Saturday, Feb. 18 – Orlando Wetlands Festival
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fort Christmas Historical Park
1300 N. Fort Christmas Road
Christmas
407-568-1706
free
Look beyond the sunny beaches and amusement parks that often represent the Florida brand, and you’ll find that 30 percent of our state is covered by wetlands – an equally representative slice of life here in Central Florida. Orlando Wetlands Park, described on its website as “an oasis of flora, fauna and feathered friends,” and this weekend’s Orlando Wetlands Festival most likely appeals to two types of people: There are nature-loving individuals who will be engrossed with bird watching, wilderness hiking and tree climbing, and then there are the urban-vores who are petrified at the thought of lurking not-so-friendly reptilians – the latter can be found on the guided (and hopefully air-conditioned) bus tour of the wetlands. No judgment here, though. Either way you go, it’s a chance to explore Orlando’s backyard. Just save us a seat, will ya? – Aimee Vitek
This article appears in Feb 15-21, 2012.