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Volunteers Hope To Preserve A Piece Of Natural History

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By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

KENT GROVE - Pasco County environmental lands officials gave tours Friday of the Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, the first property purchased through the 4-year-old program.

Volunteers and county staff are developing a nature trail and a nature center that eventually will be open to the public.

The property includes a 200-year-old cypress tree listed in "The Historic Places of Pasco County," as well as rare sand hill habitat and species such as wild turkey, gopher tortoises, red-shouldered hawks, swallow-tailed kites, barred owls and songbirds.

The environmental lands program is funded, in part, with Penny for Pasco sales tax proceeds.

The Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve is made up of 122 acres, including portions of the river.

County officials recently received a Florida Community Trust grant for half of the purchase.

The grant money will be used to complete renovations and site improvements, and to manage the property, officials said.

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