You can have a nice brush with wildlife and nature at a hidden gem within Sportsplex Park in Coral Springs. Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital is a nonprofit facility on 5 acres of land. It seems part farm, part zoo, part museum, part conservation park, part wetlands, and part animal hospital. You can see all kinds of wildlife being rehabilitated in their natural habitats here.
I went recently on a Saturday afternoon with family members, and we all enjoyed it. For only the cost of a $5 donation, we got to see a variety of wildlife up close, including owls, gopher tortoises, alligators, snakes, guinea hens, black vultures, fancy pigeons, Amazon parrots, red-tailed hawks, and a mix of reptiles. Many of them are orphaned, disabled, or nonreleasable, and there are informative signs on their enclosures telling us their names and brief stories.
There are two buildings at the site: (1) a multipurpose building with animals to view in cages, museum-style educational materials, a nature gift shop, a meeting room, and more; and (2) the wildlife hospital where wild native animals are treated, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild. The hospital was not open when we visited, but I understand they do great work there and provide medical care for all the animals and birds brought to them.
We did get to see all the wildlife in the nature center’s permanent exhibit area. Animals are housed in natural-looking habitats and birds in beautiful aviaries. We did the full self-tour (which doesn’t take too long), seeing all the creatures and learning about what brought them there, and we explored the shady grounds. One can also learn something about Florida wetlands while at Sawgrass Nature Center. “It’s a unique place where people of all ages can come to observe birds, mammals, reptiles, and native plants and learn to appreciate the beauty of nature in South Florida,” according to the center.
This place is especially known for its educational programs, which focus on Florida’s native wildlife and their natural habitats. They feature live animals in these programs, along with specimens, artifacts, and other presentation materials. There’s a large, airy outdoor classroom on the grounds to hold educational sessions, lectures, summer and holiday camps, parties, and other group activities. That day, a young girl’s birthday party was going on in there and at the animal habitats nearby, and the kids seemed to be having a great time.
The nature center has a strong environmental component in its programs, and it typically serves around 3,000 students annually, with field trips to the venue and outreach programs in the schools. Volunteers conduct programs on ecology, natural history, wildlife rehabilitation, and conservation. Field excursions provide opportunities to view, photograph, or sketch wildlife in their natural surroundings. And there are weekly preschool activities for the youngest learners. Virtual programs are another option where people can learn about Florida’s wildlife and ecosystems. A lot of education from this small place!
It also was interesting learning about why some of the animals were initially brought to the facility. Not all of the wildlife here are hurt, although we did learn about birds that couldn’t fly and residents with other impactful injuries. We read about a tortoise initially being gifted as a pet. Well, that tortoise grew to be huge, and it must have been too much to handle so was taken to the center, where it now has a good home and is obviously well cared for. Other animals are rehabbed and released.
The nature center provides a variety of educational programs to increase people’s awareness of the wildlife around them and to encourage the preservation of natural habitats. By stimulating curiosity about the natural world, providing some fascinating ecological insights, and caring for the creatures entrusted to them, Sawgrass Nature Center is doing a great thing. Funded chiefly by donations, it’s totally worth a visit and supporting their work. Check it out soon!
For more information and to sign up for an educational program or tour, go to sawgrassnaturecenter.org.