Issue No. 15 / April 2024
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A Recap of ReGrow the Loop |
| From palms, birds, native plants, water conservation, shoreline re-nourishment, trail hikes and creating home habitats, Volusia County's "ReGrow the Loop" initiative brought together a host of "partner" organizations intent on sharing their knowledge about the flora and fauna along the Loop. The initiative, heralded by a passionate Ormond Beach resident Alan Burton and organized with the help of Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent, had at its heart the goal of inspiring and educating residents to adopt behaviors which could help replenish the aging canopy of trees along the byway in the wake of recent development. Partners in the program included the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail (OSLT), Volusia County, City of Ormond Beach, Florida Department of Transportation, Gamble-Rogers State Park, Tomoka State Park, Halifax River Audubon, Pawpaw Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Dream Green Volusia and Friends of the Tomoka Basin State Parks. Deftly coordinated by Kalan Taylor of the UF/IFAS Extension, workshops were held throughout the year and the "reward" for those who signed a pledge and attended at least one workshop was a free native tree (or two!) from Volusia County. The Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail was proud to be one of the participating partners and we enjoyed making new friends, coordinating events with our partner organizations and learning more about how all of us can join together to ensure that the natural beauty of the Loop remains for generations. | |
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As Volusia County's ReGrow the Loop comes to the end of its inaugural year, the County Council will be reviewing the program this summer and deciding whether to fund it for another year. There are still a few remaining workshops scheduled for this spring so don't miss them! |
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| New Workshop! | | The Hidden Threat of Invasive Species Tuesday, April 23rd 3 to 4 pm Ormond Beach Public Library | | |
| Join Kalan Taylor, Coordinator of the ReGrow the Loop initiative, as she discusses the dangers and impacts of invasive plants along the Loop. This is one of the major challenges of Florida municipalities who are trying to replace these non-native plants with Florida-friendly alternatives. | | |
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 | | | Prescribed Burn Trail Walk | | |
| Sunday, May 5th10 am - 12 pmBulow Creek State ParkEntrance B-12, Walter Boardman Drive near low bridge | Join us for a unique opportunity to learn about Prescribed Burns and why these planned fires are so important to Florida ecosystems. Bulow Plantation Park Service Specialist Mark Adams will introduce us to Todd Backhaus, a Park Service Specialist who will explain the process as he guides us through an area that recently underwent a prescribed burn. Please wear close-toed shoes, long pants, a hat. Bring water, wear sunscreen. Limited to 25 people. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER | | |
| | Sponsored by the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail as part of the ReGrow the Loop Initiative |
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| Volusia County Nature Trail Walk | | |
| Discover the newest trail along the Loop Saturday, May 11th 10 am - 12 pm Ormond Beach 2602 Old Dixie Highway Ormond Beach | | |
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Certified naturalist Paul Rebmann wants to introduce you to a new trail that you may not have traveled. This one and a-half mile hike traverses through an upland hardwood forest parallel to the Old Dixie Highway. Various trees and plants will be identified, as well as birds and smaller wildlife. Please wear close-toed shoes, long pants, a hat and bring water and sunscreen. This property was recently purchased by Volusia County from the Plantation Oaks development after a long, citizen run campaign. Limited to 25 people. | Parking: Once you turn onto Plantation Oaks Blvd from Old Dixie Highway, turn right after the sign to the trail. Pass through the chain link fence and the trail head parking lot is on your right. |
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Byway Updates from the County |
| The Ormond Scenic Loop Leadership team has been keeping abreast of the maintenance, repair and traffic concerns shared by many of our members. We recently met with Ben Bartlett, the Director of Public Works for Volusia County to discuss these concerns and offer our input. One of these was the increase in speeding and dangerous passing along Walter Boardman Drive. Since our initial meeting, Mr. Bartlett recently informed us that a double line, "no passing zone" along this section of the scenic highway will be implemented. We greatly appreciate Mr. Bartlett's response and assistance in helping this safety measure become a reality. Roadway striping/painting is scheduled to occur within the next month or two after projects in other areas of the County are completed. There are several other improvement projects that the County will be soon be undertaking in other sections of the Loop, and we will keep you informed about these as the information becomes available. | |
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| Stop by and say Hello! | | | OSLT at the Farmer's Market | | |
| The Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail will be a vendor at the Ormond Beach Farmer's Market on the 2nd Thursday of each month. The Market is open from 8 am to 2 pm at City Hall, 22 S. Beach Street in Ormond Beach. We hope to see you there! | | |
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| Our April Meeting - You're Invited! |
| Wednesday, April 24th; 5:30 pm
Ormond Beach Public Library, Sandpiper Room
30 South Beach Street
Ormond Beach FL 32174 Doors open at 5 pm and the meetings starts at 5:30. |
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To Attend Remotely: For those attending remotely, please sign on 15 minutes early. We have had some audio difficulty getting everyone online so our Team will be working out any technical difficulty before the 5:30 meeting starts. |
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The Mission of the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail Byway organization is to protect and enhance the Loop by serving as a focused source of education, community outreach and enhancements projects consistent with our volunteer resources and guidelines of the Florida Scenic Highway and National Scenic Byway programs. |
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Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail Corridor Management Entity, Inc. |
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