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Join the Alachua Audubon Society and your field trip leaders, Tonya Becker and Tim Hardin, to explore the extraordinary ecosystems at Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM NERR). Planning to join us? Sign up here so we know you are coming: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4BADA928A46-58290422-guana
Meet them at 7:30am at the GTM NERR Visitor Center: 505 Guana River Rd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
This 75,761-acre conservation area is a coastal estuary named for the three rivers that run through it, connecting diverse ecosystems and ecotones that create ideal habitats for an abundant amount of wildlife, including many migrating songbirds and raptors, overwintering waterfowl, wetland wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and terns. As many as 358 species of birds have been reported here over the years.
This important and fragile area was recently saved from a proposed housing development due to strong advocacy from Audubon Florida, Alachua Audubon Society, and many other conservation-focused groups. Let’s celebrate this win by getting to know some of the many treasures GTM NERR holds.
We will explore a variety of ecosystems, beginning our day atop the dunes at the beach, watching for migrating Peregrine Falcons and possibly Merlins and other raptors, as well as doing some shorebirding using our binoculars and scopes. From there, we will cross to the estuary side of A1A and make a stop by the GTM NERR Visitors’ Center. After that, we’ll move on to bird at the brackish lagoon area created by the dam, where we might see ducks, terns, spoonbills, wading birds and more. Proceeding west, we will hike along some of the many miles of trails that wind through maritime hardwood hammocks, Pine flatwoods and scrub, saltwater marshes, and more.
Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, bug spray, a picnic lunch and snacks, a hat, and a bathing suit or change of clothes if you think you might want to explore some of the water. (Kayak rentals are available).
Difficulty : 3 based on distance
We will walk 3-5 miles, with options to extend or shorten the hike as desired.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Saint Augustine, United States
