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Ecological
Adventures Await you at Forever Florida
By Mark Whichard
These days most
people think about Disney World and Universal Studios when
they here the words “Orlando” and “Florida,” but Florida has
much more to offer than just theme parks. The original
appeal of Florida was its great climate and natural beauty,
and if you travel one hour from Orlando you can really get
in touch with the natural beauty of Florida. That place is
Forever Florida, a 4700 acre nature preserve set up by
conservationist Allen Broussard.
Forever Florida is
not museum or a man-made park. Rather it is a large
eco-ranch and wildlife conservation area that includes nine
distinct ecosystems. At Forever Florida you can learn about
and see alligators, 200 species of birds, bears, deer and
the unique and rare Florida panther. The terrain includes
pastures, wetlands, forests and streams.
Matching the
beauty of this locale are the imaginative activities and
tours or “eco-safaris” that are offered at Forever Florida.
These include the Zipline Safari, the adventurous Horseback
Safari and the comfortable Coach Safari. Each one of these
allows you a chance to get a first hand experience of the
Florida wilderness.
An adventurous way
to see the wildlife is with the Zipline Safari. Using a
network of cables and aerial bridges you will go on a two
and a half hour tour of the park at tree top level reaching
heights of 55 feet and speeds of up to 25 mph. The park
also offers a night time Starlight or Moonlight safari as
well.
If zipping through
the air on cables is not your thing you can try a relaxing
coach safari. Here you will enjoy a ride on coaches that are
elevated five feet off the ground with a guide who will
explain the terrain below. The tour starts with a visit to
Crescent J, a Florida ranch featuring descendents of the
original horses that Ponce de Leon brought to Florida. The
tour continues through the wilderness areas of Forever
Florida including a flood plain forest, Bull Creek, and the
other eco systems of this nature preserver. On the way you
are likely to get glimpses of alligators, wild turkeys,
white tail deer, and maybe the endangered Florida Panther,
so be sure to keep your camera ready for some unique
photos.
Another popular
tour is the horseback Safari that allows you to view the
wilderness as it was seen by the original explorers of this
region. Some of the best horseback riding in Florida is
available here and it uses the original trails of the Native
Americans. The tour is guided by experts who will point out
the features of the eco-systems that you will ride through.
Horses are matched with the skill levels of the
participants, so horseback beginners can also enjoy this
tour.
If you are truly
concerned with habitat preservation and protecting natural
wildlife you will also be glad to know that 30% of the
revenues of these tours are used to purchase additional
lands that will be added to this nature sanctuary and to
advance the charitable goals of the Allen Broussard
Conservancy.
You can contact
Forever Florida at this address:
Forever Florida
4755 N. Kenansville Road, St. Cloud, Florida 34773, Phone:
1-866-85-4EVER
Or, 1-407-957-9794 ext 1, Fax: 1-407-957-1227 and their web
page is: http://www.foreverflorida.com/
Mark and Susan Whichard are Orlando tourism experts and write frequently about attractions in and around Orlando.
Mark and his wife Susan are the proprietors of
Quality Villa Rentals Orlando. You can get great deals on
Orlando vacation homes and villa rentals at this website
http://www.qualityvillarentals.com
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