Invasive Plants to Know and Avoid
2024-06-06 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Palma Sola Botanical Garden, 9800 17th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton, FL, 34209, United States
Join UF/IFAS Extension for a discussion on Invasive plants.
How can we tell the difference between the plants we want in our landscape and those that might be problematic? What’s the difference between a nuisance plant and an invasive plant? Join UF/IFAS Extension for a discussion on Invasive plants; what are they? how do we identify them? what can we use in our landscapes instead?
>>> REGISTER HERE

Beginning Bird Walk @ Lettuce Lake Park
2024-04-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, 6920 East Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33637, United States
Important! Pre-registration is required and participation is limited to the first 10 people who sign up. Please do not attend this or any Tampa Audubon Society events if you have flu, cold, or covid symptoms. Tampa Audubon is committed to reducing the spread of illnesses. The health and safety of our members is of the highest priority.
Entrance fee for park $2. Meet in the parking lot by the Visitor’s Center in Lettuce Lake Park at 9 am. We’ll walk the boardwalk or trails, depending on where the best birds are. We have binoculars to loan, and someone will have a spotting scope so you can get up really close and personal! Bring water and a snack.
RSVP to trip leader Jim Hengelbrok at jim.hengelbrok@tampaaudubon.org

World Oceans Day Celebration
2024-06-08 10:00 - 14:00 | RumFish Beach Resort, 6000 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, FL, 33706, United States
Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Tradewinds Island Resort as we celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8th! Come meet and greet with local organizations working hard to protect our oceans, and learn how YOU can help!
Vendors will include:

Blacktop Surf Shop
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Covanta
Department of Environmental Protection
Eckerd – Remora
Florida Native Plant Society – Pinellas Chapter
Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists
KPBYAC
Marine Exploration Center
Minorities in Shark Science
Ocean Conservancy
Oceana
Pinellas County Public Works / Environmental Management
Pinellas County Solid Waste Facility
Roots and Shoots
Sans Market
Sea Turtle Trackers
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary
Sharks4Kids
St. Pete Urban Forestry
St. Petersburg College, STEM Center
Suncoast compost
Sustainable Urban Agriculture Coalition (SUAC)
Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges
Tampa Bay Watch
Tampa Bay Waterkeeper
Tradewinds
Trash Caulin
Trash Turtles
USF College of Marine Science
USF programs about sustainability/Eco-Hospitality Program
USFSP Environmental Club

Reptile Wednesdays with Dennis!
2024-01-03 10:00 - 11:00 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
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!
>>> REGISTER HERE

Hidden Wonders Nature Walk
2024-03-16 09:00 - 10:30 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
This family-friendly nature hike will take you on an exploration of the wet and dry habitats of “Our Wildest Place.”
We will investigate some interesting plants and animals that call Brooker Creek Preserve home. Everyday reveals new natural wonders to enjoy, join us!
Registration is required.
Additional Notes: Volunteer hike guides will meet participants in the lobby of the Education Center 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Please note that 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. We strongly suggest all hikers visit the restroom before you begin as there are no facilities along the trail.

Hurricane Preparedness Expo
2024-06-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, 2450 Drew Street, Clearwater, FL, 33765, United States
Now is the time to prepare. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

FREE prefilled sandbags will be available and provided on-site (Limit 10 per vehicle)
FREE Hurricane Kits
FREE lunch provided by Salvation Army
Get flood barrier tips
Evacuation zone lookup
Flood zone lookup
Alert Pinellas Registration

Gear up and get prepared to conquer the storm and Touch-a-Truck!
Exhibitors include:

Civil Air Patrol
Salvation Army
Red Cross
Humane Society of Pinellas
Suncoast Animal League

