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Spielberg’s Jaws kept moviegoers out of the ocean in 1975. That may have been the start of the shark as pop culture monster, but the new SHARK exhibit at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art shows many sides to this fascinating – and terrifying – creature. It gives South Floridians one more reason to take advantage of all that’s in our own backyard as part of a summer ‘staycation.’

This exhibit is varied, interesting, fun, and great for adventurous kids and curious adults.

Our Endless Fascination with Sharks

This multi-media exhibit is guest curated by world famous marine artist Richard Ellis. MOAFL’s latest showcase is presented in conjunction with Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center. If you enjoy Shark Week or Deadliest Catch, then you’ll love this thrilling collection.

Paintings by Guy Harvey and Others

This event is family-friendly, so bring your kids along for this multi-media adventure. A free app is available via the MOAFL website so that the audience can experience the exhibit before ever going. Famous marine artists such as Guy Harvey and Robert Longo are featured in this exhibition. Also on display are wildlife illustrator Marc Dando’s watercolors. These renowned artists depict the many different species of sharks, including angel sharks, sleeper sharks, and tiger sharks.

Jaws Gallery

Of course, no shark exhibition would be complete without referencing Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 film Jaws. Original storyboards, film memorabilia, and posters are included in the Jaws gallery and several paintings were donated to the SHARK exhibit by Peter Benchley, the author of the original Jaws novel.

Kids and Conservation Efforts

Nature loving kids will enjoy this exhibit. Also fun for kids and adults are the museum’s shark education stations. Parts of the exhibition also focus on recent advances in shark conservation efforts, as this fearsome fish is rapidly becoming one of the earth’s most vulnerable animals.

If You Go

The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art is located at 1 East Las Olas Boulevard in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale. For more information about this exhibition, please visit their website or call 954-525-5500. Adults are $10; seniors and military is $7; kids 5 and under are free and kids from 6-17 are only $5.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Andy Jien

Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 13, 2012. Show mom how special she is by taking advantage of all that gorgeous South Florida has to offer. From green bookstores and oceanside picnics to natural treats and relaxing massages, there’s plenty of gift ideas to choose from.

Books and Leisure

Is mom a reader? Out of South Florida’s many used bookstores, perhaps no bookstore is more green and stylish than my beloved Second Edition Book Shop. Better yet, if mom loves popular fiction, check out the book bundles at Second Edition. The book bundles consist of gently used books that are packaged together and sold as a set. Not only are they cost-effective, but they’re also green and perfect for Mother’s Day.

Treat mom like the queen she is and give her a tour of Villa Viscaya, Miami’s breathtaking Italian villa. Built in 1916 by industrialist James Deering, this spectacular house has been featured on Martha Stewart’s website and is considered one of the most beautiful homes in the country. If you want to pamper mom, South Florida has several green and local spas, including the organic, eco-friendly (and very chic) Uhma Organic Spa.

Picnics

South Florida has many gorgeous, natural places to celebrate Mother’s Day. Enjoy the outdoors with mom by arranging a small, beachside picnic. You can sit right on the sand with her, watch the waves, and have some organic treats. Moms and families can also take a stroll along Hollywood’s famous 2.5 mile Broadwalk, just a short walk from The Desoto.

Farmer’s Market Gifts

Get mom some fresh-cut flowers or some garden supplies at Flamingo  Road Nursery and Farmer’s Market. The local farmer’s market has many earth-friendly options for Mother’s Day, including a variety of plants and flowers. The bamboo wind chimes at the Flamingo Road Nursery and Farmer’s Market are one of my favorite items. The sound adds a sense of tranquility to any indoor or outdoor setting.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Unique Hotels Group

Agricultural industrialist James Deering built this gorgeous, sprawling Miami estate in 1916. Deering spent his winters on Viscaya for the next nine years until his death in 1925. Deering’s estate was inspired by centuries old European villas and of its 34 rooms; several are decorated with antiques and furnishings from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In 1994, Viscaya became a National Historical Landmark.

James Deering’s Vision

Decorated in the style of a grand European estate, Deering’s Viscaya exists as a tribute to art and nature. Deering himself was a passionate environmentalist who made a number of architectural decisions that supported his appreciation of the environment. Deering’s decision to build Viscaya facing Biscayne Bay was only one example of his love of nature. He chose to build his winter retreat in Miami in part because of his appreciation of the native hardwood hammock. Even throughout the grand main house, Deering’s love of nature can be seen in his choice of paintings. Even the decor occasionally reflects the wonder of the South Florida landscape – and the beauty of Viscaya’s grottos and gardens didn’t escape the notice of Martha Stewart herself, in this slideshow.

