daggerwing nature center

This is especially enjoyable when the nature center is open and not just the boardwalk. Small but very educational center with a good overlook of South County park.

Found a nice little excursion near the shopping sprawl of Boca. The boardwalk was not very long or scenic but provided some decent views of Boca plants. We liked the viewing tower especially. We walked along the pond near the nature center, but not much was doing.

Great Exhibit Hall (with live animals) - Wonderful Butterfly Garden, - Enjoyable boardwalk- A great way to slow your pace... look and see and appreciate the natural environment. Daggerwing is staffed by 2/3 county employees and 40+ volunteers. The volunteers care for the animals, the garden, work as greeters, help with communications, and are docents. Unfortunately the hours the center is open are few. Yet the garden and the boardwalk are open from sunrise to sunset. If you look closely, you will see butterflies, caterpillars, and chrysalis. Stop on the bridge and look for the turtles, and birds. Note the diverse plants that serve as a nursery for the food chain. If you are lucky a Daggerwing butterfly will be seen. Although Daggerwing is wet (flooded with water) approximately 4 months a year, it serves as a habitat that encourages the growth of native plants, and animals. What can YOU find?Daggerwing changes with the seasons so be sure to visit often. Bring a camera, and a pad.... write your questions down and check them out. See the Friends of Daggerwing site and post any comments and questions... ENJOY - APPRECIATE NATURAL FLORIDA AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

We enjoyed our walk along all of the walkway over the swamp, and the view from the tower during our vacation early part of Nov 2014. There's a pretty good variety of plants and trees. I guess the animals must have been on vacation also - we didn't really see any. It was a good weather day for us to drop by. We went knowing the exhibit hall was closed that day, so we can't give you any feedback on that - from looking inside through the glass it looked like there was a good bit to see.

The nature center wasn't opened when my wife and I arrived in the morning. It doesn't open until 1 PM. On some days it's not open at all! So we set off on the boardwalk trail. The trail doesn't loop back around to its starting point like the boardwalk trails at other wetlands in the area. Instead there are two dead-end sections that force you to double back! As we strolled along the boardwalk, I was struck by the silence. I didn't hear any birds. I also didn't hear anyone else walking or talking on the boardwalk. I only saw a single bird, a large white one on the wing in the distance. There were no alligators or turtles to be seen. It was an overcast day, so that might explain the lacking of sighting any of these reptiles. But we saw no other birds!My wife said she caught a fleeting glimpse of an otter in the shallow water. I didn't happen to see it. The only other life I spotted on the trail was an occasional dragonfly!There was an interpretive sign about pond-apple trees. And indeed there was such a tree near that sign, and it did have a dangling fruit visible. But generally the trail lacked interpretive signs!The water, heavily populated with trees, including those not usually found in water, was absolutely still. Stagnant even. And eerily quiet. In place of animals, what I saw here and there on top of the motionless water, were aluminum cans and plastic bottles and a Marlboro cigarette container, taking up residence along with the green floating plants!This facility has potential. But a way has to be found to get moving water into the wetlands. And the trash in it needs to be cleaned out. And the nature center needs to be open more days and for more hours!

I think this is mostly a really nice place for kids. We love to take young visitors here because they love to see the animals and participate in their programming. They do have a nice boardwalk and the inside was all redone several years ago. The volunteers and workers are always super friendly and willing to talk to you about the animals on exhibit. The hours are a little odd.

Daggerwing Nature Center is nestled in the large Burt Aaronson Palm Beach County Park in Boca Raton. We walked the boardwalk and climbed the tower. The views from the tower were picture worthy. The walkway is only semi shady so go early to avoid the Florida heat.

I went early in the morning to avoid the heat. The boardwalk is nice, but there is no signage helping this northerner learn about the plants I was seeing. The museum is closed until 1, which is not the time I want to be walking. The tower is nice, but the views are not inspiring. The staff that was there was great, and the butterfly garden was interesting.

A nice, if small nature museum. Very well done and informative, but needs to grow. Very knowledgeable and eager staff. Nice boardwalk for small hikes. It needs to grow, but it is still a worthwhile experience.

This nature center is close to my house and I really enjoyed visiting it. they have a very lovely boardwalk nestled among the trees and marsh and also a lookout tower, its not a long board walk I think it's about one third of a mile...they also have a nature center for kids and a few animals in there! I love taking my nephews to see the resident owl :) if you're looking for something low key but fun to do check it out!

Nice easy boardwalk. Having a significant knee injury it was the perfect walk. Amazing how different areas house diff wildlife. Upon arrival your surrounded by butterflies. Left were birds, raccoon and an alligator, straight aromatic plants. Husband found it boring but I enjoyed the slow quiet enviorment

Nature center was closed when we visited, however the boardwalk areas are open until dusk. The boardwalk was very clean and well maintained. We saw many birds and an alligator. It was very quiet and relaxing. We had an enjoyable after dinner stroll.

The board walk was great and the kids had fun finding stuff; however it down poured and there is no shelter. Oh well that is what happens in Florida!We saw a wild alligator which was exciting and a few water fowl.The center is geared for toddlers that is why we chose to go because my 4 yo would have a good time but my 8 yo was kinda bored.The skunk was cute and the other animals there were well taken cared for.

Very nice Nature center we just came from there, unfortunately the center is close on Saturday, Sunday and Monday but the Boardwalk trails are open all the time, very nice and clean place, I'm a loving Nature person so I really enjoy things like breathing pure air.I'll defiantly come back here...PS: by the way is a free center.

Daggerwing has a very pretty boardwalk that purports to traverse swampy terrain. The park was mostly dry when I was there, and the nature center was closed. Didn't see a lot of birds, just a handful of the usual suspects, palm and yellow-rumped warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher. I did see a kestrel and a parula warbler which was migrating through. The bird feeder at the entrance to the trail does attract painted buntings, so approach gingerly, as to not scare them away. They are always worth a look. My biggest beef with the place is that it was deserted when I first got there, and, as I was by myself, it felt a little creepy walking around alone. I wouldn't go by myself again.