Tuesday, December 27, 2011 - ERD Announces Nature Series For January

St. Lucie County's Environmental Resources Department continues its weekly winter Nature Series with guided, educational hikes in January. These free weekly programs run through May and give participants a chance to explore some of the 42 miles of hiking trails that are located throughout the County's 7,000 acres of Environmentally Significant Lands.

• Saturday, Jan. 7 from 9 – 10 a.m. – Exotic Invaders at Indrio Scrub, 4100 Old Dixie Highway, Fort Pierce. Take a leisurely stroll and discover some of the “bad guys” in Florida’s natural areas. Find out what you can do to protect our environmentally sensitive lands from these invaders. For reservations call Wren Underwood at 772-971-5611.
• Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Day Hike at Pinelands, 7601 VPI Grove Road, Port St. Lucie. Come and learn a variety of naturalist skills as we hike through one of the County's largest preserves - home to white-tailed deer, alligators and a large variety of birds. Bring binoculars and a camera as you can expect to see many diverse species. For reservations call Patricia Norris at 772-453-4066.
• Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9 – 10:30 a.m. – Discovering Florida’s Biodiversity at Spruce Bluff, 611 SE Dar Lane, Port St. Lucie. What is biodiversity? And why is it important? Discover this and more on a relaxing walk through a variety of native plant communities. For reservations call Wren Underwood at 772-971-5611.
• Saturday, Jan. 28 from 8:30 – 10 a.m. – Our Native Scrub Jay at Sheraton Scrub, 2222 North 41st St., Fort Pierce. Explore one of the best sites to observe Florida's most enigmatic bird. Learn how this bird’s cooperative breeding habits make it the most interesting native Florida avian species. We may also see gopher tortoises and other scrub species. For reservations call Patricia Norris at 772-453-4066.

Anyone wishing to participate in these unique nature programs needs to register at least one day in advance. Programs are free, but limited to the first 15 people. 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.stlucieco.gov/erd.