Palm Beach County Natural Areas Festival highlights South Florida’s landscapes
OKAY, THIS MIGHT BE A FIRST IN OUR NEWSROOM, AT LEAST FOR ME. WE HAVE A BABY ALLIGATOR WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY. BECAUSE THIS WEEKEND, YOU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET OUTSIDE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NATURAL AREAS THAT MAKE SOUTH FLORIDA SO SPECIAL. SO HERE TO TELL US ALL ABOUT THE PALM BEACH COUNTY NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL. AS BENJI STEWART AND LINDSAY HOMA WITH WILDLIFE EDUCATOR WITH THE HOBE SOUND NATURE CENTER. GOOD MORNING, YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT DOWN HERE. BENJI. WHAT MAKES THE NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL SO SPECIAL AND SO UNIQUE FROM EVERYTHING ELSE HAPPENING? YEAH. SO I MEAN, WHAT MAKES THE NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL SO UNIQUE IS EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO THERE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT AT OUR NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL IS PRESCRIBED FIRE. SO WE ALWAYS PLAN TO TRY TO DO A PRESCRIBED FIRE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE ON THE FIRE LINE AND LEARN WHY WE BURN. WE BURN TO RESTORE OUR WILD LANDS, BUT ALSO TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK. NOW IT’S ALWAYS WEATHER DEPENDENT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WATCHING THE WINDS RIGHT NOW. BUT REGARDLESS, OUR FIRE CREWS ARE GOING TO BE THERE. SMOKEY BEAR IS GOING TO BE THERE. AND IF WE IF WE END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO BURN, I’VE HEARD THERE MAY BE SOME WARS, BUT THE OTHER THING THAT’S REALLY COOL IS ALL OF THE GUIDED HIKES. YOU’RE GOING TO MEET CREATURES THAT LIVE IN THE SWAMPS AND THE MARSHES. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR AMAZING PARTNERS THERE AS WELL. SO YOU MAY MEET SOME CREATURES LIKE SOUL HERE, BABY ALLIGATOR. VERY COOL. SO IT’S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THE PRESCRIBED BURNS WILL BE HAPPENING THERE SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT THAT. BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE ALL THAT SMOKE IN THE AREA, THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON. BUT WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO CONNECT WITH PUBLIC LANDS HERE IN FLORIDA? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LOOK, WE RELY ON PUBLIC LANDS EVERY SINGLE DAY. EVERY TIME WE TURN ON OUR TAP, THAT THAT WATER IS COMING FROM OUR AQUIFER AND OUR PUBLIC LANDS ARE OUR ACTIVITIES ON OUR LANDSCAPE, AFFECTS HOW WE ACCESS CLEAN DRINKING WATER. SO, YOU KNOW, SO MANY PEOPLE MOVE TO FLORIDA, A THOUSAND PEOPLE EVERY DAY, AND MOST OF THEM HAVE NO IDEA WHAT FLORIDA IS REALLY ABOUT. SO THE NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH WHAT MAKES OUR HOME SO SPECIAL. THAT’S IT’S REALLY NICE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION, AS YOU MENTIONED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE JUST DON’T THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS. SO LINDSEY YOU’LL BE ONE OF THE EXHIBITORS AT THE FESTIVAL. WHO ELSE WILL BE THERE? WILL. SO THIS REALLY CUTE BABY ALLIGATOR BE THERE? YES, WILL BE THERE. AND WE WILL HAVE A FEW OF OUR OTHER ANIMAL AMBASSADORS WITH US TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT WHY CONSERVING FLORIDA’S NATURAL AREAS AND SPACES IS SO IMPORTANT. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOUL AND LEARN ABOUT WHY SHE’S SO IMPORTANT, AND SHE’S ACTUALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO FLORIDA’S WETLANDS. SHE’S A KEYSTONE SPECIES. THEY EXCAVATE GATOR HOLES, ALLOWING FOR OTHER SPECIES TO THRIVE. SO BY PROTECTING OUR ALLIGATORS, WE’RE ACTUALLY PROTECTING TONS OF OTHER IMPORTANT ANIMALS TO FLORIDA, WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON, BECAUSE GETTING PEOPLE TO CARE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSERVATION. YEAH. SEE, THAT’S INTERESTING. AND IT’S NICE WHEN YOU CONNECT ALL OF THOSE DOTS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE DRAW THOSE CONTRASTS AND CONNECTIONS BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST SIMPLY DON’T KNOW. YOU NEVER KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. OKAY. SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT ON SATURDAY AND LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN GET INVOLVED? YEAH. SO I MEAN, THE AMAZING PART, IT’S A FREE FESTIVAL, SO IT’S FAMILY FRIENDLY AND MOST FESTIVALS ARE IN THE MORNING. THIS ONE IS IN THE AFTERNOON FROM 1 P.M. TO 630. THE RAIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE MOVED THROUGH BY THEN, SO IT SHOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON. A LITTLE BIT BREEZY, BUT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE FOLKS LIKE AUDUBON EVERGLADES THERE IN ADDITION TO HOMETOWN NATURE CENTER, BUSH WILDLIFE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO GO BIRDING. AND JUST TONS OF DIFFERENT HIKES AND ACTIVITIES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE LAND AND CELEBRATE WILD FLORIDA WITH ALL OF OUR FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE NATURE CENTERS, THEY’RE OPEN ALMOST EVERY DAY. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THEM TO COME TOGETHER AND FOR THE COMMUNITY TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF THIS RICHNESS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS. VERY COOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. ANOTHER LOOK AT SOUL WHO IS GORGEOUS. ERIN AND SANDRA WERE BOLD ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, HOLD SOUL. I’M WORKING MY COURAGE UP RIGHT NOW. SHE’S A CUTIE PIE. SHE’S MEETING HER LITTLE EYES AT ME. SO MAYBE WHEN WE SEND THINGS OVER TO SANDRA, I’LL GIVE IT A SHOT. BUT THANK YOU AGAIN. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, HEAD TO WPBF.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR FREE WPBF 25 NEWS APP. WE’LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATURAL AREAS FESTIVAL THAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND. UP THERE. A LOT TO LEARN THERE. I’VE LEARNED A LOT JUST FROM THIS INTERVIEW. SO THANK YOU GUYS.
Palm Beach County Natural Areas Festival highlights South Florida’s landscapes
Updated: 10:37 AM EST Jan 29, 2026
This weekend, the Palm Beach County Natural Areas Festival offers a chance to explore and learn about the natural areas that make South Florida special.Benji Studt and Lindsey Homa, a wildlife educator with the Hobe Sound Nature Center, discussed the festival. Studt explained what makes the festival unique from other events this time of year and why connecting with public lands in Florida is important.For more information on the free event, click here.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
This weekend, the Palm Beach County Natural Areas Festival offers a chance to explore and learn about the natural areas that make South Florida special.
Benji Studt and Lindsey Homa, a wildlife educator with the Hobe Sound Nature Center, discussed the festival. Studt explained what makes the festival unique from other events this time of year and why connecting with public lands in Florida is important.
For more information on the free event, click here.