Most of us think of NASA or beaches when we hear the words "Space Coast" or Brevard County. In fact, one of the reasons Cape Canaveral was chosen for rocket testing many decades ago was because of its distance from major population centers.

Today there are still huge undeveloped areas in Brevard County that have become nature preserves and are teeming with wildlife of all kinds. The diverse habitats of the Space Coast mean that an amazing variety of wildlife can be seen in just an hour or so.

There are so many nature preserves that quite a few of them are not well-known. Those, however, are some of the best. Marge Bell is so captivated by this natural bounty that she writes about the eco-tourism opportunities in her Space Coast Eco blog.

Marge also happens to have friends who are accomplished photographers, so every blog post is accompanied by stunning photographs of natural landscapes and wildlife. Jim Angy, Matt MacQueen, Charlie Corbeil and Wayne Matchett (who contributed photos for this blog post) generously provide photographs of each preserve, shot on location.

If you'd like to see nature on the Space Coast, then you'll find the Space Coast Eco blog to be a great resource. Here are just a few of the preserves Marge has recently visited and given a "field trip" report on:

Viera Wetlands

Enchanted Forest Sanctuary

Cruickshank Sanctuary

Marge provides visitors with all the information they need to find and enjoy each preserve, including:

• How to get there
• Where to park
• What to wear
• Physical constraints
• What to do
• How long to stay
• Where to eat afterward (very helpful)

Check out the Space Coast Eco blog and find out what eco-opportunities await you on Florida's Space Coast.