April 9, 2025 • 31 mins
Talked with Emilie Travis, Nature Center Manager II, Okeeheelee Nature Center and Alissa Koch, Nature Center Manager, Daggerwing Nature Center, Palm Beach County Parks. They are getting ready for this year's Earth Day events. Okeeheelee Nature Center will celebrate on April 19th starting at 10am and has a wide variety of programs planned including: a tranquility walk, rehabilitated animal release, selfies with Oakley and Shelfies with Sparky the gopher tortoise. Listeners can also enjoy Earth Day celebration at Daggerwing Nature Center on April 26th starting at 10am. They have a wonderful butterfly garden visitors can enjoy as they enter. Some of the events include a scavenger hunt on the boardwalk, rehabilitated animal release, animal ambassador naming contest and fun crafts,plus a plant sale. For more information on Earth Day events, becoming a volunteer or a Friend of the Park, listeners can go to pbcparks.com or follow on Facebook/Instagram.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
iHeart Communities presents Palm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective which dead NEP.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning, welcome to Calm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective. I'm
your host, deev Net. Thanks for spending your weekend with me.
All kinds are great things going on, and we talked
to Valstas last week about Pandora's Kids and all the
cool programs they offer for the kids to help with
their grieving process. Don't forget this month of April, there's
a fun fundraiser going on from their friends at Oceana Coffee.
(00:28):
What do you do to go to Oceana Coffee, get
your coffee, You get a little coffee bean and you
put your bean into the cup that says Pandora's Kids,
and then they get a donation from Oceana Coffee at
the end of the month. So if you're going for coffee,
head over to Oceana get some of the wonderful coffee
they offer, and then you can do that donation to
Pendor's Kids. And if you need more information about them,
(00:48):
go to Pandorskids dot org and they have all the
details right there on the website for you. And of
course their upcoming event for April is going to be
the walk through the Pike's Food Forest, So it's a
really cool thing for the kids to do where they
learning able the edible plants that the Lady is planted
there and everything very fun. Oh don't forget Flagler Museum.
(01:09):
It's almost time for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, so
this is really cool. It's happening Saturday, April nineteenth. Gates
are going to open at nine and the Easter a
Hunt begins promptly at ten am. It is a lot
of fun and it's so cute to see the little
kids rolling the eggs around, I gotta tell you. And
then coming up on April twenty six it's their annual
Blue Grasp in the Pavilion concert and it's gonna be
the Cody Norris show returning for a second time. And
(01:32):
then Authentic Unlimited is opening for them, so it's gonna
be a lot of fun something. Go to Flagler dot
us to get more details on that. And of course,
lots of things happening at the Gravis Center. Coming up Monday,
April fourteenth, it is Iron and Wine the Light Verse
Tour that's happening in the Dreyfus Hall and then starting
on Tuesday, it's part of their Cravis on Broadway series.
(01:54):
It is Clue, so they're doing the Broadway adaptation of
the Board Game. So I can't wait to see that one.
It's April fifteenth through the nineteenth, and then April twenty
second through the twenty seventh is Lims rob so you
see Le Miz as well as part of the Cravis
on Broadway series. And they've got Complexions Contemporary Ballet coming
up on April twenty ninth, and of course they've announced
(02:16):
their Cravis on Broadway series for next year, so lots
of cool things coming. They have the Whiz Kimberly Akimbo
Whi Twas the Night Before and this is gonna be
done by Circus Solet, and the Choir of Man is
coming some like a Hot MJ. The musical A Beautiful
Noise which is the Neil Diamond Musical, and then of
course the Notebook based on Nicholas Sparks books. Lots of
(02:40):
cool Cravis on Broadway series coming for next year. Since
the go to Cravis dot org and you see all
different shows are there. There's Peak Series, there's you know,
Lunch and learned. For the adults, it's lots of fun
adults at leisure series, all kinsical things you haven't been
outside in a while. One head over to Mounts Botanical.
They're doing their big spring plant sale and family off
(03:01):
on weekend coming up Saturday, April twenty sixth and twenty seventh.
Plus they've got like you know, tai Chi in the garden,
water painting in the garden, and of course right now
they've got their big Ribbet the exhibit thing going on
with the big frogs and all the different gardens throughout
the park. So much fun for you in the family
to check out. Go to Mounts dot org to see
what's happening there. Reminder from Saint Lucie County their libraries
(03:23):
are continuing to offer all kinds of free adult education classes.
They also they have coming up on April sixteenth. It
is the Silent Book Club and so this one's from
ten thirty am till noon and then five thirty pm
till seven pm. It's happening at the Lakewood Park branch
and it's where the introverts united to enjoy reading their
books in the quiet with some very casual socializing and
(03:46):
sharing as they wish, so lots of cool things with that.
Another book group coming up on Thursday, April seventeenth and
is the Chain Gang All Stars and that was going
to be the Kilmer Branch. For details, you can reach
out to them seven seven to two four six two
sixteen fifteen. And then they also have other fun things.
There's a grow a Sunflower and this is happening on
(04:07):
Friday April eighteenth at one pm at the Hurston Branch.
So you go, you get to plant your little sunflower
seat in your own little pot, take it home and
let it sprout and then plant it outside. So a
lot of fun for the family. Monday April fourteenth is
the Cultural Council for Palm Beach Counties Culture and Cocktails event.
It is called the Ultimate Musical Finale featuring Rob Russell,
(04:29):
Avery Summers and some more special guests. It's happening at
the Ben Hotel Monday April fourteenth. Simply go to Palm
Beachculture dot com and you get your tickets and more
information there. Oh also reminder City of Fort Pierce Grant's
Division is inviting folks to intend a free first time
home Buyer's workshop and this is going to be happening Thursday,
(04:49):
April seventeenth from five point thirty to six thirty pm.
Reach out to them seven seven two four six seven
thirty one sixty nine to sign up for that one.
You just need a pre read. Oh reminder, East Boyton
Blaze Baseball second annual charity golf tournaments coming up and
this is a cool fundraiser to help the kids go
for their baseball training and it's going to be held
(05:12):
on Saturday, May thirty first at the prestigious Banyon Golf Club.
It's going to raise fund for the kids to go
to the World Series tournaments in Pigeonforge, Tennessee, and Cooperstown
in New York. So for more details call them three
five to two two six to two nineteen hundred and
they're happy to give you all the details. And of course,
Palm BEA's Drama Works is enjoying their twenty fifth season
(05:35):
and they currently have running a wonderful play called Camping
with Henry and Tom. It's going on now through April
twenty seventh, So I want to check that out Pbdramaworks
dot org. And of course more commediess got fun things
going on Friday, May second is a documentary film screening
called Fall seven times Get Up eight And they also
(05:56):
have other fun things coming up throughout the month. They
have the rak demonstrations, the tea classes, the tea ceremonies.
You can go to morecommed dot org for more details
on that one. Another reminder, Saint Lucy Extension is hosting
Green Industries Best Management Practices Class that's happening May first,
and this is good for all the commercial landscapers and
(06:19):
folks like that, members of the public, municipal staff and stuff.
