September 2009 Broward County Parks Newsletter

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Subject: September 2009 Broward County Parks NewsletterTo: "PK_MARKETING" Date: Friday, August 28, 2009, 9:20 AM

SEPTEMBER 2009

5-5-5 Staycation Special ReminderIt’s down to the wire: September is your final opportunity to take advantage of our 5-5-5 Staycation Campground Special. It works like this: For the 5 months from May 1 through September 30, 2009, visit any one of our 5 campgrounds and get $5 off per night per campsite. C.B. Park in Pembroke Pines, Easterlin Park in Oakland Park, Markham Park in Sunrise, and T.Y. Park in Hollywood all offers sites with full RV hookups, and all have picnic tables, charcoal grills, and restroom complexes with hot showers. C.B. and T.Y. include laundry rooms, while T.Y.’s restrooms are also air-conditioned. Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach offers a unique Rent-A-Tent package, in which each site includes a platform with a pre-set-up

10-foot-by-10-foot canvas tent (capacity six), a fire ring, a grill, a picnic table, electricity, and running water. Two tepee sites provide the same amenities as the Rent-A-Tent sites. (No RV sites are available at this location.)

All campgrounds provide after-hours security.. For an additional fee, two pets per campsite are allowed with proof of current vaccinations and appropriate licenses. Pets must be registered at check-in and must be kept on leashes no longer than six feet at all times when not inside the RV or tent.

As a bonus, for every night you stay, each registered camper (up to four campers) will receive a coupon worth $1.50 off admission to any of our aquatics facilities, including Paradise Cove at C.B. Park, Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park, Safari Isle at Markham Park, Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park, and Castaway Island at T.Y. Park. Passes are valid during normal aquatics facility operating hours from through September 30.

?: C.B. , ; Easterlin, ; Markham, ; Quiet Waters, ; T.Y., .

$: After discount: $25/site/night for tricounty residents (Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach); $35/site/night for non-tricounty residents; $30/night for Rent-A-Tent or tepee package (Quiet Waters only). Additional fees may apply.

R: Reservations are highly recommended.

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The Best of the Best

From May 5 through July 15, parents from all over the country voted for their favorite local family-friendly places in the Parents’ Picks Awards 2009, sponsored by Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect.com Website. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market – essentially, the tricounty area of South Florida – Quiet Waters Park was named Best Playground or Park, described on the site as “Your kid’s favorite spot to swing, slide, and get sand in his shoes (and pants and hair and ears)…†Quiet Waters beat out such contenders as South Miami’s Dante Fascell Park, Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park Beach & Family Amusement Center, and Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park. Also among the six runners-up: Broward’s own C.B. , Markham, and T.Y. parks.

?: Quiet Waters, ; C.B. , ; Markham, ; T.Y., .

Last Swim

After Labor Day, Monday, September 7, the Parks and Recreation Division’s interactive water parks – Paradise Cove at C.B. Park, Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park, Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park, and Castaway Island at T.Y. Park – will be open weekends only, between the regular hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:20

p.m. Enjoy while you can: Sunday, October 25 is the final day of the season, after which the water parks will remain closed until spring 2010. Markham Park’s Safari Isle swimming pool will be closed after Labor Day.

?: C.B. , ; Central Broward Regional, ; Quiet Waters, ; T.Y., .

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Arts in the ParkSecret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach is becoming quite the arts center, with opportunities this month for painters, watercolorists, and photographers. Bring your own supplies.. The nature center will provide the scenery.

• Painting in the Park – Sun., Sept. 6, 10 a.m.-noon.

• Photography Group for Families – Sat., Sept. 19, 9 a.m.

• Watercolor Workshop – Sun., Sept. 20, 1-2 p.m.

• Photography Group – Thursdays, 2:30-4 p.m.

?: Secret Woods, .

R: Preregistration required (photography groups only).

$: $3/person donation to Friends of Secret Woods (Watercolor Workshop only).

BCT: Route #6.

