Lionfish Dissection
2024-03-31 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Join us for an exciting lionfish dissection in our classroom. Learn how this beautiful invader threatens our ecosystem, and examine its stomach contents to find out which bay species it has been snacking on. All lionfish specimens are harvested as part of invasive species removal programs in Florida and donated to us.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while in the classroom. All dissection guests must purchase a ticket to enter the classroom.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Conserving Wildlife and Wildlands: Building a Career in Herpetology
2024-04-06 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Learn how an independent wildlife biologist built a career in herpetology!
This engaging presentation will examine how an independent wildlife biologist built a career focused on conserving wildlife and wildlands, with an emphasis on turtles. George L. Heinrich has had a lifelong passion for amphibians and reptiles, which began with salamanders and turtles observed in the local woods during his New England childhood. Over a half century later, he now works as a field biologist and environmental educator specializing in Florida reptiles and focuses on projects that drive conservation. There will be plenty of entertaining stories from the field.
This program is recommended for adults and children 7+
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
Additional Notes: 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 Education Center buildings. This program meets in the Auditorium
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve.
Speaker Bio: George L. Heinrich is a field biologist and environmental educator specializing in Florida reptiles. His company, Heinrich Ecological Services (www.heinrichecologicalservices.com), is based in St. Petersburg, Florida and conducts wildlife surveys and research, natural history programming, and nature-based tours. George is currently the Executive Director of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust (www.ftct.org).

Budding Romances!
2024-04-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
An entertaining exploration of bugs and bloomers.
Sex is a driving force that shapes the lives of all living things, so animals and plants have more in common than you might think. What is this force that unifies us all? How does it function? What are some of the astonishing, outrageous, and wildly bizarre ways that Nature gets the job done? Armed with his camera and thinking cap, John Lampkin has been photo-documenting some answers over the past 25 years in gardens far and wide. Including Brooker Creek. This program will amaze, entertain and educate on mating like you’ve never seen it before! Geared towards adults.
This program is recommended for an adult audience only.
>>> 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 2-5 minute walk from the parking lot to the Education Center buildings. This program meets in the Auditorium
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve.
Speaker Bio: John Lampkin is an avid naturalist and Nature photographer with credits in many field guides, books, journals, websites and blogs, and he won the 2020 “American Butterflies” magazine photo contest. As a professional composer, his woodwind quintet, “Insects: A Musical Entomology in Six Legs” won the Grand Prize in a Composers Guild international competition. John also constructs crossword puzzles for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and other venues, with many of his puzzles having Nature themes. Except for his fascination with bugs and plants he is totally harmless.

Fantastic Frogs
2024-08-17 13:00 - 14:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Have you ever heard the chorus of frogs after a rainstorm and wondered what frogs you were hearing? Or found a frog on your porch and weren’t sure how to identify it? If so, this program is for you. Learn to identify the top 10 common frogs in our area!
Ages 18 yrs +
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Lionfish dissection in our classroom!
2024-09-01 13:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-07 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-08 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-14 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-15 13:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-21 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-22 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-28 15:00 - 16:00 and 5 more dates | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Join us for an exciting lionfish dissection in our classroom. Learn how this beautiful invader threatens our ecosystem, and examine its stomach contents to find out which bay species it has been snacking on. All lionfish specimens are harvested as part of invasive species removal programs in Florida and donated to us.
For all ages! • 1 Hour
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while in the classroom. All dissection guests must purchase a ticket to enter the classroom.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Hands-on squid dissection!
2024-09-01 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-08 13:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-15 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-21 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-28 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-29 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-17 13:00 - 14:00 and 2 more dates | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
What makes a mollusc a mollusc? During this hands-on squid dissection, you’ll find out! Participants will learn about the wide variety of molluscs found in our region and what sets them apart from other animals. This program is held in our indoor classroom and space is limited.
For all ages! • 1 Hour
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while in the classroom. All dissection guests must purchase a ticket to enter the classroom.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Specialty Dissections
2024-10-26 11:30 - 13:30, 2024-11-24 11:00 - 12:00 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Ages 12+ • 2 Hour
These events are limited to ages 12 and up due to its subject and the graphic nature of the dissection. Any child under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Spots are limited, so please register ahead of time. Check the calendar to see what dissection is coming up next!

Shark Dissection:
We welcome guests to explore the beauty and complexity of our ocean’s top predators during this 2 hour shark program and dissection. Through this educational event, we hope to foster respect and understanding of sharks and the important roles they play in our ecosystems. Classes are limited as we only use specimens that have been donated by marine research organizations.
Iguana Dissection:
Florida’s subtropical climate has allowed iguanas to survive and reproduce at a rapid rate. Through this hands-on dissection, you will learn more about the characteristics of this invasive species, as well as ways you can help protect Florida’s ecosystem from these creatures.

>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

Reptile Wednesdays with Dennis!
2025-03-19 08:00 - 17:00 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
Explore reptiles with a friendly expert, get your questions answered, and level up your knowledge in a relaxed, beginner-friendly session.

Dennis is the president of the Suncoast Herpetological Society, Inc. and spends his Wednesdays at Moccasin Lake Nature Park educating guests about reptiles.

Come with your questions!
