Okeeheelee Nature Center

12/07/2022

Exciting news! Mayor Gregg K. Weiss will be kicking off the celebration by presenting a proclamation. You do not want to miss this!! Join us this Saturday, December 10th from 10:00am-2:00pm for our FREE event - ONC's 30th Anniversary Celebration. Please see the updated flyer for the schedule of events.

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12/06/2022

Ticket sales start today for our big Raptor Day event! Don't miss out on this opportunity to join us and some amazing birds of prey in January. See the flyer for more information about how to order your ticket now! Space is limited.

12/01/2022

Okeeheelee Nature Center

Join us on December 10th, 2022 for our 30th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Okeeheelee Nature Center and the Friends of Okeeheelee Nature Center. We will have games, crafts, presentations, nature walks, raffles, and much more. Below is the schedule of events for our big day!
Special Presentations:
10:00-10:30am= Okeeheelee Nature Center Live Animal Presentation
11:00-11:30am= The History of Okeeheelee Park with PBC Staff
12:00-12:30pm= South Florida Herpetological Society Presentation
1:00-1:30pm= Palm Beach County History with our keynote Speaker, Eliot Kleinberg, published author and writer for the Palm Beach Post.
Themed guided walks:
10:30-11:00am= Get to know the ONC Deer family
11:30-12:00pm= Binoculars & Birds
12:30-1:00pm= The importance of pollinators and the butterfly garden
*SPECIAL GUEST* Meet and Greet with Oakly, the PBC Parks and Recreation Mascot at 10:00-10:30am.

Okeeheelee Nature Center features 2.5 miles of trails winding through a 90 acre preserve, live animal displays, hands-on exhibits and educational programs.

11/17/2022

ATTENTION ALL! We are having our 30th Anniversary Celebration on December 10th, 2022. This is a FREE event for all ages. We will have guest speakers, including our KEYNOTE speaker- local historian, esteemed author, and writer for The Palm Beach Post, Eliot Kleinberg. Please see our flyer for more details. The schedule of speakers will be released shortly, so stay tuned...

11/01/2022

Important information!! Raptor Day 2023 tickets will be available soon. Please see the flyer for more details. Use the link below to sign up as a Friends Of Okeeheelee Nature Center Member!
https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/OkeeheeleeCenter/Friends-of-ONC.aspx

10/27/2022

Do you have plans this Spoookkkyyy Saturday? Come out to the nature center for all of the festivities we have planned for the public. There will be FREE crafts and stories being read throughout the day. Also, you can sign up for our paid program, Creepy Critters & Crafts! Please follow the link to register for this program in advance, https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=67869318

09/07/2022

'Parks for Pollinators': Palm Beach County Parks and Rec encouraging people to protect nature

Did you see ONC on the news?! If you missed it, don't worry, you can check out the segment on the Parks for Pollinators Campaign that highlights Okeeheelee Nature Center. Shout out to our amazing manager, Emilie Travis, for raising awareness for our native pollinators! https://www.wpbf.com/article/palm-beach-county-parks-rec-people-protect-pollinators/41095367

Pollinators like bees and butterflies are responsible for pollinating 75% of the world’s flowering plants.

08/28/2022

September is Parks for Pollinators month! Come join us (Friday, September 2nd from 10:00 - 11:00 am) as we celebrate with a nature walk. Be sure to register quickly as space is LIMITED! You can find the link on the Palm Beach County Calendar of Events 🦋🌼

08/09/2022

Tales & Tails: Opossums is THIS SATURDAY, at 10:30am! There are still spots left. Come bring your little ones for this story time program and meet our local celebrity, Henry the Virginia Opossum. Please register using the following link, https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=65131941

08/04/2022

Exciting NEWS: the ONC staff and volunteers were able to visit the Kids Cancer Foundation in Royal Palm Beach and bring along some of our animal ambassadors. Our visit was featured in the Town Crier. We are so happy we had this opportunity and we thank the Kids Cancer Foundation for having us.

08/03/2022

Our baby Alligators turn a year old this month! This Saturday, join us at Okeeheelee Nature Center as we celebrate them and the rest of their species during our Alligators in August program. You will get to meet the birthday gators, Bob and Charolette, and leave the program saying you touched an American Alligator! Registration is required, please visit the PBC parks website to register.