So it's Thursday, May first, starting at eight thirty and
for more details call them seven seven to two for
six two, sixteen sixty. Oh, don't forget the ballet. Pomp
Beach is presenting Sleeping Beauty at the Kravis on April
(06:40):
seventeenth through the nineteenth. And got a reminder that the
folks at the Delray Beach Playhouse have their summer camp
getting ready to start and so it's going to be
you the camp. First one is ages seven to thirteen
for Disney's Moana Junior. And then they got audition dates
(07:00):
to check out for the try out for these things
April thirtieth, May first. For details, reach out to the
Playhouse five six's one two, seven, two, twelve eighty one
and they have all the details right there for you
how to sign up. Coming up on Saturday April nineteenth,
it is Legends on the Lawn featuring the band jam Bush.
That's at the Canyon Amphitheater in West Boyton Saturday April nineteenth,
(07:24):
seven pm. And then we have guided Citizen Science boardwalk
tour happening at the Green Kay Nature Center and that's
Friday April twenty fifth and Saturday April twenty six. This
is good for all ages. Free admission for that and
they'll explain everything when you get there. Speaking of explaining everything,
I do want to welcome my guests for today. I
(07:45):
have Emily and Alissa from Palm Beach County Parks. Good morning,
good morning, good morning. So now Emily, you're with Okaheley
Nature Center, right, yes, Emmaslissa you're in charge of the
Daggerwing Nature Center.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Correct, Yes, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Where's Daggerwing not located?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Wagoing is in West Boca, just west of four forty
one between Yamato and Glades in bert Aronson South County
Regional Park.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Okay, cool, So what hours is the Nature Center actually open.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So we're open on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays from one
to four thirty and then we're open Saturdays from ten
to four thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Oh, so lots of hours for folks. Yeah, and of
course we want to have you commit. I want to
have you commit and talk today because Earth Day's coming,
so you both have some really fun celebrations going on.
So when is the Earthday celebration happening at Daggerwing.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So dagger Wings is going to be on Saturday, April
twenty sixth from ten am to two pm.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Oh, very cool. And is there they're charged for that?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Nope, it's free.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
We might have a few activities that could require a
small cash donation. For example, we're going to have a
raffle where we're going to be raffling off some great items,
and we're also going to do a ladybug release where
we're going to be selling the tickets for a dollar
apiece and kids will get a handful of ladybugs that
they can release into our garden.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Oh that is so cy dude. I like it. It's
kind of like when you go and you can feed
the little Lord heat birds. Yes concept, Yeah, that's very
cute and the ladybugs are so cute. Yes, I might
have to come get some lady bugs release. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
You can be a kid there.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's a fun thing, all right. So miss Emily Okaheley
Nature Center, what are you guys doing your Earth DA event?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Yeah, so we'll do it the week prior to Dagger
Wings on Saturday, April nineteenth, So we kind of sandwich
the official Earth Day of April twenty second. So even
if you can't make one, or you can make both.
Either way, we're there for you. So whether you go
north or south. So and Okiheley Nature Center is located
on the north side of the county, so we're sandwich
(09:40):
between Jog Road and the turnpike. And Okiley Nature Center
is located in Okaheley Park, which is off a forest
Hill boulevard, so we're.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
On the north end.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
We consider ourselves a hidden gem up in that oki
Heley Park.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Oh, I believe that. So when people come into the park,
they're going to drive back that road and go past
the dog park.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Right, you're going to go past the dog park, You're
going to pass Shark Wake Park, the boat bike rentals,
the golf course, the water ski Lake, so Okaeley Park
is growing. We just got a bicycle pump track added
and Shark Wake is adding a ropes course hopefully the summer.
So a lot of things growing in.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Our park and that's fantastic. Yeah, what's a park things
should be growing? Yes, in my opinion, Yes, So what's
gonna happen for Earth Day for folks when they come out?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yeah, speaking of growing, our little theme is more of
a nurturing theme this year, nurturing our brains and mental
health as well as our gardens and the wildlife. So
we have a little bit more of a stronger focus
on Florida native plants. We'll have a couple of nurseries
and vendors there to sell plants. We'll have a couple
(10:48):
of food trucks as well, just to make sure you
nourish your body as well as your brain. And a
really special feature this year for the more nurture and
mental health awareness is we've invited Miss Sarah Palmer, who
with helping Heroes Thrive. So we're going to do a
sound bowl meditation in the outdoor classroom. They'll do a
(11:09):
tranquility trail walk to lead them there. So trying to
release all those stressors in the world and just be
present in nature. So we're really going with that nurture
concept and theme this year for our Earth Day.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think that's cool. But I know every year of
the dictionary, Webster's Dictionary ads words, and one of the
words considered a few years ago, I don't believe they added,
but it was being under consideration was grounding, And of
course that's you know where you take your shoes off
and you actually stand on the ground and you actually
get a benefit from connecting to Earth energy.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
And that is what she'll be talking about as well.
So there will be an opportunity in a safe, non
fire ant, grassy area where she will lead them in
a bit of a forest grounding so to speak, and
will be in a pine flatwood forest.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
So it is perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Oh, I'm so exciting. Do you know what time that's
going to be happening.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
So the Tranquility Trail to the Sound Bowl Healing will
be at eleven am. So we'll have a sign up
because they are limited to sixteen people, so first come,
first serve, so you'll register. That'll be the adult one
and then just to try to be more family friendly
because it's not just for adults mental health where it is.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
We're also going to do.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
One at one o'clock for the kids, so she'll make
it a little shorter, but another way to have the
kids connect to nature finding different objects. Miss Erarah will
be providing different focal points so that they can help
to focus just on certain targets during that walk, and
then they'll do that little bit of a sound bowl
(12:41):
healing as well with the kiddos.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Oh, that's actually really cool because obviously the kids are
experiencing all the stress the family's school and everything. And
I know one of my friend's daughters before they had
big tasks every now and then, the school system would
have somebody to come in and do something very similar.
It was kind of like a not hypnosis, but with
like a calming talk, yeah, and let them focus on
something so when they were during the test, if they
(13:03):
got super stressed, they would remember that focal thing, stop,
take a breath, focus on that, and then resume their task.
And she said it actually really helped her.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
If I had those tools when I was in school,
that would have benefited me too.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think same here.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Yeah, yeah, so it is great that we're we're learning
to accept the mental health challenges and learn to approach
it in a more holistic approach.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, that makes sense because people are one holistic being,
so that you need to address the gestal Yeah, very true.
One of the fun things, obviously is and dagga wing
has butterflies. So tell us about the dagger wing butterfly.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, Well, we actually have a certified butterfly garden in
the front of our center, So when you come into
the parking lot and as you walk up to the building,
you're kind of immersed in all different kinds of butterfly plants,
and we always have butterflies on site for you to see,
which is really kind of cool. The dagger is it
actually a specific species of butterfly, and you get to
(14:03):
see that more on our boardwalk. So if you continue
your walk around the nature center, we have a boardwalk
that goes out back through the wetlands and we have
quite a few strangler figs, and the strangler fig is
the host plant for the daggerwing butterfly, So you might
get a chance to see a daggerwing butterfly flying around
your head when you walk on the boardwalk, which is
really kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
That is very cool. White grew up in Pennsylvania, so
we had the monarch butterflies and I just remember thinking
the kid, they were just beautiful. Never realized they came
out of the little crysalis and all those things until
later when I went to school. So obviously, I'm sure
you have like the little classes and demonstrations about that.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
One of the programs we offer to schools is we
have a world of butterflies and insects, and as part
of that program, we will bring the kids out into
our butterfly garden and we will look for all the
stages of the butterfly life cycle. So we'll look for
some eggs on the leaves, we'll look for caterpillars and
crystalists if we can find them, they're a little harder,
and then of course the adult butterfly. So that's really
(15:00):
kind of a neat experience to see the whole life
cycle in real life on a plan in front of you.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Oh that's so cool. So how did the school sign
up to do a tour like that?