Nature and Beauty

Featured in many films, Viscaya’s unique beauty makes it one of the most noted and beautiful historic homes in America. The gardens are one of the most extradionary features of Viscaya, taking up ten acres of the estate’s fifty acres. At the time of its construction, Deering hired an estimated 1/3 of Miami’s population to build the grand house and the gardens. Stepping into Viscaya’s lush Italian-inspired gardens is like stepping back in time to the 16th century: water fountains, rich foliage, and hidden caves all make this an exotic and timeless hideaway. In keeping with Deering’s vision, Viscaya is a place where the beauty of Florida’s natural landscape meets the mosaic of the past.

If You Go

To learn more about Viscaya’s programs for children and adults, call 305-250-9133 or go here.  Viscaya is open daily except for Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Hours are from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Adults are $15, students and seniors are $10, kids 6 and older are $6, kids 5 and younger are free.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By sherrivokey

South Florida natives often seem to be a little bit blase´ about all the beauty that surrounds us. Maybe we’re used to it. Some of us can’t imagine why the words “snow” and “plow” would ever need to be next to each other in a sentence, and if we’ve always called South Florida home, we can’t conceive of ever being more than forty minutes from the beach. The idea of people having to board planes to enjoy the beauty and serenity of our tropical state can be, admittedly, a little hard to grasp. But when people come from all over the world to visit South Florida’s beaches, there are many, many health and wellness benefits to be had.

Relaxation

Experts believe that listening to the sounds of the ocean can greatly decrease your stress levels. So, the next time you visit one of these beaches, take a moment to close your eyes and relax by hearing the lapping of the waves. Plus, the blue-green shades of the ocean will naturally allow you to relax, letting the stress of the day flow right into the sand.

Wellness

Ample chances for exercise surround South Florida beachgoers. Why not take a jog or walk on the sand? If you visit the famous Hollywood Boardwalk, you’ll be able to rent a bike or go roller blading along the 2.5-mile stretch of this paved promenade. (And people watching may not actually support physical wellness, but it could be considered a sport here.) Want a more spiritual side to your wellness? Consider taking a peaceful beachside yoga class and calm your mind while taking care of your body.

Beauty

If you’re a daytime beachgoer, take a moment to really notice the shifting colors of the Atlantic against the bright blue South Florida sky. However, there’s nothing more breathtaking than the fiery red and orange of a South Florida sunset to make you appreciate all that these beaches have to offer. The sunsets on Hollywood Beach or Fort Lauderdale beach (just a short ride from the Desoto) are truly awe-inspiring.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By epitomized1

Earth Day is over for 2012, but here are some little-known eco holidays to give us an excuse to celebrate nature. Two holidays focus on penguins, one on trees, and one on….trains? Yes, trains because trains are a fantastic way to travel green (and if you can’t migrate on foot like the penguins, may as well hop a train).

National Train Day

On May 9, celebrate this green way to travel by hopping a train to Anywhere, USA. Remember, trains are a wonder for green travel because they release less carbon emissions than either cars or planes. Plus, train travel is often cheaper than either highway or air travel. On trains, you can get to know your neighbor and experience the beauty of the landscape.

Penguin Appreciation Day

I didn’t know that penguins had a day of honor, but apparently and much to my surprise, they have two. On January 20, penguin lovers now have an excuse to celebrate this adorable, flightless bird, and there are many reasons to appreciate them such as their friendliness and their highly social natures. Clearly, penguins are ready to party down – they even look like they’re wearing tuxedos. (That’s the only penguin joke in here, we promise.)

World Penguin Day

Just in case one 24-hour period to appreciate penguins isn’t enough, celebrate penguins worldwide on April 25. What does one do on penguin day? On either one of these days, learn about penguins by watching the Morgan-Freeman-narrated blockbuster March of the Penguins. You could also help protect these grounded birds from climate change, as researchers believe that penguins who live in Antarctica are in danger from recent warming trends that have impacted their population and their food supply.

Love a Tree Day

For those who feel that Earth Day is too all encompassing of a holiday, the single-minded focus of Love a Tree Day may be just the eco-holiday for you. On May 16, go out and show your trees some affection with Love a Tree Day. How to celebrate? Plant a tree, visit your favorite woodland area, water a tree by soaking the root system, or simply kick off your shoes and wander around a national park. There are plenty of tree traits to love: their shade, their beauty, and the fact that they produce oxygen and clean the air. So, spend some quality tree time on May 16th. (We won’t tell.)

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region

Let your inner explorer out to play with these fun and local South Florida activities.

