Dade Chapter field trip: US Coast Guard Richmond Communication Station, Miami-Dade County

Leaders: Megan Clouser, USCG, and Steve Woodmansee, Pro Native Consulting (PNC).

Meeting Place: USCG Richmond Communication Station, 15608 SW 117th Ave., Miami, FL 33177.  Google will take you to 117 Ave.  Continue to the traffic light at SW 160 Street, then turn west into the US Coast Guard facility.  At the call box someone will buzz you in.  After entering, turn right at the stop sign, then veer left where the road forks.  Speed limit is 30 mph.  Park in the north parking lot, next to the flagpole.  Call Steve at 786-488-3101 if needed.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.  We will walk relatively slowly along dirt fire breaks but also go off trail some.

Description: This site is an important part of the greater Richmond Pine Rockland Complex and has roughly 100 acres of fairly pristine globally imperiled pine rockland.  Much of it burned from a fire in December 2023, so it should be optimal for wildflowers. The Federally endangered Deltoid Spurge (Euphorbia deltoidea ssp. deltoidea) and Small’s milkwort (Polygala smallii) occur here. It also has a population of Green Antelopehorn (Aclepias viridis), an unusual native milkweed with sporadic distribution in Florida.  It is a potential site for rare insects such as the Miami Tiger Beetle and Bartram’s scrub hairstreak butterfly.  It also has some of the best “mowed pine rockland” in the County, which will give you a whole new way to look at nature and assess what is worth protecting. This facility is not normally open to the public, so it is very special that we can come here. 

Bring/Wear: Sturdy closed shoes, hat, sun protection, plenty of water.  If you go off trail, long pants and garden gloves will help protect you from potential thorns and poisonous plants.  Bug spray might be handy.  There is some uneven terrain so a walking stick could be handy.  A botanical loupe, notebook and binoculars can be useful for maximizing your learning experience.

Notes: Pets are not allowed.  Restrooms are available but not potable water. A shelter is available if you want to linger afterwards with a snack.

Upload your DCFNPS field trip nature photos to the Dade Chapter’s iNaturalist project via [www.inaturalist.org](http://www.inaturalist.org) or the iNaturalist app.  Once you add the observation, you can add it to our project titled "Florida Native Plant Society- Dade Chapter Field Trips."

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