Exploring Palm Beach County’s Natural Areas
Winding Waters Natural Area. Photo Credit: David McKibbin
Tourists and residents can enjoy over 31,000 acres of conservation lands managed by the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management. With 28 sites open to the public, there are plenty of “create-your-own adventure” opportunities to enjoy South Florida’s wide array of flora and fauna.
Visitors can encounter bald eagles at West Palm Beach’s Winding Waters, witness a red maple or pond cypress tree at Jupiter’s Sandhill Crane Wetlands, or meet a green sea turtle at Lake Worth Beach’s Snook Islands.
All of these public areas are open 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset. Remember to leave your pets and drones at home, as they are not allowed at any Natural Area.
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium
The Science of Chocolate. Photo Credit: Cox Science Center and Aquarium
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium has been “opening every mind to science” for 65 years. While the Science Center is undergoing a transformative renovation, visitors can still partake in a variety of engaging exhibits and hands-on activities.
In its latest exhibition, “Top Secret: License to Spy,” guests can embark on daring missions, unlock secret codes, experience spy simulations and participate in laser surveillance activities. Toddlers can enjoy “Engineers on a Roll,” an interactive play area and lab. The Science Center’s Florida Exhibit Hall also features “Aquariums of the Atlantic,” home to some of our state’s native fish such as Queen Angels, Spadefish, Moray Eels, and Stingrays.
On Saturday, February 21, guests can discover “The Science of Chocolate” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore the physics, chemistry and biology that makes chocolate confections delectably irresistible. This event includes a chocolate Play-Doh activity, chocolate and sweet treats trivia, a liquid nitrogen ice cream demonstration, and so much more. Attendees can also grab a golden ticket for free drizzled treats from a flowing chocolate fountain.
Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
Scarlet Macaw at Palm Beach Zoo. Photo Credit: Kathryn McKibbin
At the Palm Beach Zoo, visitors can meet over 500 animals from around the world. The Zoo’s largest exhibit, “Tropics of the Americas,” is home to jaguars, giant anteaters, capybara, axolotl, New World monkeys, flamingos and scarlet macaws (pictured above).
Last year, the Palm Beach Zoo welcomed Olan, a 10-year-old male Malayan Tiger, to its Asia exhibit. You can also encounter lemurs as you trek “The Islands,” and even meet some flamingos traversing the “Florida Wetlands.”
The Palm Beach Zoo also hosts more intimate experiences where guests can enjoy non-contact encounters with otters, tortoises, sloths, koalas, panthers, and bears in their enclosures.
The Palm Beach Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Florida Atlantic University Astronomical Observatory
FAU Astronomical Observatory. Photo Credit: FAU Department of Physics
Housed under a 13-foot diameter dome on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus, this rooftop observatory is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public. Families and astronomy enthusiasts alike can witness the Moon, stars, and other celestial bodies dotting the night sky.
Free night observations occur on the first Friday and third Tuesday of each month beginning at 7:30 p.m. (8 p.m. during Daylight Savings). The observatory is also open for special astronomical events, such as NASA’s upcoming SLS/Artemis II launch, tentatively scheduled for as early as February 6.
