Soldiers prepare to reenact battle. By Sam Holton.

There are several opportunities to see history first-hand this month as living historians and reenactors demonstrate Florida's history around the state.

Reenactment and Heritage Day Events

Battle of Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park, south of Tallahassee
Saturday and Sunday, March 2 & 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During the final weeks of the Civil War and early on the morning of March 6, 1865, volunteers from the Tallahassee area - Confederate soliders, old men and young boys - met the Union forces at Natural Bridge and successfully repelled three major attacks. On Saturday, March 2, guests will mingle with civil war reenactors and observe a Confederate-Union skirmish, cavalry demonstrations, artillery shows and medical treatment examples. Sunday, March 3, will be the official Opening Ceremonies and Dedication, followed by a full-scale reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge at 2:30 p.m. Parking is available at the park. The Natural Bridge Historical Society will accept donations of $3 per person and $1 for children under the age of six.

Fort Cooper Days
Fort Cooper State Park, Inverness
Saturday and Sunday, March 16 & 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Experience Second Seminole War and Florida history. Explore period military and Seminole camps. Take in living history demonstrations held throughout the day, visit the period craft vendors or grab a bite to eat from one of the food or snack vendors. Battle reenactments will be held twice daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Loud sounds may frighten young children and pets. $6 per person and FREE for children under the age of 12 (includes park admission).

Cape Florida Heritage Days
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne
Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tour the lighthouse and keeper's house and talk with park rangers and volunteers to learn about the history of Cape Florida. Park Biologist Elizabeth Golden will lead two nature walks highlighting the plants and vegetation that Juan Ponce DeLeon would have observed when he set foot on Key Biscayne in 1513. Tours are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Historic reenactors will re-create the 1858 pre-Civil War time period featuring a lighthouse keeper and Cape Florida family life. Enjoy demonstrations of candle making and a musician playing the dulcimer. A ship salvager and hunter/trapper will talk about life in the mid-1800s. Local historian Joan Gill Blank will answer questions and offer copies of her book for sale, "Key Biscayne: A history of Miami’s Tropical Island and the Cape Florida Lighthouse.” Members of the Dade Heritage Trust will explain the lighthouse restoration they co-sponsored with the Florida Park Service in 1992 and sell commemorative bricks for the walkway. Free admission to lighthouse. Park admission: $8 per vehicle, up to eight people.

Homosassa Heritage Day
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Homosassa
Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Step back in time. This year's annual event will feature the park collaborating with Citrus County Historical Society, Florida Archaeological Society, Crystal River Archaeological State Park, Homosassa River Garden Club and other local groups. Enjoy displays of historic photos of the Homosassa area and Homosassa Springs Attraction in the Florida Room. Also learn about the people, places and lands of David Yulee's Margarita plantation from Jason D. Moser, PhD with the Florida Public Archaeology Network. Costumed reenactors will converse with Florida pioneer woman Dessie Smith Prescott, and novelists Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Ernest Hemingway. Retired park rangers Jack Kearns and Patrick Dillard will reminisce about the early days of Homosassa Springs Attraction at 2 p.m. Local authors Barbara Cairns and Betty Berger will sell and sign copies of their books. J.D. Mendenhall, park service specialist, and Andrew Moody, park ranger, will discuss Ivan Tors Animal Actors and Gentle Ben; Clarence, the Cross-eyed Lion; Flipper and other famous animals that wintered here at Homosassa Springs Attraction in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There is no charge to attend the Homosassa Heritage Day event. Regular admission applies for entrance into the Wildlife Park.

Annual Fort Chokonikla Encampment
Paynes Creek Historic State Park, Bowling Green
Saturday and Sunday, March 23 & 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s event will feature reenactment of the fatal attack by renegade Seminoles on the Kennedy-Darling trading post. Other demonstrations will include how United States soldiers, local pioneer settlers and Seminoles struggled to survive during the mid-1800s in central Florida. Reenactors will demonstrate their skills with bow and arrows and tomahawks. There will also be exciting black powder demonstrations with period rifles, pistols and cannons. The fully-stocked Kennedy-Darling trading post will be open for walk through viewing. Vendors will sell food and beverages. $5 per vehicle, up to eight people.

March is Florida Archaeology Month. Archaeology is the study of ancient cultures through the recovery and examination of material remains such as buildings, grave sites, tools and other artifacts usually dug up from the ground. Learn about ancient cultures at Florida’s state parks during Archaeology Month events.

