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Observation tower Mottled duck |
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge: It's Everglades, Too Like the opening act of a play, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge creates the mood and setting for the rest of the Everglades: the tree islands, sawgrass marshes, sloughs, wet prairies and cypress swamps. This is where the clues are first mentioned and where the characters are introduced: alligators, snail kites, wood storks, red foxes, butterflies and numerous other mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, birds and insects.
As a good first act should, Loxahatchee grabs your attention and makes you want more. It’s just the beginning, the “beginning” of the Everglades, where the water begins to make its way over land to Florida Bay.
The 147,392-acre Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee NWR is all that remains of the northern Everglades, in Palm Beach County. Bordered by urban areas and farmland, it’s a natural oasis for the wildlife and plant life that depend on this important wetland.
Paths are open and laid out in a gridlike pattern, alternating with canals. This makes it easy to see wildlife in and near the water, and it provides a wide, unobstructed view of the surrounding land.
The visitor center is well maintained and helpful, so be sure to stop in. The butterfly garden and gator hole near the parking lot tell you that the refuge is all about nature. Behind the visitor center is a boardwalk about a mile long that takes you through cypress swamp. And inside the visitor center, you’ll find displays and literature on Loxahatchee, as well as a nature-related bookstore. Volunteers and rangers are on hand to answer your questions.
In April, the refuge held a public meeting to discuss its future management. Looking to develop a conservation plan that will take the refuge through the next 15 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a detailed plan that serves as a proposal.
In keeping with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, an overriding concern reflected in the proposed plan is that wildlife must have first priority in refuge management, and that recreation and other uses can be provided as long as these uses are compatible with wildlife conservation. According to Refuge Manager Mark J. Musaus, “We want to enhance public-use opportunities wherever possible, but must ensure that the wildlife comes first.”
If you want to receive information about the final plan, write a letter with your name and address to Mark J. Musaus, Refuge Manager, A.R.M. Loxahatchee NWR, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-4796.
According to a sign not far from the parking lot, wildlife events happen year-round in the refuge. In January, herons and anhingas nest, and raccoons mate. In March, bobcats mate. In April, wading birds hatch, and raccoons and bobcats are born. Alligators mate and nest in May, and June brings butterflies, which stay through September. In July, alligators hatch.
Loxahatchee is a great place to see birds, like herons, egrets, wood ducks, hawks, gallinules, limpkins, anhingas, loggerhead shrikes, king rails, killdeers, Carolina wrens, gray catbirds, northern mockingbirds, white-eyed vireos, northern cardinals, eastern towhees, red-winged blackbirds and warblers. An observation tower gives you a bird’s-eye view of the eastern section of the refuge.
The main entrance to Loxahatchee is off U.S. 441 west of Boynton Beach. From the north, exit I-95 at Forest Hill Boulevard. Turn south at 441, and go about 12 miles to the entrance at Lee Road. From the south, exit I-95 at Atlantic Avenue, then turn north at 441, watching for the Lee Road entrance.
The refuge is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Note that some paths may be wet during the summer.
The cost is $5 per vehicle or $1 for pedestrians, a fee paid using the “honor box” at the entrance of the refuge. There is often no one at the entrance to take your money; you put it in an envelope, and tear off the envelope stub to place on your dashboard.
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Alligator near the visitor center |
Loxahatchee (a Native American word meaning “river of turtles”) is a great place to see wildlife. Depending on when you go, there can be various wildlife species that are easily seen. Little blue herons make a fuss as you walk by. Young alligators propel themselves in the water with their tails, watching you with one eye from the water. Loggerhead shrikes trill from the bushes along the walkways.
Canoeing and boating are popular in the refuge. (And sometimes an outside vendor is around to rent out canoes at the boat launch.) In fact, most of the refuge is under water or is swampy, and not accessible by road or foot. More than half of the refuge isn’t open for public use.