Connecting with nature can be as simple as a stroll in the park. Whether you like to walk, paddle, bike, or just sit quietly, time spent outdoors is good for our health and inspires us to be better stewards of the planet we share. Plus, you never know what you might learn! No matter how you like to roll — in a group, on your own, or with the kids — there are maps, guides, kits, and tours to help you explore parks, beaches, and nature preserves around the Suncoast.
Cost: Free or low cost
Organized tours deliver the fun of going off the beaten path with none of the hassle. Our recommended local ecotour guides are so passionate about the environment, they’ve made it their profession. They help you wander and ponder the natural and cultural heritage of the Florida Suncoast while minimizing your environmental footprint. Guided walks and paddles can introduce you to orienteering, birding, plants and wildlife, marine science, natural history, climate change, and more.
Can’t get out? You can still explore from home.
Multiply the fun with a dedicated group of people interested in enjoying the outdoors together, especially for activities like diving, where buddies are key. Whatever you’re into—fishing, boating, hiking, birding, diving, kayaking, or biking—there’s a local group of like-minded enthusiasts.
Volunteering brings you all the bennies of being outside and directly helps to conserve our natural places. Whether you’re into birds, trees, turtles, or bees, you’ll find a match among the many local environmental conservation and monitoring programs that need your time and energy. Volunteering is also a great way to meet people with similar interests and learn about local landscapes and species.
Cost: Free
If you’d rather plan your own solo adventure, there are guides, maps, and resources to help you decide where to go, what to bring, and how to identify what you see. From hiking, biking, and paddling trails to boat launches and campgrounds, there are endless opportunities to get outside on Florida’s Suncoast.
Field IdentificationPlant & Animal Guidebooks
– Sarasota Bay Watershed Field Guide
– Photo guide (pdf) to common plants and animals of Southwest Florida
– Checklist of Florida’s Birds (pdf) and Butterflies (pdf).
– Posters of common birds, frogs and toads, butterflies, mammals, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, habitats, trees/shrubs of Southwest Florida.
Mobile Apps
Apps are a great tool for identifying what’s around you, while contributing to a larger crowd-sourced monitoring database. It’s as easy as snapping a photo or recording a sound. Try iNaturalist or eBird.
Cost: Free
Now more than ever, getting outside provides essential mental and physical benefits for kids. Families who play together, thrive together. Here are some ways to explore with kids or grandkids.
Want to level-up your ecological awareness, understanding, and respect of Florida’s natural world? Train to become a Certified Florida Master Naturalist. The program offers classroom and hands-on training in freshwater, coastal, and upland systems, land stewardship, and restoration.
Find out what’s happening and join in with our comprehensive community events listing. Look for guided eco-walks in local preserves and volunteer events to plant shorelines, restore clams, survey seagrass, monitor turtle nests, survey birds, look for horseshoe crabs, remove invasive plants, collect water samples, and more!
Submit your nature-related question to local experts. If selected, they will answer and feature your question on our FAQ. Not all questions will be answered.
