Trekker Talk. Florida Forever Keeps Flesh on Florida s Precious Bones F L O R I D A T R A I L A S S O C I A T I O N. (Continued on Page 2)

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1 F L O R I D A T R A I L A S S O C I A T I O N Tropical Trekkers Chapter P.O. Box 423 Palm City, FL Trekker Talk A p r i l V o l u m e 2 0, N u m b e r 4 Chapter Meeting Welcome The Tropical Trekkers meet on the second Monday of each month at the Palm City Community Center, located on Cornell Avenue at the Southwest corner of the Palm City Bridge. The meeting begins at 6:45 PM with sign up sheets available for upcoming activities. By 7:00 PM the monthly program begins. We often invite outside speakers that compliment our outdoors theme. April 8th Program: This month's program is a presentation on (Continued on page 2) I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Activities List 3 Activity Corner 5 Officers & Directors List 10 BOD Meeting 11 Florida Forever Funding Amendment 12 Florida Forever Keeps Flesh on Florida s Precious Bones January 1, by Rebecca Eagan, Guest Columnist In a recent New York Times essay titled, "The Child's Menagerie," Lydia Millet asks: "Will the children (one day) easily turn their attention to an array of bright novelties, as fascinating to them as wild animals were to their forebears? "Or will they, every now and then after watching an old movie or reading an old book and glimpsing the marvelous strangeness and beauty of what once lived here with us imagine those sad multitudes with dragging wings and drooping tails and make a childish wish: "Can't you come back? Come back, come back! Come back to us, you great dead creatures of the earth." Children love living things, not just bones. Even adults mourn dusky seaside sparrows and the obscure Florida tribes that white settlement tramped out. Our higher angels chafe at man-caused extinction. When viewing remote camera footage of a panther looking dotingly to her cubs, or of a huge bruin mugging into the lens, I'm suspended between hope and despair at their prospects. We need Florida Forever, for all the sustainability reasons that apply directly to humans, but also for what Edmund Burke termed those "unbought graces" that cannot be expressed in dollar terms or even fully into words: scrub jays, tortoises, butterflies, pumas; our prairies, cypress bays and longleaf pine-palmetto haunts. It helps for the Legislature to admit that Florida is unlivable without "green space" and to trickle funds back to our historically exemplary lands program. But, preservation left prey to the partisanship in Tally won't do. What a house and senate can bestow, can be snatched from under us, like a rug "not modern enough" for the ruling taste. Without reliable funds, any land program is slapdash, often clouded by cronyism and special interests. Happily, a coalition of conservationists conceived the Water and Land Legacy Amendment, which would put Florida Forever's survival in our constitution for the next 20 years. This measure would not preclude lawmakers from doing good things right now for the environment. But it would quell the terror over which precious paradise is next to get scraped and asphalted, while the "child's menagerie" heads toward extinction. (Continued on Page 2)

2 P a g e 2 Chapter Meeting (continued) (Continued from page 1) Land Management: Fires, ditch filling, imperiled species, exotic species removal, etc. presented by JDSP Park Biologist Robin Rossmanith. May 13th Program: Trekker Walt Keller will share his personal experience walking the Ocean to Lake Trail. June 10th Program: TBA July 8th Program: Ice Cream Social! Welcome New Members! Mark Babcock Stuart Randy & Mimi Swaringer Jensen Beach ecologically intact will not work. The state's latest offer to her citizens is to finance new lands by selling public tracts off: No thanks. "In perpetuity" has meaning. Politicians rarely grasp the ecological fine points unless personally engaged to by an organization or resident to whom conserving a given bio-gem is vital. Florida Forever is not a frill. It worked seamlessly under prior governors. The Acquisition and Restoration Council, an arm of the Department of Environmental Protection, prioritized potential land for purchase according to nonpolitical criteria broad public benefit; recreation