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah? They can reach out to our nature center directly
by phone, call, or email, or go on our website
which you can find all of our nature center addresses
at PBC Nature dot com and click on dagger Wing
and it'll take you to our website. But we do
it all through basically an email confirmation and we can
share all of our information that way and get a
group scheduled.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think that's fantastic because the kids love coming doing those. Yeah,
so I know you guys. I talked to the ladies
from the Friends of Oky Hill a little bit ago
and you had your big gopher tortoise run or gophers
twitter trot?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Was it the gopher tortoise gallop? Yeah, gallup.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I just think it's so funny because they gallop. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Yeah. Well, if you saw Sparky at the gallup, he
was He's grooven.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
He was grooving with the base and when we all
started dancing, he actually got out and danced with us
because of the vibration. I think it stimulated him a
little bit, so he definitely got down with us when
we were dancing and partying. And they sold out with
two hundred and fifty racers and they raised almost three
thousand dollars. So yeah, just super proud for a second
(16:15):
second year, So next year's.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Going to be better. A third time will be the
charm yeahah, increasy number of racers though, because people really
got excited about this one, So you have you want
to really have more people have the opportunity, which I
think is fantastic.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So they've raised funds that goes into more programs at
the nature centers. Yeah, so what are some of the
programs that you have at Okay Hilly Nature Center. Isn't
there like a raptor program?
Speaker 6 (16:37):
So we have just like dagger wing, we do school
programs that will have a certain set that you'll choose
from a group program if you're a camp or summer camp.
Right now, we're starting to book up for summer camp,
so group program requests same approach. You go online and
find out do a reservation form for that group program.
(16:57):
So our main staples are Florida Nata. So that's a
nice mixture of our mammals as well as our raptor
and some reptiles. So that's a nice holistic again approach
to learning a little bit about all the different wildlife
species and that are here in South Florida. We also
have Raptor chapters so that one is geared more for
fourth and fifth grader, so a little bit older, they'll
(17:20):
dissect an owl pellet and they'll get to meet either
one or two raptors. And then we go for a
hike as well to kind of look to see to
test their skills, to see what they can find looking
up at the sky or even looking at our bird
feeders as well, to be able to see what they
can identify and observe with birds.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh, very cool, because you do kind of have to
keep some bit of a sharp eye out because you
can just walk right by things because they're very well camouflaged.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
Some of them are well camouflaged, but some of them
are very vocal. So I like to bird by ear.
We always say able there is our red shouldered hawk.
Red shoulder hawks. You'll often hear them before you see them.
They make quite a racket.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
They let you be known that they're there.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, we have a bunch of crows living at my
condo right now, so very intelled. They can me very loud. Yes,
if you walk out wearing something sparkly, they start chattering. Yes,
they think it gets their attention.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
So, speaking of raptorsteb we will be doing a at
least one raptor release, so we have a rehabilitated animal
release for our Earth Day.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
We have two.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Scheduled, one at twelve thirty with Bush Wildlife Sanctuaries animal
and one with South Florida Wildlife Centers animal which I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
I don't know if I want to reveal what one.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Of our no, Okay, yeah, yeah, you'll just have to
come on April nineteenth and at one o'clock or one thirty. Sorry.
One thirty is the animal release with South Florida Wildlife
Center and twelve thirty is the one with Bush Wildlife Sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Very cool. I can't wait to see this. Okay, one
year for the birthday and it was so cool. I
got to see the release and was beautiful. I want
to say, a hawk of some nature several years ago
it is probably was the red shouldered Yeah, and came out.
Was like yeah, and it was amazing. I was like, whoa. Okay.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
Last year we did the osprey, which was amazing because
they are very hard to rehab so it was a
very rewarding experience to be able to see that it
was able to take off and fly very.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Striking back home. Yeah, very cool. I like that. That's
really neat. So and of course you mentioned you have
Sparky so he's one of your ambassador animals.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
Yeah, we have several ambassador animals over twenty so Sparky
is our gopher tortoise. He's with us and he's been
there since twenty nineteen, and he's one of our celebrities.
And he's definitely gotten more of a celebrity status since
after the radio interview he got.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
To go on to TV and do a live interview
as well.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Oh, very cool as it should be, Yes, it should be. Yes. So,
and I know you guys did a naming contest couple
of years ago for some new animals.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Yeah, we did a naming contest for our alligators actually
last earth Day, and Darth Gator and Luke swamp Walker
were the names that won at Earth Day last year.
And they've also been out and about getting a lot
of fame and doing a good job of educating the
public about alligator and crocodilians as a whole and why
(20:17):
to keep them safe?
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Why to protect them? Why not to feed them?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Oh definitely, yeah, yeah, how.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
To keep them safe and be safe with exist exactly,
respect their space. Yes, And I think dagger Wing also
has a gator and a gopher tortoise as well, yes.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
We actually named our gator last year's Earth Day as well.
Ours is named Lizzie. We're not sure if she's a
girl or a boy, but we're going with Lizzie. That's
the one that won. And this year at our Earth Day,
we will be voting on our Southern toad. So our
Southern Toad is going to get a name this year
based off of suggestions made by visitors, so we're excited
about that.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
So they can put submissions in one of the day
of them.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yep, if you come to the event, we're gonna have
a table set up with our toad there and have
little ballots and the kids or adults can write down
a name that they would like to name our toad
and put it in the box and staff will go
through and select a few of our favorites and then
we will put them on Facebook to have a vote. Uh,
and the one that gets the most votes will be
(21:17):
the name.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, I was thinking you're at Gators. We're going to
be at aka Helian cheese and crackers or PB and
J kind of thing. That's what I'm thinking, thinking the
kids are going to pick that. But the Skywalker one
that's much better.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
They there were some good names in there and some
funny ones like Mater and Tatter, and I feel like
there was one like that.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
It's very cool, but I like it. So people come
out and experience all these fun things. So what's the
lineup at dagger Wing for the Earthday celebration there? You
said it starts at ten am.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Yes, it starts at ten am. We're still working on
our schedule, but we are going to have different animal presentations,
like we're going to have our gator out for a
gator talk. We're going to have a gopher tortoise talk
with our gopher tortoise Fritz. We're working on a few
other animals that we will and we're also going to
do our Ladybug release like we had mentioned before. We're
(22:05):
going to have a craft station set up in our
lab so kids can come and make a craft. We
will have a scavenger hunt on our boardwalk where kids
will be able to pick out different animals that are
hanging on our boardwalk walk. Let's see, we're gonna have Oakley,
the mascot for Palm Beach County Parks and rec is
going to be on site for some photo opportunities. We're
(22:28):
gonna have the West Boca branch of the Palm Beach
County Library System on hand with a table and they're
going to be doing a story time. We're gonna have
a couple of those, and we're gonna have a couple
of other vendors, like the South Florida Herpetological Society is
going to be on hand with some of their snake
friends as kind of a show, intel which we're very
(22:49):
excited because this will be the first time we get
to have them here at Dagger Wing. We're going to
have a plant sale outside where several we have several
volun tears who have been raising these plants from seed,
often from seed, and they are getting ready to go.
