A Walk in the Park

One of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk, or hike in one of the local parks. Usually the state parks are my favorite as they offer more things to do and have better trails. A few around Florida that I enjoy are: DeLeon Springs Park, (www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings) Rock Springs Park, Kissimmee State Park, any down in the Everglades (like Seminole-Collier), John Pennekamp Coral Reef, in the Keys, Homosassa Springs and a plethora of others around the state. We have unique parks in which visitors can hike, go paddling, or to the beach, fishing, scuba and one park even has an underwater cave. Most parks offer camp sites for tents (primitive) and some for RV's/Campers. Florida offers thousands of miles of greenways and trails. Check out one of Sandra Friends excellent guidebooks for hiking. (www.floridahikes.com)

    I've found several groups through the Meetup (www.meetup.com) and you can hook up with new friends who enjoy the same hobbies as you. Some adventure clubs, hiking or paddling groups meet once per month and others are more active. You can participate as often or as little as you like, learning from others the terrain, equipment to take, birding routes or geocaching. From expert to  novice you can enjoy your hike through nature more every time. Listening for the call of a warbler, identifying helpful and harmful plants and learning about the history of the land, are a few of the benefits to hiking in our parks. 

    I always bring bug spray with me, my cell phone, but turn on vibrate, my camera and sunscreen. I keep these  items (and a few more) in my truck at all times, even a first aid kit since I like to travel so much ;-) I believe in planning ahead. I like to have a change of shoes (comfortable for walking, biking or hiking) in the car so whenever I'm in the mood, or better yet, have the TIME, I can stop off at one of the local parks, Oakland Nature Preserve, or Tibet-Butler and breath in fresh air, listen to the call of birds and hopefully snap a few new photos of different birds or butterflies. One afternoon I caught a woodpecker pecking away on a snag. I was fascinated how he would climb inside the tree, then come back out and peck some more. 

    On Saturday I followed a Brownie Troop around just for a short while to hear what intrigued them and they were on a scavenger hunt. On another occasion I followed a red carnival on a sandy trail through a sparsely canopied area. There are great guidebooks to help you identify various habitats; from birds to plants to reptiles and seashells. These are very handy. I enjoy looking at different tracks on the ground and identifying them; fox, birds, panther, or other cat. 

    So what are you waiting for? Go explore a park. Get your passport for the Florida State Parks, or your own state and learn something new!