potential; habitat value; corridor connectivity; watershed integrity, etc. not because an official's buddy owned it. August 9, 2012 Sharon Lindgren Fort Pierce Dan Schupka Palm City Martin Ander Jensen Beach Ray & Mary Jo Burdett Jensen Beach Jonathan Welden Port St. Lucie Joanne Allerdyce Jensen Beach Fred Lagno Jensen Beach Elaine Zumsteg Stuart Steven Rozansky Palm City Cindy Jollie Hobe Sound David Snodgrass Stuart Florida Forever (Continued from Page 1) Florida Forever was extended in 2008 to get $300 million per year through In 2009, the Legislature slashed conservation funding by 97.5 percent. Now, the appropriation is near zero. Begging for crumbs to accomplish the bare minimum of connective corridors and large swathes to keep us In an effort to take the politics out protecting public land, environmental groups have launched a petition drive for a constitutional amendment to bar lawmakers from tinkering with funding for conservation programs. The proposed amendment would chisel into stone funding formulas for land purchases and conservation efforts, similar to those already found in Florida statutes. As an amendment to the constitution, lawmakers could not alter the funding requirements because changes to Florida s constitution must be approved by voters. By contrast, statutes are created, amended or repealed by the legislature. Please, if you feel that the opinions expressed above are valid and worth a few minutes of your time, print the last page of this news letter, fill out the petition and return it to: Florida s Water and Land Legacy 316 Williams St. Tallahassee, Florida Or bring it with you to the next chapter meeting and we will send it on for you. We hope to see you there!

3 TROPICAL TREKKERS ACTIVITIES LISTING April P a g e 3 When Where Event Description Difficulty, Participation* Sat. Mar. 30, Starvation Slough **NEW** Day Hike Starvation Slough - Day hike on the east side of the Kissimmee River. 9 miles on an in and out trail. Mostly under oak hammock on a wide trail. One water crossing about knee deep and 20 feet wide. This may be the FTST one day. We'll be checking the old 65b lock area for a possible water source on future backpack trips. Call or write for meeting time Activity Leaders, Contact Lori Burris (772) LoriBurris.Swamptromper@Gmail.com Wed. Apr. 3, Stuart Stuart Causeway Mid-Week Walk - See old friends and meet new ones. Stay in shape this spring walking your own pace up to 5 miles. Call or write for meeting Leisure to Paula Miller (772) pnmille1@yahoo.com Thurs. April 4, Jensen Beach Dessert Hike at Hawk's Bluff - Join us for this annual treat. We will hike 1 mile to a spot overlooking the savannahs. There we will have dessert and coffee while we watch the sunset. Limited to 30 people. Meeting location to be determined. Anyone wishing to go must contact one of the leaders either by phone or by Leisure, Kay Clements (772) , kayclements@comcast.net Tom Clements (772) , thomasc09@comcast.net Sat. April 6, Jones/ Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Ar- Morning Hike in Hungryland's Pal-Mar East - Take a morning hike in the Hungryland Wildlife area. We will hike on a trail in this environmental area of about 6 miles. This is an area of pine flatwoods, marsh and prairies with a variety of wildlife and birds not often hiked by us. Call or write for details. Leisure to Members and Guests Jay Levitt (772) JayL12@bellsouth.net Mon. April 8, Sat. April 13, Palm City Community Center DuPuis/ Corbett WMA Monthly Chapter Meeting - Social and activities signup begins at 6:45 p.m. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. This month's program is a presentation on Land Management: Fires, ditch filling, imperiled species, exotic removal, etc. by JDSP Park Biologist Robin Rossmanith. The public is invited! **NEW** Corbett Slough Hike - Hike the remote Corbett Slough along the Ocean to Lake trail. We will hike from the DuPuis/Corbett border to Little Gopher Camp, stop to eat, then return. About 8 miles round trip. Parts of trail may be wet. This is a beautiful sec- Members and Guests Bridget Kean (850) bridgetkean@comcast.net Jay Levitt (772) JayL12@bellsouth.net Janet Bartha Sun. April 14, Indiantown **NEW** Tour of FP&L Solar Facility and Barley Barber Swamp - Join us for a tour of the new FP&L solar power hybrid electric