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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Ding Darling little blue heron

Wildlife Articles

Articles about Florida’s wildlife

Shorebird Nesting Season

Snowy plover on nest (Florida Fish and Wildlife)

March 24, 2014    Sandra Friend

A seasonal reminder from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to walk softly on Florida’s beaches during shorebird nesting season.

Bear, There!

July 1, 2013    John Keatley

Last Monday, we decided to visit an area behind a familiar trailhead. Sandy had noticed the unlocked gate before, so we decided to check it out. The gate led us to a slightly worn path and then an old sugar sand road. Walking along I noticed small bear prints in the white sand. They were …

Seminole Reflections

November 30, 2012    Sandra Friend

Returning to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation for the first time in a decade, I remember my visits of the past and celebrate the present with John with a panther sighting.

Bear encounter at Black Bear Wilderness

Three bears at Black Bear Wilderness

October 20, 2012    Sandra Friend

Visiting this Seminole County preserve for the first time, a string of excellent wildlife sightings culminates in seeing three bears at the trailhead.

Florida Scrub-Jay Hikes

Lyonia Preserve

February 2, 2012    Sandra Friend

Natural lands in Florida with known Florida scrub-jay families or pairs that you might glimpse along the trails as you’re hiking.

Texting tips to FWC

Bear at Kelly Park

December 27, 2011    Sandra Friend

A new way to let the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission know about things you see – positive or negative – on Florida’s trails is to send them a text.  Discover a dead alligator, hog, or bear?  Hear shotguns in the woods when it isn’t hunting season? Spot a rare or endangered species in …

Florida Wildlife

alligator sunning

From toothsome alligators to scampering lizards, you will see wildlife while enjoying Florida’s outdoors. Here are photos and descriptions of some of the creatures you may encounter along our trails.

Hiker Safety Around Wild Hogs

wild hog piglet

How-To in Florida      ( Feature Articles )      

One of the more fearless creatures you’ll encounter in Florida’s wilds is the wild hog. Here is advice from Florida Fish & Wildlife on how to cope with hogs.

Steflik Preserve a birder’s delight

Steflik Preserve

August 11, 2011    Sandra Friend

Imagine passing by a preserve dozens of times over the years and never seeing it. That’s what I’d done here in Flagler Beach, until I finally discovered Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve thanks to a heads-up from a local innkeeper.

Bear Safety in Florida

Florida Black Bear

How-To in Florida      ( Feature Articles )      

Tips from Florida Fish & Wildlife on how best to manage encounters with Florida black bears, which are becoming more common in certain parts of Florida.

Summer birding at Sunnyhill

purple gallinule in lilies

July 20, 2011    Sandra Friend

Birding at Sunnyhill Restoration is best along the Levee Trail adjoining the Ocklawaha River and in the marshes beyond it. A round-trip walk leads to a purpose-built bird blind in a hot spot.

Endangered giant bat found at Picayune Strand

Florida bonneted bat FWC

June 16, 2010    Sandra Friend

During their first-ever bat monitoring program at Picayune Strand State Forest, FWC found a rare and endangered species – the bonneted bat, Florida’s largest bat.

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