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Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

Gainesville, Florida

Botanical Garden, Science

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a 62 acre facility developed and operated by the North Florida Botanical Society, a non-profit educational organization. In 1978, the Society signed a lease agreement with Alachua County whereby it gained access to a 33 acre tract of land for the development of a public botanical garden; in 1982, an additional 29 acre parcel was added to the lease, bringing Kanapaha Botanical Society to its present size. The Gardens' name is derived from its proximity to 250 acre Lake Kanapaha. The word Kanapaha is derived from the Timucua Indian words for "palmetto leaf" and "house." Taken together, they refer to the thatched dwellings that were home to the original residents of a small Timucua village on the western shore of Lake Kanapaha.

Archaeology, Art, Botanical Garden, History

The Koreshan Unity is a National Register District containing 11 buildings c.1882-1920. The remnant of a utopian commune, the settlement is within Koreshan State Park between Fort Myers & Naples.

Arboretum, Botanical Garden, Nature Centers, Park

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is the only "frost-free" botanical garden in the continental United States and a conservation zone for many endangered and threatened flora and fauna native to the Keys, Cuba and western Caribbean. Its historic roots were set in 1936 as part of a WPA project to vitalize the island as a tourist destination. Today, it continues to be a refreshing, natural oasis for the visiting public. The Forest offers an unusual opportunity to experience native Keys’ biodiversity and learn more about its importance. For instance, the Forest has fresh water ponds, a rare asset that makes it a major migratory stopping point for neo-tropical birds from places as far as South America, as well as being home to many rare Florida Keys species.