Pinecrest Tutors Come To You

Ten thousand trees planted since 1997 is pretty impressive, especially for a community of only about 18,000 residents. But that’s what Pinecrest, Florida, has achieved, resulting in the community being named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The affluent area was incorporated in 1996, and the tree-loving community immediately launched beautification projects to make it even more livable. Not surprisingly, some of those projects included establishing new parks, the crown jewel of which is Pinecrest Gardens.

Pinecrest Gardens is a twenty-acre park with natural features such as streams, caves and fissures, sinkholes, rock formations, dramatic cliff overhangs, and, of course, trees. The park features more than 1,000 varieties of exotic trees and tropical plants, and there is good reason for this: the park is located on the former site of Parrot Jungle, a zoological park established in Pinecrest in 1936 by Franz and Louise Scherr.

The story goes that Franz was enamored with birds and wanted to create a haven where birds could fly uninhibited. He leased twenty-two acres of land for $25 per year and dug a winding trail, leaving all natural plants undisturbed. One hundred visitors paid twenty-five cents on Parrot Jungle’s first day of operation, December 20, 1936. By the end of the first year, 10,000 people had come through Parrot Jungle’s gates to hear Scherr talk about his plants, trees, and birds. The founder purchased the land in 1940 for $5,000, and Parrot Jungle continued growing (except for some lean years during World War II) for sixty-six years. The Village of Pinecrest purchased the land in 2002 with the intent of solidifying its reputation as the area’s largest and most beautiful park. (The Parrot Jungle attraction moved to Watson Island near Miami in 2003, reopening as Parrot Jungle Island.)

Visitors to Pinecrest Gardens, also known as South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park, will find a swan lake, playground, splash-and-play area, themed botanical gardens, a butterfly exhibit, and historical structures and buildings, all amid a native cypress and tropical hardwood setting. The park offers educational programs, art exhibits, and a farmers market and serves as a living classroom for schoolchildren, scouting groups, parents, and teachers. Pinecrest Gardens sponsors six major festivals and holiday events each year, and many locations throughout the park can be rented for weddings, parties, and corporate events.

Besides its reputation for trees, Pinecrest has earned many other awards and distinctions. The South Florida Business Journal listed the village as one of Florida’s ten best places for quality of life. Pinecrest was also labeled as a Playful City USA by the non-profit KaBOOM!, whose mission is to increase the playability of communities so that children, especially those growing up in poverty, get the balanced play they need.

With its tree-studded beauty, lush parks, and play-minded citizens, Pinecrest offers nearly unbeatable recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.