Welcome to the Friends of the Hammock Education Series

Hammock Park is more than a place to walk — it’s a living classroom filled with wildlife, history, and hidden stories waiting to be discovered. The Friends of the Hammock Education Series invites you to explore the park all year long through monthly digital themes that highlight the plants, animals, trails, and history that make this natural space so special.

Each month, we’ll shine a spotlight on a new topic — from majestic birds of prey and ancient trees to butterflies, waterways, and the people who helped shape Hammock Park. Along the way, you’ll learn fun facts, discover where to look on your next visit, and gain a deeper appreciation for why protecting this park matters for future generations.

Follow Friends of the Hammock on Facebook for weekly fun facts, photos, and nature insights throughout each month’s theme — and invite a friend or neighbor to follow along, too. The more our community learns, the stronger our collective stewardship becomes.

Want to support this work?
Become a Friends of the Hammock member and help preserve, protect, and educate our community about this unique natural treasure. Membership directly supports educational programming, conservation efforts, and volunteer initiatives that keep Hammock Park thriving.

Explore. Learn. Protect. Belong.

Butterflies of the Hammock “Wings of Color: Pollinators in Motion”

One of the hidden gems in Hammock Park is the butterfly garden. Amongst the beds of native Florida plants you will find some of nature’s most beautiful, delicate, and delightful insect…the butterfly. These amazing insects flutter from plant to plant in search of nectar, as well as finding a place to lay their eggs. Known for being an important pollinator, they help to fertilize plants enabling them to seed and produce fruit. All of which helps the plants to be healthy and return year after year.

There are many varieties of butterflies that visit the garden including; monarchs, gulf fritillaries, white peacocks, Eastern tiger swallowtails, black swallowtails, cloudless sulfurs, orange barred sulfurs, and giant swallowtails, to name a few.

Not only are these magnificent butterflies beautiful and fun to watch, they have many interesting things to note that you may not be aware of. For instance, did you know that butterflies do not have mouths or teeth? Instead they have a tube-like tongue, called a proboscis, that they use to drink liquids like nectar, rotting fruit, and even mud-water! Their taste receptors are located on their legs. They use these receptors to locate food, but also to determine if a leaf is suitable for laying eggs. Each of the different butterfly species requires specific plants to lay their eggs. These plants are referred to as “host” plants. For example, Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed because their caterpillars will only eat milkweed to survive. This is also a natural defense mechanism. As the caterpillars feed they begin to take on the essence of the milkweed. When the caterpillar creates its chrysalis, the adult butterfly that transforms will emerge tasting like milkweed. This aids in deterring predators as it is not a preferred taste!

There are many more fun facts about butterflies that we will share in our educational series on the Friends of Hammock Facebook page. Join us as we present “Butterflies of the Hammock” featuring interesting facts throughout the month of April.

Don’t forget to visit Hammock Park’s butterfly garden. Sit down on one of the benches, sit back, relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings while watching the butterflies as they dance amongst the plants. You will not be disappointed.

Life in the Canals: What Swims Beneath the Waterways of the Hammock

When most visitors walk the shaded trails of Hammock Park, their eyes are drawn upward to the canopy of live oaks or outward toward the winding paths. But just beyond the boardwalks and beside the Cedar Trail lies a quieter world — one that moves beneath the surface.

The canals of Hammock Park are more than scenic water features. They are living ecosystems that support fish, turtles, wading birds, amphibians, and countless microscopic organisms. These waterways connect the upland forest to surrounding coastal environments and play an essential role in the park’s ecological balance.

A Hidden Community of Fish

Beneath the surface, you’ll find a variety of fish species adapted to brackish and freshwater conditions. Mullet, minnows, sunfish, and seasonal species may move through depending on rainfall and tidal influence. These fish are not just residents — they are the foundation of the food web.

Small fish feed on algae and aquatic insects. Larger fish feed on smaller fish. And above the surface, birds like herons and ospreys rely on these populations for survival. When fish are thriving, it signals clean water and a balanced ecosystem.

Turtles and Reptiles Along the Banks

If you pause quietly along the canal edges, you may spot a turtle basking on a log. Species such as red-eared sliders and peninsula cooters use the canals for feeding and thermoregulation. These reptiles play a valuable role by consuming aquatic vegetation and small organisms, helping maintain balance.

