Wetlands are beautiful, important, and valuable components of our ecosystems. But for a long time, they were considered little more than insect-riddled cesspools, places devoid of worth. While not everyone fully appreciates wetlands’ many contributions to human and planetary health, state and federal laws do outline protection for these fragile systems that surround us. But [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_35525" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35525" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/12/gb-wetland-view.jpg"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class="size-medium wp-image-35525 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/12/gb-wetland-view-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-35525" class="wp-caption-text">View of Santa Rosa Sound from the new wetland boardwalk. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Wetlands are beautiful, important, and valuable components of our ecosystems. But for a long time, they were considered little more than insect-riddled cesspools, places devoid of worth. While not everyone fully appreciates wetlands’ many contributions to human and planetary health, state and federal laws do outline protection for these fragile systems that surround us.
<figure id="attachment_39231" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39231" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/bridge-wet.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-39231 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/bridge-wet-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39231" class="wp-caption-text">Master Naturalist students crossing a bridge in Blackwater State Forest. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
But how do you define a wetland? The <a href="https://floridadep.gov/water/submerged-lands-environmental-resources-coordination/content/wetland-evaluation-and">Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)</a> describes them as “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and a duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils.” Breaking this down in regular English, wetlands are areas dominated by wet (or signs of wet) soils and specific plants adapted to those soils. While soggy coastal marshes are pretty easy to recognize, freshwater wetlands can be more complicated. Besides the incredible diversity of vegetative species found in them, disturbance from construction, interruption of natural water sources, drainage, and erosion can make them hard to recognize.
<figure id="attachment_39235" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39235" style="width: 185px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/wet-signature.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-39235 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="185" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/wet-signature-185x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39235" class="wp-caption-text">A satellite image near Blackwater State Forest shows the wetland signatures (branched, dark green areas) present in the landscape. Screenshot, Apple Maps</figcaption></figure>
My Sea Grant colleagues and I are currently teaching a <a href="https://masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/become-a-master-naturalist/master-naturalist-courses/">freshwater wetlands Master Naturalist class</a>. Included in the course have been trips to pitcher plant prairies, cypress and gum swamps, and rivers. Yesterday, we had a colleague and longtime wetlands consultant demonstrate how he determines whether a piece of property includes wetlands or not, and where to draw the line between wetlands and uplands.
This process of <a href="https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/delineationmanual.pdf">wetland delineation</a> requires a lot of background knowledge and several important tools. To begin with, you want to start with soil maps and satellite imagery. These will show wetland signatures—often appearing as darker routes of water—along a creek or riverbed. Soil maps describe the texture and water-holding capacity of hundreds of named soil types, which are divided up geographically into very specific parcels of land.
<figure id="attachment_39233" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39233" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/buttressed-trunks.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39233 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/buttressed-trunks-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39233" class="wp-caption-text">The flared shape of wetland trees in standing water is called &#8220;buttressing&#8221; and is a hydrologic indicator of wetland habitats. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
After initial analysis comes the ground-truthing. To truly evaluate a wetland’s boundaries, it’s necessary to go onsite and walk the whole area. The easiest way to corroborate those first guesses at a wetland boundary is to start looking at the vegetation. There are hundreds of groundcover, shrub, and tree types recognized as wetland species. If these dominate the landscape, odds are you’re in a wetland. Other signs of water, known as “hydrological indicators,” like buttressed trunks, crayfish mounds, or water lines yield clues about water’s presence. Sometimes, an area will have been cleared of vegetation before its proper evaluation, which are why understanding soils is so important.
<figure id="attachment_39227" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39227" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/wet-delin-4.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39227 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/wet-delin-4-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39227" class="wp-caption-text">Sean O&#8217;Toole, wetlands consultant, describes how he examines soils during a wetland evaluation. On the ground is a Munsell soil color chart. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
To evaluate soils, wetland consultants use a soil probe or a long spade that will allow them to remove a sample of soil and evaluate its color and texture. In general, wetland soils are darker and slicker than others, although a handful of other indicators can show wetland properties in relatively sandy soil. Soil color can be compared on a Munsell color chart, which is like comparing wetland-associated paint chips.
Once a stretch of land is identified as a wetland, consultants will generally mark it physically by tying plastic tape around trees, outlining the entire parcel to differentiate it between adjacent uplands. From there, a digital GPS-based map is created that can be easily translated into construction plans and permits.

