I'm a big fan of Volusia County! I absolutely love that through the Volusia Forever program there has been so many natural areas preserved. It provides us with some wonderful natural areas and great hiking trails, right here in our own county. The county also offers a monthly educational outreach program through Explore Volusia, where they offer free classes and events so that people can learn about these areas that have been preserved, and get a chance to explore nature more on a guided hike or eco-buggy ride.

My family has been participating in these programs for years! We used to absolutely love the programs that Bonnie would set up and we've attended many over the years, and now we continue to enjoy doing them with Trey. Sometimes it's just the husband and I, sometimes the kids get to go, it just depends on the day and time they are offered. We've been on hikes, eco-buggy rides, and classes covering such things as snakes, plants, art and nature, animal bones, wilderness survival skills, animal tracks, and so much more. We love these classes and events that are offered each month through the county.

You can check them out each month by logging onto the Volusia County calendar. The events and classes are generally free and offered throughout the county at various locations. They may include hiking, star gazing, kayaking, eco buggy rides, and more. A wonderful resource offered by this beautiful county!

- Jacqueline