Educational Tours at Our Ranch
First mined in the early 1900’s, Lupton’s Boggy Bottom Ranch’s 200-acres was primarily used for the processing of phosphate. Much of the land has been left to develop on its own for about 95 years and now encompasses a variety of plants and animals of both upland and wetland ecosystems. With God’s help, the land has matured into a beautiful lush rainforest area similar to Florida thousands of years ago.
Discover through a tram tour or walking tour a hands-on class showing the amazing ability of nature to reclaim land left alone and learn about the competition among plans and animals to gain a foothold on this beautiful land.
Our tours are approximately 45 minutes and meet the Sunshine State Standards. During the duration of the tour, we cover about 100 acres of reclaimed land left undisturbed for over 95 years. Land includes arid upland and lower marsh communities. A variety of flora and fauna can be found, both indigenous and invasive. Fauna include possums, raccoons, alligators, foxes, deer, turkeys, bobcats, snakes, turtles, and a variety of birds and insects. The trees are also dotted with indications of woodpecker feeding and nesting sites. Flora include many cabbage palms, oaks, hickory, beauty berry, and lantana.