Natural Area Park


NAAC conceptual plan for Public Area (2000)
The Natural Area Advisory Committee (NAAC) prepared this conceptual plan for NATL's public area as their contribution to the development of the master plan for the Cultural Plaza.
Cultural Plaza master plan (2001)
The Cultural Plaza master plan includes two entrances into NATL. One is via Natural Area Park, which will be reached from the Cultural Plaza by a new pedestrian way. The other is from the Florida Museum of Natural History and envisions that deliveries to Powell Hall will be from SW 34th Street, to allow the current delivery road on the southern edge of the Cultural Plaza to be cut by the entryway.
Natural Area Park (2003)
The intial development of the park included boulders on the east and north borders to discourage vehicles from entering and a kiosk to provide information and pamphlets about NATL and its Stormwater Ecological Enhancement Project (SEEP).
Current displays on kiosk.
NAP tables (2003)
Initial picnic facilities were a trash can and five tables, one of which has space for a wheelchair. All were placed in a shaded portion of the park.
New map of NATL made for kiosk (2004)
This map invites users of Natural Area Park to explore the Stormwater Ecological Enhancement Project (SEEP) and the rest of NATL.
Signs identifying trees (2004)
A sign similar to this one identifies each of the seven species of trees in Natural Area Park.
Tree sign detail
The seven signs not only identify the seven species of trees but tell something of their ecological and cultural roles. If other examples of the species are in Natural Area Park, the number is given with an invitation to find them.
New walkway to Cultural Complex (2004)
This photograph looks west from Natural Area Park to Powell Hall to show the route of an ADA-compliant sidewalk between Natural Area Park and the main body of the Cultural Complex. The walkway will be heavily used by K-12 groups that visit the Florida Museum of Natural History and picnic in the Park. [The construction trailer and the outer fence have recently been moved to make way for construction of the sidewalk.]