Who We Are

Gainesville is rich in natural settings within the heart of a growing city. Marshland, live oak hammock, turn-of-the-century farm, tumbling creeks, healthy populations of native animals and thousands of species of native trees and wildflowers all are minutes away. Many endangered and threatened species are protected in Gainesville’s nature parks.  Take a quiet stroll along a tree-shaded boardwalk winding by a sun-dappled stream, use nature park reference libraries to become familiar with our fascinating wildlife, or step back in time 100 years at a ten-acre Living History Farm.  Visit the spot where Gainesville began or ride your bicycle or horse on the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. Enjoy the best bird watching in North Florida, observe butterflies busy at the wildflowers in bloom, or hear the alligator bellowing for a mate. These parks are an integral part of the reason Gainesville is one of the best places in the U.S. to live. You can be proud that Gainesville has cared enough to protect these unspoiled pockets of nature for our children and grandchildren to savor. Mission Statement The Nature Operations Division mission is to acquire, design, develop, and operate environmental properties, greenspace, and greenways through natural resource management practices; to stimulate public knowledge and awareness through environmental efforts through intergovernmental and multipurpose agreements. Programs Section The Nature Operations Division Programs Section exists to provide meaningful educational and interpretive experiences to users of the City of Gainesville’s nature parks with emphasis on up-to-date hands-on programs that focus on Florida’s natural and human ecology, with special emphasis on our native plants and animals. Living History Farm The Living History Farm shows the interaction between people and the local environment in 1870, using examples from the past to convey lessons in the present.