marimar landis slavic
Latrina Mosely
This 5.8-acre park is part of the Boardman Wetlands and features a nature play area, outdoor educational areas and a scenic boardwalk trail loop. Developed in partnership with Oak Lodge Water Services District, this new park provides recreational activities for all ages, opportunities to connect with nature, and access to observe the diverse ecology of wetland habitats. Still in the process of getting an official name, the new park is now open to the public for all to enjoy.
This 5.8-acre nature park and restored wetlands nestled in the heart of Jennings Lodge is the result of a partnership between NCPRD and Oak Lodge Water Services District. Additional financial support through grants came from Metro and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The project was developed with community input and supported by many local groups, including Clackamas County, North Clackamas Watersheds Council, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oak Grove CPO.
One of the most defining characteristics about the park is the Boardman Creek and floodplain wetlands, which are part of the larger Boardman-Rinearson Watershed Complex and provides habitat for a diverse range of plants and wildlife. The site was once undeveloped land, scarce of wildlife and filled with the invasive reed canary grass. After several years of restoration and planting almost 25,000native plants, it is now home to ducks, geese, beaver and many other aquatic species.
NCPRD partners with OLWS, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the North Clackamas Watershed Council to enhance habitat and water quality within the Boardman Watershed. Watershed health impacts not only wildlife habitat but also can impact flooding, human health and have economic benefits. Learn more about the Boardman Wetland.
A 1,500-ft. boardwalk trail winds its way through the wetland with scenic views and overlook areas, allowing visitors to get a closer look at the diversity of underwater plants and wildlife throughout the park. Boardman Wetlands Nature Park is an ideal location for photography and bird-watching. Be on the lookout for the red-winged blackbird and northwest tree frog. In the spring, you might also catch a glimpse of baby ducklings scurrying about.
The park includes a nature play area, inspired by natural elements for more interactive play and greater connections to nature. An outdoor classroom plaza and hands-on education area with pond access provide opportunities to learn about the ecology of a wetland up-close.
This project is the result of a partnership between NCPRD and Oak Lodge Water Services District. Additional financial support through grants came from Metro and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Learn more about the project here.
The trail, education plaza, playground, and wetland access overlook are all wheelchair accessible. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on the park property, in order to protect sensitive habitat and wildlife.
The Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve & Learning Center enhances community understanding of the need to preserve coastal ecosystems' natural resources for future generations through access and education.
This 162-acre nature preserve is filled with the wonders of our natural world. We invite everyone to explore the two miles of nature viewing trails and walk away with a new-found experience and understanding. The Learning Center is open to visitors. Come and learn about the importance of protecting the wetlands for future generations. As a student of nature, you will find the Preserve's "live classroom" truly fascinating.
To book a field trip, please complete the Field Trip Request Form and email the completed form to Leslie Albrecht at Les...@cctexas.com at least three weeks before your trip. You will receive a confirmation email and invoice for your trip within 48 hours.
Book your child's birthday party with us! Celebrate the special day as you and your party guests discover the Preserve and have fun. Pick from our three options per age group. We suggest booking at least six weeks in advance due to limited openings. See the flyer below for more details.
The Preserve offers a variety of ways volunteers can make meaningful and rewarding contributions. View the presentation below to learn more. Interested individuals are encouraged to complete the application form below or contact Leslie Albrecht at Les...@cctexas.com.
The Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department offers free use of All-Terrain Wheelchairs for persons with disabilities. These chairs allow you to move about on the preserve trails, making it more enjoyable and accessible to explore nature.
The City of Corpus Christi adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year's tax rate. The tax rate will effectively be raised by 4.69 percent and will raise taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home by approximately $16.87.
The purpose of the new 20-acre South Wilmington Wetlands Park is to create a stormwater management facility, restore and enhance existing wetlands, and create a new park for the community. This site was identified by the Southbridge community as an ideal location for a wetlands park in 2006. Since then, the City of Wilmington has been working with other agencies, nonprofits, and the Southbridge community to develop a park that incorporates community feedback to address ongoing issues of flooding and contamination.
The Park will also increase local walkability and recreational opportunities. The site's most prominent design feature is a wide, ADA accessible boardwalk/on-grade pathway through the heart of the park. This pathway will allow residents and visitors to experience the full beauty of the park while also connecting the Southbridge community to nearby jobs and retail shopping.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park is not only a place to connect with nature, it's a way to protect our environment. The park, which consists of more than 125 acres of wetlands and ponds, was created to improve the water quality of wetlands in Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer.
Now a thriving habitat, Sweetwater Wetlands Park is filled with vast numbers of plants and animals, including birds, butterflies, and alligators. At the park, you can walk more than 3.5 miles of crushed gravel trails and boardwalks, experience the lush landscape from viewing platforms, and learn about the habitat through educational signs and tours.
The Iron Bridge Regional WRF was constructed in 1979 by the City of Orlando with a mandate from the U.S.E.P.A. to consolidate several wastewater treatment facilities and to expand the available sewer capacity in the area. However, regional facility needed more effluent disposal capacity by the mid-1980s. An innovative solution to this situation was to develop a man-made wetlands system for the reuse of the highly treated effluent from the regional treatment facility. The City of Orlando purchased 1,650 acres in 1986 at a cost of $5,128,000 near Fort Christmas for this purpose. The 1,220 acre man-made wetland treatment system was completed in July 1987 with the conversion of the former pasture areas into wetlands.
The reclaimed water begins its 40-day journey through the Wetlands Park at the influent distribution structure, which is located near the western most edge of the property, just north of Wheeler Road, and in close proximity to the Influent Observation Deck. The reclaimed water meanders through the various habitats and eventually arrives at the two outfall structures for the wetland system. The flow leaves the Orlando Wetlands Park via a canal and flows into the St Johns River.
The function of the influent structure is to distribute the reclaimed water among the three flow paths through the wetland system. The reclaimed water flows first into the cells with the deep marsh habitat, which consists primarily of monocultures with either cattails or giant bulrush. Afterwards, the flow is routed through the mixed marsh and wet prairie cells containing thick growths of pickeralweed, duck potato and other aquatic shrubs. These areas are favored by the wading birds and migratory waterfowl. The final habitat in the wetland system is the hardwood swamp. Cypress, popash, tupelo and water hickories dominate within these cells. However, due to the constant high water levels, the trees have stunted growth and this habitat typically mirrors the deep marsh areas. A 100 acre lake is part of the central and southern flow paths through the wetland system.
The outflow is sampled every day and the results are reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District. On average, the wetland system removes about 64% of the total nitrogen and approximately 74% of the total phosphorus in the reclaimed water. The wetlands outflow remains consistently lower than the background levels of phosphorus that are found in the St Johns River.
The park is highly popular with wildlife photographers and birders due to its amazing biodiversity. Local photography schools also host field trips to the park. During our visit I saw several camera lenses that likely required a second mortgage to buy. Most of the trails in the park are old roadbeds with only a few exceptions. This makes it easily accessible for people of all abilities and a good place to bring a bike. There are picnic and bathroom facilities near the entrance. The Orlando Wetlands Park is located at: 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, Florida, 32709. Keep in mind that the park shuts down from November 15th through January 31st of each year.
Thanks for posting this. When I lived on the east coast we used to ride our bikes at the Viera Wetlands in Melbourne. Now that we live in Orlando we will have to start ridding out here.
Safe travels,
Greg
Next Phase
The next phase of the park to be designed will include the following: outdoor basketball courts, skate park, pickleball courts, pathways, parking lot and shade structures. This phase will be adjacent to the West Parking lot (near the three multi-purpose fields).