Palm Bay and Malabar Bike Ride Field Trip

In the previous post about the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary field trip, I mentioned there was a network of bike trails connecting the Sanctuary and Malabar Road with Turkey Creek Sanctuary on Port Malabar Boulevard. Friend Wayne got busy, researched the route, learned of more Palm Bay bike trails, took a "recon" trip over the route, and then led his biking group on a 10-1/2 Parks bike ride. AND he wrote up a report AND provided photos, for which I am everlastingly grateful, particularly since I don't ride a bicycle. (I'm also grateful to the bikers for letting Wayne take their picture at every park - good sports, all! Take a look at how trim and fit these guys are. They bicycle three times a week, about 20 miles round trip. As you'll see from the photos in the slideshow, they are indeed a testament to the benefits of bicycle riding.)

The Friends of Turkey Creek organization has done a wonderful job on a lot of things - signage, web site, maps - if you live in the area, give some thought to volunteering with them.

Meanwhile, I met with Barbara Meyer, Brevard County Bicycle Pedestrian & Trails Coordinator for the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), who provided me with a wealth of information about Brevard's current and planned bike trails. There will be more on that later, but first, here's Wayne's report:

On Thursday, May 28, I led seven members of our beachside cycling group on a tour of 10-1/2 parks in the Malabar/Palm Bay area. The Turkey Creek 7-Park Trail mapped out by the Friends of Turkey Creek formed the core of our bike ride. I added three more parks: Malabar Community Park, Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, and the Cameron Wilderness Preserve. The final stop on our tour was the Mountain Bike Trail area off Briar Creek Blvd, on the east side of Turkey Creek. I assumed that this area was part of the Turkey Creek Sanctuary, which had already been counted, so I counted this stop as only "half a park." The parks in sequence were: (Editor's note - be sure to view the slideshow in the right-hand column - click on it to bring up full screen size. Wayne annotated the photos by Park, in order. Gotta love an orderly mind!)

1. Malabar Community Park
2. Malabar Scrub Sanctuary
3. Cameron Wilderness Preserve
4. Turkey Creek Sanctuary
5. Knecht Park
6. Winding Lake Park
7. Ais Trail Park
8. Pollak Park
9. Stearns Point Park
10. Castaways Point Park
10.5. Mountain Bike Trail area east of Turkey Creek (on return ride)

We began at 7:30 a.m. in the Malabar Community Park parking lot, adjacent to the entrance to the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary. We took the concrete road through Malabar Scrub to the north end, which terminates on the Boundary Canal Trail. Going west on the Canal Trail, we passed by Cameron Wilderness Preserve, which we did not enter because the trail was too sandy for our hybrid bikes. From there we rode west on Port Malabar Blvd to Turkey Creek Sanctuary, where we paused for a group photo by the sanctuary sign. From there on, we followed the Turkey Creek 7-Park Trail route, including a brief pause at the historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, and ending at Castaways Point Park.

After Castaways Point Park, we headed a short distance north along US 1 and crossed over to Orange Blossom Trail and Hessy Ave, which brought us back to Lichty St and then through Winding Lake Park to Glenham Dr. From there we rode north to the partially under- construction bike path on the south side of Palm Bay Rd to ChekMarc's restaurant, where we had a hearty breakfast.

After breakfast, we took Clearmont St south to a bike path that ends on Port Malabar Blvd. On the way back to the Boundary Canal Trail, we investigated the mountain bike trails on the west side of Briar Creek Blvd. The Friends of Turkey Creek recently installed a picnic pavilion there on a small bluff overlooking Turkey Creek. Finally, we rode the Boundary Canal Trail back to Malabar Scrub and our cars.

The bikers all enjoyed the tour. They even patiently posed for group photos at each park. Most of them did not know of the existence of these parks, so it was an educational experience for them, which was my intent.

Just the Facts

10-1/2 Parks Trail Bike Ride

"Big Picture" Location: South Brevard, Mainland, Palm Bay, Malabar

Distance: 15.5 miles roundtrip; 9 miles from start to Castaways Point Park

Time: About 3 hours including breakfast; 1-1/2 hours to Castaways Point Park (we stopped a lot).

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Equipment: Road or hybrid bikes are suitable since almost the entire trail is paved (with a couple of short stretches of gravel)

Other trail users: We met 3 bikers and two roller bladers, both on the Boundary Canal Trail; otherwise, we had the trail to ourselves.

