Learning at Loxahatchee 2018 Lecture Series

Learning at Loxahatchee 2018 Lecture Series held at

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge announces the return of our “Learning at Loxahatchee” lecture series for 2018. During this series of lectures, visitors will engage with wildlife professionals and naturalists to learn about ethnobotany, alligators, freshwater fish, invasive reptiles, and the science of scat (animal droppings). The lecture series will be offered from January through April on selected Thursday afternoons at 1:30 pm in the visitor center theater and is free with a valid refuge entrance pass.

Lecture-goers will learn about how early settlers made use of native plants for food and medicine during Ethnobotany of a Cypress Swamp, presented by Master Naturalist and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) volunteer Bruce Rosenberg on January 25^th. At the conclusion of the ethnobotany lecture there will be a short tour of the 0.4 mile Cypress Swamp Boardwalk. On February 22^nd, Dr. Laura Brant, USFWS Regional Scientist and a leading authority on alligators, will discuss the current and future status of these iconic reptiles in south Florida.

On March 22^nd, Non-native Fish and Wildlife Biologist Kelly Gestring of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will report on the status of Florida freshwater fish and the invasive reptiles that threaten south Florida’s native ecosystems. The lecture series will wrap up on April 26^th with The Science of Scat by USFWS Interpretive Specialist Serena Rinker. Loxahatchee’s own Premier Pundit of Poop will discuss the serious science of scat and help you become your own skilled scat identification expert.

The refuge is located off U.S. 441/SR 7, 2.5 miles south of SR 804 (Boynton Beach Blvd.) and three miles north of SR 806 (Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue). The refuge is open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.  Visitor Center hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week. An entrance fee of $5.00 per vehicle or $1.00 per pedestrian is charged. A variety of passes, including a $12.00 refuge specific annual pass, are available.  Please visit the refuge website at www.fws.gov/refuge/arm_loxahatchee/  and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ARMLoxahatcheeNWR.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.