Crosby Sanctuary

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Nestled in suburban Orange Park in Northeast Florida are 510 acres of swamp and hammocks called Crosby Sanctuary. Owned by Duval Audubon Society, this limited access nature preserve is home to a full biodiversity of native plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. This special place, now included in conservation lands mapping by Clay County and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, provides respite amidst a busy, congested backdrop of human dominated landscapes.

Crosby’s swamp area is dominated by bald cypress, black gum, Carolina ash, American elm, swamp laurel oak, and red maple trees. The property perimeters contain transitional areas of herbaceous marsh, pine flatwoods, and several impressive live oak hammocks. Crosby’s important wildlife habitats are connected to many thousands of acres of regionally significant conservation lands, including Jennings State Forest, Cecil Habitat Preserve, Cary State Forest, and Camp Blanding, through riparian habitat corridors. These habitat corridors consist of Little Black Creek, McGirts Creek, Ortega River, and Black Creek.

The connectedness of Crosby allows wildlife utilization by wide-ranging species such as river otter, white tailed deer, raccoon, red fox, bobcat and, believe it or not, North American beaver. The beavers sometimes cause drainage problems by building dams across drainage points but we like having them around anyway! They are a beneficial member of the bottomland swamp ecosystem!

Birds abound! It is an important breeding site for the Prothonotary Warbler, which returns from Central America each year to Crosby from April through August. Rusty Blackbirds (a declining species) have been seen there occasionally during wintering and migration periods. There are always great birds to see and signs of wildlife activity to enjoy when visiting Crosby.

The presence of Crosby as an Audubon sanctuary helped to stop a poorly planned Florida Department of Transportation road project/elevated bridge through the area in the early 2000’s. The Sanctuary also provides us with valuable ecosystem services (for free!) such as flood water attenuation, storm water treatment, temperature regulation, wildlife enjoyment, and nutrient cycling.

At this time, access to Crosby is only available to the public during our monthly open house events on the fourth Saturday of the month, September through May (excluding December), from 8 am -12. The address is 427 Aquarius Concourse, Orange Park, FL. Options for an appointment to visit Crosby are available by contacting the Crosby Sanctuary Manager, or Duval Audubon's President or Vice President.

Future plans include trail improvements, enhancements to our native plant garden, and possibly constructing a boardwalk over the swamp trail as well as a bird blind in the uplands section of the preserve. In the meantime, wildlife flourishes at Crosby, and we at Duval Audubon Society know that we have a very special place. Click here to learn more!

  • Birds Matter! Take the Lights Out Pledge

    LONF Jax city skyline with birds and pledge QR codesSpring and fall are dangerous times for birds, as many of them will be traveling north to their breeding territories in the spring and returning to their southern wintering grounds in the fall. Twice a year, millions of birds migrate through Northeast Florida at night, using the moon and stars as their guiding lights. But bright artificial lights on buildings (including private homes) can draw birds away from their natural migration path and toward the lights, where they can fly around in confusion until they collide with a building or window or even collapse from exhaustion. If they survive until daylight, they may fly directly into a window reflection thinking it's the open sky, resulting in injury or death. By turning out lights at night, we can remove a major source of mortality from bird populations already threatened by predators, bad weather, habitat loss due to development, food availability disruptions due to climate change, and more.

    Join our campaign to save birds' lives by signing our pledge to turn off all non-essential lights on your home or business between 11 pm and 6 am during spring and fall migration season every year.

    Click here to sign our Homeowner Pledge.

    Click here to sign our Commercial Building Pledge.

    Together we can save the lives of millions of birds. Thank you!

     

  • Having Your Voice Heard

    Beginning Bird Walk at Ft Caroline 20221106 by Piyush NeekhraYour membership in Duval Audubon strengthens our messages to the public and government leaders. The more members we have, the more effective our voices for birds and bird habitat will be. Education about conservation issues is an important part of our work. Help us amplify our messages. Your membership means a better community for people and birds and other wildlife. Join today and help make Northeast Florida a better place for all creatures to live.

    Unsure of your membership status? Reach out to our membership director Christine Lucas at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

     

  • Upcoming Activities

    Bird TriviaHappy Fall, y'all! Here's what's coming up:

     

    Check this site often, as more activities may be added. Looking forward to seeing you soon!