ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Exploring the Sunshine State's wild places can be tough if you live in one of its major cities or suburbs.

But that’s not the case in St. Petersburg, and that’s thanks to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

A grey heron and American alligator, all part of the scene at Lake Maggiore Island, can get a look at one of their biggest fans — Taylor Thornton, the supervisor at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

Thornton cares for 245 wild acres — in sight of downtown St. Pete, where Spanish moss beckons visitors down the 6 miles of trails and pollinators have their pick of wildflowers. It’s also where volunteers help care for the permanently injured raptors in the preserve's Bird of Prey program.

Austin Smith spent three years convincing a crested caracara named Sal they could be friends. Chicken leg meat goes a long way. But Smith has the gift.

The quantitative ecologist is also the lead avian handler and educator at the preserve.

“You get to look at the numbers. It’s all theory,” Smith said. “Then you get close to a bird, and you realize they have a whole lot of personality. They are not as predictable, but they do interact quite well.”

The park also offers tram tours of its ecosystems.

“So we have marsh, swamp woodlands,” Thornton said. "We have our hammock area, and we also have our sand scrub.”

Back at the education center, you can meet a sand scrub fan — Rocco, a Western hognose snake.

“We get a lot of different reactions. Some people are afraid of our snakes,” Thornton said.

But she is there to quell fear with knowledge.

“We hope to educate people about the importance of wildlife in our community, making sure that our native wildlife have a habitat to continue to thrive in,” Thornton said.

For Rocco, with his cute, upturned snout — and beyond.