We're going to have over one hundred plants for sale,
and most of them are for the butterfly garden, both
(23:11):
Florida natives and we have a few exotics but they're
not invasive, but mostly Florida natives for sale like milkweed
and a few other things for your butterfly garden. We
also might be doing a bird release. We are working
on the details right now, but we should be able
to be releasing I won't tell what bird it is.
(23:32):
But there is a bird by South Florida Wildlife Center
is hoping. We're hoping that they're going to be able
to bring a bird to release for our event as well.
And ConA Ice is going to be on site too.
That's a first. We haven't had a food vendor before,
so we are super excited to have ConA ice.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Kids are going to love that, yes, even the big kids. Yes,
absolutely well, because it's Florida. Even though you're starting at
ten am, it starts to get a little warm, and
those ConA ices are just so refreshing.
Speaker 6 (24:01):
Yes, yes, and it sounds like if you miss the
one on April nineteenth, go to dagger Wing on April
twenty six, and you'll get some similar aspects but in
a different, different atmosphere, a different environment.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, aren't just in a super like it's great for
young young ones. We get a lot of young families
and smaller kids, so it's perfect for so cool.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
That's good to know. So you have a lot of
we ones, this is a good dagger Wing's a good
one to go to. Yep, because it's really geared for them. Yeah,
I mean grown ups are going to enjoy it too,
But of course, of course.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
All ages everywhere, we accept them all.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Well that's good oay, So what time does it start at?
Okayheey on on the nineteenth.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
Yep, So ours also will start at ten am and
go till three pm. So we'll kick things off at
ten fifteen with a guided bird tour that will be
with us in Audubon of Everglades. Ten forty five we'll
do another guided tour, but going to see and visit
our ambassador deer or white tail deer that we have
(25:03):
and anything else that we see along the way. Since
we've done some habitat restoration for our gopher tortoises, so
you'll get to see hopefully more gopher tortoises on that
nature trail tour eleven am. As we mentioned, we'll be
doing the Tranquility Trail to Sound Bowl Healing Station. Eleven
fifteen will be the first Oakley Meet and greet with
our mascot, so great photo ops for the kiddos. And similarly,
(25:29):
we also have the library system coming specifically Wellington Library Branch,
one of our favorite libraries that we partner with, and
they'll be doing a tails and Tail story time and
at twelve thirty will be our first rehabilitated animal release
twelve forty five, a guided pollinator plant tour one o'clock,
Tranquility trail for the kiddos one thirty another animal release
(25:53):
one forty five. If you miss the first meet and greet,
you get another chance to meet with Oakley again, as
well as another their story time at two o'clock, and
then finally to wrap things up. Going on throughout the
day will be the opportunity to participate in the Friends
of Okahelly Nature Center's Raffle and they have a lot
of things up available for Raffle, including the wood turners
(26:16):
have made several items, including a hope trust.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Oh wow, so some.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
Of these things are valued up into the thousands of dollars.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Well, I can't say I've seen the bulls they've made. Yes,
they are stunning. They're so beautiful. I'm like, I need
to learn how to do that.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Yeah, the wood turners are there usually on the fourth Saturdays,
So yeah, all of our partner groups will be represented
at Earth. They will have I think we have over
thirty exhibitors this year, so it's definitely grown. OMG, that's good.
Food truck will be there as well as ConA ice yep,
South Florida Herbs Society as well with their snakes. This
(26:55):
year we're gonna come away from presentations instead, we're making
the Pine Room or of an animal encounter room. So
this gives more opportunities for more exhibitors and more vendors
to come and so it'll be a little bit different
style this year, but it'll be way fun.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
That's cool. Mixing it up is also good. I like it.
So again, they come to okaheely, they can drive all
the way back to the back of the park and
then you're gonna be there and there's gonna be signage.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Yes, there will be a ton of signs and if
you need to. I know people have had to park
at the Pooch Pine Dog Park before and walk their
way over and there will be the sea cadets there
helping you to find your parking as well.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Oh yeah, and they are so nice about helping you
find parking. They're really good about that. It's frank cool.
So again, parking at Dagger Wing is it similar where
people go and find signs to the back.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Or so for us, we have a pretty large parking
lot out front, so parking shouldn't be a problem. But
they can park anywhere in the park as they approach
Daggerwing if they can't find parking in the parking lot itself.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
All right, very cool, And if they need more information,
is their website for them to go or should they
be following you on Facebook? How would that work?
Speaker 6 (27:57):
I would definitely follow us on Facebook at Instagram right now.
That is the best up to date information. Otherwise, Yes,
you can visit us and find us at PBC nature
dot com and find Okay Helly Nature Center and our
friends of Okay Healy Nature Center also have a website
now for if you google that or look it up
on our website as well, you can get.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Directed to there so you can become a friend of
Okay Helly Nature Center or dagger Wing and they do
really cool events.
Speaker 6 (28:22):
Yeah, we're always looking for more members, more active members
to help us plan all of these great things because
now we have a little bit more to do, now
we've raised more money, now we have more projects to
work out.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Of course, that's very cool. And of course, as always,
if there's businesses that would like to become a sponsor
of one of these events or the nature centers themselves,
they're happy to reach you're happy for them to reach
out to you.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
We'll always direct them over to our friends of contacts,
so the Presidents, the Secretary's Treasures, whoever they need to
but yes, we will happily direct them that way.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
And of course we can't leave today without talking about
your fallowing tier groups, especially your OK teens. And then
you have volunteers at dagger Wing as well.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
With it being April, it is Volunteer Appreciation month as well.
So I can say for Okayan Nature Center, we would
not be as awesome as we are without the help
of our dedicated volunteers. We have folks that put in
more time than our part timers are allowed to, so
it's pretty amazing. The dedication of our volunteers are the
(29:29):
OK teens and those teens watching them grow up and succeed.
One of our first OK teens is now working at
Grassy Waters Nature Preserves.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So oh that's so awesome.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Yea, so they're they're in the workfield already, very very cool.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
So and Daggerwing you have lots of volunteer opportunities as well.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, So we'll take volunteers ages fifteen up to no limit.
And we always need volunteers for things like animal care,
front desk, greeders. We have workers in our butterfly garden,
so we have something for everybody, and we are always
looking for those volunteers, so any age just reach out
(30:09):
to us and we would love to have more volunteers
on board.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Oh, I think that's fantastic. And like you said, it's
Volunteer Appreciation Month. So when I think all the volunteers
out there that donate their time to whatever charity they're
reaching out to, so cool and that's how that makes
them work. So before we go again, the dates and
the times for your events and the website.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Yes, so Okay Helly Nature Center's Earth Day is first Saturday,
April nineteenth, from ten am to three pm. You find
us at Pbcnature dot com look up Okay Healy Nature
Center and we are located within Okaihelly Park.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And then Daggerwing's Earth Day will be on Saturday, April
twenty sixth from ten am to two pm and we're
within bert Aaronson South County Regional Park and our website
is also PBC Nature dot com and you just find
Daggering and click on Daggoing.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Thank you so much for coming in and sharing all
the cool information with us doing such a fun thing
in the county. Definitely definitely appreciate it, and it's actually
very much needed to help us reset ourselves with the
nature in our world. I agree, and if you need
more information, reach out to me Palm Beach Perspective at
iHeartMedia dot com. Happy for it on the details, don't
forget you can always download the shows of podcasts on
(31:21):
our iHeartRadio app. Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend. I'm
dev Nev and this has been my perspective. Remember life
is good, so be your healthieste and let's get out
there and live it. Until next week, enjoy.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I Heard Communities, the community engagement arm of the station,
champions critical issues and causes in the area of health
and wellness, social impact, education, literacy, and music and art.
