Savannas Preserve State Park
Encyclopedia
Savannas Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park
, located along much of the Atlantic Coast
between Fort Pierce
and Jensen Beach
.
; open grasslands with sparse South Florida Slash Pine trees. The park is made up of pine flatwoods, basin marsh, scrubby flatwoods, wet prairie and the Atlantic scrub ridge. Protecting southeast Florida's largest freshwater marsh, the Savannas Preserve State Park manages over 7,000 acres. It is home to many species, most notably: the threatened Florida Scrub Jay
and gopher tortoise
, the protected American alligator
, and the Sandhill Crane
. The park is also the home to a rare plant that only grows in the Savannas Preserve State Park in the world, the savannas mint.
The Savannas Education Center has live exhibits, a gift shop, self guided tour booklets, and information on many of Florida's State Parks. Interpretive guided tours and canoe/kayak trips are offered by the Friends of Savannas Preserve State Park (a nonprofit citizen's support organization). A calendar of events and newsletter may be picked up at the Education Center.
Fishing is allowed, there is an equestrian entrance, and biking is permitted (although difficult because of the sand). The park also has nearly 13 miles (21 km) of public trails from Jensen Beach Blvd to Easy Street. Please call the Education Center to gain access to the Equestrian lot.
This park contains nearly all of the remaining populations of the fragrant prickly-apple
(Harrisia fragrans), an endangered cactus species.
Florida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...
, located along much of the Atlantic Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
between Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
and Jensen Beach
Jensen Beach, Florida
Jensen Beach is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St...
.
General
Savannas Preserve State Park is predominantly a savannaSavanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
; open grasslands with sparse South Florida Slash Pine trees. The park is made up of pine flatwoods, basin marsh, scrubby flatwoods, wet prairie and the Atlantic scrub ridge. Protecting southeast Florida's largest freshwater marsh, the Savannas Preserve State Park manages over 7,000 acres. It is home to many species, most notably: the threatened Florida Scrub Jay
Florida Scrub Jay
The Florida Scrub-Jay is one of the species of scrub-jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida. Because of this, it is heavily sought by birders who travel from across the country to observe this unique species...
and gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
, the protected American alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
, and the Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
. The park is also the home to a rare plant that only grows in the Savannas Preserve State Park in the world, the savannas mint.
The Savannas Education Center has live exhibits, a gift shop, self guided tour booklets, and information on many of Florida's State Parks. Interpretive guided tours and canoe/kayak trips are offered by the Friends of Savannas Preserve State Park (a nonprofit citizen's support organization). A calendar of events and newsletter may be picked up at the Education Center.
Fishing is allowed, there is an equestrian entrance, and biking is permitted (although difficult because of the sand). The park also has nearly 13 miles (21 km) of public trails from Jensen Beach Blvd to Easy Street. Please call the Education Center to gain access to the Equestrian lot.
This park contains nearly all of the remaining populations of the fragrant prickly-apple
Harrisia fragrans
Harrisia fragrans is a rare species of cactus known by the common names fragrant prickly apple and Caribbean applecactus. It is endemic to Florida, where it is known mainly from St. Lucie County. The plant's habitat has been almost completely consumed by development, leading to its rarity...
(Harrisia fragrans), an endangered cactus species.