Cypress Creek Natural Area — Hatcher Restoration Project

improved. Riverbend/Loxahatchee River Battlefifield Park is currently undergoing a $3 million renovation.

Cypress Creek South Natural Area is part of a $20 million project to expand Cypress Creek Natural Area, which encompasses 2,083 acres north of Indiantown Road.

A b o u t 2 5 , 0 0 0 o f t h e 31,000 acres of natural areas in Palm Beach County are north of Northlake Boulevard. Opening these acres to the public — such as sections of the Loxahatchee Slough planned next year — will bring more visitors who will stay in hotels and eat at restaurants. Someday they may come back and live.

The Cypress Creek South Natural Area will connect to Cypress Creek Natural Area and Riverbend Park, which is the hub of the Everglades Natural Trail System, part of the Northeast Everglades Natural Area.

NENA is a collection of conservation lands and activit y-and-education centers i n nor t her n Pal m B e a c h County and southern Martin County totaling about 165,000 square acres.

How big is that? That’s about 260 squ are mile s. That’s about 12 times the size of Jupiter.

T h e t o wn i s a b o u t 2 2 square miles.

“For bicycle riders, hikers and equestrians, Riverbend is turning into a real hub with connections to Grassy Waters, Pine Glades and other locations,” said Eric Call, director of the count y ’s parks and recreation Department.

C o u n t y r e s i d e n t s c a n Opening for North County’s newest natural area is scheduled for Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. thank Walter Hatcher, who sold the land to the county to build the park, despite many offffffffffffers from developers. He and his wife, Joyce, raised seven daughters.

“Our last name is Hatcher, so we’re all chicks,” was their running joke growing up. They spent their days tending orchids, riding horses, milking cows and chasing pigs.

The Hatchers sold their property to the county in 2008 for about $7.3 million. The 3,000-square-foot home they built, and where they raised the seven daughters, is being remodeled by the county.

Built from 1974 to 1976, the house is made of hearty wood beams, pecky cypress and wormy chestnut Hatcher transported nearly 50 years ago from some of the last remaining chestnut trees in North Carolina.

Immediate plans call for the c aret aker of Cypress Creek South Natural Area to move into the former Hatcher home.

The building later may

farther west town