[Floridastateparks] June 2011 E-Newsletter, Florida State Parks

Wed Jun 1 16:04:48 EDT 2011

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June 1, 2011 – Follow us on Twitter @FLStateParks

www.FloridaStateParks.org/enewsletter/<http://www.FloridaStateParks.org/enewsletter/>

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Park visitors enjoy the beach at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park in the panhandle. Photo by Lisa Schwenning.

Three Ways to Enjoy Great Outdoors Month
~ June offers many opportunities for recreation ~

No matter where you are in Florida, fun outdoor activities are plentiful. Bring your family and friends along for fun. Here are some ideas to consider:

1.      Saturday, June 4 is National Trails Day. Grab your hiking boots and hit the trail at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/stephenfoster/default.cfm> in White Springs. The Florida National Scenic Trail winds along the Suwannee River through this part of the state. Your bicycle and helmet will come in handy at Jonathan Dickinson State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/jonathandickinson/default.cfm> in Hobe Sound or Alafia River State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/alafiariver/default.cfm> south of Tampa. Here’s something new: Equestrians can ride at Silver River State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/silverriver/default.cfm> in Ocala – either on their own horses or on a guided trail ride offered by Cactus Jack’s Trail Rides. If you’d rather canoe, kayak or tube, try Blackwater River State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/blackwaterriver/default.cfm> in Holt. As of now, campsites are still available midweek; this park is popular during weekends.

2.      Wednesday, June 15 is Nature Photography Day. Florida’s state parks offer wonderful opportunities for this fast-growing hobby. Be patient. The best photos happen early in the day or late afternoon. A bonus: enter them in the monthly online photo contest<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/photocontest.cfm> for a chance to win a Passport<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/passport.cfm> to journal your state park visits.

3.      Cool off by swimming – at the beach, freshwater spring, lake, or river. This year, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, AKA Dr. Beach, has announced that two of Florida’s state park beaches made the Top 10 in America list<http://www.drbeach.org/top10beaches.htm>. The beach at St. George Island State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland/default.cfm> in the panhandle was ranked #6 and the beach at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/default.cfm> on Key Biscayne was ranked #10. Congratulations to Siesta Key beach west of Sarasota, that beach is the BEST beach this year. If freshwater swimming is more to your liking, head to a spring. The chilly 72 degree water will make it seem like a fountain of youth. Try Wekiwa Springs State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/wekiwasprings/default.cfm> in Apopka, De Leon Springs State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/default.cfm> in De Leon Springs or Rainbow Springs State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings/default.cfm> in Dunnellon.

Remember – the temperatures are hot in Florida. Drink lots of fluids, use sun screen and rest during the hottest part of the day.

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Volunteer Gretchen Scoggin reads with children at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee.

First Lady Ann Scott Encourages Kids to Read Outdoors this Summer
~Outdoor summer reading promotes literacy and the enjoyment of nature while encouraging children to use their imagination to travel to places near and far~

In conjunction with First Lady Ann Scott’s recent announcement of the Summer Literacy Adventure, the Florida Department of Education (DOE) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are encouraging students to head outdoors with a book from DOE’s Just Read, Florida! 2011 Recommended Summer Reading List. With many of the books on this year’s list themed around travel, children can use their imagination and the environment at Florida’s state parks, greenways and trails to discover and learn about places near and far.

“Summer is the perfect time to pair education with adventure, and the greatest educational journey children can experience is the one they create themselves with their imaginations while immersed in a book,” said First Lady Ann Scott. “Literacy is the gateway to learning, development and lifelong success that allows children to learn about themselves and the world around them.”

Coupled with the Summer Reading List, the DOE’s Summer Literacy Adventure encourages students to pledge to read a certain number of books, visit a public library and develop a personalized reading list using the “Find a Book, Florida” search tool<http://florida.lexile.com>. The annual reading list is part of DOE’s Just Read, Florida! mission and features recommended books for ages K-12. Children are encouraged to pair these books with the different places, spaces and environments in the more than 700,000 acres of Florida’s 160 State Parks that create the perfect place for reading. The school with the greatest percentage of students participating in the Summer Literacy Adventure program will win a one-day pass for all students to any Florida State Park.

“Reading is vital for educational growth, improvement and success, and should continue after the school year ends,” said Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “By encouraging our students to read through a fun program such as the Summer Literacy Adventure, we can ensure that we are highlighting the importance of making reading a part of our daily lives.”

One of the suggested summer reads for 2011 is Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Yearling. This story takes readers back in time to Rawlings 1930s farm life. For those who want to experience the inspiration for The Yearling, DEP encourages families to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park<http://floridastateparks.org/marjoriekinnanrawlings/default.cfm> in Hawthorne, Fla.

