Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is a heavily wooded park in
North Port, Florida
North Port is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 74,793 at the 2020 US Census. It is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was originally developed by G ...
, north of
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
.
History
In the 1970s and 1980s, new residential subdivisions were being built in North Port with development by
General Development Corporation
General Development Corporation, also known as GDC, was a land development company in Florida. General Development Corporation would be created in 1958 after a merger between Florida Canada Corporation and the Mackle Bros.
Origins and history ...
(GDC). In 1982, construction crews found unearthed artifacts and human remains while constructing roads. This led to the
Myakkahatchee Creek Archaeological Site, located on the western part of the park.
The Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park was acquired in 1989 with two Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grants.
The land was used as pastureland for cattle grazing before its acquisition.
The name Myakkahatchee comes from the
Seminole language: "miarca" meaning "big water" and "hatchee" alluding to "river."
Environment
The park includes the
Myakkahatchee Creek
(the river of the big water - Myakka River)
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and connection to the
T. Mabry Carlton Reserve
T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve, also known as the Carlton Reserve, is a preserve in Sarasota County, Florida. The reserve has of hiking, equestrian and biking trails.
History
In the 1920s, the Ringling brothers invested in large tracts ...
,
basic camping areas, of trails available for hiking, bike riding, and horseback riding, a picnic area, a parking area, and restrooms.
[ The park also offers ]birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
and fishing.
The ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
of the park includes hammock
A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a wo ...
, South Florida pine flatwoods
The south Florida pine flatwoods are a flatwoods forest community found in central and southern Florida.
These flatwoods have open canopies of slash pine (''Pinus elliottii'' var. ''densa'') above a dense understory of low shrubs and grasses in ...
, marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...
es and wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s with mixed upland areas.[
]
References
{{reflist
External links
City of North Port Myakkahatchee Creek Greenway Concept Plan, January 2007
Parks in Sarasota County, Florida
1989 establishments in Florida