View of Santa Rosa Sound from the new wetland boardwalk. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Wetlands are beautiful, important, and valuable components of our ecosystems. But for a long time, they were considered little more than insect-riddled cesspools, places devoid of worth. While not everyone fully appreciates wetlands’ many contributions to human and planetary health, state and federal laws do outline protection for these fragile systems that surround us.
Master Naturalist students crossing a bridge in Blackwater State Forest. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
But how do you define a wetland? The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) describes them as “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and a duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils.” Breaking this down in regular English, wetlands are areas dominated by wet (or signs of wet) soils and specific plants adapted to those soils. While soggy coastal marshes are pretty easy to recognize, freshwater wetlands can be more complicated. Besides the incredible diversity of vegetative species found in them, disturbance from construction, interruption of natural water sources, drainage, and erosion can make them hard to recognize.
A satellite image near Blackwater State Forest shows the wetland signatures (branched, dark green areas) present in the landscape. Screenshot, Apple Maps
My Sea Grant colleagues and I are currently teaching a freshwater wetlands Master Naturalist class. Included in the course have been trips to pitcher plant prairies, cypress and gum swamps, and rivers. Yesterday, we had a colleague and longtime wetlands consultant demonstrate how he determines whether a piece of property includes wetlands or not, and where to draw the line between wetlands and uplands.
This process of wetland delineation requires a lot of background knowledge and several important tools. To begin with, you want to start with soil maps and satellite imagery. These will show wetland signatures—often appearing as darker routes of water—along a creek or riverbed. Soil maps describe the texture and water-holding capacity of hundreds of named soil types, which are divided up geographically into very specific parcels of land.
The flared shape of wetland trees in standing water is called “buttressing” and is a hydrologic indicator of wetland habitats. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
After initial analysis comes the ground-truthing. To truly evaluate a wetland’s boundaries, it’s necessary to go onsite and walk the whole area. The easiest way to corroborate those first guesses at a wetland boundary is to start looking at the vegetation. There are hundreds of groundcover, shrub, and tree types recognized as wetland species. If these dominate the landscape, odds are you’re in a wetland. Other signs of water, known as “hydrological indicators,” like buttressed trunks, crayfish mounds, or water lines yield clues about water’s presence. Sometimes, an area will have been cleared of vegetation before its proper evaluation, which are why understanding soils is so important.
Sean O’Toole, wetlands consultant, describes how he examines soils during a wetland evaluation. On the ground is a Munsell soil color chart. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
To evaluate soils, wetland consultants use a soil probe or a long spade that will allow them to remove a sample of soil and evaluate its color and texture. In general, wetland soils are darker and slicker than others, although a handful of other indicators can show wetland properties in relatively sandy soil. Soil color can be compared on a Munsell color chart, which is like comparing wetland-associated paint chips.
Once a stretch of land is identified as a wetland, consultants will generally mark it physically by tying plastic tape around trees, outlining the entire parcel to differentiate it between adjacent uplands. From there, a digital GPS-based map is created that can be easily translated into construction plans and permits.

Wetlands are beautiful, important, and valuable components of our ecosystems. But for a long time, they were considered little more than insect-riddled cesspools, places devoid of worth. While not everyone fully appreciates wetlands’ many contributions to human and planetary health, state and federal laws do outline protection for these fragile systems that surround us. But […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Wetland delineation

