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As wild as it gets

Surrounded by modern suburbia, Brooker Creek Preserve is a tranquil oasis absolutely teeming with life.

By STEVE BAAL
Published December 23, 2005

TARPON SPRINGS - If you find yourself yearning for a little peace on earth this holiday season, or any season at all, you might want to look north.

No, not as far north as the snowy drifts where Santa's elves toil. Think of northeastern Pinellas County, where the sprawling Brooker Creek Preserve captures the magic of Florida's natural environment.

More than 8,000 acres of pine flatwood forest and freshwater swamp comprise the preserve, the largest natural area in Pinellas County. Visitors roaming the grounds may easily spot zebra longwings, the state butterfly; gopher tortoises; deer; and Virginia opossum, North America's only native marsupial.

But also on the prowl are foxes, coyotes, alligators, all sorts of snakes and even bobcats.

"It's truly Pinellas County's wildest place," said Bruce Rinker, Ph.D., director of Pinellas County Environmental Lands Division, whose office is at Brooker Creek.

"There are 30 different ecosystems, 600 species of native plants, and hundreds of species of birds and animals represented in the preserve," he said.

Rinker came to Pinellas 18 months ago as a canopy ecologist. County commissioners naturally asked why, after spending years exploring Amazon treetops, he would be interested in a relatively small slice of nature pressed on all sides by development.

"I just couldn't resist the opportunity to help develop and promote what I feel is a model for urban ecology," he said. "Here we can study and share with the public the ongoing evolution of the land from what it was to what it is now to what it could be in the future with proper management. If we can make that work here in Florida's most densely populated county, we can help make it work anywhere."

In the 1970s, Pinellas County began piecing together the parcels of land that would eventually become Brooker Creek Preserve with the acquisition of the Old East Lake Wellfield, a source of potable water the county was determined to protect from development.

Over the years, Pinellas County Utilities purchased more land, 40 percent of what would become the preserve, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District chipped in land for similar water conservation reasons. A swath of land used for power line towers came from Progress Energy. Pinellas taxpayers showed strong support for the effort, to the tune of $40.8-million.

"They voted overwhelmingly five different times to tax themselves to provide funds for land acquisition and management," said Rinker.

With that kind of investment, managers felt the public should share in the enjoyment of the land. Today, there are 10 miles of equestrian trails and 9 miles of hiking trails, including the self-guided 1.5-mile Friendship Trail and wilderness trails that can take as long as four hours to complete.

Guided hikes are available on weekends for heartier adventurers, but they should heed warnings to be prepared to crisscross Brooker Creek and the surrounding swamp.

"But by March we expect to have a system of boardwalks and bridges completed so most hikers can keep their feet dry," Rinker said.

Money for many improvements comes from the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, a nonprofit organization of supporters formed in 1994 to help with fundraising and promotion. The Friends also provide 300 volunteers to back up the 50 paid staff members who manage the preserve and its programs.

The state-of-the-art Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center opened in June. The 25,000-square-foot complex is nestled in the woods and consists of three buildings constructed in Florida Pioneer architecture. The buildings house three classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, a resource center and an eclectic nature store. The sprawling exhibit area is suited for adults and children, with 22 largely interactive displays.

Visitors can crawl into a gopher tortoise burrow, hear the chirp of woodland fowl, look at a lighted map that highlights features of the local watershed and detail Brooker Creek's important role in protecting Lake Tarpon. In the barn theater, you can sit on rough-hewn benches to view presentations on Florida's past. There also is an animated viewing area for smaller children.

The preserve also offers a screened dining area, picnic shelters and outdoor pavilions. And it's all free, even the equestrian trails (bring your own horse, though).

Just be sure to obey the 15 mph speed limit in the preserve, where all animals have the right of way.

"It's the people's land and their facilities," Rinker said. "The taxpayers paid for it and we want everyone to come out, get to know more about the environment in which we live, and just enjoy the majesty of Pinellas County at its wildest."

Brooker Creek Nature Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs. Note that a 15-mph speed limit is strictly enforced by sheriff's deputies. All animals, including snakes, have right of way. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. There are guided hikes Saturday and Sunday. Cost is free. Visit www.friendsofbrookercreekpreserve.org

[Last modified December 23, 2005, 11:46:03]