generating plant and Barley Barber Swamp, the 400 acre old-growth cypress swamp community located at the back of the FP&L property in western Martin County. Get on the bus...this tour is not to be missed! Optional brunch. Members Only Chuck Barrowclough (772) cbarrowclough@comcast.net Mon. April 15, Seabranch Preserve Trail Care - Please join us for grooming and blazing the north and south loop trails. We will begin in mid to Moderate to Strenuous, Audrey Minnis (772) Wed. Apr. 17, Stuart Stuart Causeway Mid-Week Walk - See old friends and meet new ones. Stay in shape this spring walking your own pace up to 5 miles. Call or write for meeting Leisure to Paula Miller (772) pnmille1@yahoo.com

4 TROPICAL TREKKERS ACTIVITIES LISTING April (Continued from Page 4) When Where Event Description Difficulty, Participation* Sat. April 20, Sat. - Sun. April Wed. Apr. 24, Sat. April 27, Wed. May 1, Mon. May 13, Mon. May 20, Jupiter Starvation Slough Stuart **NEW** Riverwalk Urban Breakfast Walk Celebrating Earth Day! - Join us for an interesting walk along the newly expanded pedestrian promenade on the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter. This improved paved multiuse walkway winds through neighborhoods, marinas, and mangroves blending both urban and natural points of interest mostly along the waterway. About 5 miles out and back. Optional breakfast after. Call or write for details. **NEW** Starvation Slough Backpacking We will hike in 4-5 miles, set up camp and enjoy the oak canopy. We may hike around the area for further investigation. I have some equipment to lend, but please do not assume that I can equip you: call to discuss your needs vs. my supply. We should be back home in the early afternoon Sunday. Stuart Causeway Mid-Week Walk - See old friends and meet new ones. Stay in shape this spring walking your own pace up to 5 miles. Call or write for meeting time and place. Juno Beach C.I.T.O. at Juno Dunes - Join us for this "Cache In Trash Out" geocaching event where geocachers around the world give back to the environment. Again this year, we will participate in the Juno Dunes cleanup in conjunction with the PBC ERM. Gloves, snacks and water supplied. Meet fellow cachers. Do a little geocaching after. Space is limited. Help to represent the Trekkers at this annual event. Stuart Stuart Causeway Mid-Week Walk - See old friends and meet new ones. Stay in shape this spring walking your own pace up to 5 miles. Call or write for meeting time and place. Palm City Community Center Seabranch Preserve SP Monthly Chapter Meeting - Social and activities signup begins at 6:45 p.m. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. This month's program is a Walter Keller's presentation in words and pictures of the 6 day back pack on his annual Ocean to Lake hike in February. Trail Care - Please join us for grooming and blazing the north and south loop trails. We will begin in mid to late afternoon. Call for details. * Guide To Difficulty/Participation Column Meaning Difficulty: Leisure Generally 5 miles or less, good footing, casual to medium pace Moderate Strenuous Participation: Generally 5 to 10 miles, uneven footing, possibly water, and/or fast pace Leisure to Members and Guests Moderate to Strenuous, Leisure to Leisure to Members and Guests Leisure to Moderate to Strenuous, Generally more than 10 miles and/or backpacking, uneven footing, possibly water, and/or fast pace Event is open to members and anyone else approved by the event activity leader Members & Event is open to members and their guests approved by the event activity leader Guests Members Only Event is open only to Trekkers and other FTA members in good standing P a g e 4 Activity Leaders, Contact Paula Miller (772) pnmille1@yahoo.com Jay Levitt (772) JayL12@bellsouth.net Lori Burris (772) LoriBurris.Swamptromper@Gm ail.com Paula Miller (772) pnmille1@yahoo.com Jay Levitt (772) JayL12@bellsouth.net Paula Miller (772) pnmille1@yahoo.com Bridget Kean (850) bridgetkean@comcast.net Audrey Minnis (772) aminnis@bellsouth.net Note: Biking, paddling, swimming or backpacking events may depend more on an individual's physical fitness for the activity than any rating. Always discuss any physical limitations, concerns or questions you may have with your activity leader before confirming for the event.

