Explore the Lake Wales Ridge with Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium invites guests on a private tour to the Lake Wales Ridge, the ancient sand dune that runs along the spine of Central Florida, on April 29, 2023. Guests will immerse themselves in the nature, art and history of one of America’s rarest habitats.

Traveling by private motorcoach, the group will disembark at Archbold Biological Station, one hour south of Avon Park. Here, guests will break into smaller groups for two separate guided tours. One tour is a short hike into the scrub environment, where Florida scrub jay, gopher tortoises and endangered plants make their home in the sandy soils. The second guided tour at this site showcases the Learning Center and Lodge facilities, Florida’s 12th commercial site to acquire LEED status. Visitors will hear about the site’s smart design features, water conservation practices, and native plant landscaping. Visitors will also learn about Archbold’s work with local artists to create displays, exhibits, and art lessons that educate and promote nature conservation.

In the afternoon, guests will travel to Avon Park and again form smaller groups to enjoy two separate activities. First is a private tour of the Peter Powell Roberts Museum of Art and Cultural Center, led by the gallery’s Curator. Mr. Roberts was an instructor at the Ringling College of Art before retiring to Avon Park, where he fell in love with the hammock habitat. After his death, more than 100 oil on wood paintings were found in storage and have since been preserved at the gallery. Second is private access to the Depot Museum and Avon Park Historical Society outside normal business hours. The museum is housed inside a train station, built in 1926. The collection includes artifacts and exhibits focusing on the significance of early Avon Park as it relates to the land, pioneers and early families, and structures of historical interest.

Throughout the day, an on-board naturalist will occasionally narrate the view out the motorcoach window with insights on the habitat and local history of the towns passed.

The tour starts at 7 am at Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium with a pickup at Babcock Ranch at 7:30 am. The motorcoach should return to Babcock Ranch around 5:30 pm and CNCP at 6 pm. The fee covers all transportation costs, tour fees and donations. Lunch is not included and guests are encouraged to bring a cooler to enjoy a picnic by Lake Verona at Davidson Park or try one of many locally-owned restaurants in downtown Avon Park. The cost for the tour is $125 for CNCP members, $150 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit https://www.calusanature.org/calusa-bus-tours.

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium is 105-acre nature preservation and educational site in Fort Myers, Florida. The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium was founded in 1970 and strives to provide a holistic environmental education program encompassing all areas from astronomy to ecology. The organization is home to many rescue animals, two nature trails, and southwest Florida's only planetarium theater.