In February, I spent a wonderful week photographing in Florida. On a similar trip in 2009, I visited a number of botanical gardens and a few national parks. This trip – I spent all my photography time in state and national parks and preserves. I had to chance to explore several places that were new to me – and to return to some old favorites.

I’d like to introduce all of you to some of the amazing places I visited on this trip. You’ll also get a sneak peak at some of the photos from the trip that will be added to my blog and website in the coming months.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

My first stop was at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa Springs, Florida. Homosassa Springs give visitors a chance to see Florida’s wildlife up close and in person. With everything from manatees to birds to a Florida Panther, you can really get a sense of the animals people share the state of Florida with.

I photographed this Florida Bobcat and the Great White Egret with breeding plumage (above) at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

Big Cypress National Preserve

After visiting Homosassa Springs, I headed south to the Naples area. I was really looking forward to revisiting one of my favorite natural places – Big Cypress National Preserve. In the past, I’ve photographed some wonderful birds and flowers along the Loop Road, which is currently closed for reconstruction. So I spent my time exploring other areas of Big Cypress.

My favorite spot at Big Cypress on this trip was the Kirby Storter Boardwalk area. I photographed landscapes in the Cypress Swamp on a couple of mornings – and found and photographed my first Alligator Lily (Hymenocallis palmeri) in a nearby field.

While at Big Cypress, I also had the chance to visit Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery. If you like black & white landscape photography, please check out Clyde Butcher’s website – his photographs are amazing.

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

While still in the Naples area, I made my first visit to the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. Located very close to Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand is a linear swamp forest with a wide variety of habitats.

I had a wonderful conversation with one of the rangers about how they maintain healthy environments through the use of proscribed burns. He explained how not only do the burns help manage wildfires, but also benefit wildflowers and wildife.

He also gave me directions on where I could find a String Lily (Crinum americanum) blooming in an area that had been burned just 30 days prior.

Everglades National Park

After a few wonderful days in the Naples area, I headed east to the Everglades National Park. I don’t have the words to describe how unique the Everglades are. Every few miles, I had the opportunity to explore different environments – from prairies to mangroves to mahogany hammocks. I loved the view overlooking this Everglades prairie.

Everywhere I went, I saw an amazing variety of birds. One of the highlights of my visit to the Everglades was seeing some Roseate Spoonbills in flight. Somehow in the past, I’d only seen them wading – so seeing beautiful pink birds in flight in the afternoon light was spectacular.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore

After leaving the Everglades, I headed north to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore in the Titusville area. These two spots make a great first stop on the long drive home from south Florida to Bethesda.

At Merritt Island NWR, I saw all sorts of birds along the wildlife drive. I also found a variety of wildflowers, including several types of asters. My favorites are the Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia pulchella) that I photographed along the side of the road.

My last stop before leaving Florida and heading for home was Canaveral National Seashore to see sunrise on the beach. It was the perfect way to end a trip that including so many wonderful places where I saw the wildflowers, wildlife and natural landscapes of Florida.