Make a Difference – Help Clean Up Florida’s Coast

Nearly seven million pounds of trash. That’s how much was collected last year in the Ocean Conservancy’s 24th Annual International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind, in which almost 400,000 volunteers from 104 countries and 42 states cleared the trash from oceans and waterways. You can be part of this landmark undertaking this year through the Florida Coastal Cleanup, which takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, September 19 at Hollywood North Beach Park, among other locations.

Volunteers should expect to get wet and dirty and dress accordingly. Participants should bring gloves, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and drinking water. The event is for all ages, although children under age 17 must be accompanied by adults.

?: Anne Kolb Nature Center, ..

R: On-site registration is required.

BCT: Routes #4 and #12.

Splish-SplashNo need to go to Hawaii for a luau – not when Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach is hosting its summer Splash Luau series, which concludes on Friday, September 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. The $5-per-person fee entitles you to two hours of Splash Adventure swim time, children’s games, prizes, a bounce house, and a movie – in this case, the hit High School Musical 3. Refreshments will also be available for purchase.

?: Quiet Waters, .

$: $5/person.

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BCT: Route #14.

It’s a Sale!Native plant nurseries and other vendors will be displaying and selling plants native to South Florida and plants conducive to butterfly and wildlife gardening at the Go Native in Broward County Plant Sale, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 12 at Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek. The event will also include gardening information, displays, and children’s arts and crafts.

A lecture series will be held in conjunction with the plant sale, featuring the following topics: “What Is Bugging Us Now?†by Sandy Granson of the Parks and Recreation Division’s Extension Education Section (9-9:30 a.m.); “Butterflies/Atala Butterfly†by Sandy Koi of the Friends of the Anne Kolb Nature Center volunteer group (9:40-10:10 a.m.); “Parks Beautification†by Brown of the Parks and Recreation Division’s Markham Park Nursery (10:20-10:50 a.m.); and “Sustainable, Florida-Friendly Landscaping†by Pipoly, also of Extension Education (11-11:30 a.m.).

?: Fern Forest, .

BCT: Routes #31 and #42.

How Does Your Garden Grow?Have you ever wondered why your tomato plants never matured before they wilted, or stared helplessly at all those pretty dead plants in your yard at the height of spring? The seminar How and When To Grow Your South Florida Home Garden, at Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach, will provide you with the information you need to have a healthy and productive garden. This free program will be offered from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 13.

?: Secret Woods, .

BCT: Route #6.

R & R at a B & BYou don’t have to go to a fancy place in some trendy, expensive tourist destination for rest and relaxation at a bed and breakfast. Just visit Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach for a Family Bed and Breakfast “staycation†the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13. Check-in starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the weekend concludes with checkout at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Campers will stay in one of the park’s 10-foot-square platform tents. Each site includes the platform tent, a fire ring, a barbecue grill, water, a picnic table, and access to a public shower/restroom facility. On Saturday, guests can enjoy an evening at the bonfire ring, including s’mores and a hayride. (Dinner is not provided.) On Sunday, the day starts with an 8:30 a.m. breakfast, followed by family fishing or free time from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

For the basic fee of $70, each campsite accommodates up to four campers, one of whom must be at least 18 years old. Two extra campers may be added for an additional fee of $4 each, for a maximum total of six campers per site. Preregistration at the park office is required, along with a refundable $35 security deposit at check-in. Space is limited.

?: Quiet Waters, .

$: $70/campsite for up to four campers; $4/additional camper (up to two); $35 refundable security deposit.

R: Preregistration is required. Space is limited and early registration is recommended.

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BCT: Route #14.

Nature at NightCurious about myths and legends associated with the full moon? Then head on over to Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center, which will host a Full Moon Hike from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, September 4. Participants in this interpretive exploration of the park’s nature trails will also be able to spot nocturnal animals as they emerge and to view the full moon as it rises.

One week later, on Friday, September 11, a naturalist will lead a Night Hike by the Seashore, for all ages, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hollywood North Beach Park. Preregistration and prepayment ($3 per person) are required at the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood.

?: Long Key, ; Anne Kolb, .

$: $3/person for both events.

R: Reservations required for both events.

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BCT: Routes #4 and #12 (Hollywood North Beach).

