Exploring Hidden Canaveral and Its Sandy Pinelands

By Jimi Sadle

Biologist, Canaveral National Seashore

It’s easy to associate stunning beaches, sea turtles and rocket launches with Canaveral National Seashore, but do you ever think of sandy pinelands and prairies when planning your trip?

The easiest place to observe these Florida habitats is around the Playalinda park entrance, where slow speed signs protect Florida Scrub Jays from moving vehicles.

It is here where ancient dunes form high sandy habitats that don’t flood during the rainy season -- providing the perfect habitat for slash pine, palmetto and a large variety of herbaceous vegetation that make up the majority of the plant species that have been recorded in the park. Low, seasonally flooded swales run from north to south between the former dunes and are typically inhabited by grasses and herbs that thrive in the sunny, soggy and low-nutrient environments found here.

Both pinelands and prairies are fire dependent – meaning that frequent, low-intensity fire is needed to maintain them. Without fire, hardwood species have a competitive advantage, eventually shading out understory species, altering fire patterns and converting habitat into hardwood-dominated hammocks.

Pinelands and freshwater prairies provide habitat, food and breeding areas for birds, reptiles and amphibians that are not found in the coastal parts of Canaveral National Seashore. Together, these coastal and mainland natural communities represent a rare example of an intact barrier island system.

If you want to get out on the trails for a closer look, the Scrub Ridge and Pine Flatwoods Trails both provide a perfect opportunity. Both trails are located within the area jointly managed by Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and are accessible off State Road 3 within the park boundaries.