Why Snakes are Cool
2024-06-15 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Learn why snakes are cool and the important ecological roles they play!
There are 46 native species of snakes in Florida and most occur in the central peninsula. Despite playing important ecological roles as both predators and prey, snakes remain highly misunderstood vertebrates. Only four venomous species occur in central Florida and these snakes present little danger when left alone. Local herpetologist and environmental educator George L. Heinrich (Heinrich Ecological Services) will present on why snakes are cool, emphasizing Florida snake diversity, natural history, conservation, and snake safety.
A selection of LIVE snakes will be available for viewing and handling if participants choose to do so (we hope that you will). *This program is recommended for adults and children 7+
>>> REGISTER HERE

Egmont Key Bird Sanctuary Boat Tour
2024-06-15 16:30 - 20:30 | Egmont Key State Park, H6RQ+43, St. Petersburg, FL, 33711, United States
Egmont Key Bird Sanctuary Tour by boat with
Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges
Saturday June 15th 2024, 4:30-8:30pm (rain date Sunday June 16 or Sat June 22)
Reservations and prepayment required
Join us for our eleventh annual tour of the Egmont Key Bird Sanctuary Tour with a stop at the Ft Dade ruins, Lighthouse, and hopefully a Black Skimmer colony. The Egmont Key Ferry will take us around the south tip of Egmont Key to see the areas where birds are nesting. (These areas are not accessible by foot and only seen by visitors with boats). The chicks from our Laughing gulls, Royal terns, & Sandwich terns should be out on the beaches exploring. Brown Pelicans, White ibis, and American Oystercatchers can also nest on the islands.
Space is limited and this event sells out quickly.
Send your reservation to TampaBayRefuges@msn.com Wait for confirmation then send payment via credit card on Paypal or mail.
Credit card on Paypal: www.tampabayrefuges.org click Get Involved, then Donate. Enter One-Time and the amount, then click Donate with Debit or Credit Card and follow instructions.
Your space will be secure based on first come first served basis AND receipt of payment. You will receive a confirmation email for your payment.
Mail: FTBNWR, PO Box 40782, St Petersburg, FL 33743-0782
Cost:
Members of Friends of the Tampa Bay NWR $35 each (includes tip for boat crew)
Individual Guests or non-members $50 each. You will receive a 1-year individual membership.
Family of 2 guests or non-members $95. You will receive a 1-year family membership. Additional family members add $35 ea.
Make checks payable to Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges, PO Box 40782, St Petersburg, FL 33743-0782.
Reservations and Payment must be received by Friday June 7.
Questions: call Barb Howard at 727 512-4914 or email TampaBayRefuges@msn.com

Hillsborough River State Park
2024-06-20 09:30 - 15:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Nature Adventure Camp field trip to Hillsborough River State Park.
Ages 7 yrs – 13 yrs
>>> RESERVE A SPOT

Silent Sentinels
2024-02-20 11:30 - 13:00 | Online Event
Learn about long-lived trees!
Join UF/IFAS Extension to learn about long lived trees, their history, cultural significance and how we can manage for their care in urban environments.
>>> WEBINAR REGISTRATION

Volunteer Archaeology Lab
2024-04-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Learn how to sort, identify, and clean artifacts and other material from real archaeological sites!

Learn how artifacts and other archaeological material get processed for study in this volunteer lab that is led by professional archaeologists with the West Central chapter of the Florida Public Archaeology Network. Participants will help sort through, clean, and identify artifacts and other material from real archaeological sites so they can be used by researchers to learn about the past.
This event is best suited for adults; children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is limited so registration is required!
If you have a homeschool group that would like to participate, please email westcentral@fpan.us to set up a separate lab time to accomodate your students.
>>> REGISTER HERE

Coffeepot Bayou Bird Colony on the Discovery Eco-Tour Boat
2024-06-22 18:00 - 20:00 | FL
We have reserved Tampa Bay Watch’s Discovery Eco-Tour boat from the St. Petersburg Pier for an evening field trip to Coffeepot Bayou. Board the boat at the pier area at 6-6:15. We leave the dock at 6:30 and return by 8 at dusk. We travel across Old Tampa Bay to Coffeepot Bayou Bird Island and watch nesting colonial waterbirds up close. Nesting birds include Brown Pelicans, Anhingas, cormorants, and all the herons and egrets, including threatened Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Herons, and Reddish Egrets, Tricolored Herons, plus Roseate Spoonbills.
Cost $25/person.

