St. Lucie County's Guided Nature Program Series

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Americans are becoming more and more dependent on technology and they are losing touch with nature and the outdoors. Nature deficit disorder has become a tangible point of discussion in recent years, and no one knows this more than the environmental education professional. Today they compete with screen-time, video games, and social media to deliver a message that it’s not too late to find nature at our doorsteps. St. Lucie County owns and manages over 10,000 acres of publicly accessible conservation land and has always struggled to connect its people with the land they voted to purchase and preserve. In response, St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources Department (ERD) created the Guided Nature Program Series that runs from October to May each year. By offering free guided interpretive hikes and paddles on the county’s numerous preserves, St. Lucie County’s ERD staff and volunteers help educate residents and visitors about the fascinating ecological systems that make up our region. A wonderful result of the program are the informed citizens who have become environmental stewards of these acquired conservation lands and have joined us on our mission to preserve and protect the habitats of St. Lucie County.