Timucuan Parks Foundation Celebrates National Public Lands Day

MEDIA RELEASE

Jacksonville, Fla., Sept.13, 2018 – Timucuan Parks Foundation is celebrating National Public Lands Day with two events in our public parks. The public is invited to come out to both; the first on Sept. 22 at Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park and the second on Sept. 29 with a Bike Your Park Day that will incorporate multiple preservation parks.

On Sept. 22, Timucuan Parks Foundation will be assisting Talbot Island State Parks with trail maintenance and improving access to Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park. Volunteers are asked to meet in the main parking lot of the State Park at 9 a.m. and to wear closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves (if you have them), sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, sunglasses and water (in a reusable water bottle). Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park is located at 13802 Pumpkin Hill Road. Participants will be helping to clear vegetation and install access points to allow hikers, equestrians and off-road bikers better access to the public lands.

On Sept. 29, Timucuan Parks Foundation, the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association Jacksonville (SORBA Jax), and JaxParks will be hosting a Bike Your Park Day event. Everyone is invited to join for a family-friendly bike ride on wooded trails through a variety of natural preserves in northeast Duval County. SORBA Jax will be leading participants on a five-mile ride through Betz-Tiger Point Preserve, or cyclists can choose a longer 20-mile bike tour through Betz-Tiger Point Preserve, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Cedar Point Preserve, and the National Park Service’s Cedar Point. The rides will take guests on flat natural trails through beautiful upland hammocks and along pristine salt marshes. Highlights of the longer ride will be the new bridge connecting the Cedar Point preserves and the Fitzpatrick ruins on the NPS’s Cedar Point.

Cyclists should meet at Betz-Tiger Point Preserve at 13990 Pumpkin Hill Rd. at 9 a.m. and the ride is expected to last until about noon. Those participating are required to bring a helmet, and are asked to also bring a water bottle, bug spray, and sunscreen. Additional water and snacks will be provided by Timucuan Parks Foundation. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or scout leader.

This project is made possible in part by generous grants from the National Park Service and Outdoor Foundation and from REI, who will be giving away some special gifts to participating cyclists.

For more information about either of the National Public Lands Day events, contact [email protected].

About Timucuan Parks Foundation

The Timucuan Parks Foundation is a federally-recognized 501(c) (3) that preserves, promotes and protects Jacksonville’s vast network of preservation parks. The foundation dates back to 1999, when the Preservation Project Jacksonville, Inc. was established to identify and assist in acquiring the most vulnerable and environmentally sensitive lands in Duval County. The acquisition of lands created the largest urban park system in the United States, including more than 130 square miles of park space and preserves, more than 1,100 miles of river and tributary shoreline and Atlantic Ocean beachfront, and more than 100 miles of upland trails. The Timucuan Parks Foundation works with their park partners, including the National Park Service, Florida State Parks and the City of Jacksonville, to promote environmental stewardship, the health benefits of the parks and preserves for all citizens, and an appreciation for Jacksonville’s special outdoor spaces. For more information, visit timucuanparks.org.