Welcome to the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society Website!
Learn about native Florida plants and wildlife at the Margaret Hames Nature Center
Learn about native Florida plants and wildlife at the Margaret Hames Nature Center
The park property was donated to the City of Palm Bay and the Florida Audubon Society in 1978 by the General Development Corporation in partnership with Florida Communities Trust. Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Land Program added acreage to the Sanctuary in 2004, and now the Sanctuary is comprised of 130 acres of undeveloped, native Florida land.
The Sanctuary is a small section of what remains of ancient Atlantic Ocean dunes. These dunes are a series of dunes formed by wind and wave action when the ocean extended farther inland than it does now. Through the ages, the process of life, death, and decay has gradually enriched the sand so that now a forest stands where once only sea oats could survive.
The Sanctuary is a refuge for native Florida plants like sand pines, scrub and turkey oaks, cactus, wire grass, scrub paw paw, large flower rosemary, and more. In addition to the plant life, the Sanctuary is also the home of many species of native Florida wildlife such as manatees, alligators, gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, and many others. As a part of The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, there are also many different species of birds to see while walking through the Sanctuary.
Efforts to preserve Turkey Creek Sanctuary began in 1981 with the formation of a citizen support group. This group still exists today as the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society, Inc., a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, and a proud Community Partner of the City of Palm Bay Parks and Facilities Administration.
The sole purpose of the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society is to raise funds to support the improvement and upkeep of the iconic Turkey Creek Sanctuary and to educate the community on the vital importance and the many benefits of Florida wildlife and its natural environment.
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