Join us next week for Palm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective
iHeart Communities presents Palm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective which dead NEP.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning, welcome to Calm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective. I'm
your host, deev Net. Thanks for spending your weekend with me.
All kinds are great things going on, and we talked
to Valstas last week about Pandora's Kids and all the
cool programs they offer for the kids to help with
their grieving process. Don't forget this month of April, there's
a fun fundraiser going on from their friends at Oceana Coffee.
(00:28):
What do you do to go to Oceana Coffee, get
your coffee, You get a little coffee bean and you
put your bean into the cup that says Pandora's Kids,
and then they get a donation from Oceana Coffee at
the end of the month. So if you're going for coffee,
head over to Oceana get some of the wonderful coffee
they offer, and then you can do that donation to
Pendor's Kids. And if you need more information about them,
(00:48):
go to Pandorskids dot org and they have all the
details right there on the website for you. And of
course their upcoming event for April is going to be
the walk through the Pike's Food Forest, So it's a
really cool thing for the kids to do where they
learning able the edible plants that the Lady is planted
there and everything very fun. Oh don't forget Flagler Museum.
(01:09):
It's almost time for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, so
this is really cool. It's happening Saturday, April nineteenth. Gates
are going to open at nine and the Easter a
Hunt begins promptly at ten am. It is a lot
of fun and it's so cute to see the little
kids rolling the eggs around, I gotta tell you. And
then coming up on April twenty six it's their annual
Blue Grasp in the Pavilion concert and it's gonna be
the Cody Norris show returning for a second time. And
(01:32):
then Authentic Unlimited is opening for them, so it's gonna
be a lot of fun something. Go to Flagler dot
us to get more details on that. And of course,
lots of things happening at the Gravis Center. Coming up Monday,
April fourteenth, it is Iron and Wine the Light Verse
Tour that's happening in the Dreyfus Hall and then starting
on Tuesday, it's part of their Cravis on Broadway series.
(01:54):
It is Clue, so they're doing the Broadway adaptation of
the Board Game. So I can't wait to see that one.
It's April fifteenth through the nineteenth, and then April twenty
second through the twenty seventh is Lims rob so you
see Le Miz as well as part of the Cravis
on Broadway series. And they've got Complexions Contemporary Ballet coming
up on April twenty ninth, and of course they've announced
(02:16):
their Cravis on Broadway series for next year, so lots
of cool things coming. They have the Whiz Kimberly Akimbo
Whi Twas the Night Before and this is gonna be
done by Circus Solet, and the Choir of Man is
coming some like a Hot MJ. The musical A Beautiful
Noise which is the Neil Diamond Musical, and then of
course the Notebook based on Nicholas Sparks books. Lots of
(02:40):
cool Cravis on Broadway series coming for next year. Since
the go to Cravis dot org and you see all
different shows are there. There's Peak Series, there's you know,
Lunch and learned. For the adults, it's lots of fun
adults at leisure series, all kinsical things you haven't been
outside in a while. One head over to Mounts Botanical.
They're doing their big spring plant sale and family off
(03:01):
on weekend coming up Saturday, April twenty sixth and twenty seventh.
Plus they've got like you know, tai Chi in the garden,
water painting in the garden, and of course right now
they've got their big Ribbet the exhibit thing going on
with the big frogs and all the different gardens throughout
the park. So much fun for you in the family
to check out. Go to Mounts dot org to see
what's happening there. Reminder from Saint Lucie County their libraries
(03:23):
are continuing to offer all kinds of free adult education classes.
They also they have coming up on April sixteenth. It
is the Silent Book Club and so this one's from
ten thirty am till noon and then five thirty pm
till seven pm. It's happening at the Lakewood Park branch
and it's where the introverts united to enjoy reading their
books in the quiet with some very casual socializing and
(03:46):
sharing as they wish, so lots of cool things with that.
Another book group coming up on Thursday, April seventeenth and
is the Chain Gang All Stars and that was going
to be the Kilmer Branch. For details, you can reach
out to them seven seven to two four six two
sixteen fifteen. And then they also have other fun things.
There's a grow a Sunflower and this is happening on
(04:07):
Friday April eighteenth at one pm at the Hurston Branch.
So you go, you get to plant your little sunflower
seat in your own little pot, take it home and
let it sprout and then plant it outside. So a
lot of fun for the family. Monday April fourteenth is
the Cultural Council for Palm Beach Counties Culture and Cocktails event.
It is called the Ultimate Musical Finale featuring Rob Russell,
(04:29):
Avery Summers and some more special guests. It's happening at
the Ben Hotel Monday April fourteenth. Simply go to Palm
Beachculture dot com and you get your tickets and more
information there. Oh also reminder City of Fort Pierce Grant's
Division is inviting folks to intend a free first time
home Buyer's workshop and this is going to be happening Thursday,
(04:49):
April seventeenth from five point thirty to six thirty pm.
Reach out to them seven seven two four six seven
thirty one sixty nine to sign up for that one.
You just need a pre read. Oh reminder, East Boyton
Blaze Baseball second annual charity golf tournaments coming up and
this is a cool fundraiser to help the kids go
for their baseball training and it's going to be held
(05:12):
on Saturday, May thirty first at the prestigious Banyon Golf Club.
It's going to raise fund for the kids to go
to the World Series tournaments in Pigeonforge, Tennessee, and Cooperstown
in New York. So for more details call them three
five to two two six to two nineteen hundred and
they're happy to give you all the details. And of course,
Palm BEA's Drama Works is enjoying their twenty fifth season
(05:35):
and they currently have running a wonderful play called Camping
with Henry and Tom. It's going on now through April
twenty seventh, So I want to check that out Pbdramaworks
dot org. And of course more commediess got fun things
going on Friday, May second is a documentary film screening
called Fall seven times Get Up eight And they also
(05:56):
have other fun things coming up throughout the month. They
have the rak demonstrations, the tea classes, the tea ceremonies.
You can go to morecommed dot org for more details
on that one. Another reminder, Saint Lucy Extension is hosting
Green Industries Best Management Practices Class that's happening May first,
and this is good for all the commercial landscapers and
(06:19):
folks like that, members of the public, municipal staff and stuff.
So it's Thursday, May first, starting at eight thirty and
for more details call them seven seven to two for
six two, sixteen sixty. Oh, don't forget the ballet. Pomp
Beach is presenting Sleeping Beauty at the Kravis on April
(06:40):
seventeenth through the nineteenth. And got a reminder that the
folks at the Delray Beach Playhouse have their summer camp
getting ready to start and so it's going to be
you the camp. First one is ages seven to thirteen
for Disney's Moana Junior. And then they got audition dates
(07:00):
to check out for the try out for these things
April thirtieth, May first. For details, reach out to the
Playhouse five six's one two, seven, two, twelve eighty one
and they have all the details right there for you
how to sign up. Coming up on Saturday April nineteenth,
it is Legends on the Lawn featuring the band jam Bush.