Links:
Friends of Turkey Creek
Malabar and Palm Bay Area Trail Properties

Malabar Scrub Sanctuary Field Trip

In 1990, Brevard County citizens approved a referendum for funding the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program, charged with acquiring environmentally sensitive land and making it available to the public through passive recreation and environmental education. One of the early properties acquired was the Malabar Scrub, and that's where I went for today's field trip.

My very able and knowledgeable guide was Brad Manley, the Public Use Coordinator for the EEL Program, shown here at the trailhead. It was a grey, rainy day, but just perfect for this hike - cool, and no mosquitoes, and the rain stopped as we started our walk.

This 395-acre Sanctuary houses a series of trails through diverse habitats - xeric (dry) hammock, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, ponds, sloughs, and depression marshes.

There's excellent signage as you walk along, the result of an Eagle Scout project. A boardwalk in a marshy area bore the "autograph" of the Ameri-Corp group that built it.

I took photos of some of the various plants and trees - wild blueberries, tar flower (sticky), gopher apple - but my favorite was the deer moss shown here. Brad shared a little botanist humor about it - deer moss is algae and fungus that have taken a lichen to each other. As Brad said, it's not hysterically funny, but you'll always remember what deer moss is! (Click on smaller pictures to enlarge.)

Prescribed burns play a large part in maintaining the scrub habitat favored by scrub jays - if the trees grow too tall or too dense, the jays will go elsewhere. Brad pointed out the sand pine - a small, shrubby, fast-growing tree whose seeds are contained in pine cones that are typically closed, but in a fire, the cones open and drop the seeds to the burnt ground, thus ensuring regrowth. Gotta love Mother Nature's plans.

The Malabar Scrub Sanctuary is a shining example of the EEL Program goals we mentioned at the beginning of this post - to preserve environmentally sensitive land and yet make it available to the public for education and recreation. What a jewel!

Malabar Scrub Sanctuary

Just the Facts

"BIG PICTURE" LOCATION: South Brevard, Mainland, Malabar (south of Palm Bay)

WHEN TO GO: 365 days a year. October through April, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. May through September, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Sanctuary entrance is at the intersection of Malabar Road and Malabar Woods Boulevard. From Babcock and Malabar Road, head east 2.2 miles. Or, from US #1 and Malabar Road, head west 1 mile. Or, from I-95 take Exit-173 Malabar Rd SR-514 and go east on Malabar Road about 3.1 miles. Look for the Fire Department and the Malabar Community Park sign. (Google map)

When you enter the road leading to the Sanctuary trailhead, you'll park next to the Malabar Community Park, owned by the Town of Malabar. It's a dandy park, with pavilions, a playground, tennis courts, restrooms, and plenty of parking.

WHERE TO PARK: There's plenty of available parking in a common lot shared by the Malabar Community Park and the Sanctuary.

WHAT TO WEAR: This depends on the season, but take precautions in the summer against mosquitoes, wear sunscreen and a hat, and bring water. Sturdy shoes are a must.

PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS: There are restrooms at the Malabar Community Park, near the parking lot and trailhead. The trails are sugary sand, but since this is a planned development that never happened, there is pavement that runs through it - you can't drive on it, but it provides a stable walking environment, and it would certainly accommodate a wheelchair.

HOW LONG TO STAY: Stay as long as you want, remembering that currently there is no place to sit other than fallen trees. Brad and I strolled and talked for about an hour, but we did not walk all the trails. Remember also, the Malabar Community Park has picnic tables and pavilions, so you could always have a little picnic afterwards.

WHAT TO DO: You can bicycle, hike, or ride your horse. If you like to take photos of plants, this is a great place to do that. The numerous diverse habitats offer some really beautiful vegetation. There are critters that live there, and you might see a rabbit, scrub jay, woodpecker, gopher tortoise, or sandhill crane. We saw bobcat droppings (referred to as scat), but I would think the chances of your seeing a bobcat are slim to none! The Malabar Scrub Sanctuary is listed in the State of Florida Great Birding Trail, but if your primary interest is taking bird photographs, you'd be better off going to Viera Wetlands or Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

BRING MONEY? No, this is free.