Florida is blessed with an abundance of ecologically diverse state parks. Among them are opportunities to hike, camp, and see wildlife lush forests and wide-open savannas or fish, swim, and paddle through pristine bayous and rivers. One park worth spending time in this time of year is Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve. Yes, that’s “Tar-KILN” not [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_39181" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39181" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarpines.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39181 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarpines-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39181" class="wp-caption-text">Native pine trees put the Tarkiln property on the map for early European settlers. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Florida is blessed with an abundance of ecologically diverse state parks. Among them are opportunities to hike, camp, and see wildlife lush forests and wide-open savannas or fish, swim, and paddle through pristine bayous and rivers.
<figure id="attachment_39183" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39183" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/Tar-kiln-illustration-from-NPS.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39183 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="199" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/Tar-kiln-illustration-from-NPS-300x199.png"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39183" class="wp-caption-text">Illustration of the tar kilns used to process sap from pines in the 1800&#8217;s. Courtesy of National Park Service.</figcaption></figure>
One park worth spending time in this time of year is Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve. Yes, that’s “Tar-KILN” not “Tar-KLIN” as I hear often—this area was known for many years as a place of<a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/tarkiln-bayou-preserve-state-park/history"> processing pine tar from the native yellow pine</a> in the area. Many products were made from tapping the bark and collecting sap from pines, including tar, pitch, and pine, a collection of compounds called “naval stores” that were used to help waterproof wooden ships. To process tar from the trees, the resin-rich cores of pine trees were placed in stacks and burned, releasing liquid tar into barrels. These were the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/mocr/learn/historyculture/naval-stores-in-north-carolina.htm">“kilns” used to extract tar</a>, and they were located all around the peninsula.
<figure id="attachment_39187" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39187" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tar-two-paths.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39187 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tar-two-paths-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39187" class="wp-caption-text">Not far from the park entrance, two paths emerge. To the left is an ADA-compliant 1-mile up and back paved path; to the right a dirt/grass path that goes for about 6.5 miles. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/tarkiln-bayou-preserve-state-park/history">Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve is one of the newer state parks</a> in Florida. Left relatively undisturbed since the end of the pine processing days of the mid-20th century, the property was eventually slated for a huge development project (1,300 homes, a golf course, and a marina). A “Friends of the Prairie” group purchased 900 acres in the mid 1990’s, which was then taken on by The Nature Conservancy. After a community-wide support effort including a letter-writing campaign from local 2nd graders, the state took over the land almost exactly 26 years ago, creating Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve.
<figure id="attachment_39191" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39191" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarkiln-sundew-1-rotated.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39191 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarkiln-sundew-1-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39191" class="wp-caption-text">The small red pinwheel-shaped plants are carnivorous sundews. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Part of the Big Lagon State Park system, Tarkiln has two separate trails. One is just at a mile long (round-trip) and more accessible, paved or boardwalked all the way from the parking lot to the bayou. A longer vegetated foot path, the Perdido Bay Trail, extends 6.5 miles through longleaf pine forest and wetland habitats.
Currently in the sunniest and wettest spots in the park, you’ll see carnivorous plants in flower. A large percentage the park is considered wetlands, and their waterlogged, acidic soils are prime habitat for pitcher plants and sundews.
<figure id="attachment_39193" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39193" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarkiln-dead-bay.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39193 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/tarkiln-dead-bay-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39193" class="wp-caption-text">Sadly, native red bay trees are dying in our forests due to an insect-borne fungal disease. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
As you move past the more open prairies and closer to the boardwalk on the shorter trail, you’ll wind through forested swamp. Species diversity increases, transitioning from a primarily pine overstory to sweet bay magnolia, wax myrtle, bald cypress, titi, and blackgum trees. In contrast to the bright green spring growth on most trees, there are several dead swamp bay trees that have turned an ominous shade of brown. These trees have been hit with laurel wilt, a fungus brought in by borer insects that specifically infest trees in the Persea genus. Of particular interest is that this disease affects avocado trees, Persea americana.
<figure id="attachment_39195" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39195" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/Tarkiln-banner.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39195 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/04/Tarkiln-banner-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39195" class="wp-caption-text">Tarkiln Bayou is a remote and peaceful body of water surrounded by protected wetlands. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
At the end of the boardwalk, the vegetation transforms from freshwater species to saltwater marsh. The <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/bayou">bayou</a> is ringed with black needlerush and buffered by more than <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/tbp-brochure.pdf">4,200 acres preserved</a> since the original acquisition in the 90’s.
The park is open year-round, and rangers offer several popular guided walks every winter. For more information, check out the <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/tarkiln-bayou-nature-walks">Florida State Parks website</a>.
&nbsp;