That's at the Canyon Amphitheater in West Boyton Saturday April nineteenth,
(07:24):
seven pm. And then we have guided Citizen Science boardwalk
tour happening at the Green Kay Nature Center and that's
Friday April twenty fifth and Saturday April twenty six. This
is good for all ages. Free admission for that and
they'll explain everything when you get there. Speaking of explaining everything,
I do want to welcome my guests for today. I
(07:45):
have Emily and Alissa from Palm Beach County Parks. Good morning,
good morning, good morning. So now Emily, you're with Okaheley
Nature Center, right, yes, Emmaslissa you're in charge of the
Daggerwing Nature Center.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Correct, Yes, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Where's Daggerwing not located?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Wagoing is in West Boca, just west of four forty
one between Yamato and Glades in bert Aronson South County
Regional Park.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Okay, cool, So what hours is the Nature Center actually open.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So we're open on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays from one
to four thirty and then we're open Saturdays from ten
to four thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Oh, so lots of hours for folks. Yeah, and of
course we want to have you commit. I want to
have you commit and talk today because Earth Day's coming,
so you both have some really fun celebrations going on.
So when is the Earthday celebration happening at Daggerwing.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So dagger Wings is going to be on Saturday, April
twenty sixth from ten am to two pm.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Oh, very cool. And is there they're charged for that?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Nope, it's free.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
We might have a few activities that could require a
small cash donation. For example, we're going to have a
raffle where we're going to be raffling off some great items,
and we're also going to do a ladybug release where
we're going to be selling the tickets for a dollar
apiece and kids will get a handful of ladybugs that
they can release into our garden.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Oh that is so cy dude. I like it. It's
kind of like when you go and you can feed
the little Lord heat birds. Yes concept, Yeah, that's very
cute and the ladybugs are so cute. Yes, I might
have to come get some lady bugs release. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
You can be a kid there.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's a fun thing, all right. So miss Emily Okaheley
Nature Center, what are you guys doing your Earth DA event?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Yeah, so we'll do it the week prior to Dagger
Wings on Saturday, April nineteenth, So we kind of sandwich
the official Earth Day of April twenty second. So even
if you can't make one, or you can make both.
Either way, we're there for you. So whether you go
north or south. So and Okiheley Nature Center is located
on the north side of the county, so we're sandwich
(09:40):
between Jog Road and the turnpike. And Okiley Nature Center
is located in Okaheley Park, which is off a forest
Hill boulevard, so we're.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
On the north end.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
We consider ourselves a hidden gem up in that oki
Heley Park.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Oh, I believe that. So when people come into the park,
they're going to drive back that road and go past
the dog park.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Right, you're going to go past the dog park, You're
going to pass Shark Wake Park, the boat bike rentals,
the golf course, the water ski Lake, so Okaeley Park
is growing. We just got a bicycle pump track added
and Shark Wake is adding a ropes course hopefully the summer.
So a lot of things growing in.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Our park and that's fantastic. Yeah, what's a park things
should be growing? Yes, in my opinion, Yes, So what's
gonna happen for Earth Day for folks when they come out?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yeah, speaking of growing, our little theme is more of
a nurturing theme this year, nurturing our brains and mental
health as well as our gardens and the wildlife. So
we have a little bit more of a stronger focus
on Florida native plants. We'll have a couple of nurseries
and vendors there to sell plants. We'll have a couple
(10:48):
of food trucks as well, just to make sure you
nourish your body as well as your brain. And a
really special feature this year for the more nurture and
mental health awareness is we've invited Miss Sarah Palmer, who
with helping Heroes Thrive. So we're going to do a
sound bowl meditation in the outdoor classroom. They'll do a
(11:09):
tranquility trail walk to lead them there. So trying to
release all those stressors in the world and just be
present in nature. So we're really going with that nurture
concept and theme this year for our Earth Day.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think that's cool. But I know every year of
the dictionary, Webster's Dictionary ads words, and one of the
words considered a few years ago, I don't believe they added,
but it was being under consideration was grounding, And of
course that's you know where you take your shoes off
and you actually stand on the ground and you actually
get a benefit from connecting to Earth energy.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
And that is what she'll be talking about as well.
So there will be an opportunity in a safe, non
fire ant, grassy area where she will lead them in
a bit of a forest grounding so to speak, and
will be in a pine flatwood forest.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
So it is perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Oh, I'm so exciting. Do you know what time that's
going to be happening.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
So the Tranquility Trail to the Sound Bowl Healing will
be at eleven am. So we'll have a sign up
because they are limited to sixteen people, so first come,
first serve, so you'll register. That'll be the adult one
and then just to try to be more family friendly
because it's not just for adults mental health where it is.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
We're also going to do.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
One at one o'clock for the kids, so she'll make
it a little shorter, but another way to have the
kids connect to nature finding different objects. Miss Erarah will
be providing different focal points so that they can help
to focus just on certain targets during that walk, and
then they'll do that little bit of a sound bowl
(12:41):
healing as well with the kiddos.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Oh, that's actually really cool because obviously the kids are
experiencing all the stress the family's school and everything. And
I know one of my friend's daughters before they had
big tasks every now and then, the school system would
have somebody to come in and do something very similar.
It was kind of like a not hypnosis, but with
like a calming talk, yeah, and let them focus on
something so when they were during the test, if they
(13:03):
got super stressed, they would remember that focal thing, stop,
take a breath, focus on that, and then resume their task.
And she said it actually really helped her.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
If I had those tools when I was in school,
that would have benefited me too.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think same here.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Yeah, yeah, so it is great that we're we're learning
to accept the mental health challenges and learn to approach
it in a more holistic approach.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, that makes sense because people are one holistic being,
so that you need to address the gestal Yeah, very true.
One of the fun things, obviously is and dagga wing
has butterflies. So tell us about the dagger wing butterfly.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, Well, we actually have a certified butterfly garden in
the front of our center, So when you come into
the parking lot and as you walk up to the building,
you're kind of immersed in all different kinds of butterfly plants,
and we always have butterflies on site for you to see,
which is really kind of cool. The dagger is it
actually a specific species of butterfly, and you get to
(14:03):
see that more on our boardwalk. So if you continue
your walk around the nature center, we have a boardwalk
that goes out back through the wetlands and we have
quite a few strangler figs, and the strangler fig is
the host plant for the daggerwing butterfly, So you might
get a chance to see a daggerwing butterfly flying around
your head when you walk on the boardwalk, which is
really kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
That is very cool. White grew up in Pennsylvania, so
we had the monarch butterflies and I just remember thinking
the kid, they were just beautiful. Never realized they came
out of the little crysalis and all those things until
later when I went to school. So obviously, I'm sure
you have like the little classes and demonstrations about that.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
One of the programs we offer to schools is we
have a world of butterflies and insects, and as part
of that program, we will bring the kids out into
our butterfly garden and we will look for all the
stages of the butterfly life cycle. So we'll look for
some eggs on the leaves, we'll look for caterpillars and
crystalists if we can find them, they're a little harder,
and then of course the adult butterfly. So that's really
(15:00):
kind of a neat experience to see the whole life
cycle in real life on a plan in front of you.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Oh that's so cool. So how did the school sign
up to do a tour like that?
