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Nana Will Be Trekking

Nana Will Be Trekking
“Trek for a Cure” will be Nana’s mantra through January 14 as I enlist as many members as possible to join our Friends of the Parks’ team in support of the Susan G. Komen Race for Breast Cancer Cure fundraising event being held at Tiger Town Stadium. A special team t-shirt was designed before I left last Friday for Indy.  It was a whirlwind four days, including travel time,...

Meet Me In Polk: Variety Spices Up Polk ...

Meet Me In Polk: Variety Spices Up Polk This Weekend
Southeastern University presents “Godspell” tonight, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 with a matinee Sunday at 2:30, Historic Polk Theatre, Lakeland. $15 general admissions, $10 students/seniors. Not to be missed. Drawing from various theatrical traditions, such as clowning, pantomime, charades, acrobatics and vaudeville, “Godspell” is a groundbreaking and unique...

RSVP No Shows Missed Incredible Event

RSVP No Shows Missed Incredible Event
An Evening with Thomas Brooks & Friends You can imagine my anxiety as I was helping Magnify Credit Union set up for last Friday’s fundraising event with “Thomas Brooks & Friends,” which they graciously and generously hosted.  Four horrendous downpours throughout the day halted the stringing of lights along the boardwalk and other preparations.  Rain, rain go away –...

Meet Artist Thomas Brooks at Free Recept...

Meet Artist Thomas Brooks at Free Reception
When Crown Printing opened its doors Friday morning, Thomas Brooks was there with sharpened pencils in hand to sign and number 500 of his Circle B Reflections limited edition litho art prints, which will be available for a minimum $100 donation to the Friends of the Parks Foundation at a “meet the artist” exhibit and reception, October 7. As corporate sponsor of the Friends...

Mackay Gardens Hosts Dirt Day No. 5

Mackay Gardens Hosts Dirt Day No. 5
  Giant Evergreen Liriope was used in the landscaping surrounding the historic mansion built by Alexander Mackay in 1916.  It will also be the featured plant youngsters, ages 6 to 12, will learn to propagate when they visit Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve in Lake Alfred, Saturday, July 16, as part of the “It Matters What You Grow” Dirt Day series.  Dirt Day No. 5 will...

July is Parks and Recreation Month

July is Parks and Recreation Month
July is a month-long observance, proclaimed as Parks and Recreation Month by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners at its regularly scheduled meeting June 28.  Commissioner Bob English presented the proclamation to Marian Ryan (left), president of the all-volunteer Friends of the Parks Foundation that is actively engaged in the promotion and support of parks year round. ...

American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry
Four potted American beautyberries from Nana’s Backyard Nursery will provide the centerpieces and parent plants for some of the cuttings our EcoFriends will propagate at our upcoming “It Matters What You Grow” Dirt Day, June 25.  Already 31 youngsters are pre-registered, so only a few spots remain for the fourth Dirt Day series, which is themed “American Beautyberry”...

East Central Park Play Courts Complete &...

  Polk County’s 40.52-acre East Central Park development in Dundee is now complete.  The basketball and three-wall racquetball courts situated at the main entrance off Mabel Loop Road are new additions.   Looking due west and down a beautiful row of trees framing parking for the football and soccer fields constructed during the previous phase, are tennis and volleyball courts...

Alligator Mating Season Prompts Geocache...

2011CircleBBarReserve Yep, it’s mating time for the alligators and Circle B certainly has its share of gators. Due to a trail closure, the coordinates for the Trek Ten Trails geocache have been changed. TREK TEN CACHE COORDINATES: N 27° 59.109 W 081° 51.647 FIND THE CACHE WITHOUT GPS: From the Nature Discovery Center follow the Oak Hammock trail east to Lake Hancock. Once...

Chance to Win a Kayak for $5 Donation

Raffle ticket sales are rampin’ up at Magnify Credit Union locations around Polk County and at Ron’s Tackle Box in Lake Alfred for a chance to win a bright yellow Spitfire Kayak with Escape Paddle, a $350 retail value for a mere $5 donation to the Friends of the Parks Foundation’s inaugural Rampin’ It Up Big Bass Benefit Tournament.   Featuring a Magnify Big Bass cash prize...

