A new amphitheater and exhibit at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park provide an engaging, dedicated venue for ongoing environmental education, made possible by support from the Drial Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward.

This new park attraction was developed in partnership with the Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Recreation. It is the third installment of a Community Foundation-led collaboration to create a series of exhibits – first at MODS and then at Flamingo Gardens in Davie – that raise awareness about protecting diverse wildlife and precious ecosystems in Broward County and beyond.

“Spaces like this help transform environmental awareness into meaningful community connection,” said Community Foundation President/CEO Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. “The Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit will provide new opportunities for residents, students and visitors to learn about Broward County’s natural resources and the importance of protecting them for generations to come.”

Located near the lake on the south end of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, the new Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit invite visitors to gather, learn and explore the relationship between people, wildlife and the coastal habitats that help define Fort Lauderdale.

The attraction will support guided programs, school and community visits, conservation presentations, interpretive learning and park events. Want to find out the difference between a gopher tortoise and a loggerhead sea turtle, while walking along tree-shaded trails as you head to the beach? The Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit enable visitors to explore how coastal habitats, native plants, wildlife movement and restoration efforts work together to support biodiversity and strengthen environmental resilience along Florida’s coast.

“This opening represents an exciting new chapter for Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and the many residents, students and visitors who experience this treasured place each year,” said Michelle M. Schmitz, Executive Director of Friends of Birch State Park. “The Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit gives us a beautiful, purposeful space to bring people together, deepen their connection to South Florida’s coastal habitats and inspire greater appreciation for the importance of preserving, conserving, enhancing and promoting the park for generations to come.”

In addition to the new Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit at Birch State Park, the companion experiences made possible by the Community Foundation-led collaborations include: Nature Explore: Outdoor Exhibit at MODS in Fort Lauderdale and the Everglades Outdoor Classroom at Flamingo Gardens in Davie.

At the MODS exhibit, visitors learn about the different animals that live in natural areas tucked between Broward neighborhoods. At Flamingo Gardens, the exhibit explores the Everglades and the many animals that live in the famed “River of Grass.” All three exhibits showcase the importance of protecting Broward’s remaining natural areas, which in addition to providing animal habitat help replenish Broward’s drinking water supplies, bolster our tourism economy and make our communities more resilient to climate change.

“This new Amphitheater and Coastal Corridor Exhibit gives the community a place to gather, learn and see South Florida’s coastal ecosystems in a new way,” said Joseph P. Cox, president and CEO of MODS. “As the third component of this regional conservation experience, it helps connect the full story of South Florida’s habitats, from urban environments to the Everglades to the coast, while inspiring families to understand why these ecosystems matter and how each of us can help protect them.”

Bolstering the Florida Wildlife Corridor

In addition to showcasing the importance of protecting Broward’s remaining natural areas, the three new Broward exhibits raise awareness about the conservation benefits of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

The corridor includes nearly 18 million acres of contiguous natural areas and agricultural land that are critical habitat for threatened animals across Florida. The Florida panther, gopher tortoise, manatee, burrowing owl, red-cockaded woodpecker, swallow-tailed kite and black bear are among the imperiled animals living in the corridor.

Along with protecting land animals need to survive, the Florida Wildlife Corridor helps people by offering recreation opportunities, keeping land in ranching, protecting wetlands that bolster drinking water supplies and fishing grounds, and buffering urban areas from strengthening storms.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR.

Find out how you can partner with the Community Foundation of Broward to help protect and restore Broward's natural areas. Contact Vice President Kelly Marmol at kmarmol@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.