Silver River Knap-In
Silver River State Park, Ocala
Saturday and Sunday, March 2 & 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This weekend event will feature flint knappers from across the Southeast making stone tools like Native Americans did thousands of years ago. Visitors can watch as stone tools are created from various flints by expert "knappers." Other artists and crafters will demonstrate how bows and arrows are made, hide tanning, pottery manufacture and firing, tomahawk throwing and other skills. Vendors will sell replica stone tools and other creations. Archery and atlatl dart (spear) throwing demonstrations will take place each day. Tram tours through Silver River State Park will also be offered. Park entry fees and museum fees are waived for participants. Event admission is $5 per person.

Timucua! Program
Faver-Dykes State Park, St. Augustine
Saturday, March 30, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Experience and discover Native American life ways of the Timucuan Indians and their relationship to the land they loved. Explore with an expert guide, enjoy stories about the Timucuans and discover the important role the river, forest and ocean played in their everyday lives. See a re-created 1500s Timucuan Camp and experience the food, clothing and shelter of these amazing people. Try your hand at throwing an atlatl or starting a fire using a bow and drill. $5 per vehicle, up to eight people.

You can learn about archaeology every day at select state parks: Crystal River Archaeological State Park, Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park, Letchworth-Love Mound Archaeological State Park, Madira Bickel Mound Archaeological State Park, Mound Key Archaeological State Park and San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park.

Viva Florida! 500. Florida’s state parks and trails have joined the Florida Department of State in commemorating 500 years of Florida history throughout 2013. This significant milestone marks the anniversary of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon’s landing on the east coast of a mysterious land – a land he named La Florida.

Join us throughout 2013 as we commemorate Florida's rich heritage and the events that have shaped the state.

Australian Pine Forest

1. Do Some Research: You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Get on the Internet and find out what’s invasive in your area, region or state. Identify which species might be growing in your backyard or neighborhood. Learn to recognize common invaders and keep an eye out for signs of new ones. Early detection is crucial to stopping the spread of invasive species.

2. Join in an Eradication Effort: Many parks and nature reserves manually remove invasive species with the help of local volunteers. These outings are a great way to get some exercise, enjoy time outdoors, meet new friends and gain the satisfaction of knowing that you're helping to protect your natural heritage.

3. Visit a Garden, Park or Nature Center: Spend an afternoon at a botanic garden, park or natural area and familiarize yourself with the native flora and fauna. See if a guided tour is offered.

4. Read a Book: Not an outdoor type? Not to worry, even bookworms can participate. Authors have written field guides about invasive species. Find a book and read up on the threats posed by invasive species.

5. Start a Garden: Replace your invasive landscape plants with native alternatives. Unlike many non-native plants, native plants are hardy, less susceptible to pests and diseases and unlikely to escape and become invasive. Native plants help conserve water, reduce mowing costs, provide habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife, protect the soil and save money on fertilizer and pesticides.

6. Stop the Spread of Invasive Species: If you are a boater, clean, drain and dry your boat trailer and gear every time you leave a body of water. If you enjoy hiking, bicycling, birding and camping, take care that you are not unwittingly moving invasive species from place to place.

7. Dealing with Non-Native Pets: If you have acquired a non-native fish species for your aquarium, a reptile or other non-native pets, it is important not to release these animals into the environment. Contact your veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance in finding it a new home.

8. Spread Awareness: Tell your friends, family, neighbors and others about invasive species. Encourage them to get involved with National Invasive Species Awareness Week in their own way.

Adapted from www.nisaw.org.

Typewriter at homestead of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 

From April 2013 to April 2014, the staff and surrounding community at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park in Cross Creek will celebrate “The Year of The Yearling.”

In April 1938, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings published The Yearling, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize the following April. Even after 75 years, this story of a young boy and his pet fawn, as they mature from one spring to the next in the Florida scrub, rings with authenticity and life.

Be sure to read (or re-read) The Yearling this year. Still in print, copies can be found at the book store or at your local library. Just slip into the Florida wilderness, and then visit the homestead of the author at the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from October to July, costumed interpreters will show you the farm and home of this American author.

Programs and events are being planned for April 2013 to April 2014 to celebrate 75 years of the book. Some events are at the park and some are in the surrounding Gainesville area. The opening event is a Rawlings exhibit as part of the Matheson Museum’s Small Towns, Farms & Families exhibit. Visit it from March 1 through May 31 and enjoy a taste of rural Florida at the Matheson House, 528 Southeast 1st Avenue, Gainesville, Florida. The Matheson Museum is free and open to the public Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Watch the park’s website for future events, exhibits, movie showings and school programs. For example, an outdoor viewing of MGM’s classic The Yearling, is planned for April 7 and a presentation about the author (a living historian is expected to make a surprise guest appearance!) will be on April 12.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park is located at 18700 S. County Road 325, Cross Creek, Florida. Park grounds are open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Access inside the home is by guided tour only. Tours are available Thursday through Sunday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. from October through July.