Important! Pre-registration is required, and participation is limited. Please do not attend this or any Tampa Audubon Society events if you have flu, cold, or covid symptoms. Tampa Audubon is committed to reducing the spread of illnesses. The health and safety of our members is of the highest priority.

Reservations required as boat space is limited. Leader Ann Paul president@tampaaudubon.org 813/624-3149.

Native Plant Garden Maintenance
2024-03-26 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.

Common Landscape Issues in Community Associations
2024-06-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Online Event
A Florida-Friendly approach to resolving common issues in the landscape
The mission is to educate Floridians about environmentally friendly landscaping practices and to encourage them to conserve and protect our water resources by applying Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles in their landscapes.
We will conduct this Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ workshop online, via Zoom. No additional software or extra computer skills are necessary – just click to join!
>>> REGISTER HERE

Science Rocks!
2023-09-07 10:30 - 11:30 | Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, FL, United States
This free event at Moccasin Lake Nature Park is hosted by the Clearwater Community Women’s Club, and it covers a range of science topics through hands-on activities, discussion and crafts. Registration is required by emailing ScienceRocksMoccasin@gmail.com.
Sept. 7: 5 Senses
Oct.5: Water
Nov. 2. Bees
Jan. 4: Push/Pull
Feb. 1: Flight
Mar. 7: Frogs and Toads
April 4: The Sun
May 2: 3 States of Matter

Native Plant Walks LLP
2024-01-06 09:00 - 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.
Come and learn about the real natural Florida and why it is so important to protect it during a plant walk at Lettuce Lake. The walks take place the first Saturday of the month, with no walks in July, August or December.
Meet in the visitor center for a short orientation slide show, then the walk is on the park’s boardwalk and nature trails.
Things to know

Program is free, but the $2 per vehicle (up to eight people) park entry fee applies
Walk will last approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours
Expect to walk 1 mile
Maximum of 25 participants
For larger parties, please email Suncoast Native Plant Society’s Joel Jackson
Meet at the Visitor’s Center

Things to bring

Water
Comfortable shoes
Sunscreen
Hat, if needed

Emerson Point Preserve Tour
2024-01-06 09:00 - 11:00 | Emerson Point Preserve, 5801 17th St W, Palmetto, FL, 34221, United States
First Saturday of the month (December – April), at 9:00am
Casually stroll through the beautiful Emerson Point Preserve and learn about Florida’s native plants and inhabitants of a coastal environment. Suitable for all ages.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT

Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida
2024-07-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Clearwater Historical Society, 610 S Fort Harrison, Clearwater, FL, 33756, United States
Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida
Photography Exhibit by Clyde Butcher
The Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves (TBAP) highlight the best of what our state has to offer: open water, inlet bays, tidally influenced creeks and rivers, oyster reefs, seagrass beds, salt marshes and mangrove forests. These habitats are vital to Florida’s iconic wildlife such as manatees, dolphins, fishes, oysters, and an abundance of wading, nesting and migratory birds. Although not widely known, TBAP even has a variety of corals in its hard-bottom areas. The preserves include four separate preserves: Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve, Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve, and Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve.*
*Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves | Florida Department of Environmental Protection
“Florida’s natural beauty is often most evident in its aquatic preserves. They are Florida’s natural watery Eden’s—home to freshwater springs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests that provide food and habitat. Florida’s aquatic preserves truly are living waters. Within these pages, Clyde Butcher celebrates Florida’s aquatic preserves, capturing magical moments through his breathtaking photographs. His interest and respect for Florida’s natural environment is genuine. Mr. Butcher’s photographs will inspire you and touch your curiosity and concern for the wonders of Florida’s aquatic preserves—our living waters. Water runs through, around, and under Florida, creating its varied landscapes and biological diversity. Mr. Butcher’s photographs remind us that this natural heritage is entrusted to us to maintain for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.”**
**https://www.clearwaterhistoricalsociety.org/current-exhibits/
Tampa Audubon will meet at the museum at 10:00 a.m. There is parking behind the museum. There is a donation requested of $5 for each person. After the exhibit, those interested can go to lunch at a local area restaurant.
Please do not attend this or any Tampa Audubon Society events if you have flu, cold, or covid symptoms. Tampa Audubon is committed to reducing the spread of illnesses. The health and safety of our members is of the highest priority.
Advance registration is required. Please contact the Trip Leader for further coordination. Be sure to plan accordingly:
RSVP field trip leader Mic McCarty mic.mccarty@tampaaudubon.org

