The field adjacent to the majestic Fort Zachary Taylor had been used in the past as event parking and overflow vehicle management. In early in 2018 it was blocked off to allow the area to return to a more natural state to increase habitat for various island species. This change may be a surprise for past visitors, but it is one of our proudest achievements at Fort Zachary Taylor.
Birds now use the area as a nesting ground and hawks use it as a hunting ground. Lizards large and small explore every new-found inch of camouflaged space to scurry around and search for the thousands of insects and various plant species.
The field overlooking both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico will remain as untouched as possible to ensure the preservation of the multiple biomes and ecosystems. Local schools will have the opportunity to take field trips to this area to perform their own observations to help students gain knowledge of what they can find in their own home island environment. We hope they will learn how to protect the islands' various ecological systems, or as a local 3rd grader explained “We are helping the bugs, birds and plants to play in their yard.”
Explore this area for yourself so that you can witness firsthand the beauty of this natural island habitat.