WHERE TO EAT AFTERWARDS: Head west on Malabar Road. On the southwest corner of Malabar Road and Babcock is the Shady Oaks Shopping Center. The easiest way to get into this old center is to turn south on Babcock and take the second entrance. On the side of the center facing Babcock is Loreen's Country Cafe. Loreen has three such establishments, and I've eaten at one of them for many years. Great value for the dollar, wonderful waitresses that call you honey and give you a hard time if you don't clean your plate, and good old-fasioned food (I'm partial to the chili). Loreen's decor is "God Bless America" - lots of red, white, and blue and patriotic items. There's usually a collection jar at the register for some worthy cause. I love this place. (It won't matter if you're hot and sweaty after your hike - it's not fancy.)

HOW TO HELP: If you're a Brevard County voter, support the EEL Program funding. Become a volunteer. And of course, when you're in the Sanctuary, don't litter and don't annoy the critters.

REFERENCE LINKS:

Environmentally Endangered Lands Program
Malabar Scrub Sanctuary

Sand Pine

Forest Ecosystems

Deer Moss

A LITTLE EXTRA: The Boundary Canal Trail extends from Port Malabar Boulvard (not to be confused with Malabar Road) near Turkey Creek and ends at the north end of the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary. I'll be doing more posts on the Trail, Cameron Preserve that adjoins the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, and Turkey Creek. Just think - you could bike or walk for a long time without ever having to brave the Babcock Street traffic.

Ballard Park Field Trip

Perhaps you're a visitor that wants to get in a little exercise while you're here, or the kids just need to get somewhere where they can run around and make noise. Or maybe you're a local, like myself, that wants to meet some friends for lunch but you don't want to sit inside. Ballard Park is the perfect spot.

The 10-acre Ballard Park is one of the City of Melbourne's Community Parks. It is located off US #1, between the Melbourne and Eau Gallie Causeways - we'll tell you how to get there in the Just the Facts section at the end of this post. It's right on the Indian River Lagoon and the Eau Gallie River, and that means it gets great breezes - I've been there on some pretty hot days, but those breezes keep it just about perfect.

Ballard Park has a little bit of everything - little pavilions, big pavilions, a fenced children's playground, basketball, racquetball, and lighted tennis courts, a boat ramp, shaded benches for ruminating, really clean bathrooms, and best of all - plenty of room for everybody! Dogs are allowed, but they must be on leashes (and pick up after them, of course). The slideshow in the right-hand column will give you an idea of the amenities.

What I like about Ballard Park is that there are folks coming and going, but it doesn't seem busy or crowded. This is a great place to unwind, read a book, talk with a friend, have a picnic.

Just the Facts

Ballard Park

"BIG PICTURE" LOCATION: Central Brevard, Mainland, Melbourne

WHEN TO GO: Seven days a week, 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

HOW TO GET THERE: From US #l, turn east on Thomas Barbour Drive. Follow Thomas Barbour Drive for 0.3 mile to the Park entrance. (Thomas Barbour Drive is about 3 miles north of Hwy 192.) Luckily, there is a very handy sign at the intersection of US #l and Thomas Barbour Drive - you'll not only know the time and temperature, you'll easily see where to turn!

If you need to head south when you leave the Park, don't try to cut across US #l. Instead, turn left on Coral Drive (the street right before US #l) and follow it to Ballard Drive, where there's a stoplight. (Google map)

WHERE TO PARK: There is plenty of parking available.

WHAT TO WEAR: This is Florida - wear sunscreen and a hat unless you're going to be under a pavilion the entire time. Otherwise, wear whatever suits your planned activity.

PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS: There are no constraints to enjoying some aspect of the Park that I can think of. The bathrooms are very nice!

HOW LONG TO STAY: Stay as long as you wish (as long as you leave by 9 P.M).

WHAT TO DO: Bike, boat, play racquetball or basketball, play tennis, let the kids play on the playground while you sit at a nice covered pavilion, have a picnic, read a book, watch the boats in the river, walk the dog, or do nothing at all!

BRING MONEY? No money needed

WHERE TO EAT AFTERWARDS: At the stoplight at US #l and Ballard Drive (to the south of Thomas Barbour), you'll find Nature's Market, a health food store with takeout food. For the other end of the spectrum, try Del's Tasty Freeze, to the south of the stoplight on the west side of the street.

