The Center

The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Management and Education Center provides interpretive educational exhibits, two 25 person capacity classrooms, offices, a reference library, restrooms, and a gift shop.

In addition, the Center features an exterior screened porch and walkway, an outdoor screened porch and walkway, an outdoor amphitheater, and the Enchanted Crossing-an interpretative nature trail with a stabilized surface for universal accessibility. The center is ideal for field trips, research projects, seminars, educational opportunities abound.

Air Plants

In the Enchanted Forest many of the majestic oak's branches host thick green air plants stretching out for many yards. Visitors, photographers and educational classes will be thrilled to observe hundreds if not thousands of our states' largest air-plant, Tillandsia utriculata.

Volunteers

Volunteers are essential to the Enchanted Forest. Join in the fun while you help preserve the Sanctuary's natural beauty for the future. Here are just a few of the way you can become involved and share your talents. Interpretative Guiding, Greeting Visitors, Educational Tours, Hike Desk, Exotic Plant Control, Landscaping, Grant Writing, Photography, Newsletter, the possibilities are endless.  

Addison Canal

The Addison canal was built in 1912 to drain land along the St. Johns River Floodplain for agriculture. Although never completely finished the canal changed the water drains through the Enchanted Forest. Water that used to flow west now flows east into the Indian River Lagoon.

Despite its negative impact on the environment, the canal allows us a peek into the creation of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Its walls reveal ancient layers of sand and shells that tell us this ridge was once a sand dune. Roughly 120,000 years ago, you would have been standing at the edge of the ocean.

A local nature lover admires one of the many impressive ferns and plants along the Addison Canal Trail.

 Addison Canal Trail     Many well marked primitive trails are also available.

Just off the trail Golden Silk Spiders can be seen weaving their webs. The silk spider is named for its web which glistens like golden thread. The arachnid is sometimes called the banana spider because of the female's long, yellow body. The golden spider feeds on small flying insects that become trapped in its large strong web. This spider eats more insects than most birds can consume. Did you know? The female spider often eats the male after mating.

The forest is home to The Gopher Turtle or Tortoise, Gopherus polypnemus, is found in areas with dry ground in north and central Florida. Juveniles have bright tan and brown shells while the shells of adults are darker. The front legs are flat and heavily scaled. They reach a length of 12". Gopher Tortoises create burrows up to 30 feet long with dens at the ends. The burrows are used by over 300 species of animals who use them for protection against bad weather, predators, and fire.

One of the few remaining wild boars being trapped and removed from the Enchanted Forest.

Range: through Florida, Texas, Mexico, and South America

Body length: 15-17 in. Tail: 14-16 in. Weight: 8-17 lbs.