News Release

FWC hosts Taste of Tosohatchee

For immediate release: March 31, 2008
Contact: Liz Sparks, 850-922-6160

Come out to the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and get to know nature up close and personal at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) first-ever Taste of Tosohatchee.

" 'Toso Tasters' are in for a real treat," said Liz Sparks, recreation planner for the FWC. "We've got lots of fun activities planned for the whole family, and it's free."

Tosohatchee offers plenty of recreational opportunities, and this event will highlight many of them, including hiking, geocaching, birding, fishing and identifying native plants. FWC staff will demonstrate land management techniques and the equipment used to restore natural plant communities. Hands-on dynamic activities will ensure a day of fun and education for the whole family.

Try your hand at an archery range, learn about fly fishing, take a hike along the Florida Trail with a guide, and learn to identify native plants, including species safe to eat, at the 'Incredible Edibles' display. Watch a muzzleloading gun demonstration, learn about the Youth Hunter Education Challenge and the popular Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, and let the kids safely learn how to cast for fish.

Take a guided hayride with a wildlife biologist (also offered in Spanish) to watch a demonstration about prescribed fire and visit a helicopter to learn about its role in land management.

If you're an early riser, call 850-922-6160, prior to the event, to reserve your spot on the early morning birding tours guided by Mark Kiser, coordinator of the Great Florida Birding Trail. The tours are offered in Spanish and English.

Visitors can watch FWC's K-9 teams demonstrate how these talented police dogs and their handlers contribute to fish and wildlife conservation. Also, instructors will teach participants techniques for surviving in the wild.

Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area is located midway between Titusville and Orlando between SR 50 and SR 520 on Taylor Creek Road.  Mark your calendars now so you won't miss the fun.

For more information, call Liz Sparks at 850-922-6160.