TOTT ... what's that? TOTT is short for Tools of the Trade". We all have them. Back in the day, our back-to-school TOTT were pretty simple ... pencils, eraser, scissors and white paste ... all in a cigar box. As we got older, our TOTT became more sophisticated with a protractor, a compass and a slide rule (don't bother googling it, kids ... they don't make them any more). Nowadays, technology has progressed to where kids TOTT include iPhones, iPads, flash drives and laptops ... all in a backpack.
The same holds true in geocaching. In the beginning simple TOTT suffice ... a GPSr and a pen in your pocket. As you gain experience you will find a need for more sophisticated TOTT ... magnets, mirrors and tweezers in a backpack. Technology has given geocachers new TOTT too. It isn't enough to have the latest TOTT though. You need to LISTEN and LOOK and LEARN to know when and how to use each TOTT. This is a three-stage cache designed to help you through the TOTT learning curve.
In 1992, the City of St. Cloud realized that eco-heritage was important to a community and theirs would be lost in the historical pages if action was not taken. Through the Parks and Recreation Department, a plan was created and the Peghorn Nature Park and Trail evolved. The Peghorn Nature Park and Trail protects the habitat of many native plants and animals. The name Peghorn is derived from the cattle raised in the area in the 1900s; the cattle had unique wood peg shaped horns. Much of the surrounding area has been developed, leaving behind a small piece of native Florida wetland. The 58 acre passive park takes its visitors on a journey beginning in the late 1800s to modern day. A cracker village consisting of a replica of an old wooden schoolhouse that once stood in St. Cloud, a cannery, a blacksmith shed, a barn, vegetable and flower gardens and a “natural playground” preserves the disappearing local heritage. The wetland and two trails continue to preserve the environment and teach us about the "real" Florida. This is Florida's nature preserved, so you may encounter some mud after heavy rains. Insect repellent is a must!!! Stop in at the Trailhead Center for some free pamphlets about the benefits and how-to’s of gardening with native plants and a schedule of gardening classes offered by the Osceola County Extension Services Program. Be sure to log in at the Trailhead Center and indicate you are here to geocache so the city will continue to support geocaching!
Peghorn Nature Park and Trail is open Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and closed on Sundays and major holidays. Caching may be done only during regular hours of operation. Admission to the park is free. Please park in the paved parking lot next door to the Trail Head Center at the coordinates provided.
Permission to place cache given by Jacqueline Dombovy, Naturalist, City of St. Cloud, Parks and Recreation Dept.