07/28/2022

Have you registered for our Turtle Tuesday program next Tuesday, August 2nd at 1:00pm? If not, use the following link to sign up! You'll get to meet lots of turtle friends and discover what makes them unique. There are limited spots available. https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=65131209

07/14/2022

THIS Saturday is our Remarkable Reptiles program from 1:00pm-2:00pm! To celebrate World Snake Day, which is July 16th, we have invited the South Florida Herpetological Society to be our Ssssspecial guests for this program. They will be bringing LOTSssss of amazing reptilesssss, you won't want to miss out. TO REGISTER please visit https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=64025176. Spots are LIMITED.

07/09/2022

Don't forget to celebrate World Snake Day with us and register for our Remarkable Reptile program!! We have invited some surprise guests to help us with this celebration. The program is next Saturday, July 16th at 1:00p.m. To register, use this link: https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=64025176

07/04/2022

ONC wishes everyone a Happy 4th of July🇺🇸🎇 In addition to it being the United States of America’s birthday, it’s also the birthday of our youngest White-tailed Deer, Liberty! “Libby” was born four years ago, today, making it her ✨golden birthday✨Happy birthday, America, and happy birthday, Liberty🦌

06/21/2022

Have you stopped by the center and seen this adorable duo?! Come on by this week and say hi to Legolas, the Eastern Glass Lizard, and Coconut, the Southern Toad. We are open Wednesday-Friday from 1:00pm-4:30pm and Saturday from 10:00am-4:30pm.

06/18/2022

Happy Father's Day weekend to all of the amazing dads out there. At Okeeheelee Nature Center, we are celebrating our resident dad, Tigger, who is the proud father of Andy and Darby, two of our female deer at ONC.

06/10/2022

Calling all nature enthusiasts looking for an amazing opportunity to work for the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department. Okeeheelee Nature Center is looking for an Assistant Naturalist to complete our team. Please see the photo for details.

06/09/2022

We are currently out of wild bird seed and do not have our hanging feeders up at the moment. We ask for your patience as the feeders will be back up when our supplies come in. Thank you! We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to ONC 🦌

06/04/2022

*We are CLOSED today due to weather* Please stay safe and come visit us again next week during our normal operating hours. For now, please enjoy this video of Hoodini, our animal ambassador Eastern Screech Owl, eating a snack 🧡

05/24/2022

**LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER - Okeeheelee After Hours**
First participants will get to meet two species of owls along with some other nocturnal ambassador animals and then take a slow stroll through our forests and wetlands to see what else you can see and hear. This is guaranteed to be a HOOT of a good time!!
Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 25th
Time: 7:00-8:30pm
To register for this program, please visit: https://pbcparksregistration.co.palm-beach.fl.us/WebTrac31/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html?module=AR&fmid=62486253

Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions!

05/02/2022

ATTENTION! Our hours are a little different this week. Come by and see us on Tuesday, we will be open to the public!

04/30/2022

If you’re not here yet, come on out! Our Raptor Release is happening within the hour. It will be located behind the building by our Cypress Pond. See the welcome desk for directions.

04/29/2022

RAIN OR SHINE- Our Earth Day Celebration is tomorrow, Saturday, April 30th from 10am-3pm!! Come out and join us for the festivities! There will be food, cotton candy, Kona Ice, games, activities, face painting, raffles, environmental education vendors, guided nature walks, presentations, animal encounters, AND a rehabilitated RAPTOR RELEASE!!! This release will take place between 12-1pm (pending weather).

What species of raptor will we be releasing tomorrow, you ask? It is a surprise!! Comment with your guesses below.

