Highlands Hammock State Park, a conservation triumph nestled in Sebring, Florida, boasts an impressive array of four distinct ecosystems, playing host to a multitude of endangered species. The park's serene landscape, characterized by brown cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, and an ancient hydric hammock, --- undisturbed, allowing white egrets, gopher tortoises, and rare Florida panthers to thrive.
The park's origin story is one of grassroots preservation, marked by a failed bid for national park designation during the Great Depression. Despite its small size, the area's unique biodiversity, featuring a constellation of habitats, made it an attractive candidate for federal recognition. Dr. Hilary Swain, emerita executive director of the nearby Archbold Biological Station, attributes the park's success to a combination of factors, including its location on the Lake Wales Ridge, a region renowned for its endemically rich ecosystem.
A visit to Highlands Hammock State Park reveals a treasure trove of ecological wonders, with millennia-old leaf prints and an Ice Age-era giant tortoise shell serving as testaments to the area's rich archaeological history. As the first state park established by the Florida Park Service, Highlands Hammock is home to a staggering number of rare, threatened ← →
Home to four ecosystems and countless endangered species, Highlands Hammock State Park's origin is a story of grass-roots preservation in the face ...Here's one of the sources related to this article: See here
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