• Daggerwing Nature Center
• Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands
• Marinelife Center [External Link]
• Natural Areas Program
• Nature Trails
• Okeeheelee Nature Center
• Riverbend Park

• Aquatics and Waterparks
• Boating and Fishing
• Camping
• Dog Parks
• Equestrian
• Exercise
• Golf
• Museums
• Nature
• Out Of School Programs
• Playground
• Recreation Centers
• Rentals and Permits
• Special Events
• Sports
• Summer Camp
• Therapeutic Recreation

If ever there were two people who could tell you about the changes that have occurred at the Okeeheelee Nature Center over the years, it would be Henry Gern and Lily Strom. Both Henry and Lily have been at the center since its beginning and have been active participants for better than 12 years.

Having met through family friends in New York many years ago, the two of them are close friends and volunteer every Wednesday at the center. The two are glad to help with any questions at the front desk and always have a story of their experiences at Okeeheelee for you.

Henry, who had been an apprentice cook in Germany and then cooked for the big hotels in New York, came to Florida 29 years ago. He came to the nature center and worked on clearing the land and participated in the prescribed burns that helped the nature center become what it is today. This is an important task that is still performed today in order to keep the plant and animal community at Okeeheelee stable and to reduce the fuel supply in case of fire.

No less important was Henry's job as official turtle sitter. He would spend time sitting with them in their outdoor enclosure. One hot summer day the heat and comfort of his chair got the best of him and he dozed off only to quickly awake to find that one of the turtles had escaped out of the compound. Distraught, he searched high and low to no avail. We presume that turtle's relatives are now Okeeheelee residents.

Henry stays active as a member of the Florida Trails Association and enjoys the hiking as well as the camaraderie that goes along with it.

Lily Strom, who hails from Austria, learned the seamstress trade as a young girl. In order to be licensed in Europe you had to be knowledgeable in patterns and sewing as well as book making and accounting. Lily started out making blouses and dresses and eventually worked her way up to making bridal gowns, a skill which she continued to use when she moved to the United States in 1939. As a very young girl in Austria, Lily remembers her mother making her go for very long walks in the forest. She will tell you, with a smile, that after all that walking she likes the break she gets at the front desk today.

What do they like the most about the center? They are amazed at the changes that have occurred over the years but, it's sharing stories with people they enjoy the most. If you come by Okeeheelee Nature Center I'm sure you will agree.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.