UF NATL Nature Trails

The University of Florida's Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL) is dedicated to teaching students and the public about ecology and biotic diversity. At the same time we offer family friendly and K-12 educational opportunities. It consists of 60 acres in two contiguous tracts in the southwest corner of campus. The larger tract, known as NATL-west, has 49 acres and is west of Natural Area/Surge Area Drive. The smaller tract, known as NATL-east, has 11 acres and is east of Natural Area/Surge Area Drive. NATL contains three upland natural communities: Upland Pine, Upland Hardwood Forest, Upland Mixed Woodland, as well as a human Modified Meadow. It has a variety of wetland habitats, including a 9-acre marsh in NATL-east that drains into a pond and sinkhole in NATL-west and a 3-acre ecologically engineered retention basin (SEEP) in the northeast corner of NATL-west.