Industry and Nature

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The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County strives to balance industry and nature to protect our community. The wetlands act to filter water as it travels through Palm Beach Renewable Energy Park and out into the larger watershed of the Florida Everglades. The boardwalks and benches are made from recycled plastic lumber. And, the trail paths are made from recycled crushed concrete.

History 

The SWA set aside 300 acres of natural area during the development of the SWA landfill and waste-to-energy facility to serve as a conservation area. Tucked away in the SWA conservation area is a large rookery that harbors thousands of native birds, including two endangered species, the Snail Kite and the Wood Stork. 

Greenway Connections

The SWA Greenway Trail System is part of the Northeast Everglades Natural Areas (NENA), which includes more than 165,000 acres of natural Florida lands and more than a dozen activity and education centers connected by unique trail and information systems. You can hike, bike or horseback ride from one site to another.

Access

The SWA Greenway Trail System has two trail heads. The northern entrance is located at the SWA Administration building parking lot at 7501 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach. The southern entrance is located at the bend where 45th Street becomes N. Jog Road. The SWA Greenway Trail System is also accessible by foot or bike from Grassy Waters Preserve trails.

Trail System Etiquette & Safety

• Trail Safety – Be sure to keep your distance from animals.
• Prepare – Bring water in a reusable container as there is no potable water available on trail.
• Stay on the Trails –The trails are marked with signs and markers. We ask that you stay on the designated nature trails as you go exploring. Going “off trail” can damage plants and may lead to lost visitors.
• Beware and Respect Wildlife – These trails are home to  alligators, poisonous snakes, poison ivy, bobcats, and other wild animal. 
• Pack it In / Pack it Out – Help us keep our trail system and conservation area clean. Our trails are not equipped with trash cans. We ask that visitors pack out what they bring in and dispose of it properly at home.
• Feed Yourself, Not the Wildlife – Please do not share your snacks with the wildlife. It is best for them and your safety.
• Be courteous - Share the trails. The trails are narrow. Cyclists, please slow down.

Prohibited on Site

 

• No alcoholic beverages
• No motor vehicles
• No collecting plants or animals
• No Trespassing – stay on trail
• No fishing
• No hunting
• No swimming
• No pets, no horses
• No feeding or harassing the wildlife
• No flying of recreational drones

Activities

The trails are open to the public to experience the natural habitats connected to the greater Everglades ecosystem.

Wildlife Viewing 

The SWA Greenway Trail System attracts a diversity of wildlife:

• Snail Kites
• Wood Storks
• Bald Eagles
• Little Blue Herons
• Tricolor Herons
• Great Egrets
• Great Blue Herons
• Roseate Spoonbills
• Sand Hill Cranes
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Pileated Wood Peckers
• Deer
• Otters
• Alligators
• Bobcats

Natural Habitats

At the SWA Greenway Trail System you will see a mosaic of native landscapes: 

• Pine flatwoods
• Wet pairies 
• Marshes
• Cypress swamps
• Cabbage palm hammocks

The SWA Rookery 

The Rookery is home to many protected birds. 
It is closed to visitors during nesting season from February 1 through September 30.
 
The SWA developed and implemented a Wildlife Conservation and Management Program. This includes an extensive bird monitoring program on the endangered Snail Kite and overall wading bird usage of the Rookery.

The SWA has also partnered with universities to study the birds using the Rookery. 
Students at the University of Florida places satellite tags on Wood Storks to learn more about their survivability and foraging behaviors. Graduate students at the University of Georgia are conducting a White Ibis tagging and monitoring project. Learn more about this flock movement and site fidelity to urbanized parks project.