Bay Babies
2024-06-01 11:00 - 12:00 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Come join us with your young scientists!
Ages 3 yrs – 6 yrs
This program is for the youngest ocean explorers. Bay Babies is offered for 3 to 6 year olds monthly. Each session includes story time, crafts, activities, and animal interactions to keep your little one(s) engaged and excited. Program is held in our indoor classroom and space is limited.
Children must be accompanied by an adult while in the classroom
>>> RESERVE A SPOT

2024 ECO Educator Workshop
2024-07-08 09:00 - 15:30 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
See what the training is all about in our two promo videos: Video 1 or Video 2
Exploring Environmental Education Curriculum Options (ECO) Teacher Training Workshop
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Pinellas County’s Natural Resources Agent has teamed up with St. Petersburg College, College of Education Professor to offer this nationally award-winning, week-long environmental education workshop for pre-service elementary & ESE education students, current elementary & ESE teachers, and non-formal educators. Note: Middle school educators are welcome to participate as well!
The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with tools and information to interpret the natural world and impart the need for resource conservation to their audience. Using local, state, and national curricula correlated to Florida Standards, participants will be given activities and resources to help foster environmental knowledge and good environmental stewardship in their students.
Each day will feature different environmental subjects and professional speakers will be brought in to provide background knowledge to participants. Workshop sessions will conclude with a reflection and an evaluation of the day’s activities. Certificates will be awarded for the completion of specific portions of the training as well as a final certificate of completion.
Curriculum taught each year is different, so if you have participated in the past, you can participate again for a whole new educational experience!
ECO Teacher Training Workshop at Brooker Creek Preserve
July 8-12, 2024
All classes will run from 9:00am – 3:30pm, doors open at 8:30am.
This year’s workshop will feature an amazing line-up of environmental education curriculum:
• Monday – Extreme Heat
• Tuesday – Keep Pinellas Beautiful and 4-H
• Wednesday – WEDU PBS Showcase
• Thursday – Discover Shorebirds
• Friday – Project Learning Tree Activity Collections
>>> REGISTER HERE

Bay Friendly Landscaping Workshop - on ZOOM
2024-07-11 12:00 - 13:00 | ZOOM, United States
Learn how to redesign your yard for resiliency with low maintenance native landscape plants.

Learn to create a landscape that is beautiful and provides valuable ecosystem services in our Bay Friendly Landscaping class. This class will focus on selecting plants that are low maintenance and are adapted to the extreme conditions that we have here in Florida, including sandy soil, high winds, drought, and flooding. These will help protect Tampa Bay by reducing fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. Proper plant selection can also help the environment by providing habitat for wildlife and reduce your costs associated with landscape maintenance. This class will be held on Zoom and the first 50 registrants who attend the class will be mailed a hard copy of the “Plant This, Not That” flip book to the address provided during registration. The Zoom link will be sent the day before the class.
>>> REGISTER HERE