“Reading outdoors in Florida’s award-winning state parks is a wonderful way to cultivate environmental stewardship and learning about Florida,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard, Jr. “By promoting literature focused on Florida’s diverse natural resources, we hope to harness students’ interests in school and environmental protection.”

Other examples of great books to enjoy in a Florida State Park from the 2011 summer reading list include:

·         Grades K-3: Buffy the Burrowing Owl, Betty Gilbert

·         Grades 4-5: A Faraway Island, Annika Thor

·         Grades 6-8: Hattie, Big Sky, Kirby Larson

·         Grades 9-12: Whispers from the Bay, John Tkac

To access the Summer Reading List and participate in the Summer Literacy Adventure, students can visit the Just Read, Florida! website at www.justreadflorida.com<http://www.justreadflorida.com/>.
Students can also identify books based on their interests through Find a Book at www.lexile.com/findabook<http://www.lexile.com/findabook>.

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A man fishes from the shore at Sebastian Inlet State Park in Melbourne Beach. Photo by Doug Shaw.

Go Fishing and Boating in June
~ Gather your bait and cast a line in hopes of catching dinner ~

June 4-12 is National Fishing and Boating Week. Of course, here in Florida, we fish and boat year-round in saltwater and freshwater.

VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, proclaims Florida as the Fishing Capital of the World<http://www.visitflorida.com/fishing/>. The opportunities in our state parks prove it true. Whether you like to fish from your own boat, from a charter, from a pier, river bank or … you get the picture. The possibilities are endless.

Sebastian Inlet State Park<http://www.floridastateparks.org/sebastianinlet/default.cfm> in Melbourne Beach offers fishing opportunities for everyone. The Sebastian Inlet and the surrounding waters provide fantastic Florida fishing for beach, river and inlet anglers. Impressive catches are often made from the two jetties extending into the Atlantic Ocean. Boat launch facilities provide access to nearby offshore fishing and diving. Fishing in freshwater is always a delight at Lake Manatee State Park<http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakemanatee/default.cfm> in Bradenton, Lake Griffin State Park<http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakegriffin/default.cfm> north of Leesburg or Lake Louisa State Park<http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakelouisa/default.cfm> in Clermont.

June 11 is National Marina Day and all boaters have their favorites. Try to use a designated Clean Marina<http://www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina/> to ensure environmentally friendly practices to protect our natural resources. Caladesi Island State Park<http://www.floridastateparks.org/caladesiisland/default.cfm> in Dunedin offers a marina with 108 slips with water and electric hook ups for boat camping or just visiting for the day.

Fishing licenses<http://www.myfwc.com/fishing> may be required. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is offering two weekends when licenses are not required – June 4 & 5 and June 18 & 19.

The first weekend coincides with the opening of red snapper season in the Gulf. The second weekend includes Father's Day - a time when a lot of men get to do things they enjoy, like fishing. FWC has also expanded the scalloping season, which will start a week early (June 25) and extend two weeks later to September 25.

Family Fun in June 2011

·         Help us plant trees in Florida. Visit Odwalla’s Plant a Tree<http://www.odwalla.com/plantatree> webpage and vote for Florida.

·         Saturday, June 4, Beach Bash<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events.cfm?sortpark=&viewevent=6473#6473> at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine.

·         Friday, June 10, National Gardens Week Volunteer Project<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events.cfm?sortpark=&viewevent=6921#6921> at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Palm Coast

·         Saturday, June 11, 2nd Saturday Gamble Jam<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events.cfm?sortpark=&viewevent=6928#6928> at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach. All musicians welcome.

·         Wednesday, June 15, National Get Outdoors Day.

·         Sunday, June 19 - Father’s Day. Bring your father to a state park and receive 50% off the admission price.*

·         Tuesday, June 21, first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

·         June 25, Battle of Bloody Mose 271st Anniversary Commemoration<http://floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events.cfm?sortpark=&viewevent=6823#6823>, Fort Mose Historic State Park, St. Augustine, 10 a.m. – Reenactment of two battles fought at the first legally sanctioned African settlement in what is now the United States.

*Excludes Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.

Special Events around Florida
·         Northwest Florida<http://www.floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events-northwest.cfm>
·         Northeast Florida<http://www.floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events-northeast.cfm>
·         Central Florida<http://www.floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events-central.cfm>
·         Southwest Florida<http://www.floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events-southwest.cfm>
·         Southeast Florida<http://www.floridastateparks.org/thingstodo/events-southeast.cfm>

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The Department of Environmental Protection values your feedback as a customer. DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. is committed to continuously assessing and improving the level and quality of services provided to you. Please take a few minutes to comment on the quality of service you received. Simply click on this link to the DEP Customer Survey<http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Parks.Newsletter@dep.state.fl.us>. Thank you in advance for completing the survey.
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