5 Activities Corner Contributors: Jay Levitt, Paula Miller, Bridget Kean, Mary Starzinski, Gretchen Dewey P a g e 5 Nature Walk at Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands, February 28, Click here to view the complete photo album online! Ten trekkers met at Wakodahatchee Wetlands on a cool Thursday morning for a naturalist hike. We had high hopes for the day (even after a slow trip down I-95), when we were greeted by a Purple Gallinule and a Sora. How fun is that! We trekked along, first through Wakodahatchee with great views of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, and lots of nesting Herons, Egrets and Anhingas. We were also lucky to see beautiful favorites like the Black-necked Stilt. Julie spotted a Cooper s hawk as we entered the boardwalk into Green Cay, and we loved the Green Herons and Glossy Ibis. We were delighted to see a White-winged Dove, and a female Painted Bunting at the feeder. Although both the American and Least Bitterns eluded us, we lucked out with both seeing and hearing the Limpkin when we finished up on the Green Cay boardwalk at the visitor s center. All in all, it was a successful and fun nature hike and part of the new Florida Master Naturalist/Florida Trail affiliation. Thanks Jay. You make such a difference in so many folks lives by putting all of these trips together. And thanks to our wonderful members and Master Naturalist students Mary, Kathy and Barbara for making nature come alive for so many of us. Watch for more joint programs in the future. Florida Scrub Jay Festival, March 2, Click here to view the complete photo album online! The Florida Scrub Jay Festival is an annual family event held at a different scrub jay location every year. This year it was in Jonathan Dickenson State Park for the first time. JDSP is home to a stable population of about 20 scrub jay families, the most in south Florida (Ocala National Forest has the largest population). The Florida scrub jay is the only bird endemic to the state and is threatened primarily because of habitat destruction due to land development. This was a chance for people to learn about this very attractive, curious and social bird. We also hoped to see one or two up close. Four Trekkers and a guest met in the entrance station parking lot and took our first guided walk leaving from the Pine Grove pavilion. A group of 16 early birds was led by scrub jay biologist Adam, and a JD plant specialist, Anne. In a few minutes we saw our first scrub jay family, a male and a female (the female is identified by her unique clicking sound). After checking us out, they flitted back and forth with what looked like a piece of love vine. They were nest building! Later we saw another scrub jay family near the railroad tracks. We also saw the colorful red (Continued on Page 6)

6 P a g e 6 Activities Corner (Continued from Page 5) headed woodpecker. As we walked along our biologist identified and gave information about many of the plants and flowers along the way. After the guided walk concluded we hiked our own loop trail along the north side of the east lake which was very overgrown with tall grass. Next we drove to the Hobe Mountain Observation Tower. Park ranger Barry gave us a spirited history of JDSP, from the early geological formation of Florida, the impact of the ice ages, the environment in Trapper Nelson days, the Army s radar Camp Murphy during the WWII, the birth of the state park in 1947 to future plans for the park. He was very interesting and knowledgeable. Noon found us at the Kimbell Education Center. We toured the center, watched a short park movie, visited sponsor booths, and ate our packed lunch. Our last event of the day was a walk along the Loxahatchee River trail where we saw a nesting Osprey. Due to high water we had to turn around. We looped through the river campground and cabins to return to our cars. All in all it was a very relaxing and educational day in the outdoors. You can t beat that! Breakfast Bike on Lake Trail, March 9, Click here to view the complete photo album online! It was a gorgeous day for a bike ride on the Lake Trail in Palm Beach. Seven Trekkers caravanned with bikes in tow to park on Royal Poinciana Way. First stop, of course, was the new Publix for use of the facilities. John was tempted to buy the doughnuts