TAMPA — As program coordinator for Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department, one of Chris Kiddy's jobs is to come up with ways the public can enjoy the parks. Bird watching, canoeing and kayaking, camping and hiking trips. He's always thinking about the next adventure.
"I have a great job," Kiddy said.
It dawned on Kiddy last summer that it might be a good idea to offer night hikes. As he was walking through the Golden Aster Scrub Preserve in Gibsonton with some colleagues, they came across the pure white sand of the scrub habitat. About 12,000 years ago, when Florida was mostly under water, this area would have been the beach. The scrub sand gave him a thought.
"How cool would it be to see this pure white sand under a full moon at night," he said. "It would probably glow. Let's do a full moon hike."
Seven people signed up for that first night hike in July. Sure enough, the sand did glow under the full moon. The sights, sounds and temperature were different than a normal daytime hike through a nature preserve.
Kiddy said word spread. The next night hike drew nearly 30 people. Nearly a year later, the hikes have become one of the more popular programs offered.
Hillsborough County has 16 nature preserves. Some of the preserves are better than others for hikes — like Lithia Springs Park, Upper Tampa Bay Park, Flatwoods Park, the Lower Green Swamp, Bell Creek Nature Preserve and Lettuce Lake Park (restricted to the boardwalk).
The next scheduled hikes are April 8 at both Lithia Springs Park and Lower Green Swamp (see full schedule below). The hikes are between 2-5 miles and last about two to three hours. Kiddy schedules the hikes around a bright moon that rises about the same time the sun sets, using a phone app that shows the moon's location at all times at night.
"When we're planning these we look for a big moon that is going to be up in the air already when the sun goes down," Kiddy said. "I've got stuff planned out four or five months from now."
When the conditions are right, the hikes offer unique perspectives. The wildlife is slightly different. It is not unusual to see bobcats, night hawks, owls and fireflies. Coyotes can be heard howling in the distance.
Kiddy brings flashlights on the hikes, but only for an emergency. He also suggests hikers use bug spray, bring a walking stick and water, and wear closed-toe shoes.
"It's a sensory experience," Kiddy said. "As the sun goes down you're not seeing as much, but your other senses take over. You start feeling more. You hear more. You can feel the temperature changes."
Always thinking about what to do next, Kiddy hopes to add some more night kayak and canoe paddles, perhaps a hike that includes a camp fire, a stargazing and nighttime photography hike or a nighttime fishing hike.
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Explore all your optionsThe night sky is the limit.
"I think it's also popular because it's something you don't normally get to do in the parks," Kiddy said.