Shining Star for You To SeeFind out what will be in the South Florida sky during the upcoming quarter at An Evening With the Stars, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 18, at Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek. Speakers will cover basic telescope techniques and general astronomy information at this free event for all ages. The South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association co-sponsors.

?: Fern Forest, .

BCT: Routes #31 and #42.

Family FunEnjoy a hayride around the park and a marshmallow roast around a campfire at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, which hosts Family Hayride and Campfire from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. For $3 per person (ages 3 and up) you get one hayride and one bag of s’mores fixings, or for $5 per person you can take unlimited hayrides and get two bags of ingredients for s’mores.. The rain date for this event for all ages is Saturday, September 26.

?: Quiet Waters, .

$: $3/person for one hayride and one s’mores bag; $5/person for unlimited hayrides and two s’mores bags.

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BCT: Route #14.

Labor Day Weekend HoursAll Broward County regional parks will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the parks’ regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50 per person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect throughout the three-day weekend. Fern Forest and Secret Woods nature centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 9 a.m.. to 5 p.m. on Monday; Long Key Natural Area and Nature

Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each day. Deerfield Island Park will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will be closed on Monday. Neighborhood parks will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the parks will not be staffed and buildings will be closed.

Advisory Board/Public Participation Forum Notice

The Broward County Parks and Recreation Division invites the public to a Public Participation Forum, starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, at Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut Creek. This free meeting is the public’s opportunity to provide suggestions, voice concerns, and ask questions about the Division’s recreational needs. In order to encourage attendance at this meeting, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has rescheduled its regular monthly meeting to 6 p.m. instead of the customary 7:30 a.m. meeting time. The Public Participation Forum will immediately follow. For more information, follow this link.

Highlights Goes ElectronicThe monthly newsletter of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division is now available only as an electronic publication. Pass this information on to friends and family so they can sign up and become part of the Division’s online community. You will receive the latest information about upcoming events and special programs, as well as park news, via our monthly e-newsletter. To sign up, send your name and e-mail address to ParksMarketing@....

Key to Symbols ?: Call the number indicated for further information about the event.

$: Participation fees.

R: Registration requirements.

+: Plus park gate entrance fee on weekends/holidays;

$1.50/person (children 5 and under free).

BCT: Park accessible from Broward County Transit bus route.

Events Calendar

Quote of the Month“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.â€

– American president Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

Special AttractionsBatting CagesC..B. Park Butterfly WorldTradewinds Park CampingC.B. Park Easterlin Park Markham Park

Quiet Waters Park T.Y. Park Dog Park

Markham Park

Educational Farm

Tradewinds Park

Exhibit HallsAnne Kolb Nature Center atWest Lake Park

Fern Forest Nature Center

Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center

Secret Woods Nature Center

Fox Observatory

Markham Park

Golf FacilitiesC.B. Park Multipurpose Athletic Fields

Piccolo Park

Central Broward Regional Park

Tradewinds Park

Racquet Centers Piccolo Park C. B. Park Riding StablesTradewinds Park Tree Tops Park Skate Parks/Tracks Piccolo Park Quiet

Waters Park Ski Rixen Cable Water-SkiingQuiet Waters Park Target RangeMarkham Park

Velodrome Piccolo Park Water Playgrounds/Waterslides/SwimmingC. B. Park

Central Broward Regional Park

Markham Park Quiet Waters ParkT.Y. Park

Commit 2B Fit!â„¢

It Starts in Parks

Use our online calendar of events to find an activity to fit your lifestyle. Specific programs and activities will also be spotlighted regularly in eHighlights.

Mission StatementThe Parks and Recreation Division is dedicated to providing exceptional services and facilities essential to the quality of life in Broward County while preserving our natural areas.

SWIM Central

Broward County Commission's primary resource and referral service for available swim programs in cooperation with various cities and nonprofit organizations. Call 954-357-SWIM (7946).

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

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phus Eggelletion Jr.

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Sue Gunzburger

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D. s

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Ken Keechl

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Ilene Lieberman

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Ritter

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E. Rodstrom Jr.

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Wasserman-Rubin

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Lois Wexler

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to the Highlights NewsletterParks and Recreation is a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.