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah? They can reach out to our nature center directly
by phone, call, or email, or go on our website
which you can find all of our nature center addresses
at PBC Nature dot com and click on dagger Wing
and it'll take you to our website. But we do
it all through basically an email confirmation and we can
share all of our information that way and get a
group scheduled.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think that's fantastic because the kids love coming doing those. Yeah,
so I know you guys. I talked to the ladies
from the Friends of Oky Hill a little bit ago
and you had your big gopher tortoise run or gophers
twitter trot?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Was it the gopher tortoise gallop? Yeah, gallup.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I just think it's so funny because they gallop. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Yeah. Well, if you saw Sparky at the gallup, he
was He's grooven.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
He was grooving with the base and when we all
started dancing, he actually got out and danced with us
because of the vibration. I think it stimulated him a
little bit, so he definitely got down with us when
we were dancing and partying. And they sold out with
two hundred and fifty racers and they raised almost three
thousand dollars. So yeah, just super proud for a second
(16:15):
second year, So next year's.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Going to be better. A third time will be the
charm yeahah, increasy number of racers though, because people really
got excited about this one, So you have you want
to really have more people have the opportunity, which I
think is fantastic.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So they've raised funds that goes into more programs at
the nature centers. Yeah, so what are some of the
programs that you have at Okay Hilly Nature Center. Isn't
there like a raptor program?
Speaker 6 (16:37):
So we have just like dagger wing, we do school
programs that will have a certain set that you'll choose
from a group program if you're a camp or summer camp.
Right now, we're starting to book up for summer camp,
so group program requests same approach. You go online and
find out do a reservation form for that group program.
(16:57):
So our main staples are Florida Nata. So that's a
nice mixture of our mammals as well as our raptor
and some reptiles. So that's a nice holistic again approach
to learning a little bit about all the different wildlife
species and that are here in South Florida. We also
have Raptor chapters so that one is geared more for
fourth and fifth grader, so a little bit older, they'll
(17:20):
dissect an owl pellet and they'll get to meet either
one or two raptors. And then we go for a
hike as well to kind of look to see to
test their skills, to see what they can find looking
up at the sky or even looking at our bird
feeders as well, to be able to see what they
can identify and observe with birds.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh, very cool, because you do kind of have to
keep some bit of a sharp eye out because you
can just walk right by things because they're very well camouflaged.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
Some of them are well camouflaged, but some of them
are very vocal. So I like to bird by ear.
We always say able there is our red shouldered hawk.
Red shoulder hawks. You'll often hear them before you see them.
They make quite a racket.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
They let you be known that they're there.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, we have a bunch of crows living at my
condo right now, so very intelled. They can me very loud. Yes,
if you walk out wearing something sparkly, they start chattering. Yes,
they think it gets their attention.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
So, speaking of raptorsteb we will be doing a at
least one raptor release, so we have a rehabilitated animal
release for our Earth Day.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
We have two.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Scheduled, one at twelve thirty with Bush Wildlife Sanctuaries animal
and one with South Florida Wildlife Centers animal which I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
I don't know if I want to reveal what one.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Of our no, Okay, yeah, yeah, you'll just have to
come on April nineteenth and at one o'clock or one thirty. Sorry.
One thirty is the animal release with South Florida Wildlife
Center and twelve thirty is the one with Bush Wildlife Sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Very cool. I can't wait to see this. Okay, one
year for the birthday and it was so cool. I
got to see the release and was beautiful. I want
to say, a hawk of some nature several years ago
it is probably was the red shouldered Yeah, and came out.
Was like yeah, and it was amazing. I was like, whoa. Okay.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
Last year we did the osprey, which was amazing because
they are very hard to rehab so it was a
very rewarding experience to be able to see that it
was able to take off and fly very.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Striking back home. Yeah, very cool. I like that. That's
really neat. So and of course you mentioned you have
Sparky so he's one of your ambassador animals.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
Yeah, we have several ambassador animals over twenty so Sparky
is our gopher tortoise. He's with us and he's been
there since twenty nineteen, and he's one of our celebrities.
And he's definitely gotten more of a celebrity status since
after the radio interview he got.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
To go on to TV and do a live interview
as well.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Oh, very cool as it should be, Yes, it should be. Yes. So,
and I know you guys did a naming contest couple
of years ago for some new animals.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Yeah, we did a naming contest for our alligators actually
last earth Day, and Darth Gator and Luke swamp Walker
were the names that won at Earth Day last year.
And they've also been out and about getting a lot
of fame and doing a good job of educating the
public about alligator and crocodilians as a whole and why
(20:17):
to keep them safe?
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Why to protect them? Why not to feed them?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Oh definitely, yeah, yeah, how.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
To keep them safe and be safe with exist exactly,
respect their space. Yes, And I think dagger Wing also
has a gator and a gopher tortoise as well, yes.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
We actually named our gator last year's Earth Day as well.
Ours is named Lizzie. We're not sure if she's a
girl or a boy, but we're going with Lizzie. That's
the one that won. And this year at our Earth Day,
we will be voting on our Southern toad. So our
Southern Toad is going to get a name this year
based off of suggestions made by visitors, so we're excited
about that.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
So they can put submissions in one of the day
of them.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yep, if you come to the event, we're gonna have
a table set up with our toad there and have
little ballots and the kids or adults can write down
a name that they would like to name our toad
and put it in the box and staff will go
through and select a few of our favorites and then
we will put them on Facebook to have a vote. Uh,
and the one that gets the most votes will be
(21:17):
the name.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, I was thinking you're at Gators. We're going to
be at aka Helian cheese and crackers or PB and
J kind of thing. That's what I'm thinking, thinking the
kids are going to pick that. But the Skywalker one
that's much better.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
They there were some good names in there and some
funny ones like Mater and Tatter, and I feel like
there was one like that.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
It's very cool, but I like it. So people come
out and experience all these fun things. So what's the
lineup at dagger Wing for the Earthday celebration there? You
said it starts at ten am.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Yes, it starts at ten am. We're still working on
our schedule, but we are going to have different animal presentations,
like we're going to have our gator out for a
gator talk. We're going to have a gopher tortoise talk
with our gopher tortoise Fritz. We're working on a few
other animals that we will and we're also going to
do our Ladybug release like we had mentioned before. We're
(22:05):
going to have a craft station set up in our
lab so kids can come and make a craft. We
will have a scavenger hunt on our boardwalk where kids
will be able to pick out different animals that are
hanging on our boardwalk walk. Let's see, we're gonna have Oakley,
the mascot for Palm Beach County Parks and rec is
going to be on site for some photo opportunities. We're
(22:28):
gonna have the West Boca branch of the Palm Beach
County Library System on hand with a table and they're
going to be doing a story time. We're gonna have
a couple of those, and we're gonna have a couple
of other vendors, like the South Florida Herpetological Society is
going to be on hand with some of their snake
friends as kind of a show, intel which we're very
(22:49):
excited because this will be the first time we get
to have them here at Dagger Wing. We're going to
have a plant sale outside where several we have several
volun tears who have been raising these plants from seed,
often from seed, and they are getting ready to go.
We're going to have over one hundred plants for sale,
and most of them are for the butterfly garden, both
(23:11):
Florida natives and we have a few exotics but they're
not invasive, but mostly Florida natives for sale like milkweed
and a few other things for your butterfly garden. We
also might be doing a bird release. We are working
on the details right now, but we should be able
to be releasing I won't tell what bird it is.
