In a similar vein, there is Mattheson Hammock county park and preserve
right next door to Fairchild, more or less. If I recall correctly
there is a big man-made swimming lagoon that has Batillaria minima and
the little dwarf Kings crowns that feed on them. Also, if you want to
drive a little further west  there is the fruit and nut and spice park
north of Homestead which is interesting and an "Old Fashioned" tourist
spot (and a bonafide county park too, I believe) ..the exact  name
escapes me but if you google "homestead fruit and spice park" it
should come right up.

On 3/15/12, John Varner <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> You might enjoy Fairchild Tropical Gardens (try googling the website).  It
> is on Biscayne Bay in Coral Gables, and boasts the largest collection of
> palms in the western hemisphere, and a lot of other magnificent tropical
> plants.  You can walk (or be driven through by knowledgeable guides) on a
> path that winds through the  80 acres on Biscayne Bay.  No beach per se, and
> the landsnails are limited to Drymaeus and a few more common Florida natives
> and imported invasives, but if you are also interested in plants, or just a
> very pleasant couple of hours' walk, it is well worth it.  A short drive
> north on the west side of Del Ray is the Morakami Gardens, 5 or 600 acres of
> beautifully landscaped formal Japanese gardens, each done in a different
> historical style, and a museum of Japanese culture.  Also largely
> mollusc-free, but serene and stunningly pretty, with a touching and
> interesting history.
> Neither place is "natural", but there isn't much left of truly natural South
> Florida outside the Everglades.
>
> - John
>
> Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:26:50 -0700
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [CONCH-L] Key Biscayne
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
> Hello my fellow
> Conch-Lers,
>
>
>
> We will be at Key
> Biscayne for five nights starting this Friday and would appreciate any
> advice
> as to where to beachcomb and generally enjoy nature.  We are more
> interested in experiencing the moment versus optimizing shelling to the
> detriment of the general Florida experience.  Your advice would be greatly
> appreciated!
>
>
>
> Kind regards from a
> dye in the wool Californian,
>
> Scott
>
>

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