and Jay to buy mini-muffins. Using all our willpower, we refrained and headed north on the ocean side of the island. The emerald blue surf was rough from winter storms off the coast. We proceeded to the north end of the island for a brief rest stop at the dock. Here we could view busy Palm Beach inlet, Singer Island across the way, and Peanut Island already becoming crowded with boats and picnickers. Before taking the Lake Trail back along the Intracoastal Waterway (Lake Worth Lagoon) Bridget showed us a secret hidden trail to a beach that only the locals know and use. The sea oats and sea grapes opened onto a breathtaking wide beach, an incredible spot to see and on a warmer day to swim. We rode the Lake Trail back to Royal Poinciana Way. The entire asphalt trail afforded views of West Palm Beach across the waterway to our right, and half hidden mansions to our left. In front of us was the beautifully landscaped path. We were not alone. Many walkers, joggers and bikers were also out this pleasant Saturday morning. We stopped for breakfast at TooJays deli. After getting our fill we got back on our bikes and rode over the Flagler Bridge to West Palm Beach. We came to the vibrant, crowded Green Market where John purchased bread and Jay purchased apple cider doughnuts to share. We met Beth from the (Continued on Page 7)

7 P a g e 7 Activities Corner (Continued from Page 6) Loxahatchee chapter and said our hellos, then headed back south along Flagler Drive and the Intracoastal Waterway, this time viewing Palm Beach Island to our left. Bridget asked if we wanted to go all the way to the south bridge and we agreed. We rodewalked our bikes over the narrow causeway to Largo-del-Mar where we tuned onto busy A1A for our return. We were passed by trucks, cars, bikers, and even a bicycle built for two. Now that was embarrassing! With Bridget leading, we passed the public beach and turned onto Worth Avenue. Here we walked our bikes along the sidewalk, staring at the display windows for Gucci, Ferragamo, Tiffany, etc. John said it best, count on a female to lead us to shopping! One last stop was a beautiful little hidden park, called Pan s Garden, with mulched paths, pond, and enchanting landscape with identified foliage. We concluded a 20 mile tour and were tired but happy for the fresh air exercise and wonderful day we shared. Okeechobee Cattlemen s Spring Rodeo, March 10, Click here to view the complete photo album online! It is always fun to offer something different to our members and see what the interest is. We have a few field trips like that coming up. So for this one, eight of us wearing our countrycasual best met at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center on Sunday afternoon to see a real live sanctioned rodeo. YeeHaw!!! It was a treat. The covered arena, about double the size of a football field, was a great venue. A few minutes after settling into the bleacher seats the professional rodeo announcer kicked off the festivities. You could not miss him. He was wearing a white shirt and a tan cowboy hat sitting on a large tan horse always near the center of the action. He and the barrel man kept us entertained between contests. And what exciting and entertaining contests we saw. There was bull riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding, tie down roping, saddle bronco riding, and team roping. In addition were the cowgirls senior and junior class barrel races. Probably the crowd favorite was the calf scramble where all children 12 and under were invited to come onto the arena floor to participate. Over a hundred young ones were lined up when several calves were set loose for the children to chase. The first three to pull a ribbon from the calf s tail won T-shirts. Those poor frightened calves! The people watching was also fun. There were not as many cowboy boots and cowboy hats as we expected, but the Miss Okeechobee Rodeo queen decked out in full cowgirl regalia with her court was a pleasant sight to behold. After the three hour event it was time for.you guessed it, a meal! We all went to the local Five Guys to eat, talk, and conclude one very entertaining afternoon. (Continued on Page 8)

