Florida’s coastline is home to some remarkable natural ecosystems, but few are as important or recognizable as mangrove forests. With their tangled roots, salt-tolerant leaves, and ability to thrive where land meets water, mangroves play a vital role in protecting shorelines and supporting wildlife. These unusual trees might look like ordinary coastal vegetation at first glance, but they are responsible …

Patience and persistence are skills children develop gradually through experience. Kids learn them when something doesn’t happen immediately, when a new skill takes practice, or when they have to try a different approach after the first one doesn’t work. While these lessons can happen anywhere, the outdoors provides an especially natural setting for learning them. At Camp Live Oak, activities …

Thanksgiving is a time for families to reflect on the people, experiences, and traditions they appreciate most. It can also be a wonderful opportunity to encourage children to think about something that’s easy to overlook in everyday life: the natural world around them. In South Florida, beautiful parks, waterways, wildlife, and coastal ecosystems give kids countless reasons to be thankful …

Florida is home to an incredible variety of wildlife, but few animals have as much influence on their neighbors as the gopher tortoise. Known for digging long underground burrows, these fascinating reptiles create shelter that can benefit hundreds of other species. That important role has earned the gopher tortoise a reputation as one of Florida’s true ecosystem engineers. At Camp …

Children are naturally curious. They want to know why birds fly, how fish breathe underwater, what makes plants grow, and what might be hiding beneath a fallen log. As kids grow older and their schedules become more structured, however, they may have fewer opportunities to simply explore and follow their curiosity. Camp provides a setting where asking questions is encouraged …