Gaye Sharpe Receives Green Horizon Trust...

The Green Horizon Land Trust Blazing Star Award was presented to Gaye Sharpe during the Green Horizon annual dinner on Sunday, March 13, at Bok Tower Gardens. Sharpe, Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Division Natural Areas Manager, was honored “for her unfailing dedication and hard work for the preservation, management and public accessibility to Polk County’s environmental...

Magnify CU’s EcoFriends Have Been ...

Magnify Credit Union’s EcoFriends have been busy. We went on several Trek Ten Trails guided hikes. In February we visited Lake Marion Creek/Stokes Preserve for a very cold hike, and yesterday we got to see all the great things Lake Parker Park has – and it has everything! We hiked through Lakeland Highlands Scrub – “right there in the middle of a big city like...

Lake Parker Park Has Everything

On Saturday, March 12, we trekked the trails of Lake Parker Park in Lakeland with Trek Ten Trails and Magnify Credit Union’s EcoFriends. And man, does this place have everything. Situated on Lake Parker, Lake Parker Park encompasses more than 100 acres, much of which remains in its natural state. Lake Parker is  HUGE – it’s the biggest lake in Lakeland at almost...

Corky-Stemmed Passion Vine

What I currently know about Corky-Stemmed Passion Vines might fill a thimble.  I know they are the host plant for Florida’s State butterfly, the Zebra Longwing, as well as the Gulf Fritillary.  I have seen the Gulf Fritillary hovering in Nana’s butterfly garden around the one plant that was given to me by a dear friend.  Attracting a Zebra Longwing would be...

Hiking Through Time at Lake Marion Creek...

Three of my trekking buddies. By EcoBoy On Saturday, Feb. 12, we visited Lake Marion Creek/Stokes Preserve at a chilly 9 a.m. for a Trek Ten Trails Hike. Everyone was bundled up but ready to go. We hiked through the forest, marshes, scrub and hammocks where Native Americans lived for thousands of years. Yep, that’s thousands. The Seminole Nation lived there, too. Chief...

DiOGi Park to Close All Day Wednesday

DiOGi Park, Polk County’s first-ever dog park, will be closed all day Wednesday, February 2 (weather permitting) to give parks maintenance staff an opportunity to perform annual site maintenance, including a routine application of flea suppression.  Located on three fenced-in acres within Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 West Carter Road in Mulberry, the park was dedicated in 2007 in...

Winter Haven Florida-Friendly Trail Janu...

Friends of the Parks Foundation will host a guided hike of Winter Haven’s downtown Florida-Friendly Trail on Saturday, January 15th.  Participants are asked to gather at the Library, 325 Avenue A, NW, at 9:00AM. The hike, led by Janet Thome, Winter Haven Landscape Services Division, and Lynn Lang, Master Gardener, will introduce participants to Florida-Friendly and Rain Gardening...

Join Us Saturday Morning at 9 For a Trek...

Grab your mom or dad, or even a grandparent (really, these aren’t tough hikes) and meet us Saturday, Dec. 11, at 9 a.m. at Bartow’s Mary Holland Park for our next hike. The park is pretty cool and besides the 1.25 mile roundtrip hike, it’s got three lakes, 19 picnic  areas, four soccer fields, a skateboard park, YES! a skateboard park,   lots of playground...

24th Annual Port Hatchineha Christmas Bo...

The 24th Annual Port Hatchineha Christmas Boat Parade will take place the evening of December 11 beginning with boat launching at 6:00 p.m.  The customary $5.00 boat launching fee at the Polk County public boat ramp will be waived for all decorated boats participating in the celebratory event.  Participating boats will line up across the lake at 6:30 p.m., and traverse up and down...

The Perfect Gift for Boater Friends

For the fishermen and boating enthusiasts on your Christmas list, consider gifting an annual decal pass for unlimited boat launching at Polk County’s public boat ramp at Port Hatchineha for the 2011 boating season January 1 through December 31.  Additionally, the Annual Decal will permit unlimited launching at the future Coleman Landing at Shady Oak Recreation Area on Lake...

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