By Gail Radley
Go back about two million years and Florida was an underwater gift waiting to be delivered. An occasional sandy island emerged, hinting at its future as Florida scrubland. These arid patches resemble nothing more than deserts relieved by a tangle of low-growing vegetation. To a developer’s eye, they might seem ripe for shopping malls and residential communities. Fortunately,
Volusia County Land Acquisition and Management and the Volusia County School Board had other ideas for a certain patch in
Deltona.
They restored 360 acres and designated it
Lyonia Preserve, a place where visitors can experience ancient Florida scrub habitat and the threatened and endangered species that rely on such a seemingly inhospitable environment. Located on the Deltona Public Library property, the preserve offers three walking trails of .4, 1.2, and 2.4 miles, each an expansion of the one before. As the trail begins, you’ll see signs naming the various plants and trees, including a spate of oaks, shiny blueberry, deer berry, saw palmettos and the rusty-leafed lyonia shrub for which the preserve is named. Nearly 300 species — flora and fauna — have been verified. Among the latter, you’ll probably spot the threatened Florida scrub jay. A threatened species, this lively, inquisitive cousin to the blue jay is enjoying a resurgence at Lyonia.
Tread lightly and quietly and you may catch a glimpse of some of the shyer inhabitants, among them the cottontail rabbit, gopher tortoise, fox, diamondback rattlesnake, and bobwhite quail. If you arrive when one of the many school, Exploritas, or day camper groups are making the trek, you may want out-pace them in order to really experience the buzzing, twittering solitude of this other-worldly environment. Avoid the searing, mid-day heat if you can and wear sturdy shoes for the deep sand. Aside from a pavilion and occasional signs and benches, the land is au naturel, so pack up some water, and perhaps binoculars, camera and trail mix (be sure to pack out your trash unless you find a receptacle). Were it not for the trail markers, you might feel you’ve gotten lost on a Florida island, two million years back.
(P.S. Guided tours are available for a
nominal fee.)