'eARTh from Space’ with Nicole Stott, Astronaut & Artist
2023-02-25 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, United States
Join us for a special presentation and book signing with artist and astronaut, Nicole Scott!
Astronaut and artist Nicole Stott will give a special presentation for Brooker Creek Preserve on the impact of experiencing Earth as our home planet from space.
Nicole is an astronaut, aquanaut, artist, mom, and now author of her first book Back to Earth ~ What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It. When Nicole first saw Earth from space, she realized how interconnected we are and knew she had to help protect our planetary home. She knows we can overcome differences to address global issues, because she saw this every day on the International Space Station. Stott shares stories from her spaceflight and insights from scientists, activists, and changemakers working to solve our greatest environmental challenges. She is a veteran NASA Astronaut with two spaceflights and 104 days on both the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle. She grew up in Clearwater and has personally witnessed the many changes of this area.
Nicole Stott will hold a book signing and autograph session at the event!
To reserve a book, please contact the Friends by phone or email. Give your name and number of books. Pay at the event, $23.00 (includes tax). Email info@friendsofbrookercreekpreserve.org or call 727-934-2680.
Sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Scribbling Women in Florida
2023-03-03 19:00 - 20:00 | Boyd Hill – 31st Street S, 3130 31st Street S, St. Petersburg, FL, United States

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Reader's Club
2023-03-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Reader’s Club is back!
Join us for our first meeting, we’ll decide future meeting times and our reading list. This club is for a group of readers interested in discussing books, articles, or other pieces about nature and our environment. All readers welcome! Please bring title(s) that you would like to read and discuss with the club.
Please note that registration is required due to a limited amount of seats. Please meet in the Conference Room inside the Visitors Center. *Note that books will not be provided for you.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Friends of Brooker Creek Book Club
2023-04-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
info@friendsofbrookercreekpreserve.org

Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival
2023-04-07 10:00 - 17:00 | FL
After a hugely successful post-pandemic return to Clearwater Beach in Spring 2022, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival returns to bright and beautiful Clearwater Beach April 7 to 23, 2023! From architectural masterpieces created from Clearwater’s famous sugar sand to concerts, performers and daily entertainment, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Presented by Visit St. Pete Clearwater is an annual event attracting visitors from around the world. The festival returns to Clearwater Beach for its ninth and biggest year yet with the theme “Decades: A Blast from the Past!”
Due to the overwhelming success of previous Sugar Sand Festival events and the Easter holiday, this year’s festival will again stretch for 17 days which allows people more time to attend, to space out attendees and gives those visiting for Easter a chance to see this incredible and affordable festival.
General admission to the sculpture exhibit will be $14 per person and free for children 3 years old and younger. Discounted tickets for military personnel, police officers, firefighters, teachers and healthcare workers can be purchased for $10 each on “Frontline Fridays,” which are April 7, 14 and 21. These discounted tickets will be available at the gate only with proper identification. All other tickets can be purchased online at SugarSandFestival.com beginning in December 2022.
Each year, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival continues to grow in popularity and garner national attention. The 2022 event drew more than 200,000 visitors throughout its 17-day run. On Aug. 30, the festival received a 2022 Flagler Silver Award by Visit Florida in the category of Sustainable Tourism Marketing, in addition to numerous other awards. The festival continues to attract visitors from around the world.
About the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival
Fourteen world-class artists craft elaborate sand sculptures from Clearwater’s internationally famous sugar sand. The works of art are on display in a 21,000-square-foot structure. More than 1,000 tons of Clearwater sand takes on a new life, bringing visitors on a “sandtastic” adventure. The festival is a joint effort between Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival, a 501(c)3 organization and the city of Clearwater.

Recycle Your Yard & Recycled Yard Art
2023-04-11 10:30 - 12:30 | UF/IFAS Extension, Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL, 33584, United States
This fun and educational workshop will showcase what and how you can reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat!
This workshop is for Hillsborough County residents/employees only.
This fun and educational workshop will showcase what and how you can reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat! This includes plants and other items in your landscape and home. If you have a good sense of humor, love to reuse items in your home and landscape, want to become more creative, and enjoy seeing artistic yard treasures, this workshop is for you!
There will be several drawings for various pieces of recycled yard art during this workshop. If you are signed on to the Zoom workshop, your household’s name will be placed in a compost bucket and names will be drawn during the presentation to determine winners. Each winner will be announced after their name is selected. **Product pick-up will be at our office by scheduling an appointment with our Receptionist on/after April 14 at 813-744-5519. Pick up must be made within 30 days of the workshop – NO exceptions.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
NOTE: There is a non-refundable $5.00 registration fee per household for this workshop. Please be advised, if you or someone in your household has already attended this workshop or if you reside outside of Hillsborough County, you are not eligible to attend and your registration fee will not be refunded, nor is it transferrable to another party or workshop.
This workshop will be offered online via ZOOM. No additional software is required and only basic computer skills are necessary.
**Registrants will receive an emailed Zoom link to access the Webinar the day before the program. *If you do not receive the Zoom link, please check your Spam folder for an email from Angie Maki (makia@hillsboroughcounty.org). If no link is received, please contact Angie at 813-744-5519 Ext. 54127 for assistance.
Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact Lynn Barber, barberl@hillsboroughcounty.org or 813-744-5519 ext. 54105 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
For questions contact: Lynn Barber, 813-744-5519 ext. 54105
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution.