HOW TO HELP: As always, don't litter, and don't speed through the neighborhood or the park.

REFERENCE LINKS:

City of Melbourne Community Parks

Melbourne, Florida

Fanned out fish nests

During my field trip to Viera Wetlands (March 31 post), Charlie Corbeil pointed out "fish nests" in the water near the banks of the ponds. These were circular indentations in the sand, about a foot in diameter, and if you were patient, a fish would swim in and hover over the nest/bed. I tried several times to take a decent photo of a fish and a nest, but between my old camera and the reflective water (not to mention my amateur photography skills), I did not succeed.

Friend Wayne was at the Wetlands and Click Ponds the other day and sent some great photos of fanned out fish nests that have been revealed by the low water levels (no rain in 26 days, darn it, but a good photo op). I did some research, and here's what I learned. It seems that the nests are "fanned out" by male fish. The female fish then spawns (lays her eggs in the nest). The male returns, fertilizes the eggs, drives away the female, and protects the nest until the eggs hatch and the fry are about an inch long. Apparently, this is common with such fish as bass and bream. I didn't find much scholarly information on this one - most of the data centered around fishing hints and the psychology of catching pregnant fish (one fellow compared a spawning bass to his sister-in-law). Wayne noted that when he was a boy in North Florida, Usually we could smell the beds when fish were laying eggs--they had a strong, fishy smell. Sometimes we would fish the beds, but usually the fish at the center of each bed would either ignore the bait or try to chase it away.

Wayne also sent along an interesting blog link (see Links below) with a good post about a pond with fish beds. The author was more successful than I in getting a couple of photos with fish swimming over the nest. (If any of you have a good picture of a fish over his nest, I'd be delighted if you'd share it with us.)

I'm worried about what will happen to the eggs in those nests now above water - perhaps the water reclamation folks will put enough water in to cover them again. (Will that help? Fishermen - I can use some help here.) Meanwhile, many thanks to Wayne for his photos and data.

Links:
Fish and Frog - Turtle and Blog

Canaveral Lock, Avocet Lagoon, and Rodney S. Ketcham Park Field Trip

Note: The Canaveral Locks at Port Canaveral will be closed for maintenance from December 27, 2010 to February 24, 2011 and again from March 15 to April 22, 2011 for installation of a new manatee protection system.

The Canaveral Lock is a little tough to find, but it's well worth the effort. The Lock is located at Port Canaveral, between the Port's West Turning Basin and the Banana River. It is used by pleasure craft to get between the ocean and the river, but it is also used after every shuttle launch in the transport of the shuttle booster rockets that fall into the ocean after liftoff and must be returned to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for rework and reuse. The Lock was dedicated in 1965 and is maintained by the US. Army Corps of Engineers. (This photo by Wayne Matchett. Click on photos to enlarge.)

For visitors to the Space Coast, understand there is a City of Cape Canaveral and then there is Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral is the second busiest cruise port in the world. To get to the Lock, if you come up A1A from the south, you'll travel through the city first, then through Port Canaveral, an adventure in itself! Port Canaveral is a growing, bustling, busy area, so be watchful - everybody seems to know where they are going and they are ALL in a hurry. We'll give you the details of how to get there in the Just the Facts section at the end of this post.

As you might expect, given the location, the Lock is a magnet for fish and birds. But it's also a nice place to just sit and watch the world go by at a safe distance, so to speak. The day I was there marked the arrival of the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, on its maiden voyage, and there were various events all day to celebrate its arrival. Personally, I enjoyed viewing it from the peace and quiet of the Lock! You'll see the ship in the background of some of the photos, and there are more from friend Wayne in the slideshow.

As you're driving to the Lock, you'll pass Rodney S. Ketcham Park, located at the boat launch area. Rodney S. Ketcham was a much-beloved Southern gentleman, long-time Brevard County community leader, and Port Authority Board Commissioner from 1996 until his death in 2008. The park is a constant reminder of his contributions to the County and to the gracious growth of the Port.

Once you get to the Lock, you'll find Visitor Parking, then it's just a short walk to the fenced entrance. You can sit at the observation area overlooking the mechanics of the Lock (and be observed by the Pelicans sitting opposite, observing YOU), or wander down to the picnic table pavilions.

