Weedon
Island Preserve 
*Public
Use
Weedon
Island is open from dusk to dawn seven days a week.
Preserve
Office: 727-453-6515
Guard Station: 727-217-7210
Sheriff: 727-578-9518
Emergency: 911
*
Canoe Trails
The southern canoe trail is a four-mile loop best accessed next to the
fishing pier. There are plans to construct a formal canoe launch at this
site in the near future. The trail meanders through mangrove forest, seagrass
flats, in between the islands of the Preserve, and along the edge of Tampa
Bay. Expect to see wading birds, such as reddish egret, spoonbills, and
white ibis. Occasionally manatee, sharks, and schools of mullet are spotted
in the backwaters of the seagrass flats and islands that comprise the
Preserve. Don't forget your fishing pole. Redfish, snook, and spotted
sea trout fill the waters of Weedon Island.
The
northern canoe trail is a one-way trail that originates in an enlarged
mosquito ditch at the parking area along the west side of San Martin Blvd.
This meanders through mangrove habitat and Snug Harbor before it terminates
at the beaches along the Gandy Boulevard. Eventually, we hope to extend
this canoe trail underneath the Gandy Bridge and Friendship Trail and
connect it to the canoe trail that will be established through the Gateway
Tract of Weedon Island Preserve.
You
will need to bring plenty of drinking water, mosquito repellent, a hat,
sunglasses, and sunscreen. Check the tide charts - the trails are best
accessed with higher tides. Click for tidal information: http://www2.sptimes.com/tides/index.htm 
*
Boardwalks and Nature Trails
There are a total of 4.54 miles of hiking trails that meander through
representative habitats at the Preserve. Of these, 1.82 miles are handicap
accessible - made up of wooden boardwalks or pavement. The boardwalks
extend out through the tidal flats and mangrove forests and provide viewing
opportunities over saltwater ponds that are often teaming with mullet
and wading birds. The paved and unimproved trails extend through the Preserve's
upland communities - pine flatwoods, maritime hammock, and scrub.
From
the trails, a 50' observation tower can be accessed. On a clear day, this
tower provides the visitor with an excellent view of the Preserve as well
as Tampa Bay, the City of Tampa, and St. Petersburg.
*
Picnicking
There are four small picnic areas in the preserve. Each has its own interesting
view and a picnic table.
*
Guided Tours
Weedon Island offers guided nature tours every Saturday. To register,
just call us at 727-453-6506.
*
Fishing pier
Redfish, snook, and spotted sea trout are common at Weedon Island. If
you don't have a boat, there is a fishing pier and restroom facilities
at the southern terminus of the main Preserve road.
*
Education Center
(coming in Fall 2002)
Habitat
Restoration
* Scrub Restoration
Scrub and scrubby flatwoods are a rare, high, dry, sandy (=xeric) upland
plant community that occurs at Weedon Island. Efforts are currently underway
to restore an area that has been overrun with nuisance exotic species
to its original state - scrub and scrubby flatwoods.
*
Saltern Restoration
Salterns (also called salinas, salt flats, and salt barrens) are open
areas where tidal waters pool and salt is concentrated. We are trying
to re-establish some salterns that were lost due to past land alterations,
particularly the excavation of a network of mosquito ditches that criss-cross
the mangrove forest.
*
Ongoing exotic species removal program
Nuisance exotic species, like the Brazilian pepper and Australian Pine
pictured below, often out-compete our native vegetation. Our native animals
are not particularly well adapted to these species and our overall natural
diversity declines. We aggressively try and remove these undesirable species
as they are discovered. Because the seeds of many of these nuisance exotics
are dispersed by wind, water, or wing (birds), exotic species removal
is a never-ending process.
*
Prescription Burns
There are three pyrogenic (fire dependent) community types at Weedon Island
Preserve: pine flatwoods, scrub, and scrubby flatwoods. Each requires
a varied burn regime: flatwoods typically burn every 2 to 7 years, scrub
every 25 years, and scrubby flatwoods every 2 to 5 years.
Ecological
Monitoring
*
Small mammal surveys (1997) - using 10" Sherman live traps
* Seasonal bird surveys - visual and vocal observations
* Incidental observations
