Tree Hill Nature Center uses its limited budget, dedicated volunteers, and committed staff to oversee the care of 50 acres in the middle of Arlington. Youth educational programs are critical to the mission of , but the hallmark work being done is protecting those acres to serve as contiguous and robust habitat for native plants and animals. This means hours of removing non-native species, working through extreme summer heat and being prepared throughout hurricane season; this hidden gem is worth the sweat and muscle ache. The staff at Tree Hill appreciates kind words, positive reviews, and satisfied feedback from teachers …

Remember being nine? Third grade was a magical time of discovery, before the rigors of fractions in the fourth grade, when butterfly wings wore straight pins and quartz crystals shaped many girl’s wedding imagination. It’s a building time that should be in every child’s educational experience. You can still lasso rainbows when your eyes are wide open. The has welcomed third grade students from Duval County schools for field trips for many years. These students get a hands-on experience of the work they do in the classroom. They get to investigate and see, first hand, concepts such as the difference …

The vision of Tree Hill Nature Center is to, “promote environmental stewardship through hands-on educational programs and low-cost access to natural spaces.” Let’s unpack these ideas a bit, and explore the kind of education that helps to promote environmental stewardship. Environmental stewardship is about using and protecting natural resources through conservation and sustainability. This is predicated on the age old tenet of protecting resources to ensure they are available for future generations. As our understanding of environmental science, ecology, and the connectedness of Earth’s systems have broadened, natural resources are, increasingly, appreciated for their intrinsic value. Together these ideas inform …

The rainy season has settled in, full force, and the heat of the summer is taking hold. Folks will flock to Florida for their summer vacations but to many of us who live here year round, we wonder why. The bugs are big, the sun is relentless, and the heat can easily overwhelm a native Floridian, let alone a visitor. The bugs, heat, and sun are also three big contenders for reasons to put the garden to bed for the summer. No doubt, there is a benefit to letting the soil rest while we, ourselves, take a rest. Pile on …

We are extremely fortunate to live in an environment ideally suited for getting off your couch potato butt and get actively involved. Few other places offers the variety of resources being offered here in Jacksonville. Our mayor has just announced his new Journey To One – Every One In Every Zip Code Lives Well designed as a citywide health initiative to provide, strengthen and bolster initiatives that improve personal and community health throughout Jacksonville. Improving health is a journey. There are adventures in fitness waiting for you whether it be bicycling, hiking, paddling or strolling the many trails that abound …

The 2017 at is always an amazing event with so many people from all ages, stages, and walks of life represented. For the last 16 years Tree Hill has truly enjoyed being able to put this Festival on for the Jacksonville community. And, for the last 16 years it has been a butterfly festival. Why the focus on butterflies? For this month’s article, Tree Hill wanted to highlight some of the amazing features of butterflies and why we dedicate an entire festival to them. Butterflies go through metamorphosis, the Greek word for transform or change, beginning as an egg and …

On Saturday, April 29th from 10am to 4pm, will hold , and everyone is invited! Here are some of the details you need to know about the event: Why should I attend? This isn’t an easy one to answer, since there are so many great reasons to come to the Festival! Each year, Tree Hill welcomes local vendors who are selling lots of goodies, ranging from local honey and goat milk soap to jewelry and fairy wands! Local groups come out to spread the word on their work, ranging from solar energy and backyard chicken keeping to outdoor adventurers. Every …

Fall is finally starting to arrive in north Florida! The morning air is chilly. The humidity is gone, and we can open our windows to enjoy cool breezes. At Tree Hill Nature Center, our staff and volunteers welcome the change in weather as do our animals. It’s hard to imagine, but even the goats are more active! educators have the option of tweaking their programs to mention the autumn changes. As fall settles in we begin to turn our attention to planning the annual , which is our sole fundraiser. Autumn in Florida takes longer to arrive than it does …