Native pine trees put the Tarkiln property on the map for early European settlers. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Florida is blessed with an abundance of ecologically diverse state parks. Among them are opportunities to hike, camp, and see wildlife lush forests and wide-open savannas or fish, swim, and paddle through pristine bayous and rivers.
Illustration of the tar kilns used to process sap from pines in the 1800’s. Courtesy of National Park Service.
One park worth spending time in this time of year is Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve. Yes, that’s “Tar-KILN” not “Tar-KLIN” as I hear often—this area was known for many years as a place of processing pine tar from the native yellow pine in the area. Many products were made from tapping the bark and collecting sap from pines, including tar, pitch, and pine, a collection of compounds called “naval stores” that were used to help waterproof wooden ships. To process tar from the trees, the resin-rich cores of pine trees were placed in stacks and burned, releasing liquid tar into barrels. These were the “kilns” used to extract tar, and they were located all around the peninsula.
Not far from the park entrance, two paths emerge. To the left is an ADA-compliant 1-mile up and back paved path; to the right a dirt/grass path that goes for about 6.5 miles. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve is one of the newer state parks in Florida. Left relatively undisturbed since the end of the pine processing days of the mid-20th century, the property was eventually slated for a huge development project (1,300 homes, a golf course, and a marina). A “Friends of the Prairie” group purchased 900 acres in the mid 1990’s, which was then taken on by The Nature Conservancy. After a community-wide support effort including a letter-writing campaign from local 2nd graders, the state took over the land almost exactly 26 years ago, creating Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve.
The small red pinwheel-shaped plants are carnivorous sundews. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Part of the Big Lagon State Park system, Tarkiln has two separate trails. One is just at a mile long (round-trip) and more accessible, paved or boardwalked all the way from the parking lot to the bayou. A longer vegetated foot path, the Perdido Bay Trail, extends 6.5 miles through longleaf pine forest and wetland habitats.
Currently in the sunniest and wettest spots in the park, you’ll see carnivorous plants in flower. A large percentage the park is considered wetlands, and their waterlogged, acidic soils are prime habitat for pitcher plants and sundews.
Sadly, native red bay trees are dying in our forests due to an insect-borne fungal disease. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
As you move past the more open prairies and closer to the boardwalk on the shorter trail, you’ll wind through forested swamp. Species diversity increases, transitioning from a primarily pine overstory to sweet bay magnolia, wax myrtle, bald cypress, titi, and blackgum trees. In contrast to the bright green spring growth on most trees, there are several dead swamp bay trees that have turned an ominous shade of brown. These trees have been hit with laurel wilt, a fungus brought in by borer insects that specifically infest trees in the Persea genus. Of particular interest is that this disease affects avocado trees, Persea americana.
Tarkiln Bayou is a remote and peaceful body of water surrounded by protected wetlands. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
At the end of the boardwalk, the vegetation transforms from freshwater species to saltwater marsh. The bayou is ringed with black needlerush and buffered by more than 4,200 acres preserved since the original acquisition in the 90’s.
The park is open year-round, and rangers offer several popular guided walks every winter. For more information, check out the Florida State Parks website.

Florida is blessed with an abundance of ecologically diverse state parks. Among them are opportunities to hike, camp, and see wildlife lush forests and wide-open savannas or fish, swim, and paddle through pristine bayous and rivers. One park worth spending time in this time of year is Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve. Yes, that’s “Tar-KILN” not […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Tarkiln Bayou State Preserve

Pensacola is a city blessed with parks. For a comparatively small community, we are home to 93 individual public parks within the city limits. Most residents have one in walking distance, within a few blocks of most homes. There are also 10 community centers, dozens of athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and two swimming [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_38945" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-38945" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-mike-bench-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38945 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-mike-bench-2-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-38945" class="wp-caption-text">The view from Scenic Highway is one of the best in town! Photo credit: Steve Carter</figcaption></figure>
Pensacola is a city blessed with parks. For a comparatively small community, we are home to <a href="https://www.cityofpensacola.com/132/Parks-Recreation/">93 individual public parks</a> within the city limits. Most residents have one in walking distance, within a few blocks of most homes. There are also 10 community centers, dozens of athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and two swimming pools.
<figure id="attachment_38963" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-38963" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-view-3.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38963 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-view-3-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-38963" class="wp-caption-text">Downhill from Scenic Highway lies an equally scenic railroad track. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Among these diverse parks, I am partial to the public land along <a href="https://floridascenichighways.com/our-byways/panhandle-region/pensacola-scenic-bluffs/">Scenic Highway</a>. Highway 90 runs along a bluff high above Escambia Bay, providing views for miles over the water to Santa Rosa County and Pensacola Beach. There is historic <a href="https://www.cityofpensacola.com/facilities/facility/details/Chimney-Park-29">Chimney Park</a>, where a steam-powered lumber planing mill once stood before its destruction during the Civil War. <a href="https://www.cityofpensacola.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Bay-Bluffs-Preserve-18">Bay Bluffs Preserve</a>, a series of <a href="https://floridahikes.com/pensacola-bay-bluffs-park">boardwalks and steep walkways down to the bay</a>, is currently closed due to safety concerns.
<figure id="attachment_38947" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-38947" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-scout-group.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38947 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-scout-group-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-38947" class="wp-caption-text">In fall 2020, members of Boy Scout Troop 495 installed benches and picnic tables along Scenic Highway as part of an Eagle Scout project. Photo credit: Steve Carter</figcaption></figure>
But on the thin stretch of grassy shoulder between Sugartree Drive and Summit Boulevard, an Eagle Scout built benches and picnic tables for anyone to use. Within days of his project’s completion, the benches were in full use, with locals taking advantage of this stunning view. Facing east, they are particularly ideal places to watch a sunrise. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR9ctO9mtS8">virtual tour</a> created by Florida Scenic Highways gives you a feel for what it&#8217;s like to drive along this beautiful area.
<figure id="attachment_38951" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-38951" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-Cole.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38951 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/03/scenic-park-Cole-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-38951" class="wp-caption-text">This tiny park consists of one bench and an incredible view. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
In addition to the Scout project, my favorite scenic park is also the tiniest one in the area. Located in <a href="https://www.visitpensacola.com/plan-your-trip/neighborhoods/east-pensacola/">East Pensacola Heights</a> at the very end of Gadsden Street, it consists of a single bench with a million-dollar view. From that bench, you can watch birds glide above, airplanes flying low as they approach landing, cars crossing the bridge over Pensacola Bay, and trains rolling by directly below you. The bench is in the shade of several mature oak trees and a steady breeze blows off the bay. A concrete marker on the ground adjacent to the bench indicates the area is dedicated to the memory of a neighbor named Evelyn B. Fraser, “who saved this place of beauty for the whole community.” I don’t know Ms. Fraser’s story, but I surely appreciate her foresight and desire to preserve such a beautiful and simple spot.

