SOLSTICE: A Guide to Summer Skies
2024-07-24 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Bishop Museum of Science ﻿and Nature, 201 10th St. West, Bradenton, FL, 34205, United States
Join us in The Planetarium at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature as we explore the night sky. What fascinating constellations, distant galaxies, and wonders does the summer night sky hold?
Doors open at 6:30pm. Presentation begins at 7pm inside The Planetarium.
Preregistration required.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Kids Program -Ages 9-11
2024-07-26 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-26 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-08-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Majeed Discovery Garden, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33774, United States
Fun, nature-focused, educational program for children ages 9-11.
Contact our Children’s Garden Educator, Jessie Wingar, at jessieflbgfoundation@gmail.com if you have any questions.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Kids Program -Ages 6-8
2024-08-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Majeed Discovery Garden, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33774, United States
Fun, nature-focused, educational program for children ages 6-8.
Contact our Children’s Garden Educator, Jessie Wingar, at jessieflbgfoundation@gmail.com if you have any questions.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Third Saturdays at Pinewood Cultural Park
2024-08-17 07:00 - 17:00, 2024-09-21 07:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-19 07:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-16 07:00 - 17:00 | Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33778, United States
Three for one fun at the Florida Botanical Gardens, Creative Pinellas and Heritage Village!
Celebrate at Pinewood (Florida Botanical Gardens, Creative Pinellas, Heritage Village) every Third Saturday of the month.
At the Florida Botanical Gardens (Open 7 AM-5 PM):
Visit the new Majeed Discovery Garden, a 2+ acre addition, connecting children to nature. Our Children’s Garden Educator is hosting a variety of preschool and family programs in the Majeed Discovery Garden on topics like sustainability, sensory exploration, and more. Visit the Event Calendar on our website at www.flbgfoundation.org/events to view all of the programs offered in our Majeed Discovery Garden. For more information, visit www.flbgfoundation.org/childrensgarden.
At Creative Pinellas (Open 10 AM-5 PM):
Visit the Gallery at Creative Pinellas for two must-see exhibitions! Catch the 2024 Emerging Artist Exhibition before it ends on July 21st. Also on display is Threads of Nature: Art Inspired by the Florida Botanical Gardens, featuring works by the Tampa Bay Surface Design Guild that capture nature’s beauty. Feeling inspired? Stop by our drawing room to unleash your inner artist. Free admission and fun for the whole family! For more information: www.creativepinellas.org.
At Heritage Village (Open 10 AM – 4 PM):
Explore the past at Pinellas County’s 21-acre living history museum! Step back in time and take a docent tour of select historic buildings, visit Pinellas County’s oldest structure, and peruse locally-made artisan gifts and souvenirs at the gift shop. Interested in learning more? The Heritage Village app features self-guided walking tours and archival photographs and information about your favorite Heritage Village buildings, historic figures, and artifacts! Download the app for free in your preferred mobile app store by searching “Heritage Village”. Heritage Village is free to visit, pet-friendly, and perfect for all ages! For more information: www.heritagevillagefl.org/

Imagination Time in the Majeed Discovery Garden
2024-08-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-09-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Majeed Discovery Garden, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33774, United States
Channel your imagination using puppets, dress-up clothes, and games. Imagination Time is recommended for kids aged 3-5.
Contact our Children’s Garden Educator, Jessie Wingar, at jessieflbgfoundation@gmail.com if you have any questions.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Avian Ambassador Meet and Greet
2024-09-04 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-09-06 13:30 - 14:00 | Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores, FL, 33785, United States
Come and meet one of our Avian Ambassadors up close and personal! Learn about their species, individual injury, natural history, and impact on our local ecosystems!

University of South Florida Herbarium
2024-09-14 10:00 - 12:00 | University of South Florida, 140 7th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, United States
Meeting Location: Meet at 9:45 on the first floor at the USF Library, 4101 Apple Drive, Tampa, FL 33620
Additional parking information will be sent prior to the field trip.
Carpooling is encouraged. Contact Barbara Kawczynski at bkaw12@gmail.com if you need a ride or are will to drive.
Tour Guide: Associate Curator the Florida Environment and Natural History collections – Christopher A. Kiahtipes, Ph.D.
We will start the tour at new herbarium space at USF Library and conclude with a tour of Herbarium library and collections associated with USF Herbarium. During the tour Chris will talk about the following topics:
– Organization of the more than 300,000 specimens in the library space
– Range of specimens currently held by the USF Herbarium.
– Core functions of herbarium, associated teaching/research collections, and plans for how to preserve these in perpetuity.
– Brief history of the USF Herbarium.
– Important specimens and species from our collection.
– How the USF Herbarium can help us better understand a changing world.
If you have questions or need to contact me, please call or text 813-416-5672 or email raclayton01@yahoo.com

