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During the summer season, yellow-flowered bachelor buttons enliven the Savannas Preserve marsh landscape. The Education Center at Savannas Preserve is home to many exhibits and programs for visitors and school groups. A solitary canoeist enjoys a morning paddle amidst the many aquatic features of Savannas Preserve. A group of Swamp Stomp Day Camp participants makes its way through the grasses and wildflowers of Savannas Preserve.
Savannas Preserve State Park
A Great Blue Heron departs the marsh after spearing lunch. These majestic birds are regular visitors to Savannas Preserve.
A pair of American bald eagles scan the horizon while protecting their nest and hatchlings. Eagles on Nest
A firefighter begins igniting a burn zone as part of the Savannas Preserve prescribed burning program. Ignition
Savannas Preserve is home to the prickly apple cactus. Prickly Apple Cactus
Volunteers talk with visitors at special events. Volunteers
A Florida scrub jay uses an area rehabilitated by prescribed fire. Scrub jay

History and Culture

During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), Lt. Colonel Benjamin Pierce first used the term 'savannah' to describe a series of ponds and marshes found here. In 1879, Captain Thomas Richards planted the first pineapples, grown from cuttings he transported from Key West. The plants thrived in the sandy, well-drained soils and dozens of plantations appeared along the Atlantic Ridge. From 1895 to 1920, Jensen Beach was known as the 'Pineapple Capital of the World.' The park encompasses more than 6,000 acres and joined the Florida Park Service in 1977.

A pair of American bald eagles scan the horizon while protecting their nest and hatchlings.

Eagles on Nest

Savannas Preserve is home to several pairs of American bald eagles. Visitors have the opportunity to observe these majestic birds as they hunt the waterways. Their nests and young are located in isolated areas of the preserve.

A firefighter begins igniting a burn zone as part of the Savannas Preserve prescribed burning program.

Ignition

Savannas Preserve participates in prescribed burning to help maintain habitat and aid in the prevention of wildfire. Each fire is conducted under specified conditions to ensure participants' safety and achieve desired resource management results.

Savannas Preserve is home to the prickly apple cactus.

Prickly Apple Cactus

Savannas Preserve is one of the few known natural habitats in the United States for the endangered prickly apple cactus. It grows along the Atlantic Ridge in scrub areas. The fruit is considered to be inedible.

Volunteers talk with visitors at special events.

Volunteers

Volunteer participation is vital to Savannas Preserve. Their activities include, but are not limited to, educational programs, guided kayak/canoe trips, resource management, outreach programs and park work projects. It couldn't be done without them!

A Florida scrub jay uses an area rehabilitated by prescribed fire.

Scrub jay

Residing along the Atlantic Ridge scrub, the endangered Florida scrub jay is a year-round resident of the Savannas. The park's prescribed burn program enables its habitat to thrive.