Possom Long Nature center is a 5 acre nature preserve behind the Martin County Audubon office…read morelocated in a historic home that was part of the Camp Murphy (1942-1944), a top secret army camp for the signal corps that was created during WWII in what is now Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The house is a classic example of the frame vernacular building style used by the Army at that time. Today it has has meeting rooms, displays, and bird photography. The Audubon Society offers events and guided tours of the preserve. This natural area is named in honor of Clifton "Possum" Long who was a Martin County High School agricultural teacher in the 1940's. He was a graduate of the Officers Training school at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the football field at Martin County High is named for him. Legend has that Possom got his nickname from playing possom, in other words pretending to be dead, in order to catch his students misbehaving. Around 1950, he built a house on the foundation of an old barn where local children once stabled their horses. He operated a plant nursery and for years when couples married in Stuart, they received a plant as a wedding gift from him. Possom Long nature Center is being rehabilitated through the Audubon's Native Plant Restoration Project in partnership with the Stuart Garden Club. Memory Lane at Possum Long Nature Center is being cared for by the members of the Garden Club as an ongoing project honoring the memory of its members. The club has planted living memorials in the form of trees, shrubs and various specimens of plant life and inscribe names of deceased members on the permanent plaque each year displayed at Possum Long House. Other preserve amenities include natural earth trails, picnic tables, a butterfly garden, and native trees and plants. Although the nature preserve is in the middle of a neighborhood, it attracts a variety of wildlife including nesting Cardinal Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and Osprey. Finding this charming preserve was a highlight of my day exploring Stuart.

New Monrovia Park is located in New Monrovia, an African American community that was established…read morenear West Palm Beach in the area now known as Port Salerno. The park is across the street from Murray Middle School. Park amenities include a playground with climbing equipment, slides, and swings, a covered pavilion with several picnic tables, basketball court, and open space where cultural events are staged like the annual Bahamian Festival. As a history enthusiast I enjoyed discovering the historic 1934 Port Salerno Colored School which was one of the few schools in Martin County providing education to African-American students during segregation. Today the Salerno Colored School is one of the only single room schoolhouses left on the Treasure Coast. Next to the school is the Costella Williams Learning Center which was named in honor of one of the esteemed teachers at the school.

This park is part of a freshwater marsh or savana that used to cover the southeast coast of…read moreFlorida. This preserve is one of the longest remaining tracts of east coast savanna. It is 10 miles long stretching from Ft. Pierce to Jensen Beach.The term savanna for the marshland and ponds was first used by Lt. Colonel Benjamin Pierce during the Second Seminole Wars. In 1879 Captain Thomas Richards came here from Key West to plant pineapples which thrived in the sandy soil. From 1895 to 1920 Jensen Beach became the pineapple capital of the world. In 1977, 6,000 acres of land were acquired to create a park that protects this biologically unique ecosystem. Today the park offers many amenities to the nature enthusiast. There are 15 miles of trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians. There is also a canoe and kayak launch. At 8:30 AM every Friday and Saturday morning volunteers lead two hour guided tours. Reservations are required and you can call this number: 772-398-2779. Fishing is available in the park if you have the proper license. If all of the fun outdoor sports makes you hungry there are a number of picnic shelters around the preserve. To learn more about the savannas you can go to the Visitor Center Education Center which is open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. I only got a chance to scratch the surface of this wonderful park and now I can't wait to come and explore it more fully. Admission to the park is $3 that you put into an envelope on the honor system. If you visit bring cash make sure to have the exact amount. The money goes to supporting a wonderful outdoor space rich in history, plants, and animals.

In 2012 Hobe Sound commissioners changed the name of the 24.2 acre South County Ball Park to…read moreWilliam G Doc Myers Park in honor of hometown hero William Myers. Myers was a Martin County physician who went on to serve as Martin County Commissioner for two terms in the late 1960s-1970s during which time the County's Comprehensive Plan was approved. He also served as State Representative from 1978-1982 and State Senator from 1982-2000. I discovered Doc Myers Park when I pulled in for a restroom break and ended up stretching my legs and walking around for a few minutes. The park is located next to the railroad tracks on Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway. This park offers a variety of athletic facilities and recreational amenities. One of the most popular is the 6 outdoor hard courts for pickleball. Pickleball is a cross between table tennis, badminton, and tennis. It was invented by three vacationers on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, in 1965. There are now 36.5 million pickleball players in the U.S and it was named the fastest growing sport in the U.S. in 2024. Other park amenities include two lighted baseball/softball fields, two basketball courts, and two soccer fields. Doc Myers Park is the home of the Hobe Sound Soccer Club and it is a popular spot for outdoor recreation for families, walkers, and sports enthusiasts.

Been into this park a few times to use the brand new skating area. I was pleasantly surprised with…read morehow nice this park is. You have pretty much everything you can think of in this park with a very large parking lot. If your kid loves baseball, there's always baseball games going on and there's also a playground for kids to enjoy. I haven't really explored the whole park on foot, only driven by since the skating area is all the way in the back. It's pretty new. I heard they just filled it in. I would say it's like the size of a normal skating area you would find at an indoor rink. I will come more often, but it is a 20 minute drive and they're doing a lot of construction on the roads that I take together. I wish there was more of these skating areas in different parts of Port St. Lucie.