Falcon Fascination
2024-09-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Join us for a journey through time representing man’s long term relationship with peregrine falcons!
This program is a journey through time representing man’s long term relationship with peregrine falcons. The importance of coastal areas, climate, water, bird friendly communities and migratory stop overs is discussed. Peregrine falcons are extreme predators that ended up on the endangered species list. Several organizations, as well as falconers, were instrumental in bringing the peregrine falcons back to their nesting grounds and into the 21st century. Peregrines have adapted well in urban environments and counts at Hawk Watches have been very high. The program features live falcons! Moccasin Lake Nature Park in Clearwater serves as a sanctuary to these educational ambassadors.
Join Barbara Walker of the Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue for this enlightening program and meet a live falcon!
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Sensory Sundays
2024-09-15 08:30 - 22:30, 2024-11-17 08:30 - 22:30 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Sensory Sundays with the Discovery Center!
For all ages! • 2 Hours
Sensory programs at the Discovery Center are thoughtfully designed for individuals on the Autism Spectrum or with other sensory processing differences. During scheduled times, our exhibit hall will adopt lower lighting, decreased noise levels, and focus on learning with the senses. All who would benefit from a lower sensory experience and hands-on learning are welcome!
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while in the classroom
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

Autumn Harvest Festival
2024-10-12 10:00 - 15:00 | Pinellas Pioneer Settlement, 3130 31st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33712, United States
Join us for the 18th Annual Autumn Harvest Festival at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, where fall fun meets nature’s beauty. This year’s event will include an array of activities for the whole family, including games, food trucks, crafts, and hayrides!
– Saturday, October 12
– 10 AM – 3 PM
– Pinellas Pioneer Settlement, 3010 31st Street S.
ALL ages welcome.
Cost: $5 | Free entry for attendees 3 years of age or under.
Entry fee includes all activities. Merchandise and food sold separately.
For additional information, call 727-893-7326 or visit: boydhillpreserve.com

Florida Birding & Nature Festival
2024-10-17 - 2024-10-20 | FL
Early birds catch the worms — and the discounts!
We’ll be highlighting the trips that sold out first last year in a series of emails, but the entire schedule is online at https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/schedule.html so you can take advantage of the early-bird pricing through July.
Pre-festival bus trip Join four of the state’s best birders — Dave Goodwin, Jim Eager, Bob Snow and Cole Frederick — on a day-long excursion to Saddle Creek Park and Circle B Bar Reserve, where you can expect to see dozens of species, (Visit https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/schedule.html) for the full list.) This is definitely an early-bird excursion, with the bus boarding at 7 a.m. to take advantage of a full day of birding.
Coffeepot Bayou Bird Island Audubon’s Jeff Liechy takes the helm of Tampa Bay Watch’s Discovery Eco-Tour Boat for an evening trip and a close-up view of colonial waterbirds. (They won’t be nesting so we won’t disturb them.)
Outback Key and Lower Terra Ceia Bay Eric Plage and Holley Short will lead this boat trip to two of the region’s prime birding spots. An ephemeral barrier island, Outback Key isn’t easily accessible so the birds are extraordinarily comfortable with visitors. The Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge is a roosting site for Magnificent Frigatebirds.
Fort De Soto by land David Goodwin and Jim Eager are back again with trips for advanced birders on Saturday and Sunday morning. Fort De Soto is a 1,136-acre park covering five connected islands that is a haven for migrating neo-tropicals as well as diverse shorebirds.
Lower Green Swamp by wagon Once a working cattle ranch, the 12,800-acre preserve is being restored by Hillsborough County. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes view because the staff working on the restoration will lead the trip. You’ll cross grasslands, open wooded areas, pine forests and a large wetland area, so you’ll see an amazing diversity of birds, from Bald Eagles to Bachman Sparrows.
Check out https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/schedule.html and grab those spots while you still can!
Seminars & Free Nature Expo!
While field trips get the most attention, we have an incredible lineup of presentations planned along with a free Nature Expo featuring local organizations and naturalists. You can attend as many seminars as you like for the cost of registering for one day — and they’ll all be on Zoom if you can’t make it to Apollo Beach or if you’re out on a field trip and then available afterward or if you’re out on a field trip.
Check out these highlights:

A worm’s eye view of Tampa Bay, what sediment invertebrates can tell us about the health of our bay. Dave Karlen and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County have been studying these largely invisible creatures for 30 years.
Conserving Florida Scrub Jays. Once phosphate mining is complete, Mosaic reclaims land and then manages it with fire to provide optimum habitat for the endemic species.
Marc Minno literally wrote the books on Florida butterflies. Join him for this presentation and then a field trip through the Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve where diverse habitats make it THE place for a wide variety of butterflies.
Dan Huber at the University of Tampa is an expert on the biomechanics of sharks and how understanding their mechanical functions contribute to their position as an apex predator for millions of years.