You may also see the occasional water snake gliding silently across the surface. While often misunderstood, non-venomous water snakes are a natural part of Florida’s wetland systems and help control fish and amphibian populations.

Amphibians: The Health Indicators

Frogs and tadpoles are especially important in canal ecosystems. Amphibians are highly sensitive to changes in water quality, making them natural “early warning systems” for environmental stress. Their presence suggests that the canals remain relatively healthy.

After heavy rains, you may hear the chorus of frogs echoing through the Hammock — a reminder that these waterways are alive and active even when unseen.

Wading Birds: The Visible Hunters

The canals are feeding grounds for wading birds such as herons, egrets, ibis, and anhingas. These birds depend on shallow water and healthy fish populations to survive. Watching a great blue heron stand motionless before striking is a lesson in patience and precision.

These birds connect land and water ecosystems. Their nesting and feeding success directly reflect the health of the canals below.

Why Canal Health Matters

Waterways are often the first places to show signs of environmental stress. Pollution, litter, fishing line, and invasive plant growth can disrupt the delicate balance of aquatic life.

Healthy canals:

Filter and move stormwater
Support biodiversity
Provide habitat corridors
Sustain the food web
Improve overall park resilience

When canals are clean and biologically active, the entire Hammock ecosystem benefits — from the tallest canopy tree to the smallest dragonfly.

How Visitors Can Help

Protecting the canals doesn’t require large actions — it requires consistent, thoughtful ones.

Never leave trash behind.
Properly dispose of fishing line.
Stay on designated trails to prevent erosion.
Avoid feeding wildlife.
Report unusual wildlife behavior or pollution concerns.

Small behaviors add up. Every visitor plays a role in keeping the waterways healthy.

Look Beneath the Surface

The next time you walk along Cedar Trail or pause near a boardwalk, take a moment to look into the water. Notice the ripples. Watch for movement. Listen for splashes.

The canals of Hammock Park are not silent. They are full of life — life that supports the birds overhead, the trees along the banks, and the balance of the entire ecosystem.

When we understand what swims beneath, we better understand what it takes to protect what surrounds us.

Gopher Tortoise: The Architects Beneath Our Feet

Walking under the thick canopy of Hammock Park and gazing at the natural beauty it is easy to miss the different creatures that live on the forest floor. We see the birds and butterflies as the flutter around in the trees. We may little anole lizards scurry across the paths or maybe a turtle or two laying in the sun by the water, but what do we see on the forest floor? Look closely and you might see one of the most fascinating and industrious creatures, the gopher tortoise. Not only is it one of the longest living species originating over 60 million years ago, it is the only North American tortoise species east of the Mississippi river. Who knew that we would be fortunate enough to be graced with this ancient marvel residing in Hammock Park.

Gopher tortoises are best known for their architectural expertise, burrowing tunnels as large as 40 feet long and 10 feet wide! They have stumpy, elephant like back legs and flattened scaly shovel-like fore limbs that are perfect for digging. It’s incredible to think this small, slow-moving creature could create such a massive burrow. Not only is this tortoise amazing at construction but he is also one of the best landlords in the animal kingdom! Their burrows are sanctuary to over 350 different species. Many rare species like the gopher frog, Florida mouse, and Eastern indigo snake, and hundreds of rodents and invertebrates are among the rent-free inhabitants. This is a major key to our ecosystem. The gopher tortoise is considered a Keystone species, having an outsized impact on our environment. Many other species would not survive without the protection of the gopher tortoise burrows.

The gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species in Florida and is protected by the Government. It is illegal to touch, tamper with, or remove these tortoises from their natural environment. Habitat loss and human interference are the main causes of concern for their survival, that’s why it’s so important that we keep these turtles safe and protected within the Hammock. It is a privilege to have them reside here. It is up to us to keep the Park clean and stay out of their natural habitat. They need an uninterrupted environment that allows them to have the ability to feed on the tender grasses and plants that grow on the forest floor. Tortoises love low-growing grasses like wiregrass, bluestem, witchgrass, and broadleaf forbs. They are also fond of fruits like gopher apple, and pawpaw. By keeping our pets, children and ourselves out of these natural areas, their food source remains intact. There are also many reasons why we should not touch or move the gentle, slow-moving creatures. Even our best intentions can be fatal. Many people believe that all turtles like water, but tortoises are land based turtles and they cannot swim. If you move a gopher tortoise to water, it will drown. Leaving them alone gives them their best chance for living a long life. After all, a tortoise can live for 60-70 years! Let’s help this magnificent creature thrive in Hammock Park for our future generation to enjoy.

