At this time, public access is not allowed due to environmental restoration activities.
Region: Southern Palm Beach County
Size: 79 acres
Hours: Not open for public use
Location:
1550 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (not a mailing address). The natural area is located on the east side of Military Trail between Yamato Road and Spanish River Boulevard.
Public Use Facilities:
None at present; public use facilities are anticipated to be completed in early 2012. They will include a bicycle rack, an educational kiosk, an accessible loop trail leading to a wildlife observation platform overlooking a restored wetland, and a natural-surface hiking trail. Parking will be available at the adjacent Boca Raton Public Library on the north side of Spanish River Boulevard; visitors will reach the entrance to the natural area via a multipurpose pathway along the shoreline of Blue Lake. Hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, and other passive recreation activities will be allowed on the site. There are no restroom facilities or drinking water on the natural area.
Site Information:
The natural area contains four native Florida ecosystems: scrub, scrubby flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, and hydric hammock. A depression marsh and an adjacent seepage slope were created within an area formerly occupied by a basin marsh during a wetland restoration project. Part of the area was scraped down to create two seasonal wetlands that contain standing water during part of the year. A littoral shelf was created where the natural area abuts Blue Lake.
Plants:
Plant species observed on the site include groundnut, netted pawpaw, Florida scrub roseling, graceful sandmat, innocence, shortleaf gayfeather, golden polypody, laurel oak, lopsided Indiangrass, coontie, and Virginia chain fern.
Wildlife:
Animal species observed on the site include green lynx spider, velvet ant, fiery skipper, pin-tailed pondhawk, eastern box turtle, Florida scrub lizard, eastern hog-nosed snake, spotted sandpiper, barred owl, black-throated blue warbler, ovenbird, and eastern spotted skunk.
Links:
Coastal
