stluciepreserves.com.