(23:32):
But there is a bird by South Florida Wildlife Center
is hoping. We're hoping that they're going to be able
to bring a bird to release for our event as well.
And ConA Ice is going to be on site too.
That's a first. We haven't had a food vendor before,
so we are super excited to have ConA ice.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Kids are going to love that, yes, even the big kids. Yes,
absolutely well, because it's Florida. Even though you're starting at
ten am, it starts to get a little warm, and
those ConA ices are just so refreshing.
Speaker 6 (24:01):
Yes, yes, and it sounds like if you miss the
one on April nineteenth, go to dagger Wing on April
twenty six, and you'll get some similar aspects but in
a different, different atmosphere, a different environment.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, aren't just in a super like it's great for
young young ones. We get a lot of young families
and smaller kids, so it's perfect for so cool.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
That's good to know. So you have a lot of
we ones, this is a good dagger Wing's a good
one to go to. Yep, because it's really geared for them. Yeah,
I mean grown ups are going to enjoy it too,
But of course, of course.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
All ages everywhere, we accept them all.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Well that's good oay, So what time does it start at?
Okayheey on on the nineteenth.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
Yep, So ours also will start at ten am and
go till three pm. So we'll kick things off at
ten fifteen with a guided bird tour that will be
with us in Audubon of Everglades. Ten forty five we'll
do another guided tour, but going to see and visit
our ambassador deer or white tail deer that we have
(25:03):
and anything else that we see along the way. Since
we've done some habitat restoration for our gopher tortoises, so
you'll get to see hopefully more gopher tortoises on that
nature trail tour eleven am. As we mentioned, we'll be
doing the Tranquility Trail to Sound Bowl Healing Station. Eleven
fifteen will be the first Oakley Meet and greet with
our mascot, so great photo ops for the kiddos. And similarly,
(25:29):
we also have the library system coming specifically Wellington Library Branch,
one of our favorite libraries that we partner with, and
they'll be doing a tails and Tail story time and
at twelve thirty will be our first rehabilitated animal release
twelve forty five, a guided pollinator plant tour one o'clock,
Tranquility trail for the kiddos one thirty another animal release
(25:53):
one forty five. If you miss the first meet and greet,
you get another chance to meet with Oakley again, as
well as another their story time at two o'clock, and
then finally to wrap things up. Going on throughout the
day will be the opportunity to participate in the Friends
of Okahelly Nature Center's Raffle and they have a lot
of things up available for Raffle, including the wood turners
(26:16):
have made several items, including a hope trust.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Oh wow, so some.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
Of these things are valued up into the thousands of dollars.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Well, I can't say I've seen the bulls they've made. Yes,
they are stunning. They're so beautiful. I'm like, I need
to learn how to do that.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Yeah, the wood turners are there usually on the fourth Saturdays,
So yeah, all of our partner groups will be represented
at Earth. They will have I think we have over
thirty exhibitors this year, so it's definitely grown. OMG, that's good.
Food truck will be there as well as ConA ice yep,
South Florida Herbs Society as well with their snakes. This
(26:55):
year we're gonna come away from presentations instead, we're making
the Pine Room or of an animal encounter room. So
this gives more opportunities for more exhibitors and more vendors
to come and so it'll be a little bit different
style this year, but it'll be way fun.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
That's cool. Mixing it up is also good. I like it.
So again, they come to okaheely, they can drive all
the way back to the back of the park and
then you're gonna be there and there's gonna be signage.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Yes, there will be a ton of signs and if
you need to. I know people have had to park
at the Pooch Pine Dog Park before and walk their
way over and there will be the sea cadets there
helping you to find your parking as well.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Oh yeah, and they are so nice about helping you
find parking. They're really good about that. It's frank cool.
So again, parking at Dagger Wing is it similar where
people go and find signs to the back.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Or so for us, we have a pretty large parking
lot out front, so parking shouldn't be a problem. But
they can park anywhere in the park as they approach
Daggerwing if they can't find parking in the parking lot itself.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
All right, very cool, And if they need more information,
is their website for them to go or should they
be following you on Facebook? How would that work?
Speaker 6 (27:57):
I would definitely follow us on Facebook at Instagram right now.
That is the best up to date information. Otherwise, Yes,
you can visit us and find us at PBC nature
dot com and find Okay Helly Nature Center and our
friends of Okay Healy Nature Center also have a website
now for if you google that or look it up
on our website as well, you can get.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Directed to there so you can become a friend of
Okay Helly Nature Center or dagger Wing and they do
really cool events.
Speaker 6 (28:22):
Yeah, we're always looking for more members, more active members
to help us plan all of these great things because
now we have a little bit more to do, now
we've raised more money, now we have more projects to
work out.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Of course, that's very cool. And of course, as always,
if there's businesses that would like to become a sponsor
of one of these events or the nature centers themselves,
they're happy to reach you're happy for them to reach
out to you.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
We'll always direct them over to our friends of contacts,
so the Presidents, the Secretary's Treasures, whoever they need to
but yes, we will happily direct them that way.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
And of course we can't leave today without talking about
your fallowing tier groups, especially your OK teens. And then
you have volunteers at dagger Wing as well.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
With it being April, it is Volunteer Appreciation month as well.
So I can say for Okayan Nature Center, we would
not be as awesome as we are without the help
of our dedicated volunteers. We have folks that put in
more time than our part timers are allowed to, so
it's pretty amazing. The dedication of our volunteers are the
(29:29):
OK teens and those teens watching them grow up and succeed.
One of our first OK teens is now working at
Grassy Waters Nature Preserves.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So oh that's so awesome.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Yea, so they're they're in the workfield already, very very cool.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
So and Daggerwing you have lots of volunteer opportunities as well.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, So we'll take volunteers ages fifteen up to no limit.
And we always need volunteers for things like animal care,
front desk, greeders. We have workers in our butterfly garden,
so we have something for everybody, and we are always
looking for those volunteers, so any age just reach out
(30:09):
to us and we would love to have more volunteers
on board.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Oh, I think that's fantastic. And like you said, it's
Volunteer Appreciation Month. So when I think all the volunteers
out there that donate their time to whatever charity they're
reaching out to, so cool and that's how that makes
them work. So before we go again, the dates and
the times for your events and the website.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Yes, so Okay Helly Nature Center's Earth Day is first Saturday,
April nineteenth, from ten am to three pm. You find
us at Pbcnature dot com look up Okay Healy Nature
Center and we are located within Okaihelly Park.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And then Daggerwing's Earth Day will be on Saturday, April
twenty sixth from ten am to two pm and we're
within bert Aaronson South County Regional Park and our website
is also PBC Nature dot com and you just find
Daggering and click on Daggoing.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Thank you so much for coming in and sharing all
the cool information with us doing such a fun thing
in the county. Definitely definitely appreciate it, and it's actually
very much needed to help us reset ourselves with the
nature in our world. I agree, and if you need
more information, reach out to me Palm Beach Perspective at
iHeartMedia dot com. Happy for it on the details, don't
forget you can always download the shows of podcasts on
(31:21):
our iHeartRadio app. Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend. I'm
dev Nev and this has been my perspective. Remember life
is good, so be your healthieste and let's get out
there and live it. Until next week, enjoy.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I Heard Communities, the community engagement arm of the station,
champions critical issues and causes in the area of health
and wellness, social impact, education, literacy, and music and art.
Join us next week for Palm Beach Treasure Coast Perspective
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