THE SWAMP PEDDLERS
2023-04-19 11:30 - 13:00 | Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, 400 Palmetto Avenue, Osprey, FL, 34229-0902, United States
Join us at Michael’s On East for our fourth annual Nature Lecture! This event brings a noted mission-relevant speaker to Sarasota. Past speakers include noted Florida photographer, Clyde Butcher; author, Andrea Wulf; and world-renowned entomologist, Dr. Jack Longino.
This year’s speaker is award-winning author and historian, Jason Vuic.
THE SWAMP PEDDLERS
How Lot Sellers, Land Scammers, and Retirees Built Modern Florida and Transformed the American Dream
Originally from Punta Gorda, FL, Jason Vuic is a graduate of Wake Forest University, and holds an M.A. in history from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in history from Indiana University Bloomington. His first book, The Yugo: the Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History, received rave reviews in over 100 print and web-based publications, and in 2016, his book The Yucks! Two Years in Tampa with the Losingest Team in NFL History, garnered wide acclaim from several dozen media outlets and publications.
In 2021, Vuic published The Swamp Peddlers, a tale of misguided land development in Florida during the grow-at-any-cost 1950s and ’60s, which won the Phillip and Dana Zimmerman Gold Medal Prize for Florida Nonfiction at the 2021 Florida Book Awards, as well as the 2021 Charlton Tebeau Award for outstanding general interest book from the Florida Historical Society.
In this lecture by the same name, Vuic dives into the history of the “installment land sales industry,” which seemingly appeared out of nowhere to sell billions of dollars of Florida residential property, sight unseen, to retiring northerners. For only $10 down and $10 a month, working-class pensioners could buy a piece of the Florida dream: a graded homesite waiting for them in a planned community when they were ready to build. The result was Cape Coral, Port St. Lucie, Deltona, Port Charlotte, Palm Coast, and Spring Hill, among many others–sprawling exurban communities with no downtowns and little industry but millions of residential lots. These communities allowed generations of northerners to move to Florida cheaply, but at a price.
We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a captivating program.
>>> RSVP HERE <<<

Earth Day at Moccasin Lake!
2023-04-22 10:00 - 14:00 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
Celebrate Earth Day with Moccasin Lake Nature Park! There will be music, presentations, children’s crafts, reptiles and birds of prey, and food trucks!
Saturday, April 22 from 10am to 2pm!

Youth Program: Planet Protectors!
2023-04-29 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Help Protect our Planet!
For true nature lovers, this thrilling program is full of educational fun. It is specifically designed for Florida students to understand what can be done for the environment in their home town and then express that knowledge through multiple artistic mediums. We’ll also meet some very special animal ambassadors!
Presented by Paige Konger of Paige’s Planet. Sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Reader's Club
2023-06-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Reader’s Club is back!
This club is for a group of readers interested in discussing books, articles, or other pieces about nature and our environment. All readers welcome!
June’s Selection: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Please note that registration is required due to a limited amount of seats. Please meet in the Conference Room inside the Visitors Center. *Note that books will not be provided for you.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

Botanical Printmaking
2023-06-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Create beautiful monotype botanical prints using natural materials. All experience levels are welcome! All supplies are provided.
18 yrs +
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Keeping a Nature Journal
2023-07-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Deepen your connection with the natural world through journaling. Learn and try out different journaling techniques used by renowned naturalists. Each participant will receive a simple journal to use during the class and to take home.
Ages 18 yrs & up
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

Botanical Printmaking with Gelli Prints
2023-10-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Create and take home beautiful, one-of-a-kind artwork with amazing colors and textures using natural materials.
Ages 18 yrs +
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

The Butterflies of Pinellas County
2023-10-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Boyd Hill – 31st Street S, 3130 31st Street S, St. Petersburg, FL, United States