The Museum of Discovery and Science

Locals know the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science by the 52-foot-tall Great Gravity Clock, which stands in front of the museum. The Museum of Discovery and Science is home to many fantastic exhibits. True, while parts of the museum are geared to children, curious and young at heart adults will also enjoy the many things to see and experience, including the brand new EcoDiscovery Center, which features the Everglades Airboat Adventure and an otter exhibit. The Museum of Discovery and Science is also home to the biggest movie screen in South Florida, the Autonation Imax, a 300-seat, surround-sound theater with a screen that’s five stories high. For more information about the Museum of Discovery and Science, please go here. Adult admission is $13; Senior admission is $12; children from 2-12 are $11.

The Buehler Planetarium and Observatory

Tucked away on the Broward College main campus (formerly the Broward Community College main campus) in Davie, the Buehler Planetarium offers patrons a unique chance to gaze upon the night skies from one of the most advanced planetariums in South Florida. Experience the skies for free on observation nights, which are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 to 10 pm. The planetarium also offers a variety of shows, from musical shows to story time for kids. Most of the planetarium events are extremely affordable. To learn more about the Buehler Planetarium, go here or call 954-201-6681.

South Florida Amateur Astronomers’ Association at Markham Park

Every Saturday from dusk to midnight, the South Florida Amateur Astronomers’ Association opens Markham Park’s observatory for an evening of stargazing. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Florida one year later, the SFAAA makes its home inside Markham Park in Sunrise. This free event is a perfect way to spend an evening. All are welcome and its perfect for the curious. For more information, call 954-384-0442 or visit the South Florida’s Amateur Astronomers’ Association here.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By osseous

Treat your body, mind and soul to a fun and relaxing ride on top of one of the world’s most noble creatures. Though most visitors spend their Florida vacation sunning, swimming and sailing, horse trail riding can provide the escape you had in mind when you decided to go on vacation. On your horseback journey, you can allow your mind to wander while your eyes explore the awe inspiring nature, your lungs take in the fresh air and your spirit finds peace in letting go, if just for a little while. You need not be an expert rider, as most ranches will provide a guide, whose lead and instructions make it an easy going experience. Your physical body will thank you, for though riding may appear passive, you will utilize balance, muscle strength and deep respiration while riding. It can truly be a zen and holistic experience.

Most horseback riding activities are a slow amble through trails, however for more experienced riders, heart-thumping, wind on your face, thundering hooves beneath you options are available- just ask your guide! Check out these two horse back riding venues, known for their great customer care and wonderful, respectful treatment of their horses:

Tree Tops

The lush and very green Tree Tops park in Davie is home to very old and tall live oaks filled with ferns and air plants. Featuring a great lookout tower for birdwatching, picnic areas, a myriad of natural walking trails, 1,000 foot boardwalk beside a freshwater marsh, 23 acres of waterways, playgrounds, bike paths, a marina for fishing and canoe and paddle boat rental, and historical areas where the Tequesta Indians inhabited, this park spans more than 350 acres. However, the most memorable pastime by far at this beautiful park is the equestrian activities. Developed in cooperation with the South Florida Trail Riders Association, a gorgeous network of scenic trails are devoted entirely to horseback riding and go on for more than seven miles.

Visitors may use horses provided by the private company on site, AA-D Horse Adventures. Trail rides are guided and pony rides are also available. The outfit operates on Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided trail rides are $35 for one hour or $25 for a half-hour. Pony rides are $1.50 for one turn or $5 for four times around. If you would like a weekday ride, contact AA-D for an appointment and you will be sure to have the place almost to yourself.

Bar-B-Ranch

Known as the largest, most experienced riding stable in South Florida, Bar-B-Ranch premier ranch offers various activities, including horseback riding lessons in both Western and English styles and its very popular scenic guided trail rides. They boast horses for every level of riding experience, so the whole family is covered. Guided trail rides take place on the breathtaking Robbins Open Space Preserve, which is public land and a true representation of old Florida. Only ten minutes away and surrounding the ranch, this 160 acre preserve affords visitors the rare visit into what is the last remaining oak hammocks in this part of the state. The guided trail rides are $50 for one half hour. Longer tours are available. The ranch operates between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Keep in mind all riders must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants are recommended, and a cowboy hat completes the look, if you packed one.

By Nuria Almeida

Photo By incanus

Earth Day officially began on April 22, 1970 and was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. I urge you to take advantage of the fact that Earth Day falls on a Sunday this year – go out and celebrate it, don’t just hear about it second-hand.

My first memory of an Earth Day celebration was in 1990. I was eleven and I was running wild with some friends on the Ridge, a patch of land in-between Pine Island Road and Nob Hill Road in Plantation, Florida. All I remember of that day is a lot of talks about recycling and soda cans. I stacked old soda cans and then my friends and I excitedly put them into big red bins marked for that purpose. There were balloons. My cousin rolled down a hill, narrowly missing an anthill, but this was just another excuse for the sweaty, curious lot of us to poke at some insects. Not bad for a first earth day: soda, tin cans, and a lot of bugs.

