A.R.M. Loxahatchee

National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Refuge Facts

■ Established: 1951.

■ Acres: 143,874.

■ Located in Palm Beach County, FL.

■ Location: the refuge is located on

US 441/SR7 between Boynton

Beach Boulevard and Atlantic

Avenue, approximately 6 miles

west of Boynton Beach, FL.

■ Administers Hobe Sound NWR.

Natural History

■ Refuge occupies the last of the

northern Everglades.

■ Nearly 100,000 acres infested

with invasive exotic lants such as

melaleuca, Old World climbing

fern, and Brazilian pepper.

■ Other management concerns

include water quality, quantity,

timing, and distribution.

■ Concentrations of migratory

waterfowl, migratory passerines,

wood storks, wading birds.

■ Rookeries present include great

blue heron, anhinga, white ibis,

little blue heron, tricolored heron,

black-crowned night-heron, great

egrets, cattle egret, snowy

egrets.

■ Composed of typical Everglades

habitat including wet prairies,

sloughs, sawgrass, tree islands.

■ Impoundments .......... 2,150 acres

Wet prairies ............. 53,453 acres

Sloughs ....................... 1,448 acres

Sawgrass .................. 40,074 acres

Tree island ............... 36,210 acres

Cattail....................... 10,139 acres

Cypress swamp ............ 400 acres

Mark Musaus, Project Leader

ARM Loxahatchee NWR

10216 Lee Road

Boynton Beach, FL 33437-4796

Phone: 561/732 3684

Fax: 561/369 7190

E-mail: FW4RWLoxahatchee@fws.gov

Financial Impact on Refuge

■ 25 person staff.

■ 298,000 visitors annually.

■ Current budget (FY 05)

$2,652,000 shared with Hobe

Sound NWR.

Refuge Objectives

■ Restore and conserve the natural

diversity, abundance and

ecological function of the refuge.

■ Conserve natural and cultural

resources through partnerships

and protection.

■ Develop appropriate and

compatible wildlife-dependent

recreation and environmental

education programs.

■ Continue a partnership with the

South Florida Water

Management District.

Management Tools

■ Water management for snail kite

and wading bird rookeries.

■ Prescribed fire.

■ Mechanical/chemical/biological

control of exotic pest plants.

■ Education/interpretation.

■ Law enforcement.

Public Use Opportunities

■ Trails.

■ Visitor center.

■ Observation tower.

■ Observation platform.

■ Wildlife observation.

■ Photography.

■ Everglades canoe trail.

■ Fishing.

■ Waterfowl hunting, including

youth hunt.

■ Bicycling.

photo: R. Hirschboeck photo: USFWS photo: USFWS photo: M. D. Maffei
ARM Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Calendar of Events

February: Everglades Day.

May: International Migratory

Bird Day.

June: National Fishing Week.

October: National Wildlife

Refuge Week.

November-April: Calendar of events

activities.

November-January: Waterfowl

hunting.

Questions and Answers

Where are the airboat rides?

We have no airboat rides on the

refuge. Airboats have been

determined to be an incompatible use

of the refuge. Airboat rides are by

private enterprise and are available in

adjacent Water Conservation Area #2.

Who was Arthur R. Marshall?

Art Marshal, a former Fish and

Wildlife Service employee, was a

biologist and conservationist who

worked tirelessly for Everglades

restoration. His work led to the

formation of the Save the Everglades

program, and in 1985, the Florida

Wildlife Federation named him

Conservationist of the Decade. The

refuge was renamed in his honor,

from Loxahatchee NWR to A.R.M.

Loxahatchee NWR, in 1986.

What is the fruit on the tree near the

back door of the visitor center that

looks like an apple? Is it edible?

The tree is called the Pond Apple

Tree. The fruit is called the Pond

Apple, or the old timers used to call it

alligator pear. It is edible, but quite

cottony and not very tasty. It’s very

attractive to wildlife.

Where are the alligators?

Alligators are most likely found along

the Marsh Trail in open waters.

There is usually a large gator and

many small ones around the ponds in

front of the Visitor Center or at the

boat ramps parking area. The refuge

has the greatest density of alligators

south of Lake Okeechobee.

What is the “red stuff” on the trees?

The “red stuff ” on the bark of the

trees is called lichen. This is a

primitive plant that has a symbiotic

relationship between an alga and a

fungus. This particular lichen is called

Baton Rouge, or Red Stick.

What are the nobby protrusions

sticking up out of the water? Are they

young or small cypress trees?

Those knobs are called cypress knees.

They are an extension of the root

system and their function is still

being debated. Some say it helps

support the tree as it has a shallow

root system. These protrusions tend

to stabilize the tree during storms.

The second theory is that they

provide a gaseous exchange for the

roots which are covered with water.

The third theory, and most recent, is

that the tree stores starch in the

knees.