Trash can indicator and the path to Avocet Lagoon

But if you don't mind getting your feet a little muddy, here are directions to Avocet Lagoon, a true hidden treasure. (My thanks to Harvey, who drove in at the same time I did. Harvey is a photographer and frequent Lock visitor, and he provided me with the directions to Avocet.) Across the entrance road from the wooden garbage container closest to the gate, you'll find a path through the shrubs. Take this path,

and suddenly you're at Avocet Lagoon! The day I was there, it was full of all sorts of birds - my photos are not excellent, but you'll get the general idea. Harvey told me that Jim Meyers of the Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS) has worked for several years to get an observation tower constructed that will overlook Avocet Lagoon, and it appears the tower may actually be built soon. Heads up - you are likely to get your shoes muddy at the Lagoon, and they'll smell bad, but it's worth it!

Just the Facts
Rodney S. Ketcham Park, Canaveral Lock, and Avocet Lagoon

"BIG PICTURE" LOCATION: Central Brevard, Beachside, Port Canaveral

WHEN TO GO: Canaveral Lock and Avocet Lagoon are accessible 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week. Rodney Ketcham Park is accessible 24/7.

HOW TO GET THERE: I took A1A north through Cape Canaveral and turned onto North Atlantic Avenue at the big curve. Follow North Atlantic Avenue to the Port. At George King Boulevard, turn left and follow it to Dave Nisbet Drive. Look for this sign right before the intersection of Dave Nisbet Drive and Mullet Road. Turn onto Mullet road and follow it faithfully. You'll go past Rodney S. Ketcham Park and a yacht club. You'll go under a bridge and loop around, and eventually you'll wind up at the parking lot for the Lock. It's only a couple of miles from the Dave Nisbet and Mullet Road intersection. (The interactive map in Reference Links below gives directions from I-95.) Google Map (Google marker shows beginning of Lock - keep going!)

WHERE TO PARK: Plenty of visitor parking at Canaveral Lock and Rodney Ketcham Park

WHAT TO WEAR: Wear something cool, and wear a hat and sunscreen if you plan to stay long (the water amplifies the sun's effects). Wear comfortable shoes that you don't mind getting muddy if you go to Avocet Lagoon.

PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS: At the Lock, the road from Visitor Parking to the Observation Area is paved. The path to Avocet Lagoon is short, but downhill and rough. There are portolets at the Lock (referred to as Latrines, reflecting the Army Corps of Engineers terminology). I'd say Rodney Ketcham Park is fully accessible, but I didn't see any portolets.

Canaveral Lock Pavilion and Ketcham Park Pavilion

HOW LONG TO STAY: Stay as long as the spirit moves you! There are covered picnic tables and trash cans at both the Lock and Rodney Ketcham Park, so either would be good spots for a picnic.

WHAT TO DO: Wander around, take photos, or just relax. Pets on a leash are allowed (pick up after them, please). Fishing is not allowed at the Lock, but you can fish near Rodney Ketcham Park.

BRING MONEY? No - this is all free

WHERE TO EAT AFTERWARDS: The answer to this question will require yet another field trip to Port Canaveral proper - there are several eating spots, but I have not eaten at any of them yet. If you follow the direction arrow to The Cove, I believe you'll find a collection of places to dine. Follow the link to Places Around Florida - Port Canaveral for some good information. If you have a recommendation, please feel free to leave it in a comment.

HOW TO HELP: As always, don't litter and don't annoy the critters. A reader left a pertinent comment on the Viera Wetlands post - don't let children run around yelling - it scares the birds and bothers other visitors.

REFERENCE LINKS:
Port Canaveral web site
Port Canaveral Interactive Map (busy, but helpful)
Central Florida Bird Watchers
NASA Fact Sheet (8.6MB and a long download, but very interesting)
Freedom of the Seas
Rodney Ketcham Tribute (page 3 of magazine)
Places Around Florida, Port Canaveral

Avocet (the bird)

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA: Friend Wayne visited Canaveral Lock and Avocet Lagoon and got lots of good photos, so they're included in a slideshow (right-hand column of this blog). He took some lovely bird photos, and a cute three-series of a pelican catching a fish, eating the fish, and burping after eating the fish. He and his wife, Julie, viewed the departure of Freedom of the Seas from a location near Jetty park, and Wayne shared photos of that also. One photo in particular is spectactular!