8 P a g e 8 Activities Corner (Continued from Page 7) Geocaching Indrio Savannahs, March 16, Click here to view the complete photo album online! Indrio Savannahs is a example of arrested development. The lake in front of the parking lot pictured in the haze this 44 degree Saturday morning is really a deep, limestone quarry. The rock mined from these wetlands some 30 plus years ago was used to build the raised road trail grid that was once slated for development. Fortunately for our endangered birds and animals that did not happen. Purchased by Florida Forever funds and St. Lucie County, this planned subdivision was saved to protect Florida s dwindling savannahs wetlands ecosystem. There are some 24 hidden geocaches in the 300 acre preserve. We visited all but two of them as we travelled around on bicycles. Along the way we were treated to beautiful views of lakes, marshes and waterways. A couple of observation towers brought us to geocaches along with open marsh vistas. We saw many water birds, woodpeckers, cardinals, and the rare treat of curious scrub jays, literally buzzing us for handouts. We tried to find some acorns on the oak scrub to feed them, one of their natural foods. At one point we had estimated 10 to 12 birds around us, males and females. It seemed multiple family groups had converged on us. Nearly all the caches we attempted were micros, meaning the size of a 35mm film canister container or smaller. That s not our favorite size to hide in the woods, but some were quite clever. There were four we could not find, but that happens. It is called a DNF, for did not find. Speaking of DNFs, mid-morning found us with our next cache s coordinates off the trail. Most cache locations were at a trail crossroads not requiring any bushwhacking. This one was not. Unsure of the best way to get there, Julie offered to ride the south trail to look for a turn or cross-trail to the west, while Jay went on the west trail looking for a cross-tail to the south. Jay found it, and called back to the waiting group to join him. Julie had not returned so he called her by cellphone and told her he found the way. She said she had stopped riding and was bushwhacking to the cache, but would return to our starting intersection and then head west until she saw the trail we were on. Impatient to wait, we all searched for a cache that was in the woods beyond a ditch and a real bushwhack to get to. The cache was appropriately named Not for Cream Puffs. After searching in vain for the cache, Julie had still not joined us. Jay called her again and she told him her bike was missing and she was looking for it. She was searching up and down the trail now in the bushes in case it fell over and off the trail. Jay went after her as the others went on to the next cache. Jay rode back to Julie s trail and found the bike in the middle of the trail. Julie was missing, not the bike! He again called her and she said she just reached (Continued on Page 9)

9 P a g e 9 Activities Corner (Continued from Page 8) the trail intersection of the previously found cache. Jay said he found her bike. Seems she somehow returned to the wrong trail and was searching the wrong place! So Jay rode his bike while hauling Julie s bike with one hand. When everyone was back together, we all had a good laugh! By early afternoon we were hungry. Splitting up, three of us went together to the St. Lucie International Airport to eat lunch while watching planes fuel and taxi and reminiscing about the fun day we had. JDSP Hike Substituted for DuPuis Hike, March 23, Click here to view the complete photo album online! This hike was published as a DuPuis WMA hike but DuPuis was closed for a turkey hunt. We did not want to be mistaken for turkeys, so our destination was changed to Jonathan Dickenson State Park and mileage upped to seven miles. Most people were fine with that so seven of us met behind Wendy s in Hobe Sound to go into one roomy SUV (Kim s) to reach our starting trail head, the Eagle s View area in JD. This was once the site of horse stables and it was good to see that horseback riding has returned to JD. But the daily rides end the end of March as the horses return to Tennessee for the summer. We headed out on the power line road to the red trail and headed west. The morning was pleasant, in the mid 70 s and partly cloudy. A flock of birds in a drying marsh were startled as we approached. Egrets and ibis flew up and then