The Fort Braden History Walk is located within the 13.76 acres of County-owned property at the corner of Highway 20 and Joe Thomas Road. The new woodchip trail is a 0.5-mile trail that connects the Jane G. Sauls Fort Braden Library and Fort Braden Community Center.
In October 1999, the County purchased 9.5 acres adjacent to the Fort Braden Community Center. In October 2012 the community center was renamed the Jane G. Sauls Fort Braden Library in honor of the life and legacy of Commissioner Sauls, a lifelong servant and active advocate for the Fort Braden area.
The walking trail adds an additional amenity to the already active area and was developed with input from local community members. Along this trail, you may come across native plants that grow in the area such as Sparkleberry, Spiderwort, Palmetto and wild Muscadine Grapes. Native plants are part of what create a thriving and healthy ecosystem by providing food, habitat, and more for animals, insects and other plants.
Sparkleberry Vaccinium arboretum is a close relative of the cultivated blueberry and is also related to rhododendrons and azaleas. This woody shrub/tree has showy bark and makes for a good addition to the landscape. The flowers and fruit provide benefit to wildlife.
Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis is often considered a weed, but this native wildflower has very bright purple flowers that bloom in the morning and often shrivel up during the heat of the day. Its flowers produce a blueish liquid that can be used as an improvised dye.
Saw palmetto Serenoa repens can be found through much of the state in association with the pine-wiregrass ecosystem. The leaf stem (petiole) is armed with sharp serrations and is where the saw part of the name comes from. It’s flowers and fruit are beneficial to wildlife and humans have discovered an extract from the plant that can treat prostate cancer.
Muscadine grape Vitis spp. is one six species of native grapes found in Florida, with the muscadine being the most popular due to their large, edible fruits. All grapes are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants. In nature, most tend to be male plants that do not produce fruit. These native grapes have a long lifespan and can be as old as some of the trees they climb on.