Orange County announced today the opening of three preserves for public passive recreation, under the Green PLACE Program. The properties are Savage/Christmas Creek Preserve; Pine Lily Preserve and Isle of Pine Preserve. The Public can enjoy primitive equestrian trails, hiking and wildlife observation on all three parcels. The hours of operation are from sunrise to sunset.
Savage Christmas Creek Preserve is located off West Christmas Road in East Orange County. It is a designated Great Birding Trail site and offers an opportunity to see the Bachman sparrow, Aimophila aestivalis, a small American sparrow endemic to the southeastern United States.
Pine Lily Preserve, also a designated Great Birding Trail site, is located off County Road 13 in East Orange County. Visitors can observe the pine lily, Lilium catesbaei Walter, in late summer in the freshwater marshes that dot the landscape.
Isle of Pine Preserve is located at 14032 Lacebark Pine Road in the southeastern portion of the County. In the late summer/early fall the property is awash with the colors from wildflowers such as blazing star, Indian Paint brush, Golden aster and the vanilla plant.
Green PLACE is a public land acquisition initiative started in 2002 by Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty. Green PLACE stands for Park Land Acquisition for Conservation and Environmental Protection. The mission is to preserve and manage environmentally sensitive lands, protect water resource lands, and to provide a quality passive recreational outdoor experience for existing and future generations. Since Green PLACE’s inception, Orange County has acquired 7,320.66 acres of public lands. Since 1990, in cooperation with its partners, Orange County has purchased over 20,994 acres of environmentally sensitive lands.
For more information on the Green PLACE program, please visit the Orange County website at www.ocfl.net/epd.
