December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 46

Ribbon cutting
at Nira Rock.

by helping with future events and cleanups.
With the renovated trail in place and the site
improved, the parks department expects to see
heavy year-round use from local families, rock
climbers, school groups, and nature lovers of all
ages. Future park programs will include an array
of interactive programs at the site combining nature with science and the arts.

Orange County, Florida: Dr. P. Phillips Park
A Trail Through a Natural Treasure
The vestiges of an ancient archipelago stretch
north-south along the Florida peninsula. Millions
of years ago, when sea levels rose and inundated
the landscape, a chain of small, sandy islands remained above sea level, each developing its own
distinctive, evergreen-forested habitat. Today,
those high-and-dry Florida hilltops-known as
sand pine scrubs-boast native species found nowhere else in the world. The few remaining undeveloped sand pine scrub ecosystems are now
protected habitats and nature preserves.
One of those protected areas, within Dr. P. Phillips Community Park in Orange County, Florida,
is bounded by a once-neglected trail loop. A Great
American Trails grant restored that 0.6-mile path
through sand pine scrubs, and as a result offered
the public a new awareness of a natural gem many
had not known was there.
Alicia Baxter, program manager for Orange
County Parks and Recreation, says the LongHorn
Steakhouse Loop trail improvements helped thousands of local residents enjoy and appreciate the
nearby environmental treasure, while also boosting
the ﬁtness impact of the trail. The trail, she explains,
is located in an active park. One portion of the park
was left undeveloped because of the special terrain
44

Parks & Recreation

| DECEMBER 2012 | WWW.NRPA.ORG

and the plants and animals that live there-and
the grant allowed the parks department to make
all of the trail improvements they had hoped for.
Prior to the renovation, Baxter relates, the trail offered neither amenities nor interpretive signage. As
a result, most visitors ignored the sand pine scrubs
on their way into the active portion of the park.
The Darden grant allowed Orange County to
refurbish the unique trail with white sugar sand,
increasing the cardiovascular demands of walking while also enhancing the aesthetics and natural feel of the trail. The funds also provided for
amenities such as new benches, a lake overlook,
and interpretive signs to designate trees, plants,
animals, and birds native to the habitat.
The active portion of Dr. Phillips Park hosts numerous youth and other sports leagues, and the
site is adjacent to a school. As a result, the park has
always drawn and united the surrounding community-a densely populated area southwest of Orlando. And since the renovation, Baxter says, visitors
coming for ball games and practices have an inviting place to head to for walks, lake views, and trailside education in the natural history of the region.
" Even while we were still putting in the amenities, " Baxter comments, " there were so, so many
residents who came out and were just so thankful
for the opportunity for the neighborhood. "
Since the Darden Restaurant Group is headquartered in Orange County and the park is sandwiched between two new LongHorn Steakhouse
restaurants, the trail renovation and opening
served as a community rallying point for local
Darden employees.
Baxter says LongHorn cooperated with the
parks and recreation department to plan the grand
opening event, and they provided all the food. The
success of the project has also spurred LongHorn's
restaurant management into exploring opportunities to volunteer in other Orange County parks.

Round Rock, Texas: Brushy Creek Corridor
Arrowheads, Rugged Rocks, and Closer
Neighbors
" People love walking or running up and down
the Brushy Creek Corridor, " Round Rock [Texas]
Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins states.
" You're always sure to ﬁnd an Indian arrowhead or

December 2012 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2012 - Parks & Recreation