04/27/2022

Adventure at ONC

You never know what you’ll see at Okeeheelee Nature Center 👀 come join us this Saturday for the Earth Day celebration and see what you can find! There will be:
-Food
-Kona Ice & Cotton Candy
-Face Painting
-Live Animal Presentations
-Activities for kids
-Environmental education for everyone
-PBSO Therapy Dogs
-an appearance by the PBSO Mounted Unit
-Manatee Masters from FPL Manatee Lagoon
-Wood turning demonstrations
-South Florida Native Plant Society
-South Florida Herpetological Society
-Guided bird walks
-Guided pollinator & native plant walks
-A rehabilitated raptor release
AND MUCH MORE!
*It’s a FREE event with no registration required. See you Saturday!*

04/26/2022

Only 4 days away!! Our Earth Day Celebration is this Saturday, April 30th, from 10am-3pm. It’s a FREE event, no registration required. Take a look at our schedule of events for presentation times from our guest speakers and even our very own Okee-Teens 👏🍃💚

04/25/2022

Thank you to our Okee-Teens for helping us prepare for our big Earth Day Celebration. Remember, this Saturday, April 30th from 10am-3pm, stop by the nature center. It’s a FREE event for the whole family✨🌎🍃 We’re going to have ssssso much fun, you don’t want to miss it!

04/22/2022

Happy Earth Day from all of us out at ONC💚☀️🌎 We encourage you to spend some time in nature today. Remember, our Earth Day celebration is next Saturday, April 30th, from 10 AM to 3 PM! Come out and celebrate with us next week.

04/21/2022

Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Week! Meet Teresa, one of our amazing greeters. She always greets our visitors with a smile and makes our guests feel welcomed when they walk through the doors. We LOVE our volunteers and understand how important they are to our nature center. A huge shout out to Teresa and all of our volunteers this week- we appreciate you!

04/19/2022

Henry wants everyone to come see us on Earth Day! He worked very hard on this painting, which will be one of the many raffle prizes at the event. Bring your friends and family to Okeeheelee Nature Center on April 30th from 10am-3pm for our big day 🌎🌻☀️

04/18/2022

It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week! We know that volunteers are crucial to our center and want to thank each and every one of them for all they do. Our volunteers are the heart of the ONC family! If you stop by the center, please take a moment to thank our volunteer team. Stay tuned for more volunteer posts this week!

04/17/2022

04/17/2022

Sweet Henry and the ONC staff want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday weekend! Egg hunts for all, even opossums 🪺🐰

04/12/2022

Okeeheelee Nature Center’s Earth Day celebration is right around the corner! We have a lot in store for our visitors 💚 This event is FREE to the public. We will have guest speakers, live animal encounters, and even a rehabilitated animal release! Come celebrate with us on April 30th, from 10:00am-3:00pm 🌍🌏🌎 (more details and a schedule of events to follow)

04/07/2022

⚠️ATTENTION⚠️ below is the schedule for Gopher Tortoise Day. There are some awesome events that you don’t want to miss! Can’t wait to see everyone Saturday, April 9th from 10am-2pm at Okeeheelee Nature Center🐢

04/06/2022

We’re gearing up for Gopher Tortoise Day and Sparky is ready to greet you! It is this Saturday at Okeeheelee Nature Center. Stop by from 10am-2pm. PLUS some Gopher Tortoise goodies will be waiting for you courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission!

04/05/2022

Four more days until it is officially Gopher Tortoise Day at Okeeheelee Nature Center! Did you know, Gopher Tortoises help over 360 other species of wildlife in their habitat by creating complex burrows? Learn even more about these heroic herbivores on April 9th, from 10am to 2pm at ONC!

04/04/2022

Did someone say Gopher Tortoise Day? Yes we did!! Stop by Okeeheelee Nature Center this Saturday, April 9th, from 10 AM to 2 PM for our Gopher Tortoise Day Shellebration!!! There will be games, activities, and Gopher Tortoise themed guided nature walks too. Come on out and say hi to Sparky, our resident Gopher Tortoise, while you’re here!

04/02/2022

We are so proud to announce that our wonderful volunteer, Lindi, was recognized in the 30in30 campaign by Volunteer Florida for National Volunteer Month! We LOVE all of our volunteers at Okeeheelee, but a special thank you to Lindi for all of her hard work and dedication.

Kicking off our campaign to recognize 30 volunteers in 30 days with Lindi of Palm Beach!
Okeeheelee Nature Center

04/01/2022

We LOVE our trails!!!

We love Okeeheelee park nature trails