Nature Journaling Class Series
2023-11-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Emerson Point Preserve, 5801 17th St W, Palmetto, FL, 34221, United States
Take a fun, interactive workshop on nature journaling!
Nature journaling is an immersive experience where you can document your experiences in the outdoors. Whether you plan to use your nature journal to track the progress of your gardening endeavors, sketch and write during nature hikes, or document seasonal bird sightings all will grow your skills in observation and mindfulness. Join UF/IFAS Extension agent Alyssa Vinson, for a weekly class series devoted to growing your Nature Journaling skills. This series is aimed at beginners however some modules will include plant identification skills that would be beneficial to the experienced journalist. Classes will take place at Emerson Point Preserve in the Nature Classroom.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact our office at (941) 722-4524 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Tot Time
2023-12-01 08:00 - 17:00, 2023-12-01 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-01-12 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-01-12 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-02-02 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-02-16 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-03-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Families with little ones can enjoy nature-themed stories and crafts at the Weedon Island Preserve.
Families of pre-school aged children are invited to explore the wonders of the natural world at the Weedon Island Preserve. Families will be treated to rhymes, stories, songs, crafts, and other activities that connect them to our environment.
Activities are intended for youth aged 3-5.
Parents or guardians only need to register the youth(s) attending, but must accompany them for the duration of the program. This program will take place inside the Cultural and Natural History Center unless otherwise specified.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
Proceeds will support the Friends of Weedon Island, a non-profit organization that work to promotes education and conservation of the Weedon Island Preserve.

Snowfest
2023-12-02 09:00 - 14:00 | North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, United States
The holiday fun continues with Snowfest on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in North Straub Park. Enjoy toboggan slides for adults and children, inflatables, arts and crafts tents, food trucks and more.
The $5 wristband includes all activities and can be purchased online or at any City recreation center through Friday, Dec. 1, at noon. Admission is free.
Click here to purchase wristbands online.

Tillandsia Wreath - Make & Take
2023-12-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Manatee County Agriculture and Extension Office, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL, 34221, United States
Create a living wreath using Tillandsia plants!
Tillandsia Wreath “Make and Take” – Learn about these lovely epiphytes that only require air and water to live. This is a “make and take” workshop where you will create a living wreath using Tillandsia plants. Bring wire cutters and pliers if you have them. $40 per person.
The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact Katie Granberg, katiebg@ufl.edu, (941) 722-4524 x 1815 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Children's Book Reading with the Author: Otto the Otter, A Big Surprise
2023-12-02 10:30 - 11:30 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Join us for a special Children’s book reading with local author Linda Hansen!
Otto the Otter, A Big Surprise is a wonderful, engaging story for children 4 to 8 years old to learn about nature and the life cycle. This educational read is inspired by a true story and perfect for young readers. Join us to hear this beautiful story read by the author and illustrator. Children will have an opportunity to engage and ask questions after the reading.
Books will be available for purchase in the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve’s Nature Store.
This youth program is geared toward ages 4 to 8. Registration is required. Please register just your child (children).
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
Additional Notes: It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the preserve entrance (Keystone Rd.) to the parking lot, and there is a 3-5 minute walk from the parking lot to the Education Center buildings. This program meets in the Auditorium.
About the author/illustrator: Linda Hansen loves combining art and nature. After retiring, she finally has time to follow her creative passions. She is currently working in watercolor and is both the author and illustrator of this creative children’s book.

Holiday Nature Crafts & Music & Treats!
2023-12-02 12:00 - 15:00 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States

Come "Sea" Santa
2023-12-16 12:00 - 18:00 | Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores, FL, 33785, United States
Join us at the Sanctuary on December 16th from 12pm-6pm for pictures with Santa! We will also have our Avian Ambassadors for presentations, local vendors, food and drinks, and Gingerbread Houses for decoration.

Florida Arbor Day: Youth Papermaking
2024-01-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Celebrate Florida Arbor Day!
In honor of Florida Arbor Day, we are celebrating TREES!
Explore the inside and outside of trees with a hands-on activity! Many products we use everyday are derived from trees, and we’re going to learn how to make our own paper! Targeted for elementary and middle school aged youth.
Registration is required. Presented by Lara Milligan, Pinellas County Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
Additional Notes: This program will be held in our auditorium. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the preserve entrance (Keystone Rd.) to the parking lot, and there is a 2-5 minute walk from the parking lot to the auditorium. We will start promptly at 11am. Follow signs to the auditorium.
In case you missed it, we have a whole line-up of activities for Florida Arbor Day:
9am – Youth Florida Forest Hike
11am – This Papermaking Class!
All Day – Hands-on Exploration Stations in the Education Center

Friends Members' Photography Exhibit: Closing Reception
2024-02-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Join the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve for their members’ photography exhibit and closing reception!
The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve are pleased to present their member’s photography exhibit and closing reception!
Sunday, February 18th, 1pm to 3:00pm in the auditroium gallery, all are welcome.

The event is free and open to the public

Meet the artists

Light refreshments

Final day to purchase art

https://www.friendsofbrookercreekpreserve.org/

Botanical Gelli Prints
2024-03-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
This class focuses on the art of creating beautiful, textured prints using plants, leaves, and other natural elements as the primary source of inspiration and design.
Ages 12 yrs +
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
