Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Located on the barrier island south of Marineland, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park consists of 389 acres of coastal scenery extending from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. The park was once the site of General Joseph Hernandez’ Bella Vista Plantation (which had citrus groves). At this river-to-sea state park, the gardens are a primary focal point. A portion of the hammock contains the formal gardens where many species of exotic plants from around the world are displayed along footpaths and around reflecting pools. The gardens are well known for their azaleas, camellias, and roses.

The area surrounding the gardens—the rocky shore, the barrier island setting, the vanishing coastal scrub, the dense hardwood hammock, and the open expanse of its saltwater marshes—offers you an exceptional river-to-sea experience. There are trails along the canopy road, which was once "Old A1A." A scenic, self-guiding trail leads along the marsh between the interpretive center and the picnic area. The coquina outcroppings along the beachfront provide opportunities to study tidal pools and their distinct ecosystem.

The park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, East Florida Section. Check the beach for shorebirds, and look offshore for loons, grebes, sea ducks, and gannets. The beach is also good for fall raptor migration between September and October. On the river side, bird the scrub or hammock trails, or road edges for migrants in season. The riverfront can be good for shorebirds, gulls, terns, and waders.

Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. until sunset.

For more information, call: 386-446-6780 or visit
http://www.floridastateparks.org/washingtonoaks/ 

“The coastal scrub mowing is complete on the beach side and the park is only waiting for the right wind and weather conditions to implement a prescribed burn in the area. Once burned, the area will be put on a natural fire regime and burned every 6 to 12 years.”  Friends of Washinton Oaks - May 2008

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Coastal Strand Mowing Project

March 2008

What we're doing:

-As a part of our FPS mission, we are working to restore some of the natural resources of the park to historic natural conditions.

Why we're doing it:

-Restoring our Parks' natural resources is a big part of our mission and our resource management philosophy.

-Historic aerial photography, maps, photos, oral and written accounts, all confirm the historic conditions of the area as being much different than what we see today.

-Current conditions are an artifact of our (human) impacts on the area.

-Prior to human influence, frequent wildfires would have maintained the area in a condition where the vegetation remained low growing and free of most trees.

-Current conditions will not allow the safe reintroduction of prescribed fire to this fire dependent ecosystem.

-The completed project will offer a significant reduction in wildfire threat to local homes, power lines, and other structures

-The completed project will offer a significant improvement in habitat quality for several threatened and endangered species including the Florida Scrub Jay and the Gopher Tortoise.

How we're doing it:

-The overgrown vegetation will be mechanically "mowed" down with a piece of heavy equipment.

-The mower will only cut the upper portions of the vegetation and leave behind the intact root structure of the plants which will then re-sprout from ground level.

-Within a few months to one year after mowing, the area will have its first prescribed fire applied to it and this will burn off much of the mowing debris.

-Following a successful first burn, the area will then be burned on a regular rotation of about 4-10 year intervals depending on the vegetation's response and growth post fire (the ecological needs of the habitat).

-These repeated burns will maintain the area in its historic natural condition and favor the survival of threatened and endangered species inhabiting the area.

WHY ARE WE MOWING THE COASTAL SCRUB

AT WASHINGTON OAKS GARDENS STATE PARK

The coastal scrub community in Florida like most plant communities is dependent upon fire to keep it healthy. Historically, natural fires in Florida, mostly caused by lightning, were essential to the continued health and maintenance of our Florida landscape. Without fire natural plant communities begin to change rapidly seceding into areas of large broadleaved trees we know as Hammocks. Each plant community is unique in its make- of both flora and fauna and each plant and animal depends upon its unique habitat to survive. When fire and other natural elements are excluded from a plant community it loses many of its characteristic plant species and the animals that depend upon those plants and the habitat in general begin to rapidly disappear.

The Florida Park Service is charged to restore and maintain typical portions of the original domain of Florida. To restore and maintain this particular area in the park, we must use mechanical means to lower the coastal scrub to a more natural height and density. After the scrub is mowed we will introduce prescribed burning into the area on a predetermined rotation to keep the scrub in a natural condition and at the proper height and density as well as foster conditions for the diversity of plants and animals that occur naturally in this area. It is our desire that visitors be able to see the coastal scrub at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park as it was when the first Europeans came to Florida.

Important species have already disappeared in this area including the endangered Florida Scrub Jay, a unique bird that requires these types of scrub communities in the healthiest of conditions in ord  er to survive. We hope that by restoring and maintaining this coastal scrub to its natural condition, we will see the return of species such as the Florida Scrub Jay and that other species that require this community to survive will continue to thrive in a healthy ecosystem. The initial work will be somewhat unpleasant to the eye for a short period of time but the results will be worth the effort; the recovery will be short and the change will be welcomed by all, especially those who call the coastal scrub their home.

If you have any questions about this or any other resource related project at the park, please contact Doug Carter, Park Manger at 386-446-6780

Thank you,

Doug Carter

Park Manager

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park