The view from Scenic Highway is one of the best in town! Photo credit: Steve Carter
Pensacola is a city blessed with parks. For a comparatively small community, we are home to 93 individual public parks within the city limits. Most residents have one in walking distance, within a few blocks of most homes. There are also 10 community centers, dozens of athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and two swimming pools.
Downhill from Scenic Highway lies an equally scenic railroad track. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Among these diverse parks, I am partial to the public land along Scenic Highway. Highway 90 runs along a bluff high above Escambia Bay, providing views for miles over the water to Santa Rosa County and Pensacola Beach. There is historic Chimney Park, where a steam-powered lumber planing mill once stood before its destruction during the Civil War. Bay Bluffs Preserve, a series of boardwalks and steep walkways down to the bay, is currently closed due to safety concerns.
In fall 2020, members of Boy Scout Troop 495 installed benches and picnic tables along Scenic Highway as part of an Eagle Scout project. Photo credit: Steve Carter
But on the thin stretch of grassy shoulder between Sugartree Drive and Summit Boulevard, an Eagle Scout built benches and picnic tables for anyone to use. Within days of his project’s completion, the benches were in full use, with locals taking advantage of this stunning view. Facing east, they are particularly ideal places to watch a sunrise. A virtual tour created by Florida Scenic Highways gives you a feel for what it’s like to drive along this beautiful area.
This tiny park consists of one bench and an incredible view. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
In addition to the Scout project, my favorite scenic park is also the tiniest one in the area. Located in East Pensacola Heights at the very end of Gadsden Street, it consists of a single bench with a million-dollar view. From that bench, you can watch birds glide above, airplanes flying low as they approach landing, cars crossing the bridge over Pensacola Bay, and trains rolling by directly below you. The bench is in the shade of several mature oak trees and a steady breeze blows off the bay. A concrete marker on the ground adjacent to the bench indicates the area is dedicated to the memory of a neighbor named Evelyn B. Fraser, “who saved this place of beauty for the whole community.” I don’t know Ms. Fraser’s story, but I surely appreciate her foresight and desire to preserve such a beautiful and simple spot.

Pensacola is a city blessed with parks. For a comparatively small community, we are home to 93 individual public parks within the city limits. Most residents have one in walking distance, within a few blocks of most homes. There are also 10 community centers, dozens of athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and two swimming […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Scenic Highway Parks

Management and Conservation of Wildlife

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distinguished teaching scholar and professor emeritus, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Gainesville, FL. <a href="https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/people/wec-faculty/susan-jacobson/">WEC profile</a>

Jacobson, Susan K

Iannone, Basil V.

senior lecturer and director, Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute, UF/IFAS&nbsp;School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences <a href="http://sfrc.ufl.edu/people/faculty/dain-jonathan/">profile</a>

Dain, Jonathan

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Basic Steps to Creating a Conservation Land Trust in Florida

Environmental Deterioration and Conservation in Cuban Agriculture

Improving, Restoring, and Managing Natural Resources in Florida: Sources of Technical Assistance for Urban Homeowners

Improving, Restoring, and Managing Wildlife Habitat in Florida: Sources of Technical Assistance for Rural Landowners

Protecting Natural Areas During Development: Four Spatial Considerations to Maximize their Benefits

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