Parks | Lee Smith Photography

South Florida Wildlife

Photos by Lee Smith

I visited a few locations the other day to photograph the wildlife and scenery of the area:

Wakodahatchee Wetlands is on 50 acres of unused utility land and transformed into a recreation wetlands open to the public in Delray Beach, Florida
Green Cay Wetlands comprised of a man-made 100-acre wetlands & 1.5-mile boardwalk in Boynton Beach, FL
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – a 147,392-acre wildlife sanctuary is located west of Boynton Beach, FL

These are but a small collection of images I captured from those areas…

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 3355 — Gulf Fritillary Butterfly – Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – 3355

Cattle egret - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 3080 — Cattle egret – Wakodahatchee Wetlands – 3080

Cattle Egret - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 3084 — Cattle Egret – Wakodahatchee Wetlands – 3084

Great Blue Heron - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 3163 — Great Blue Heron – Wakodahatchee Wetlands – 3163

Wakodahatchee Wetlands - Least Bittern - 3175 — Wakodahatchee Wetlands – Least Bittern – 3175

Tricolor Heron - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 3181 — Tricolor Heron – Wakodahatchee Wetlands – 3181

Anihingas - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 3198 — Anihingas – Wakodahatchee Wetlands – 3198

Green Cay Wetlands - 3208 — Green Cay Wetlands – 3208

Pickerel weed with bee - Green Cay Wetlands - 3263 - Pontederia is an aquatic plant, otherwise commonly known as pickerel weeds — Pickerel weed with bee – Green Cay Wetlands – 3263

Pickerel weed with bee - Green Cay Wetlands - 3264 — Pickerel weed with bee – Green Cay Wetlands – 3264

Pickerel weed with bee - Green Cay Wetlands - 3266 — Pickerel weed with bee – Green Cay Wetlands – 3266

Dragonfly - Green Cay Wetlands - 3269 — Dragonfly – Green Cay Wetlands – 3269

Anhinga - Green Cay Wetlands - 3281 - The anhinga, sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, secret crow, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas — Anhinga – Green Cay Wetlands – 3281

Peacock Butterfly - Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 3329 — Peacock Butterfly – Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – 3329

Swallow-tailed kite - Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 3340 — Swallow-tailed kite – Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – 3340

Swallow-tailed kite - Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 3342 — Swallow-tailed kite – Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – 3342

Water Lily - Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - 3348 — Water Lily – Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge – 3348

Photographing the South Florida Wildlife of Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Green Cay Wetlands, and Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Beautiful Oak Canopy

There is a Beautiful Oak Canopy on the grounds of the Long Key Natural Area

Long Key Nature Area, Davie, Florida - 9421_2_3 — Long Key Nature Area – 9421_2_3

Sedona, Arizona

To order a print: Contact us with the size, Canvas, Glossy or Lustre

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark in the Red Rock State Park, Sedona, Arizona and is located in the Coconino National Forest. It is a red sandstone formation that in one of the most photographed location in Arizona.

Click on image for a larger view
To order a print: Contact us with the size, Canvas, Glossy or Lustre

Vista View Park, Davie, FL

There are 272 acres of green rolling hills and meadows. An excellent location for outdoor enthusiasts seeking an athletic challenges. There are hills and fitness trails creating a perfect training ground for many sporting activities like mountain biking, cross country running and crossfit workouts. There are eight shelters that offer plenty shelter from the sun and are easily accommodating group picnics. The kids playgrounds are covered and offer one of the best fun environments I have seen.

Two playgrounds
Paved Pathways
A half-mile loop Fitness Trail
A 2.1-mile horse trail loops around the park
Airfield/Paragliding
Special Events
Primitive Group Camping
Fishing
The park offers many opportunities to volunteer

** “A Little History: By the time Vista View Park opened to the public on July 12, 2003, the site had already served as the county’s landfill in Davie for more than two decades (1964-1987), culminating in a cleanup overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that led to the site’s removal from the agency’s National Priorities List in 2006. (The EPA continues to monitor the site to ensure that it remains safe for public access.) The final transformation into a park was made possible with initial funding from the Broward County Office of Integrated Waste Management, supplemented by money from the 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond Referendum.

In 2002, approximately 60 additional acres were acquired with $12.8 million, half of which came from a Florida Communities Trust grant and the other half from the 2000 bond program. The park then embarked on a nearly $7.2 million expansion, bringing the site to its current size of approximately 271.5 acres.

Prior to the park’s construction, natural communities were largely absent because of the site’s history as cattle pasture and landfill. During the design phase, pockets of three re-created natural communities were incorporated into the plans. These habitats – dry prairie, mesic flatwoods, and hammock – were created by landscaping with some of the plants native to the communities, and as they grow and mature, it is anticipated that some of the animals naturally found in these respective communities will once again make Vista View their home.”

Vista View Park
4001 S.W. 142nd Ave., Davie, FL 33330
Phone: 954-357-8898
Fax: 954-357-8897
Email: VistaViewPark@broward.org
**Referenced: http://www.broward.org/Parks/VistaViewPark/Pages/Default.aspx