Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys (Exploring Wild Florida Series) [Paperback]

Susan D Jewell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2002 | Series: Exploring Wild Florida Series

Pineapple Press is proud to present four comprehensive guidebooks to the wildlife refuges, state and national parks and forests, city and county parks, and preserves that abound across Florida. For vacationers, naturalists, hikers, campers, canoeists, bicyclists, or anyone interested in Florida's wild places, these books are indispensable as field guides and trip planners.

Each provides information on location, habitats, and wildlife, as well as recreational and nature study opportunities. Checklists of the common and scientific names for flora and fauna are included as well.

This updated third edition covers Broward, Hendry, Lee, and Palm Beach Counties as well as Miami-Dade, Collier, and Monroe counties.

Product Details

• Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Press; Third Edition edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561642622
• ISBN-13: 978-1561642625
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,062,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to the naturally wild side of Florida, November 10, 2002

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys (Exploring Wild Florida Series) (Paperback)

As a person who has spent a good deal of time in many of the places listed in "Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys" I can say that it is a thorough, accurate, and informative guide to the South Florida area. This book is specifically made for the person who likes to explore areas that are still predominantly in their natural condition. If you are looking for a landscaped park to hike through then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for places where you are likely to see endangered species, the only air conditioning may be a breeze, and you may see very few people (if anyone) during your hike then this is the book you are looking for.

Some places are truly remote and you may be on your own finding your way around (like the Florida Everglades) and some are less remote and may even have boardwalks through the forest to make your trip easier. The book starts with an extensive overview of everything you need to know about southern Florida - weather, what to wear, animals and plants to be cautious of, information on the various park systems, and anything else that you might have a question about when planning a trip.

One of the nicer features of the book is a section on the various habitats that you are likely to encounter in south Florida. The author does an excellent job of explaining estuaries, coral reefs, cypress stands, mangroves, marshes, hammocks and other habitats. She covers what qualifies them as a specific habitat, what you should look for and expect in each of them and general educational information on each of them.

She then covers special wildlife and unwanted pests before moving into the Federal Lands part of the book that actually starts the information on each site. When she gets to the specific sites she provides all the information that you will need to plan a trip there. She covers the local habitats you might find, wildlife, facilities, and complete contact information (worth the price of the book by itself).

A highly recommended read for those who think camping equipment should not involve the word Winnebego.