Who: Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department, Springs Coast Environmental Education Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Division of Forestry, Hernando County Planning Department, Hernando County Audubon Society and volunteers
What: As part of the 16th Annual National Public Lands Day, the District’s Land Resources Department is promoting a volunteer work day at the Springs Coast Environmental Education Center, which is located on County Road 550 along the Weeki Wachee River. Volunteers will help remove air potato, a non-native invasive plant, and pick up trash and other debris.
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 to 11 a.m.
Additional Information: Volunteers should wear appropriate shoes, gloves and a hat and/or sunglasses. Volunteers should also bring a water bottle and sunscreen. Lunch will be provided by the Hernando Audubon Society at Tom Varn Park in Brooksville after the event. Volunteers do not have to pre-register and should carpool if possible.
Contact: Cheryl Paradis, Springs Coast Environmental Education Center teacher, 352-592-5737
Location: The center is located at 9170 Cortez Blvd., also known as county Road 550, in Weeki Wachee. Once you cross U.S. 19, the center is about a half mile on the left.
Springs Coast Environmental Education Center volunteer cleanup
•The Springs Coast Environmental Education Center is located on 23 acres of scrub habitat along the Weeki Wachee River. The Hernando County School Board leases the land and facility from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
•The facility entrance is at 9170 Cortez Blvd., which is also known as county Road 550, in Weeki Wachee. Once you cross U.S. 19, the center is about a half mile on the left.
•The volunteer cleanup is part of a cooperative effort among the District’s Land Resources Department, Springs Coast Environmental Education Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Division of Forestry, Hernando County Planning Department, Hernando County Audubon Society and volunteers.
•The cleanup will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 8 until 11 a.m. Volunteers should wear appropriate shoes, gloves and a hat and/or sunglasses. Volunteers should also bring a water bottle and sunscreen. Lunch will be provided by the Hernando Audubon Society at Tom Varn Park in Brooksville after the event.
•Volunteers do not have to pre-register and should carpool if possible.
Public Lands Facts
•One-fourth of Florida’s 34,721,280 acres is conservation land managed by local, state or federal agencies.
•The District manages more than 436,000 acres of conservation land, which was acquired by the District and its partners to protect Florida’s water resources. More than 343,000 acres are open to the public for a variety of recreational activities. The remaining is in private ownership but is protected through conservation easements.
•Each year about 2.5 million people visit District lands.
•This is the 16th Anniversary of National Public Lands Day. This year’s focus is cleaning up our waterways, reducing runoff and contributing to a healthy water cycle.
•In 2008, approximately 120,000 volunteers from every state participated in National Public Lands Day at 1,600 locations.
•Each year volunteers spend thousands of hours helping the District maintain and improve public lands, as well as restore Tampa Bay.