Forest Learning Community Locations in Southeast Florida – in both Broward & Dade
Take Root Forest Learning Community ~ In the forest and by the sea!
Forest School
Broward – Bonnet House & Hugh Taylor Birch State Park – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Travel to the maritime hammock by the sea for Forest School…seek out history and adventure as you meander through the diverse and rich habitats hidden from view – from mangrove estuary to maritime hammock to freshwater pond to the sandy shore. Discover Natural Florida as you explore the corners of this rich and precious oasis – tucked away amid the hustle and bustle of Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Bonnet House is a historic home and gardens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. In addition to their historic significance, the Bonnet House grounds encompass one of the last examples in South Florida of a native barrier island habitat. Five distinct ecosystems can be found on the property including the Atlantic Ocean beach and primary dune, a fresh water slough, the secondary dune which includes the house site, mangrove wetlands, and a maritime forest. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a Florida State Park located in Fort Lauderdale. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is an oasis of the last Tropical Maritime Hammock in all of Broward County. It preserves the natural heritage of subtropical coastal habitat that once covered southeast Florida.
Dade – Greynolds Park – North Miami, Florida
Travel to the shady maritime hammock, oak groves and pine glades for Forest School…seek the natural world as you hike the hammocks alive with oaks, royal palms and mangroves; explore the bends of the river estuary and the lakes within. Discover natural Florida’s abundant wildlife and the amazing bio-diversity in this verdant community park and natural space.
One of Dade County’s first public recreation areas, this 265-acre park on the banks of the Oleta River was designed by William Lyman Phillips and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1936 and 1939. The park, formerly a Seminole Indian trading post and later a rock quarry, was created in 1933 from a 110-acre donation to Dade County by A.O. Greynolds, President of the Ojus Rock Company; an additional 100 acres was donated a year later.
The beautiful, lush park has extensive hiking trails through hammock, riverside and mangroves. The hardwood hammocks are home to an enormous variety of trees, providing lush tropical forest in which to explore and play.
North Broward – Hillsboro Pineland
Travel to the uplands for Forest School. This beautiful and diverse park features upland -pine flatwoods with surface rock outcroppings and multiple wetlands for exploration and discovery. Vegetation includes slash pine, saw palmetto, myrsine, gallberry, staggerbush, beautyberry, cypress, swamp fern, sword fern, wax myrtle, muhly grass, and yellowtop.
Beach School – Forest School Participants Travel to the Beach Three Times a Year
Broward – Dania Beach – Mizell Johnson State Park
Take Root meets at the beach for “Beach School” three times a year! Travel to the barrier island to explore the green sand dunes, the lively inter-tidal zone and the calm estuary. Discover Natural Florida as you immerse into the coastal zone. This beach-side park just south of Port Everglades is the last example of an undeveloped coastal ecosystem in Broward County. Home to one of the last natural tidal creek and mangrove estuary systems in the area, the park is full of wildlife – birds, fish, crabs, manatees, and more!
Dade – Oleta River State Park
Take Root meets at the beach for “Beach School” three times a year! As a 1,000-acre natural oasis in the North Miami area with a vast array of flora and fauna. Offering multiple wetlands to explore, this park is an ideal spot wading and songbirds. Its coastal access gives patrons opportunities to view dolphins, turtles and manatee swimming around the area.