indianriverlagoon

Bear Point Sanctuary

Bear Point Sanctuary.
Located in the Fort Pierce in the middle of Hutchinson Island in St Lucie County, Bear Point Sanctuary is a great nature escape along the shores of the Indian River Lagoon. Bear Point Sanctuary is known as the location of the last recorded Black Bear Hunt by the local Native Americans on Hutchinson Island. When was the last time you thought about Bears by the beach? It just goes to show how much has changed in Florida.
The Sanctuary and trail are part of the 317-acre Mitigation Bank managed by St. Lucie County
and the St. Lucie Mosquito Control District. A series of mangrove-lined mosquito control
impoundments are featured along the Indian River Lagoon. A more than-mile-long trail between the Indian River Lagoon and mangrove saltwater marsh is excellent for hikers, bird watchers, and bicycles. Don’t forget to kayak along the mangrove-rich shores. The trail is dotted with several small wooden docks and natural banks. Take a quick hike or bike ride down the unpaved [hard packed] dike trail west to an observation platform on the impoundments. There are two great viewing spots along Bear Point Cove: an elevated viewing platform that takes you above the mangroves and a 500-foot pier.
Wading birds including Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Reddish Egrets, and Green Herons are familiar sights in the mangroves. The sanctuary is a beautiful addition to the Great Florida Birding Trail. Use the kayak launch and chance a personal encounter with manatees and sea turtles. It is a guarantee to see pelicans and dolphins in the water. If the timing is right might even find yourself in the middle of a school of mullet.
We should also make note that preservation places like The Bear Point Mitigation Bank are secured
through beneficial environmental credits that help to improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon.
Author and Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam – IOF Brevard County Lead Educator
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Ais Trail Park

Ais Trail Park is named after the Indian River Lagoon’s former Native American inhabitants. In an effort to preserve the last undeveloped property along Turkey Creek Palm Bay purchased the nearly 18-acre parcel with mature shade trees from the Sterner family.
While small in perimeter, Ais Trail is outsized in diversity, having a dense array of ecosystems packed into one simple location. It is a great spot to enjoy the natural diversity that Florida has to offer: Scrubby Flatwoods, Sand Scrub, Hardwood Hammock, Mangrove Shoreline, and a brackish creek.
In one short .6-mile trail hike, you will see a mangrove shoreline and hardwood hammocks that include Hickory and Loblolly Bay trees with luscious beauty berries and copious amounts of ferns. Transitioning ecotone areas full of hog plums, wild olives, and shiny blueberries lead you to a sand scrub full of sand pines, sand holly, and some of the largest native rosemary I have seen. The Scrubby Flatwoods Area becomes noticeable as its cabbage palms and saw palmettoes become prominent beneath the towering slash and longleaf pines.
It’s a short and easy trail that has both dirt/sand and wooden boardwalk sections with creek overlooks. There are also onsite restrooms and an area to launch kayaks/canoes. There is also a short fishing deck before the hiking trail.
For a slightly longer trail, you can connect the Ais Trail to Dewar Park via a boardwalk. Dewar Park is a paved neighborhood park that features a pond and a paved loop. Turtles and water birds are common in both areas.
The park entrance and parking can be found just past the historic St Joseph Church and Cemetery.
Ais Trail Park Specialties: Nature Trips, Trail Running, Biking, Wild Flowers, Walking, Forest Lake, Pavilion, Kayak/Canoe Launch, Fishing Pier, Jogging Trails & Dock, Dog Friendly, Restrooms
2804 Hickory Ave NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905
Self-Guided QR Code Nature Trail. Find codes along the trail. Ais Trail Park Self-Guided Nature Tour 6 | City of Palm Bay, FL
Author and Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam -IOF Lead Eduction Coordinator Brevard County
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Indian River lagoon

—- From Sea to Shining Sea… —-

One of the best advantages of living in Florida is that, if we travel far enough in either a Westerly or Easterly direction, we will find…water! And, one really cool thing about that is when the water seems to glow, as if by magic.

On a summer evening in the Indian River Lagoon, a natural magic illuminates the wake of a boat, the splash from a paddle, or creates beautiful blue flashes of frenzied schools of mullet. If you run your fingers through the water, you can see it fall in gorgeous blue-green luminescent droplets… What is causing the lagoon to glow? Bioluminescence! Tiny dinoflagellates (Pyrodinium bahamense) – or bioluminescent plankton – create light through biochemical reactions. When excited or stimulated, these plankton become little flashlights in the water, much like fireflies do on land.

This evening, the plankton are lighting our way, as we kayak along the Indian River and into the lagoon. Originally named the “Rio de Ais,” after the Ais tribe of Native Americans who made their home along the East coast of Florida, the lagoon is, in actuality, a grouping of five lagoons, which comprise the most biodiverse lagoon ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere, with over 10,000 species of plants and animals – thirty-five of these threatened or endangered. The lagoon is rife with game fish, such as tarpon or snook, which grow to epic sizes because there are very few predators in the lagoon. It is also host to all three types of mangroves, which provide filtration and nutrition to the ecosystem. We are told by our guide that, due to development, the mangrove population has been reduced by 85%. In addition, the water level in the system is rising due to increased runoff from the city. And there is also the danger from algae blooms, which form as a result of deforestation, pollution and high temperatures. Surely, these things are serious indications of danger to our natural ecosystems. However, they do not detract from the magic we are witnessing this evening; the beautiful blue glow serving as a reminder of the uniqueness and intricacy of this environment, one we must cherish and protect.

If You Go…
If you are looking for an educational, but interesting and fun adventure to share with family or friends, consider taking a bioluminescence tour! BK Adventure offers environmentally-friendly guided eco-tours. For more information, they can be reached at: info@bkadventure.com | www.bkadventure.com | (407) 519-8711

To help ensure an enjoyable experience, we suggest wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and closed shoes, and taking along some mosquito repellent, as well as a change of clothes, as you will likely get wet – but, that’s part of the fun!

Submitted by IOF Advisor Arlene Cuellar
*Bioluminescence photos courtesy of BK Adventure*

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