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| Mark Your Calendar for Saturday, October 21, 2023 
Florida's relationship with fire. Don't know what a Prescribed Fire is? Click the links to learn more! |
Tickets will be available for purchase online and will also be available the day of the event.
Will Call and the Ticket Booth are located in front of the Kimbell Center while supplies last.
Prescribed Burn Demos Fire Buckets Spray a Fire Hose Smoke present during fire demos Activities and times may vary |
 Bounce Houses* Hay Rides* Swamp Buggy Rides* Exhibitors and Vendors from Local Agencies, Non-Profits, & Businesses Guided Hikes Jr. Ranger Booth Pumpkin Patch* Ghost Tour Live Music Food & Drink* *Some activities for additional fee |
Stickers = $2 Tank Tops = $20 Dry Fit Shirts = $20 Friends members get 10% off | YOUR SUPPORT WILL PROVIDE 3,500 PEOPLE PRESCRIBED BURN EDUCATION! By engaging the community with this event, we are able to create an understanding of this vital resource management tool. Available for Purchase at the Ticketing & Merchandising Booth |
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Local Animals That Depend on Fire Gopher Tortoise
Florida Scrub Jay (Endangered)
Red Cockaded Woodpecker (Endangered)
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"Why does the Park conduct prescribed burns?" Long before humans inhabited Florida, wildfires caused by lightning spread naturally, often fueled by the wind. Prescribed burning mimics natural fire cycles to restore healthy forests and natural communities, reduce undergrowth that accumulates over time and decreases the potential for wildfire. Burned lands experience an increase in native wildflowers, birds and other wildlife. "But aren't you harming the plants and animals?" The plants and animals of Florida have adapted to wildfires, and today, many species are greatly dependent on fire for survival. Due to the nature of a prescribed fire occurring throughout the duration of a day, most of the animals have time get out of the area or seek refuge before the burn impacts them directly. "How does fire help plants grow?" Some of the species found in flatwoods are fire-dependent. Wiregrass seeds and flowers only after it has been burned. Fire is a key component of a healthy sandhill habitat, preventing non-fire adapted species from becoming established in open areas. "What animals depend on fire?" Regular prescribed fires maintain the scrub oaks, bare patches of sand, and low growing vegetation such as palmettos which the Florida scrub-jays prefer. Without fire, the scrub habitat is lost and the Florida scrub- jay struggles to survive. For the gopher tortoise, fire opens up the canopy and controls the growth of woody shrubs. Fire allows more sunlight to reach the forest floor, thus encouraging the growth of grasses, forbs, and other food plants as well as increasing areas for basking and nesting. For more information on Prescribed Fire, please visit our YouTube video and channel HERE. | Local Plants That Depend on Fire Longleaf Wiregrass
A fire tickles longleaf pine needles. Photo by John Maxwell for USFWS. Frequent fire is necessary to maintain the open nature of the iconic longleaf pine-wiregrass habitat. Longleaf seeds that germinate in the bare, mineral-rich soil left behind after a burn. Florida Pitcher Plant
NATIVE PLANTS REBOUNDAfter a controlled burn, a blackened field quickly revives with new, green life. Pitcher plants, many orchids, cutthroat and wiregrasses are among key species that thrive upon fire. Indeed, hundreds of Florida’s plant species would be lost without it. |
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Benefits to Wildlife Fire’s influence on Florida’s landscape is so vital to the survival of numerous plants and wildlife species that prescribed burning is one of the states most extensively-applied habitat management practices. Many wildlife species rely on fire for maintenance of their habitat. For many species their very existence depends on the ability of habitat to produce enough of the right kind of food. Fires promote nutritious new growth of flowering plants and shrubs as well as seed and fruit production. Many beneficial insects are also abundant after a burn. Prescribed fire is the best tool wildlife managers have for managing habitat for wildlife. For sources and information on Prescribed Fire, please visit the websites below: | Benefits to People and our Community Prescribed fire is an effective management tool used on Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas, where you can enjoy year-round recreational opportunities. Prescribed fire... Reduces risk of uncontrolled wildfires: Prescribed fire reduces the buildup of dangerous fuels (plant matter) from overgrown brush and forest litter. Prescribed fire is the best way to remove combustible debris, which helps lower the risks to people and property from fast-moving catastrophic fires, and reduces the intensity of wildfires when they do occur. Enhances the beauty of the land: Prescribed fire recycles nutrients back into the soil and promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers and other plants. Regular prescribed fire improves aesthetic values by increasing occurrence and visibility of flowering plants and maintaining open vistas. Improves access to the land and provides better recreational opportunities: Regular prescribed fire provides better conditions for hunting, hiking, bicycling, and wildlife viewing. |
The Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park contact@friendsofjdsp.org 561-745-5551 16450 SE Federal Hwy Hobe Sound, FL 33455 | The Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the State of Florida, Division of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-435-7352. ID# 65-0568296. |