Ecosystems of Florida - Our Natural Riches

Natural Florida is remote from many people’s lives today: with over 90% of Florida’s human population living in urban areas, most of us see more of cars, roads, and shopping malls than we do of forests, swamps, and lakes. We hear bird songs and frog calls less and less frequently every year. But natural ecosystems and the plants and animals who call them home are still out there - and their reduced area and number make them all the more precious. Florida’s inhabitants - even the human ones! - depend on these fragile environments for survival, but the challenges ahead are enormous. For the sake of our ecosystems, native species, natural resources, and human inhabitants, a deeper understanding of the natural state we live in is priceless.

Join us for weekly explorations of Florida’s great diversity of ecosystems! Every week we’ll meet in a different park or preserve in central Florida, from mangroves and beaches, to swamps and springs, to pine scrub and grasslands. We’ll hike, scramble, splash, or swim, find out what’s “out there” and why it should matter to us, and learn about what we can do to protect the natural world around us. Reintroduce yourself to what’s truly valuable about Florida! Every class will include the opportunity to interact directly with the environment, while protecting our personal safety and respecting Leave No Trace ethics. We’ll also develop Field Science skills - whether that be identifying the species around us, collecting and testing a water sample, casting a footprint, or picking up litter along our path for proper disposal. Necessary materials and tools for activities will be provided.

Because we will be visiting a different location every week, the travel time to our locations will vary. Most locations will be within an approximately 1-hour (or less) drive for the Tampa Bay area, but a minority of special locations may be farther away. We wouldn’t ask you to make the trip if they weren’t truly worth it!

If possible, we will also be arranging a one-night camping trip for the class a few days after the semester ends. Participating families will be notified of any details well in advance for planning purposes.

Location details, travel distances and directions, and other logistics will be sent to participants the weekend before every class session, to enable their planning for the day. It is very important that the instructor has up-to-date contact information for all participating families, and that all families regularly check their messages to receive this information. Some locations may require admission or other additional cost; this will be disclosed well in advance. If this would incur a hardship for your family, please speak to the instructor about arranging assistance.


* PLEASE NOTE: This is not a drop-off program. Because this course takes place in publicly accessible parks and preserves, all participating minors MUST have a designated responsible adult present at all times. *

If every week is just too much outdoor time for your family, individual sessions are also available to join on a drop-in basis -- speak to the instructor for details!


** IMPORTANT: Due to the unpredictable nature of the environment around the activities we will be pursuing, class times are not precise. We will wrap up formal activities by approximately 11:30 so that families who need to move on to other parts of their day can do so without missing out. Families who might enjoy a little more Green Time are encouraged to bring a packed lunch, and we will end our classes, whenever possible, at a pavilion, playground, or shady glade, where we can relax with free-play time and food, before returning to the urban sprawl. **