If you’d like a fun challenge, we would love for you to take a stroll through the park and see how many burrows or tortoise that you can see. One of our Facebook followers has reported sightings near the following areas:

· 6-8” tortoise spotted 150 feet south of Skinner on Palm Trail.
· A freshly dug burrow with a tortoise spotted on Highland just south of Palm/Gopher on the right side about 30 feet before you reach the bench.
· Multiple sightings on Grant Trail.

If you spot any and can take a photo without disturbing the habitat we’d love to have you send it to us so we can share it with our Friends of the Hammock community. Documented sightings give fellow nature lovers a head start when looking for the elusive forest floor dwellers of Hammock Park.

Birds of Prey: Guardians of the Hammock Sky

Look up as you walk the shaded trails of Hammock Park and you may catch a glimpse of one of its most impressive residents. Silent wings gliding between oak branches, a sharp cry echoing overhead, or a sudden splash near the water’s edge are all signs that birds of prey—also known as raptors—are at work. These powerful hunters are an essential part of the Hammock’s ecosystem and a strong indicator of the park’s overall health.

Hammock Park provides a rich habitat for several raptor species, including Barred Owls, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Ospreys. Each of these birds has evolved remarkable adaptations that allow them to thrive in this unique environment of mature trees, open waterways, and diverse prey.

Barred Owls are perhaps the most familiar raptors to many visitors, especially those who enjoy the park in the early morning or evening hours. Known for their distinctive call—often described as “Who cooks for you?”—these owls are nocturnal hunters. Their large, forward-facing eyes provide exceptional night vision, while their facial discs funnel sound toward their ears, allowing them to locate prey by sound alone. Soft, fringed feathers enable nearly silent flight, giving them a critical advantage when hunting small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians beneath the forest canopy. Barred Owls rely on large, old trees with natural cavities for nesting, making preserved hardwoods in the Hammock especially important for their survival.

Red-shouldered Hawks are more commonly seen during daylight hours, perched high in the trees or soaring above the trails. Their keen eyesight—far sharper than that of humans—allows them to spot movement from great distances. These hawks prefer wooded areas near water, where they hunt snakes, frogs, rodents, and insects. They often announce their presence with a loud, ringing call as they patrol their territory. Red-shouldered Hawks build stick nests high in tree canopies, returning year after year to the same general area. Their presence signals a healthy balance between forest cover and open hunting space within the park.

Near the waterways and open areas of Hammock Park, visitors may spot one of the most dramatic hunters of all: the Osprey. Sometimes called “fish hawks,” Ospreys are uniquely adapted for life near water. They have reversible outer toes and barbed pads on their feet, allowing them to grip slippery fish with ease. Unlike many raptors, Ospreys dive feet-first into the water to capture their prey, emerging with powerful wingbeats and a freshly caught fish. Ospreys often build large nests on tall structures or trees near water and are known to return to the same nest sites year after year. Their reliance on clean, fish-filled waterways makes them an important indicator of water quality in and around the Hammock.

Together, these birds of prey play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. By controlling populations of rodents, reptiles, and fish, raptors help prevent overpopulation and reduce the spread of disease. Their nesting success depends on mature trees, quiet spaces, and healthy prey populations—all signs of a thriving natural environment. When raptors flourish, it tells us that the ecosystem is functioning as it should.

Protecting birds of prey also means protecting the Hammock itself. Preserving old-growth trees, keeping trails clean, reducing noise, and properly disposing of fishing line and litter all contribute to a safer habitat for these birds. Small actions by visitors can have a big impact on the wildlife that depends on this space.

Birds of prey remind us that Hammock Park is not just a recreational area, but a living, breathing ecosystem where every species has a role. By learning to recognize these raptors and understanding their importance, we deepen our connection to the park and strengthen our commitment to its protection.

See for Yourself:
Visit the Oak Trail or Cedar Trail at sunrise or sunset for your best chance to spot these magnificent birds. Bring binoculars, move quietly, and take a moment to look up—you may just witness one of the Hammock’s true guardians in flight.

As part of the Friends of the Hammock Education Series, we invite you to continue learning, observing, and sharing the wonder of Hammock Park. Every discovery helps ensure that these powerful hunters continue to soar above the Hammock for generations to come.