When I was growing up, a best friend of mine lived in walking distance from the Ridge, and we’d go there all the time. We didn’t care about what danger might exist. All that mattered for us was to be free in nature. We’d stay in the woods so long that her parents yelled themselves hoarse trying to get us to come inside. But we – especially I – couldn’t be distracted. Light changes in the woods, blazing forth when you walk out of a cluster of trees. Those times represented freedom and joy, independence and adventure. I wish everyone that feeling at least once in their lives, especially the kids of today, who are growing up in a world where technology may one day entirely eclipse the natural world. Let’s make it up to us – and use this Earth Day to renew our commitment to protecting the environment.

Here are some things to do on Earth Day.

Picnic

Make the kids turn off their electronic devices and go on a picnic. Enjoy being outside.

Pretend to be Ansel Adams

Got junior explorers? Feel like being an explorer yourself? Pay attention to what’s around you. Take pictures of bugs and of the natural world.

Take the Time

Find a local celebration or simply make the time to go for a walk. Make this a perfect time to celebrate the value of the present and our hopes for the future.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By ax2groin

When I was a kid, Saturdays in summer meant that it was time to pick strawberries. It meant piling in the car -sometimes with my two cousins – and heading over to Batten’s Farm, located in Davie, Florida. That was in 1992.

Several years ago, Batten’s Farm  closed and it seemed like all the locals went into kind of low-grade mourning.

Goodbye to Berries

One friend of mine actually called me to report that she’d bought strawberries at a regular supermarket. “Nothing like Batten’s,” she sighed into the phone, recounting happy memories of Batten’s strawberries and milkshakes. While I didn’t get misty eyed over store-bought berries, I too found myself getting nostalgic whenever I drove south on Davie Road and passed the old farmstead, the small building shut up tighter than a drum, its white shutters gleaming in the sunlight. With it went the ripe, better-than-in-a-food-store strawberries, the friendly owners, and the barnyard animals in the pen out back. Worst of all? The milkshakes and boiled peanuts that I used to share with my late father were gone too.

Batten’s Reopened in 2011

And last summer, it reopened, thanks in part to the Davie-based non-profit, the North-South Institute, which operates Batten’s as a farmer’s market, with local Broward County farmers selling produce.

Recently, I went to Batten’s and had just as much fun there now as I did when I was a kid.

A New Generation of Local Food and Fun

Some things have changed. The new owners have installed ceiling fans in the building and there’s now a refrigerated section in the back for sodas, boxed foods, and of course, their famous and beloved strawberries.

The milkshakes are back too, just in time for spring.

But the best thing of all? The promise of hanging out for an hour – or all day if I wanted to – slurping a coconut milkshake and hanging out with the barnyard animals. Batten’s is perfect for kids or for a solo walk around the small farm.

If You Go

Batten’s Farm is located at 5151 Davie Road, Davie, 33329. Visit their website, call 954-990-7820, or find them on Facebook.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By tamburix

On Saturday March 10^th, get ready for the 9th annual “Water Matters” event.  It’s just around the corner at  Tree Tops Park, located at 3900 S.W. 100th Avenue/ Nob Hill Road in Davie, Florida.  For almost a decade, Water Matters has educated policy-makers, homeowners, families, and kids about the importance of learning to conserve one of our most precious resources – water. It’s a useful and fun day spent in a natural setting, great for families with young kids, or for those looking for an inexpensive and educational way to spend a Saturday.

Learn to Conserve Outdoors…

Get into the flow of over forty Florida-friendly workshops, all focused on ways to conserve water. Water Matters Day aims to teach Broward residents about everything from landscaping practices to everyday conservation. Those with a green thumb should check out one of the many workshops facilitated by landscaping experts. At-home gardeners can learn how to create a less water-dependent garden. If you go, check out the popular NatureScape sessions. The sessions also focus on how to protect drinking water for people, animals, and plants.

…And Indoors

Participants can also learn how to conserve water at home thanks to the many free talks and workshops given throughout the day. Attendants get an in-depth look at ways to save water in the kitchen or the bath and learn ways to lower their monthly water bill, a great chance to save your green while being green. Plus, participants who visit at least twelve of the workshops will get a free native tree or plant to take home.

For Kids

Bring the kids out for a fun day of face painting, clowns and free giveaways. The Kids Ecology Corps  will have a booth there as well. The KEC gets kids and teens involved in nature conservation through information, fun, and hands-on demonstrations. Live entertainment and craft workshops will also be part of the entertainment.

If You Go

Water Matters Day is on Saturday, March 10 from 9 am to 3 pm. At Tree Tops park. Admission to the park is $1.50 per person; kids five and under are free. For more information, please go here. 

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By corsi photo