Dade Chapter Field Trip, in conjunction with the South Florida Native Plant Expo (Palm Beach Chapter): Navy Wells Pineland Preserve

[Note: South Florida field trips will be held on Feb. 23 to follow up on the Palm Beach Chapter FNPS Native Plant Expo the day before, provided by partnering organizations.  You do not have to be registered for the Expo to attend this trip.  This is the Dade Chapter monthly field trip.]

Join us for an interesting field trip to Navy Wells Pineland Preserve led by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden biologist Noah Frade.  

 This Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program preserve is one of the largest remaining fragments of pine rockland forest outside of the Everglades and is home to a diverse array of plants and wildlife, including the endangered Bartram’s scrub hairstreak butterfly. We will walk along a grassy trail adjacent to a recently burned unit of the preserve and may briefly travel off trail to observe wildflowers resprouting in this area.  We will also look at the EEL Program’s recent restoration area where they removed 11 acres of invasive Brazilian pepper.

Non-members are invited but we encourage joining FNPS to support FNPS and the Dade Chapter (or your chapter)!

Directions: Navy Wells is located on SR 9336 several miles before the main Everglades National Park entrance.  Just past “Robert is Here” fruit stand, turn in SW 354th Street (Water Treatment Facility sign) and drive toward the buildings.  Park on the north side of the street just before the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority facility.  Address: 35400 SW 192 Ave, Florida City, FL 33034.

Difficulty: Easy on trail, moderate off trail. (A walking stick can add stability if needed on uneven rocky ground).

Bring/wear: Water, long pants/sleeves, close-toed shoes, hat, sun protection, bug repellant just in case. Binoculars are optional for spotting birds and butterflies.

Notes:  Leave valuables at home and lock car doors at the parking area.  Please do not bring pets. 

Dade Chapter’s iNaturalist project.  Add your DCFNPS field trip nature photos to iNaturalist for inclusion in our project to help us showcase the amazing biodiversity we find!  Upload your photos via the iNaturalist website (www.inaturalist.org) or app.  Then you can add them to "Florida Native Plant Society- Dade Chapter Field Trips".  See how here.