Summer Service Program
2023-09-27 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Tampa Bay Watch Marine Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Tampa Bay Watch is offering high school students an opportunity to earn community service hours this summer. The program is scheduled to take place on Wednesday mornings 9 AM – 12 PM from June 7 – July 19 at our facility in Tierra Verde with a maximum of fifteen volunteers per project. The minimum age to participate is 15 years old. Examples of projects include assisting with native plantings, oyster shell recycling, cleaning fishing line, and coastal cleanups.
Interested students should email rarndt@tampabaywatch.org with a cell phone number and the dates they’d like to participate.

Mono Clean-a-thon
2023-10-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting volunteers to participate in a Mono Clean-a-thon. We’ll be cleaning “mono” or fishing line which involves sorting through the used line to remove debris, then cutting out hooks and lures. The clean line will be contributed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s statewide initiative for proper recycling and repurposing of used fishing line.
Click here to register to volunteer.

Return the Preserve Work Day
2023-10-14 08:00 - 11:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
The Preserve Work Days are hosted by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve!

The Return The Preserve Work Days focus on areas of the preserve where exotic invasive vegetation and unnatural overgrowth exists. It is our goal to help return the preserve to its natural beauty.
Working with FOBCP leadership and Preserve staff, volunteers provide the much needed hands-on support necessary to remove nuisance plants providing a more healthy environment for native wildlife.
Registration is required. This event is capped at 25 volunteers. In addition, the Volunteer Form must be completed and brought with you the day of the event.
We will meet in the main parking lot. Registered participants will meet at 7:45, start at 8:00, and work until 11:00.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
Please bring clippers, loppers, hand saws, gloves, hat, and sunscreen. Long sleeve shirts and long pants are recommended; closed shoes are required.
For more information or questions, please contact the project leader: Evan Earle at eearlejr@gmail.com

Pollinator Garden Workday!
2023-10-14 08:00 - 21:30, 2023-11-11 08:00 - 21:30, 2023-12-09 08:00 - 21:30 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
Pollinator Garden Workday at Moccasin Lake Nature Park!
2nd Saturdays of the month at 8am!
Hello beautiful plant people!
I recommend water, sunscreen, and a hat. It will be quite hot and humid. The park provides gloves, but if you have your own, it may be a good idea to bring them.
Meet by Garden Lodge (brown building). We will be doing general weeding, pruning, and clean-up in anticipation for planting new native plants in the fall. I hope to see everyone there! Let us know you are coming at 727-562-4315, ext. 1.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

30th Annual Fishing Line Island Cleanup
2023-10-21 - 2023-10-29 | FL
Join Tampa Bay Watch and Audubon Florida for the 30th Annual Fishing Line Island Cleanup!
This will be a self-led event, where participants will travel out to their designated location by personal boat/other watercraft any day between October 21st – October 29th to target shorelines where fishing line has been caught in the shoreline vegetation. Volunteers will compile the recovered monofilament to be collected, cleaned, and recycled.
There are a variety of sites, all critical bird nesting habitat, throughout Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties. Click here to view the map of the predetermined site locations.
Click here to register to volunteer with your vessel.

VOGs and Eggnog
2023-12-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Give back to our Tampa Bay estuary with vertical oyster gardens (VOGs) while getting in the holiday spirit!

Want to give back to our local Tampa Bay estuary while getting in the holiday spirit? Join us to learn more about oysters and how they help Tampa Bay while making your very own vertical oyster garden (VOG)!
Participants who would like to hang a VOG from their personal pier or seawall will also have the opportunity to contribute to current oyster restoration efforts by enrolling in our new citizen science program. Holiday refreshments and activities will be provided. All ages are welcome!
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
NOTE: Parking is limited at the Preserve, so carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Native Planting
2024-03-02 08:00 - 11:00 | Tom Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road, Bradenton, FL, 34208, United States
Tampa Bay Watch in partnership with Manatee County is recruiting volunteers for a community planting at Tom Bennett Park (280 Kay Rd, Bradenton, FL 34208). Volunteers are needed to transplant various native plants along the shoreline areas of a brackish pond to provide beneficial habitat, improve water quality, and stabilize the shoreline.
Click here to register to volunteer.

Great American Cleanup
2024-03-16 08:00 - 11:00 | FL
Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting volunteers for three sites in honor of Keep America Beautiful®’s Great American Cleanup®. This event is the nation’s largest community improvement program taking place annually in an estimated 20,000 communities nationwide.
Register to volunteer by clicking on the site that interests you:
Fort De Soto Park
Tierra Verde
Shell Key Preserve

Clean Up the Tampa Audubon Sanctuary
2024-03-16 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-09-14 09:00 - 11:00 | FL
The Tampa Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, and Port Tampa Bay are jointly responsible for a small natural area bordering Old Tampa Bay. Mangroves, mudflats, oyster bars, and open bay provide bird and wildlife habitat here, one of the few natural shorelines remaining. Once or twice a year, we meet to remove the trash that washes in on high tide and other debris from the Sanctuary.

Wear long sleeves and pants, closed toe/walk in the water and mud shoes. Sierra Club’s Todd Randolph is organizing the event 815/347-2421. Questions? Call Ann Paul 813/624-3149.

Directions to Site: From 1-275, take Westshore Blvd. exit and head south on Westshore. Turn right at W. San Jose Street. Follow San Jose until you reach an S-shaped curve. The Sanctuary is located on the right. Park on the street being considerate not to block mailboxes or drive ways.

