Tuscawilla Preserve

The Tuscawilla Preserve is a 62-acre virgin Florida coastal hydric hammock—one of the state’s rarest natural habitats. Its preservation began in 1948, when Nancy Shields West and Alys Clancy, with the Council of Garden Clubs of the Halifax District, persuaded the City of Daytona Beach to purchase the land as a public park and forest preserve.

 

When MOAS established its permanent home in Tuscawilla Park in 1971, the Museum and its community partners expanded these conservation efforts, creating nature trails and educational programs to highlight the area’s fragile ecosystem. Decades of dedication from organizations like the Garden Club of the Halifax Country, the Chapman S. Root family, and the Museum Guild led to projects such as the Window in the Forest pavilion and the Klancke Environmental Education Complex, which includes raised boardwalks, outdoor exhibits, and a Sensory Garden anchored by a Great Blue Heron sculpture.

 

Though the preserve has weathered hurricanes and invasive species, it remains a thriving sanctuary and living classroom for science and art education. Today, Tuscawilla Preserve continues to honor the vision and stewardship of those who protected it, standing as a lasting symbol of collaboration, resilience, and connection to the natural world.