The Lyonia Preserve is a nature reserve located in Deltona, Florida near the local library. [1] It is joint managed by the state, Volusia County, and the Volusia County School Board. [2] It contains scrublands and the Florida scrub jay, both of which are damaged in the state. [2] The preserve's goal is to maintain the scrublands and the animals on it like the gopher tortoise and the Florida scrub jay. [3]
When Congress set up townships in the United States in 1785, section 16 of the township was to be set up for education. When Deltona was developing, a shopping center was proposed in the 1990s where the Lyonia Preserve would be. Volusia County School Board decided that the land would be used for education and environmental preservation, both receiving 240 acres (0.97 km2) [4] and 360 acres (1.5 km2) respectively. [5] [6] The preserve was named after the lyonia. [4]
A Florida scrub jay festival was held at the Lyonia Preserve February 13, 2022. [7]
Florida scrub jays do not live in suburbia and require open scrubland. While the preserve provides scrubland, the city is reluctant to do controlled burns due to its proximity to city hall and Daytona State College's Deltona campus, lowering the quality of habitat for scrub jays. The county does cut down trees to recreate natural processes, [8] however, it does not fully mimic fire. [6] While the trees are being cut down, trails remain open. [8]
Each year, a group from Audubon Florida does a yearly count of the scrub jays at the preserve. [8]
The Lyonia Environmental Center is a museum and activity center to provide environmental information for the protected scrublands. [9] [10]
The preserve has three trails. Their lengths are: 0.4 miles (0.64 km), 1.2 miles (1.9 km), 2.4 miles (3.9 km). [2] The trails are made of sand [11] and lack shade. [2]
Flagler County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. Its county seat is Bunnell, and the largest city is Palm Coast. Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it was named for Henry Flagler, who built the Florida East Coast Railway.
Volusia County is a county located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2010 census. It was founded on December 29, 1854, from part of Orange County, and was named for the community of Volusia, located in northwestern Volusia County. Its first county seat was Enterprise. Since 1887, its county seat has been DeLand.
Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, and is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida.
DeLand is a city in and the county seat of Volusia County, Florida, United States. The city sits approximately 34 miles (55 km) north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately 23 miles (37 km) west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. It is a part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 37,351.
Deltona is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Monroe. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 93,692. It is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 685,344 people in 2021. It is the second largest city in the Greater Orlando combined statistical area.
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is known as the birthplace of speed, as early adopters of motorized cars flocked to its hard-packed beaches for yearlong entertainment, since paved roads were not yet commonplace. Ormond Beach lies in Central Eastern Florida.
Port Orange is a city in Volusia County, Florida. The city is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area. Port Orange is a principal city in the Fun Coast region of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 62,596.
Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Greater Orlando area, though in recent times the Tampa Bay area has often been described as its own region, with "Central Florida" becoming more synonymous with the Orlando area.
The Orlando metropolitan area is an inland metropolitan area in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. Its principal cities are Orlando, Kissimmee, and Sanford. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines it as consisting of the counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole.
Florida's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida.
Deltona High School is a public high school located in Deltona, Florida, United States. It is located on Wolf Pack Run, east of Interstate 4 in the city's northwestern corner. In the 2011–2012 academic school year, the school enrolled 1,666 students in grades 9–12. Deltona High opened on August 29, 1988 as the city's first high school. The school was the first high school in Volusia County to be built since Spruce Creek High School in 1975. The School's main "rival", Pine Ridge High School, comes just down Howland Boulevard.
The Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in central and the north portions of Florida consisting of Volusia and Flagler counties in the state of Florida. As of 2023, it is the 83rd-largest MSA in the United States, with a census-estimated population of 721,796.
The Tomoka River is a north-flowing river in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It drains an area of about 110 square miles (280 km2) and has a length of 19.6 miles (31.5 km).
The Deltona massacre was a residential murder which occurred on August 6, 2004, in a home on Telford Lane in Deltona, Florida, United States. Four men broke into the home and bludgeoned six victims to death. The four attackers, apparently inspired by the film Wonderland, tortured and killed four men, two women, and a dog inside the home, making it the deadliest mass murder in Volusia County history. Their primary motive for the murders was revenge on Erin Belanger, who had evicted a squatter, Troy Victorino, from her grandmother's then-vacant house, with the secondary motive of recovering an Xbox game console and some clothing that Victorino had left behind. Victorino was able to further motivate his accomplices by pointing out that the attack would likely allow them to kill an additional person they had grievances with, who ended up not being at the house that night.
Votran, officially the Volusia County Public Transit System is the public transportation system in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The system was established in 1975. Votran provides fixed bus and paratransit service throughout the entire county
Osteen is an unincorporated community in southwest Volusia County, Florida, United States. Osteen is near the St. Johns River as well as typical swamps, forests and wildlife of Florida. Osteen attracts a number of visitors for these qualities. There are numerous camping areas and preserves such as the Hickory Bluff Preserve, a 150-acre nature preserve with hiking and horse trails.
Volusia County Schools is the public school district for Volusia County, Florida, United States. The district serves the 16 cities of Daytona Beach, DeBary, DeLand, DeLeon Springs, Deltona, Edgewater, Enterprise, Holly Hill, Lake Helen, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Osteen, Pierson, and Port Orange. It is the 57th largest school district in the United States and serves approximately 63,000 students. The district is composed of 45 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 9 high schools. In addition there are 9 alternative schools, 7 charter schools, 2 combination schools, and 1 district virtual instruction program. The district is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/AdvancED.
Gemini Springs Park is a 210-acre (85 ha) public nature park in DeBary, Florida, United States featuring two springs. The park, completed in 1996, is situated on bayou northwest of Lake Monroe.
David Santiago is a Republican politician from Florida. He served one term on the Deltona City Commission from 2003 to 2007 and four terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2020, representing the 27th District, which includes southern Volusia County.
The Volusia County Public Libraries are a group of public libraries found across Volusia County, Florida.