Winter Haven celebrates Lakes Appreciation Month | Environment

Winter Haven, Florida -- Winter Haven Natural Resources staff is offering two free tours on the water for residents in honor of Lakes Appreciation Month this July. The City is also holding social media contests with prizes awarded all summer.

The two tours of the Chain of Lakes will be offered on July 11 and July 25 from 8:15 to 11:30 a.m. Participants will enjoy a free day on the water learning about common lakefront issues, wildlife, plant identification and much more. The City has kayaks to accomodate 12 people, but personal kayaks and canoes are welcome in on the fun.

Pre-registration is required for each tour by calling Shannon McGee, Natural Resources Agent at 863-519-8677, ext. 102 or by email at smcgee@ufl.edu. 

If you’d like to learn more about our natural resources, July is also the inaugural month for “Reading with Natural Resources.” The City’s natural resources staff has collaborated with Library staff to gather a selection of books with a natural resources theme. Chosen books are intended to be both thought provoking and informational, as well as entertaining.

Through the summer of 2012, there will be questions posted in reference to selected books at the library as well as through the City’s social media outlets. Submit your answers and you’ll be entered for prize drawings. The books are available at the Library, as well as electronically. Ask a Library staff member for more information, or call the Library at 291-5880.

Another way to learn more about Winter Haven lakes is to participate in the Natural Resources Summer Trivia Series.

How well do you know your lakes? The “Summer Trivia Series’’ will be a Twitter activity, with prizes being awarded all summer, as well as a big surprise reward for the individual who answers the most correct trivia questions before the summer ends. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and stay up-to-date on the lakes. Throughout the summer, we will also tweet current lake information to help expand your lakes knowledge.

Be sure to follow us: @WHLakes.