Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex facts for kids
Trail through the hammock
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| Established | 1984 |
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| Location | Red Reef Park 1801 N. Ocean Blvd. Boca Raton, Florida |
| Type | Nature center |
The Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, also known as the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, is a special place in Boca Raton, Florida. It's a Nature center run by the city and local groups. You can find it at 1801 N. Ocean Blvd.
Gumbo Limbo covers twenty acres of a protected barrier island. This island sits between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. It's part of Red Reef Park, but Gumbo Limbo doesn't have its own beach access. The center gets its name from the Bursera simaruba tree, which is very common there.
Inside, Gumbo Limbo has a museum with cool exhibits and small aquariums. There's also a gift shop. Outside, you'll find bigger aquariums with fish, turtles, and other sea creatures. A boardwalk trail leads through the nearby woods. There's also a garden designed to attract butterflies. The center hosts events like watching sea turtles during their nesting season. Many local volunteers help make Gumbo Limbo a great place to visit.
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Exploring Gumbo Limbo's History
The area where Gumbo Limbo stands was first noted in 1870. Back then, it was called Boca Raton Hammock. The northern part had a "flat" area with sea oats and cocoplum plants. Behind this, a "ridge" ran along the coast, covered mostly in saw palmetto.
To the west, a freshwater marsh bordered both the hammock and the ridge. This marsh connected Lake Boca Raton and Lake Worth. It was known as the "Spanish River" after 1895. This was when the Florida East Coast Railway arrived and the Intracoastal Waterway was dug deeper.
During the 1920s, the Boca Raton Inlet was opened, letting saltwater into the area. The Hillsboro Canal was also finished, which helped drain the Everglades. By the 1940s, mangrove trees started to replace the freshwater plants. However, some freshwater plants, like Annona glabra, can still be found at Gumbo Limbo today.
Helping Sea Turtles: Conservation and Care
Gumbo Limbo is famous for its work with sea turtles. The beaches of South Florida are nesting spots for loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles. Sadly, all types of sea turtles alive today are either threatened or endangered.
Gumbo Limbo works with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect these turtles. Since the 1980s, a special team at Gumbo Limbo has watched and studied sea turtle activity. They monitor five miles of Boca Raton's city beach. This team also helps turtles that are reported dead or injured.
For over thirty years, Gumbo Limbo's team has rescued sick and hurt sea turtles. In 2010, a new rehabilitation center opened on campus. Its goal is to treat turtles until they are healthy enough to return to the wild. This center is one of only six in Florida that helps turtles with a sickness called Fibropapillomatosis (FP).
Understanding Fibropapillomatosis (FP)
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a sickness caused by a type of herpes virus. Scientists have noticed a link between warm, polluted waters and cases of FP. Many turtles with FP at Gumbo Limbo come from lagoons and bays near busy areas. Runoff from these areas can carry fertilizers, pesticides, and pet waste into the water. This makes the water quality very poor.
FP often causes harmless, cauliflower-like growths on turtles. If these growths are on a turtle's flippers, it can make swimming hard. Growths on the eyes or mouth can stop a turtle from finding and eating food. At Gumbo Limbo, these growths are removed through surgery.
A Place for Science: Research Facility
The Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex also has a research facility. Scientists from Florida Atlantic University's Department of Biological Sciences work here. Their research has looked at how sea turtles behave. They also study how sharks sense things and how salt levels affect seagrasses. Visitors can see the facility and even talk with the researchers about their work.
