Whether you're a water sports enthusiast, avid paddler or simply a nature lover at heart, St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources staff is pleased to announce that kayak tours are back as part of the monthly guided nature series. Our experienced guides are trained kayak instructors as well as versed in the ecology of the St. Lucie River.
Kayak tours are scheduled at Petravice Family Preserve and Richard E. Becker Preserve, on quiet weekday mornings or Saturdays when the whole family can join in the fun. Registration and pre-payment are required with a maximum of 12 people per tour (minimum age of 10). Both single and tandem kayaks are available with safety equipment included. The cost to attend is $20 per person, $10 if you bring your own kayak.
If you’re a land lover at heart, fear not. There are guided nature hikes scheduled throughout the month with interesting and enjoyable topics to choose from.
Topics for December 2023 include:
- Friday, Dec. 1 - The Tree Predator: Florida Strangler Fig Hike with Eva at Steven J. Fousek Preserve from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. (minimum age: 12) This lovely and seemingly innocuous tree has a wily dark side, scheming against its neighbors. We'll visit one of its "stalking grounds" to see the fig's many forms and learn about the Florida Strangler Fig's unique adaptations, which make it successful in the hammock forests of Florida.
- Saturday, Dec. 2 - Seasonality in Florida with Bill at Steven J Fousek Preserve from 8 to 10 a.m. (min age: 10) This hike will cover climate and seasonality in Florida and how vegetation responds to changing seasons. We will also address the known and potential impacts of climate change.
- Sunday, Dec. 3 – Florida’s Coastal Gems with Kirk at Donald B. Moore Heritage Preserve from 8 to 9:30 a.m. (min age: 10) 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.
- Friday, Dec. 8 - Plants Behaving Badly Hike with Eva at Ancient Oaks Preserve (Weldon B. Lewis Park) from 8:30 to 10 a.m. (min age: 12) Are "non-native" and “exotic” the same term? What makes an organism "invasive”? Are there other categories? Florida’s habitats now have increasingly more mixtures of native plants and other species commonly seen in our own backyards. Expect some surprise discoveries.
- Saturday, Dec. 9 - Annual County Christmas Bird Count with Eva at Jones Hammock Preserve from 8 to 10 a.m. (min age: 12) Beginning in 1900, this event originated to count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them. Today, the National Audubon Society chapters perform a bird census principally during December of each year and data collected is extraordinarily useful in research. Join us on a "microcount" for an introduction to counting techniques while uncovering winter's feathered gems among us.
- Sunday, Dec. 10 - “Down Under” December Hike with Angel at Donald B. Moore Heritage Preserve from 9 to 11 a.m. (min age: 4) Did you know that studies have shown dirt is good for your brain and helps you feel happy? It's time to look "down under" and see what's living beneath the leaves. We’ll discuss the importance of groundcovers, decomposition and microbes in the soil on a one-mile leisurely hike. Magnifying glasses will be provided.
- Sunday, Dec. 10 – Bald Eagle Adventure with Emily at Indrio Savannahs Preserve from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (min age: 6) Join us for a hike at Indrio Savannahs Preserve focused on one of the preserve’s current residents. Learn more about the birds of North America on this approximately 1.5-mile hike through wetland, hammock and scrub. We will make several stops to talk about Bald Eagles. If we are lucky (quiet and stealthy), we may be able to visit our resident feathered friends from a safe distance. This preserve is also known to be home to our endemic Florida Scrub Jay. Binoculars recommended.
- Monday, Dec. 11 – Kayaking for Beginners with Steve at Petravice Family Preserve from 9 to 11 a.m. (min age: 10) Never paddled a kayak before or not for a while. Come learn basic skills of safe paddling and get the opportunity to practice them on the water. On land, we'll cover safety, how to enter/exit and sit on your kayak, and paddling strokes before we get on the water to practice in a sheltered cove. The cost to attend is $20 per person, $10 if you bring your own kayak. Pre-registration and payment are required. (Please note this program is approximately one hour on land and one hour on the water).
- Friday, Dec. 15 - In Search Of… Hike with Eva at Bluefield Ranch Preserve from 8 to 11 a.m. (min age: 12) Setting off through prairie and scrub, we're in search of morning wildlife on the move, as well as seasonal blooming plants. An opportune time to hear birdsong and observe the morning rhythms of this unique ecosystem.
- Saturday, Dec. 16 - Preserve Pals Community Stewardship Day at Gordy Road Recreation Area and 10-Mile Creek Preserve from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (min age: 6) Do you love our preserves and want to help protect them? Join our Preserve Pals Community Stewardship Days held once a month on a select weekend morning. Each month is hosted at a different preserve with a different action project. This month is at Gordy Road Recreation Area/10-Mile Creek Preserve for a park and trail trash cleanup. All equipment will be provided and all ages are welcome. Go from a passive hiker enjoying nature to an active steward protecting nature.
- Saturday, Dec. 16 - Ultra-violet Night Hike with Eva at Spruce Bluff Preserve from 6 to 8 p.m. (min age: 12) As day transitions to night, human vision moves from color to sepia tones. But what might other species see in the white light and darkness? A view into the ultra-violet light spectrum reveals colors and views otherwise hidden from human eyes.
- Sunday, Dec. 17 – Panther Prowl with Emily at Bluefield Ranch Preserve from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. (min age: 8) Join us at St Lucie County's most rural preserve to learn about Florida's elusive big cat. 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 on-going fight to save the Florida Panther.
- Saturday, Dec. 23 - Jingle All the Way Kayak Trip with Steve at Petravice Family Preserve from 10 a.m. to noon (min age: 10) Dashing along the river, in a colorful kayak. Ore the tides we go, paddling all the way. We'll sure be laughing all the way on this family kayak tour along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. Bring your holiday spirit to this jolly and joyous kayak program. Kayak tours are $20 per person, $10 if you bring your own kayak. Pre-registration and payment are required.
- Friday, Dec. 29 - Smartphone Photography Hike with Erick at Ancient Oaks Preserve (Weldon B. Lewis Park) from 1 to 3 p.m. (min age: 12) Smartphones have made us the most photographed generations in history. St. Lucie County’s Communications Director will explain how to get the most out of the camera you carry every day by trying all its features on this hike.
- Saturday, Dec. 30 – Kayaking for Beginners with Steve at Petravice Family Preserve from 9 to 11 a.m. (min age: 10) Never paddled a kayak before or not for a while. Come learn basic skills of safe paddling and get the opportunity to practice them on the water. On land, we'll cover safety, how to enter/exit and sit on your kayak, and paddling strokes before we get on the water to practice in a sheltered cove. The cost to attend is $20 per person, $10 if you bring your own kayak. Pre-registration and payment are required. (Please note this program is approximately one hour on land and one hour on the water).
- Monday, Jan. 1 - Annual New Year’s Day Hike with Eva at D.J. Wilcox Preserve from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and/or 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (min age: 12) Join a skilled naturalist for a fun New Year's Day Tradition – the family hike. A wonderful way to ring in the new year is by enjoying the fine Florida weather and time with friends in the community - people and wildlife.
Visit www.SLChikes.org for more information and to register. For additional information call 772-462-2536 or email slchikes@stlucieco.org. Nature hikes and family programs are free, reservations are required and space is limited. There are various 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 on more than 11,000 acres that are open to the public for passive recreation. For more information about St. Lucie County’s Environmentally Significant Lands visit: www.stluciepreserves.com.