dotted the tree branches. Wild flowers in white, yellow, orange and pink kept us company along the multiuse trails. Red marked trail turned to blue trail, then yellow and back to blue as we worked our way up to the north bridge over Kitching Creek. This was one of the few events where the boys outnumbered the girls. It must have something to do with that meteor that streaked through the skies that previous night but a group of attractive women came running down the road toward us, out for a morning jog. As they passed our admiring smiles one said aloud in passing Girls rule, boys drool. Were we really that obvious? Photo by Gretchen Dewey Photo by Gretchen Dewey We were bewildered to see there were no orange blazes on this spur loop section of the OTL trail. Fortunately, Bill and Jay recognized the way anyway and we soon came out at JD s version of Confusion Corner. After a brief water break we headed down the return portion of our loop. We stopped briefly to let approaching horseback riders pass. A few minutes later a couple of Clydesdales horses pulling a wagon approached. Were they bringing us Budweiser, we asked? No, just giving families wagon rides. We finally returned to our car and the picnic table where we ate our packed lunches. And not a single one of us ate turkey! Photo by Gretchen Dewey

10 P a g e 10 Officers and Directors Chapter Chair Bridget Kean bridgetkean@comcast.net Vice Chair Tom Clements thomasc09@comcast.net Secretary Louise Hillen jonloufl@aol.com Treasurer Lucy Fribourg lwf_cpa@yahoo.com Chapter Council Rep. Kay Clements kayclements@comcast.net Trail Coordinator Chuck Barrowclough cbarrowclough@treasuredlands.org FNST Section Leader Programs Chair POSITION OPEN POSITION OPEN Activity Chair Kay Clements kayclements@comcast.net Membership Chair Jim & Jeanne Couillard koolyard@bellsouth.net Newsletter Chair Kim Himmelmann kimhim1@gmail.com ity Chair Lori Burris loriburris.swamptromper@gmail.com Fundraising Chair Gretchen Dewey Gdewey1@hotmail.com FNST Trailmasters Kissimmee South Kay Clements kayclements@comcast.net Yates Marsh John McArdle barbaraschmucker@bellsouth.net Chandler North Bob Austin bobgila@bellsouth.net Chandler South Vicki Lambie Lambieva@aol.com Basinger & EEEE Tom Clements thomasc09@comcast.net Hickory Hammock Jim Glancy dsjg1204@sbcglobal.net Bluff Hammock Lori Burris loriburris.swamptromper@gmail.com Other Trailmasters Okeechobee Ridge & Rafael Sanchez North Kay & Tom Clements thomasc09@comcast.net Rafael Sanchez South Richard Prince ralanprince@yahoo.com Hawks Bluff Chuck Hamlin Johammy4@aol.com Seabranch Audrey Minnis aminnis@bellsouth.net South Fork & JDSP Rick Binder binderpd@hotmail.com Links! Trekker Talk Archives Activity List Archives Photo Albums Guide to Florida s Greenways & Trails

11 P a g e 11 FLORIDA TRAIL ASSOCIATION Hike Florida on Florida s National Scenic Trail Florida Trail Association 5415 SW 13th St Gainesville, FL PHONE HIKE-FLA (answered during office hours) Website: The Florida Trail Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization responsible for building, maintaining, promoting, and protecting hiking trails for the public across the state of Florida, with a special focus on the 1,400-mile Florida National Scenic Trail, one of only eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. With 18 local chapters throughout Florida, the Florida Trail Association offers educational opportunities for people to learn to appreciate and conserve the natural beauty of Florida, and provides recreational opportunities for hiking and camping. Tropical Trekkers Chapter P.O. Box 423 Palm City, FL We re on the Web! Meetup (Join Now!) Trekkers.FloridaTrail.org T rail Tip: Three essentials for hiking in Florida: a hat, sunscreen and an adequate supply of water! JOIN TODAY... ENJOY HIKING FLORIDA S GREAT OUTDOORS! Florida Trail Association Join online, call the Florida Trail office (1-877-HIKE-FLA), or download, print and mail in an application from this link Membership Brochure B.O.D. MEETINGS The Board of Director meets at 6:30 PM on the first Monday of each month. All members are invited to attend (please inform the host). April 1st Meeting: Contact Bridget Kean or via at bridgetkean@comcast.net for further information or directions.

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