Native Plant Garden Maintenance
2024-03-26 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-04-23 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-28 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-06-25 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-07-23 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-08-27 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-09-24 08:00 - 10:00 | Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, 6920 East Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33637, United States
This program is led by the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society’s Joel Jackson and Tina Patterson and supported by Tampa Audubon.

Garden work includes planting, weeding and trimming, as needed.
There is a $2 admission to the park which Suncoast can cover if you request ahead of time. Park in the lot by the Visitor Center and the garden is behind the building.
Bring water, gloves and personal tools.
Garden Wish List: donations accepted:
swamp milkweed, tropical sage, goldenrod, wild petunia, silkgrass or other small(er) flowering plants.
Contact Tina Patterson for more information and to let her know that you will be coming. mablepatterson@hotmail.com or call or text 305-298-6381 and leave a name and message.

Sea Turtle Awareness Day Lake Cleanup
2024-04-06 09:00 - 13:00 | Lake Belleview, 1426 S M.L.K. Jr Ave., Clearwater, FL, 33756, United States
Come join the city of Clearwater and Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Nesting Team for a lake cleanup! Get the chance to learn about sea turtle conservation and how you can help our local sea turtle population.
This event will include raffle prizes, the opportunity to personalize a sea turtle nesting stake, a photo opp and much more!
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Beach Cleanup at Pier 60
2024-04-07 16:00 - 19:00 | Pier 60 Clearwater Beach
Participate in a sunset cleanup during the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival at Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach to honor Earth Month.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Work Day at Bell Creek Preserve
2024-07-17 08:00 - 10:00 | Bell Creek Preserve, 10940 McMullen Rd, Riverview, FL, 33569, United States
Suncoast Chapter provided a grant to buy native plants for the Bell Creek Preserve entrance and the Hillsborough County CELM (Conservation and Environmental Land Management) office, whose headquarters are located there. Master Gardener and Trail Cat volunteers have been cleaning up and removing invasive plants from the area. Suncoast members are invited to help with planting and maintenance.
A county waiver form will be signed at the event. Bring water bottle, gloves and personal tools.

Sunset Beach Cleanup
2024-09-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores, FL, 33785, United States
Join us as we clean up our beaches, have some fun, learn something new, and release some birds!

Tampa Bay Debris Derby
2024-10-05 08:30 - 14:30 | E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave NW, Ruskin, FL, 33570, United States
Join Power-Pole, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Skinny Water Culture, Ocean Aid 360, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program for the Tampa Bay Debris Derby!
This trash collection tournament gives you the chance to clean up your bay and win prizes! How does it work? Teams or individuals collect trash from anywhere in Tampa Bay, either by water or land. You’ll earn one raffle ticket for each bag of trash or large item weighed in. The more trash you collect, the more chances you have to win! Raffle tickets can be used for prizes provided by our amazing sponsors.
The team who collects the most trash by weight will be crowned the 2024 Debris Derby Heavyweight Champion! A special prize will also be awarded for the strangest item collected.
Registration is FREE and includes a Tampa Bay Debris Derby shirt designed by Skinny Water Culture and lunch provided by La Segunda Bakery.
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and let’s make a positive impact on Tampa Bay!
2024 Registration

Dune Savers Work Day
2025-01-03 07:30 - 08:30 | Upham Beach, 6850 Beach Plaza, St. Pete Beach, FL, 33706, United States
The City is ready for us to come back and help in the dunes! There have been several SPB Beach Cleanups, but they asked people to stay off the dunes. Dune Savers will start back by just cleaning trash and debris from the dunes at Upham Beach. Hopefully most of the invasive plants didn’t survive the storms!
We will meet in the parking lot by the Paradise Grille, 6850 Beach Plaza, St. Pete Beach 33706 at 7:30 am – 8:30 am.
Please bring refillable water bottles, wear gloves and closed-toed shoes. There will be buckets for trash and the City is supplying large totters.
Thank you all and can’t wait to see you Friday morning.
Questions, please contact Deb Rothenberger

Butterfly Garden Work Day
2025-01-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
No experience necessary. We will be weeding, pruning, spreading mulch, and learning about native plants!
Meet near the butterfly garden which is next to the education building at the end of the parking lot.
Join in for as many hours as you can.
Bring gloves if you have them – the park has some that volunteers can borrow.
Questions/RSVP to Tabatha Spence-Hall: volunteer@pinellasnativeplants.org

Sea Turtle Awareness Day Lake Cleanup
2025-04-05 09:00 - 13:00 | Lake Belleview, 1426 S M.L.K. Jr Ave., Clearwater, FL, 33756, United States
Come join the city of Clearwater and Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Nesting Team for a lake cleanup! Get the chance to learn about sea turtle conservation and how you can help our local sea turtle population.
This event will include raffle prizes, the opportunity to personalize a sea turtle nesting stake, a photo opp and much more!

Dune Savers Work Day
2025-07-04 07:30 - 08:30, 2025-07-11 07:30 - 08:30 | To Be Determined, FL, United States
Contact Deb Rothenberger for location: d2bv4@aol.com
Thank you all and can’t wait to see you Friday morning!

Work Day at Bell Creek Preserve
2025-07-16 08:00 - 10:00 | Bell Creek Preserve, 10940 McMullen Rd, Riverview, FL, 33569, United States
Suncoast Chapter supports the native plant garden at the Bell Creek Preserve entrance and the Hillsborough County CELM (Conservation and Environmental Land Management) office, whose headquarters are located there.
Master Gardener and Trail Cat volunteers have been cleaning up and removing invasive plants from the area. Suncoast members are invited to help with planting and maintenance. A county waiver form will be signed at the event.
Bring water bottle, gloves and personal tools.