Built in 1992, this is a 37 acre park located off of Darwin Blvd in Port St Lucie. It is used to…read morehost community events like the garage sale next weekend and movies in the park. Park amenities include a baseball/softball field, football field, playground, pickle ball court, volleyball net, and restrooms. There is a large 35x25 pavilion with electricity and two 16x16 pavilions that can be rented for private events. Whispering Pines also has a 14 court tennis center which is shared by the Parks and Recreation Department and the High School. You can sign up for lessons at the tennis center and the courts service all levels of players, from beginners to professionals. The fields are lighted and the park is open every day from 8 AM to 10 PM. My favorite part of the park was watching the birds. While I was walking around two Sandhill cranes came by. I don't get to see them in South Florida so it is always a treat to find them when I travel north. These two characters were hollering at the top of their lungs. It was the first time I've ever heard the call of a Sandhill Crane. This is a really beautiful and well maintained park providing sports, leisure activities, picnics, and events for the community of Port St Lucie.

Nice walking trail and the boardwalk is so nice. Sundays w the Vendors for a few hours. Nice…read moreSelection Friendly Vendors local people.

Another great Florida park! We decided to stop here again to enjoy the nice weather, and let the…read morekids burn off some energy. I'm impressed how clean parks are in Florida, not one scrap of liter to be found, after the kids grew tried of the playground, we decided to walk on a bit of the board walk! If you are in the area, please visit, it's very peaceful!

This is the nature center at the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Originally…read morenamed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, this preserve was established September 30, 1969. Nathaniel P. Reed's parents helped to create the preserve by donating swaths of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service near the Indian River Lagoon in the 1960s and early 1970s. On April 17, 2019, the name of the preserve was changed to honor their son environmentalist Nathaniel Pryor Reed who was the environmental advisor to Florida governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. in the 1960's. He also served as environmental advisor to Assistant Secretary of the Interior to presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford from 1971 to 1977. Reed was instrumental in drafting the Endangered Species Act and saving Big Cypress Swamp. The Clean Water Act is also part of his legacy. He was known for fighting for the environment before it was cool to do so. Reed was a long time Jupiter Island resident. He passed away in July of 2018 after falling and hitting his head after hooking a 16 pound salmon while fishing in Quebec. The refuge is located on the coast of Martin County and it is divided by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1000 acres. The Jupiter land tract is 735 acres and is important to the environment because it contains the largest complete section (3.5 miles of Atlantic Ocean Beach) of undeveloped beach in Southeastern Florida. As a result of the uninterrupted beach it is one of the most productive sea turtle nesting areas in the Southeastern United States. The Refuge protects 40 species of sea turtles listed as either threatened, endangered, or of special concern. Florida is the only state where endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles nest. The 300 acre sand pine scrub area is rare because the high, dry land was ideal for building on, so more than 90 percent of this ecosystem in Florida has been lost to development. You only find sand pine scrub in Florida and Alabama. The preserve also contains 10 miles of mangrove communities along the Indian River Lagoon. This National Wildlife Refuge has a large biodiversity of plants and animals. The last time I visited this refuge in 2021, the visitors center was closed for renovations so I was interested in visiting this trip. The nature center is run by a private, non-profit organization, that is dedicated to promoting an environmental awareness in people of all ages. The nature center building is made up of a exhibit hall, classroom/ lab, and a gift shop. Exhibits in the nature center include the sand pine scrub, Indian River Lagoon, The Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter Island, protecting biodiversity, adaptions for survival, and information about the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Preserve. There are tanks with fish and reptiles to view. The nature center hosts turtle walks, summer camps, evening forums, scrub tours and more. It is free to visit the nature center but some of the events may have an additional charge. Check out their website for a complete list of upcoming events. On Earth Day April 22nd they will be offering free family activities, games and crafts. Before you leave be sure and check out the cute gift shop with an assortment of nature themed items. Next to the parking lot is a stairway that takes you down to a beautiful beach where you can swim. You can also hike the scrub surrounding the nature center. There is so much to enjoy at the refuge and I always enjoy my visits.

Nice trail heading to the beach and the nature center has lots of animals including fish, a snake,…read moreowl, salamander and hawk.

The Maggy of Maggy's Hammock was environmentalist and long time county Martin County commissioner,…read moreMaggy Hurchalla. Before being renamed in Maggy's honor this was known as Rocky Point Hammock. This is a 22 acre natural conservation area consisting of scrub and maritime hammock communities. Scrub habitats are particularly endangered in Florida. They used to cover many miles but have been reduced to small patches since they occur at higher elevations which is exactly where developers like to build. This park is like walking back in time to before Florida was turned into strip malls and subdivisions. There is a paved trail that is ADA accessible and leads to a picnic area and playground. Along the presenter of the hammock is a one mile natural earth loop trail. As you walk along the trails you will see gumbo limbo trees nicknamed the tourist tree because the peeling bark looks like sunburn. Also look for white stopper known for its skunk like smell, the thorny acacia, oak and paradise trees, slash pines, strangler fig, wild coffee, beauty berry, resurrection ferns, hickory, the white blooming marlberry, Florida and scrub rosemary, wild lime, and saw palmetto. The large number of berry producing plants attracts an assortment songbirds. Look for them in the trees. This park is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. On the ground you may be able to spot the state protected gopher tortoises. The destruction of their habitat has dealt a blow to their population. I was excited to see two tortoises walking around the preserve. Although I can form easily spot their burrows I rarely see them walking around as they spend up to 80 percent of their time burrowed under dry sandy ground. I loved my walk through this natural area. Martin County has 93,000 acres parks and preserves to explore and it is always fun to discover a new one. A visit to Twin Rivers Park a half a mile away is also well worth your time. There is a gorgeous view of the St. Lucie River and the chance to spot even more gopher tortoises.