Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District Basin Board members and staff, Friends of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, Yankeetown School middle-grade students, Mayor Dawn Clary and other Yankeetown representatives
What:The groups are celebrating the grand opening of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, which includes 413 acres of publicly owned land managed by Yankeetown, a boardwalk, hiking trails and an educational building.
The event will include a dedication ceremony, music, kayak rides, environmental displays and the opportunity to explore the preserve.
There is limited parking at the preserve. Offsite parking and shuttle bus service is available. Visitors are also being encouraged to arrive by bicycle.
When:Saturday, Feb. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the educational building dedication is at 11 a.m.
Where:The preserve is located at 1001 Old Rock Road in Yankeetown.
Event Contact:Ellen Klee, Friends of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, 352-447-5439
District Contact:Mary Margaret Hull, 800-432-1476, ext. 4774 or 352-379-4373
School Contact:Genie Sturtevant, Yankeetown School and Gulf Preserve Legacy Project Lead Teacher, (352) 447-2372
Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Fact Sheet
The 413-acre preserve sits on publicly owned land managed by the Town of Yankeetown.
The preserve is the site of a unique educational experience known as the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Legacy Project, a cooperative educational venture with the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The project has been funded since 2002 by the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board. About $4,500 is allocated to this project each year.
As part of the Legacy Project, about 100 Yankeetown School students visit the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve annually.
Through this project, students and teachers have been able to increase their knowledge about watersheds and the water resources within them by participating in a series of land management activities at the preserve. Examples of activities include plant biodiversity studies, water-quality testing, designing hiking trails, installing interpretive displays for kiosks and using the nine Florida-friendly landscaping principles to create a garden near the educational building.
The educational building is being dedicated in honor of Ellie Schiller, Director of the Felburn Foundation. The Foundation, which was started by her father, contributes funds to environmental causes as well as libraries, museums and schools.
The preserve is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.