Keynote speakers you won’t want to miss!
To be published in September, Audubon’s Birds of Florida is the latest from Clay Henderson, former president of Audubon Florida. Henderson followed Audubon’s footsteps and paddled in his wake to look for birds in the same places. His previous book, Forces of Nature, celebrates the people and organizations who made Florida a leader in state-funded conservation and land management.

Participants in last year’s birding festival logged a total of 145 species of birds, ranging from Wild Turkeys to Magnificant Frigatebirds. It’s not likely that one person saw all of them in the four days of the festival, but our schedule during peak migration season means that we’ll see birds that we otherwise would miss. Our expert field trip leaders will be scouting their locations in advance to make sure you get to see the most birds possible.
Click here for the full list.

Holiday Lights in the Gardens 2024
2024-11-29 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-11-30 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-01 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-02 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-03 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-04 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-05 17:30 - 21:30, 2024-12-06 17:30 - 21:30 and 1 more date | Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33778, United States
This winter fundraiser runs from Friday, November 29th, 2024-Saturday, January 4, 2025 from 5:30-9:30 PM nightly.
There is a suggested donation of $10 per person, with kids 12 and under free.
The Florida Botanical Gardens will sparkle with 1 million, twinkling, LED lights in a multitude of colors. Vibrant laser lights and lighted figures round out our display to wow guests of all ages. The opening of our new Majeed Discovery Garden will take this already awesome event to the next level. You won’t want to miss it! Interested in being a sponsor? See the information below.
Kids Activities
There will be free kids activities in the Majeed Discovery Garden every Sunday and Thursday evening throughout the month of December.
Participate in this community event while enjoying the twinkling lights. Learn more about volunteering here: www.flbgfoundation.org/volunteer.

Audubon’s Birds of America Exhibit
2024-12-07 10:30 - 12:30 | Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, United States
The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is thrilled to bring Audubon’s Birds of America to St. Petersburg. Produced by National Museums Scotland, this exhibition celebrates the extraordinary legacy of John James Audubon (1785 –1851). It tells the story of this iconic artist, naturalist, and ornithologist, as well as the evolution of one of the world’s rarest, largest, and possibly most coveted books, The Birds of America.
The exhibition features over 40 of these splendid hand-colored prints, as well as additional illustrations, books, letters, photographs, and ephemera. The majority of these delicate pieces have never been shown in public and have undergone years of conservation treatment in preparation for their inaugural display and tour.
Come and join us on a docent-led tour on Saturday, December 7 at 10:30 a.m. for 20 people. The cost is $25/person.
For more information, go to https://mfastpete.org/exh/audubons-birds-of-america/
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.
RSVP to trip leader Ann Paul at president@tampaaudubon.org

Birding on the Bay
2024-12-07 16:30 - 18:00 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center Presents:
Birding on the Bay with the MFA

Join us for an unforgettable birdwatching experience on the waters of Tampa Bay! This 75-minute guided boat tour offers a front-row seat to the fascinating bird species that call this vibrant ecosystem home. During the tour, we’ll visit a nearby bird sanctuary island, strategically timed to provide the best viewing opportunities for observing these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
As we navigate the waters, your expert guide will share insightful details about the diverse bird species you’ll encounter, from elegant waders to soaring seabirds. With our prime location and optimal timing, you’re sure to enjoy exceptional views of these feathered residents as they go about their daily routines.
This tour is perfect for bird enthusiasts, nature lovers, and anyone looking to explore the rich wildlife of Tampa Bay in a relaxed and educational setting.

>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
More Information

75 Minutes
$45 ($5 member discount offered)
Tour includes admission to the MFA and TBWDC.
Children under 3 free
November 2024 to February 2025

What to Bring
-You are welcome to bring your own snacks and/ or beverages.
-We do not allow alcohol on the eco-vessel.
-Please dress with consideration to the Florida climate and weather.
-Sun protection is highly recommended.
