- Alachua County will dedicate the Blue Trail and a new wildlife observation platform at Turkey Creek Preserve in Gainesville on Oct. 3 at 9 a.m.
- The Blue Trail honors conservationist Bob Simons, with a kiosk at the platform detailing his work protecting natural areas in Alachua County.
Alachua County will host a dedication ceremony Saturday, Oct. 3, for a new wildlife observation platform and the Blue Trail at Turkey Creek Preserve in Gainesville.
The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at 6300 NW 93rd Ave. According to an Alachua County release sent on Monday, visitors should arrive early and allow time to walk approximately a half-mile from the main trailhead to the observation platform. County staff will provide vehicle transportation for visitors who need assistance reaching the event location.
The approximately 375-acre preserve includes a basin swamp, depression marsh, dome swamp, upland hardwood forest, blackwater streams and sinkholes.
Alachua County acquired the preserve in December 2009 with funding from the Wild Spaces Public Places sales tax and reimbursement from the Florida Communities Trust. The preserve is home to the state-endangered woodland poppy mallow and the state-threatened gopher tortoise.
Visitors can explore approximately five miles of trails for hiking and wildlife viewing, with select trails open to off-road bicycling and equestrian use.
The Blue Trail will be dedicated to Bob Simons, a longtime local conservationist who helped protect natural areas throughout Alachua County and Florida, including Turkey Creek Preserve and San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park.
Simons served on several local conservation boards, including the Alachua County Land Conservation Board and Alachua Conservation Trust. He also served on the Alachua Audubon Society Board for more than 50 years.
The new observation platform will feature a kiosk highlighting Simons’ conservation work, with additional information about his contributions featured on signs along the trail.
Speakers will include Alachua County Commission Vice Chair Anna Prizzia, Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford and Alachua Audubon Society President Debbie Segal.
Following the ceremony, attendees can join the Alachua Audubon Society for a guided hike.
“For over 50 years, Bob Simons was Alachua Audubon’s leading advocate for conservation initiatives,” Segal said in the release. “His vast knowledge spanned many conservation-related initiatives, including land preservation, ecosystem management, prescribed burning, conservation of the Southeastern American Kestrel and more. One of Bob’s most important accomplishments was his multi-year involvement in developing San Felasco as a state park.”
For more information, contact Alachua County Senior Environmental Specialist Matthew Barker at 352-264-6800 or mbarker@alachuacounty.gov.
