Perspectives in the Parks

This monthly program features experts in their field sharing information on a variety of topics including science, nature, history and art.

Perspectives in the Park is typically offered on the first Sunday of each month and is free and open to the public. Join us at Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center.   

Sunday, March 2

Native Groundcover, the literal foundation of wildlife habitat.

1 - 2 p.m.

The native groundcover plants of the southeastern pine savanna are an underappreciated component of a healthy pine savanna ecosystem. This presentation will explore this critical component and how it benefits our native wildlife species. This talk was rescheduled from September 2024.

Presenter Joe Vaughn has spent the last 40 years working for the conservation of various species of wildlife. He has worked on projects as diverse as the re-introductions of bobcats to de-horning black rhinos. Vaughn currently works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a private lands biologist, working with private landowners who want to improve wildlife habitat on their properties.

Sunday, March 9

Bird Walk with Alachua Audubon

10 a.m. - 12 noon

In March, we’ll also have a special bird walk with Alachua Audubon’s Danielle Zukowski on Wednesday, March 9 from 10 a.m. – 12 noon.

Meet trip leader Danielle Zukowski in the parking lot. This land was previously a dairy farm, which was then purchased by Home Depot and part of the property was preserved into a park by the City of Gainesville with funds from the Florida Communities Trust and support from Home Depot. The farmhouse was renovated into a nature center using funds from Wild Spaces Public Places. We will walk the paved trail surrounding the playground/pavilion to the looped nature trail through fern-covered wetlands and mixed upland forest and then head back to the nature center. We can take time to explore the nature center and see what birds are visiting the feeders!

Difficulty: 1 - about one mile or less

Items to consider carrying on this field trip: binoculars (a must), water, bug spray, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes, rain gear for sudden downpours, notebook, camera, contact information

Audubon field trip schedule

Sunday, April 6

Our Urban Forest: Native Trees and Their Role in Gainesville

1 - 2 p.m.

Join Urban Forestry Program Coordinator, Sam Schatz, for an engaging exploration of Gainesville’s native tree species. This session will include a short talk on the benefits of our urban forest, a live tree-planting demonstration, and a guided tree walk. Learn how trees provide critical ecosystem services and how Gainesville’s initiatives help protect and expand our urban canopy.

Sunday, May 4

UF’s Witness Tree: A History of the Oldest Known Longleaf Pine on Campus

1 - 2 p.m.

Using aerial photography and archival material, this talk by Brooke Whitaker charts the history of the oldest known longleaf pine on the University of Florida’s campus, first identified during America’s Bicentennial celebration. Designated “The Witness Tree,” the 275 year-old pine has lived through several radical changes to the local area, making clear the cultural and ecological impacts of longleaf pines in the Southern United States, as well as the larger implications for human and nonhuman environmental coexistence.

When

Location

Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center, 1500 NW 45th Ave., 32605, View Map