Fall Looks Different Here:

What to Notice in Nature This October in St. Petersburg

There are no mountains turning orange in the distance. No sidewalks covered in crunchy leaves. No sudden need for scarves and heavy coats.

Fall in St. Petersburg looks a little different.

It might arrive as a slightly cooler breeze coming off Tampa Bay in the morning. A bird you haven't noticed in months appearing along the shoreline. A native wildflower blooming beside a trail. A sunset that seems to arrive just a little earlier.

Here in Florida, the seasons don't always announce themselves dramatically, but they are here, and October is a wonderful month to notice them.

Look Up: Our Seasonal Visitors Are Arriving

One of the most remarkable signs of fall in Florida happens above us.

Florida sits along important migratory pathways for birds traveling south for the winter, making fall an especially interesting time to start looking up. You don't need to be an experienced birder, or even own binoculars to participate.

Slow down during your morning walk. Look along the shoreline. Listen when you're underneath the trees. Watch the edges of ponds and mangroves.

Places around St. Petersburg such as Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Sawgrass Lake Park, Weedon Island Preserve, and Fort De Soto offer opportunities to see both resident and migrating birds.

And here's the fun part: once you start noticing birds, it becomes surprisingly difficult to stop.

October Is Native Plant Month in Florida

There is another seasonal shift happening much closer to the ground. October is Florida Native Plant Month, making it a perfect time to learn about the plants that naturally belong here.

Native plants have spent thousands of years adapting to Florida's soils, rainfall, heat, wildlife, and changing seasons. In return, they provide food and habitat for many of the insects, birds, and other wildlife that share our communities.

Even adding a few native species to a yard, patio, school, or community garden can create another small piece of habitat. Not sure where to begin? Spend an afternoon walking through a local garden and start simply by noticing.

Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg is even celebrating Florida Native Plant Month throughout October with opportunities to discover native plants and the butterflies, bees, birds, and other wildlife that depend on them.

Sometimes stewardship begins with learning the name of something growing right beside you.

Take the Walk You've Been Avoiding Since June

We love Florida, but we can admit something: Walking three miles in July can feel ambitious. As temperatures begin to ease, October gives us the opportunity to rediscover some of the incredible natural spaces sitting right in our backyard.

Walk the trails at Boyd Hill, climb the observation tower at Weedon Island, wander the boardwalk at Sawgrass Lake, bike along the waterfront, explore Fort De Soto (my personal favorite - Michelle), or simply walk a familiar neighborhood without rushing home to the air conditioning.

You don't have to travel far to experience nature in St. Petersburg. Some of our most interesting ecosystems exist just minutes from downtown.

Paddle Somewhere Quiet

Fall is also a beautiful time to experience Tampa Bay from the water. Kayaking through mangrove tunnels gives you an entirely different perspective of the place we call home.

From the water, everything slows down. You begin noticing the roots beneath the mangroves. Schools of tiny fish moving through shallow water. Birds resting along branches. The sound of a paddle breaking the surface.

Places like Weedon Island Preserve offer opportunities to explore mangrove forests, seagrass beds, tidal flats, and other coastal habitats that are incredibly important to Tampa Bay.

Remember That Sea Turtle Season Isn't Quite Over

By October, summer crowds may be disappearing from our beaches, but some very small visitors may still be making their way toward the Gulf.

Sea turtle nesting season along the St. Pete-Clearwater coastline generally continues through October 31 as the final nests of the season hatch. That means the habits that protect sea turtles during summer still matter in fall.

Keep beaches clean. Fill in holes. Remove belongings when you leave. Keep lights from shining toward the beach at night. And if you're lucky enough to encounter a turtle or hatchlings, give them plenty of space.

Our beaches aren't just places we visit. They're habitat.

*On our last cleanup we ran into sea turtle trackers from Clearwater Marine Aquarium and they shared that LESS THAN 50% of sea turtles end up making their way back to the ocean. This is mostly due to light pollution and beachgoers not filling their holes, or breaking down their large sandcastles blocking their path to the water. 

Watch a Sunset Without Doing Anything Else

We are very good at filling time. We listen to something while we walk, check our phones while we wait, take a picture of the sunset before we've actually looked at it.

So here's an October challenge:

Go outside and watch one sunset from beginning to end. No agenda. No need to photograph it. Just notice. Watch the birds crossing the horizon. Notice the temperature changing as the sun disappears. Listen to what's happening around you. Connection with nature doesn't always require an adventure. Sometimes it requires attention.

Find Your Own Sign of Fall

Florida's seasons ask us to look a little closer. Fall might not turn our landscape red and gold, but the natural world around St. Petersburg is changing nonetheless. Birds are moving, plants are blooming, turtles are finishing an ancient journey, the light is shifting, the air is changing, and after months of seeking shade and air conditioning, many of us are beginning to find our way outside again.

At MAR, we believe connection is where action begins.Before we can care for a place, we have to notice it. So this October, spend a little more time outside, you might be surprised by how much is changing around you.

You just have to notice.