EPC Clean Air Fair 2024
2024-05-02 11:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | FL
Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission is holding its Clean Air Fair at Poe Plaza in Downtown Tampa. The fair includes community exhibits, prize drawings and complimentary refreshments. Tampa Audubon will have a booth at the fair.
For details, go to https://www.epchc.org/divisions/air/clean-air-fair

Sunday Bird Hike
2024-05-05 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-06-02 08:00 - 09:30, 2024-07-07 08:00 - 09:30 | Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, United States
Come out for this “early morning” walk in the woods.
Come out for this “early morning” walk in the woods with Alexa, our awesome volunteer, to seek out the resident and visiting birds of Brooker. Beginners and all levels of birders welcome. Meet in the parking lot at 8:00 a.m.
This is a free hike, however space is limited. Please be courteous and do not register unless you plan to attend and cancel your reservation if you can no longer attend.
Guided Hike Information
Volunteer Hike Guides will meet participants in the parking lot 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. We strongly suggest all hikers visit the restroom (located in the Classroom Building) before we begin as there are no facilities along the trail.

Guided hikes are under a mile in length, much of which is on unimproved, uneven sandy trails.

Hikes take about two (2) hours to complete.

Please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, sneakers or boots.

Insect repellent (bug spray) is strongly recommended in summer months.

Bring plenty of drinking water and a snack.

A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also recommended.

Pets are not permitted.

No smoking is allowed.

Trained volunteers will guide the hike.

>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Birding by Bike
2024-05-11, 2024-07-13, 2024-08-10, 2024-10-12 | J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park Education Center, 10500 Wilderness Road, New Port Richey, FL, 34655, United States
Birding by Bike Jay B Starkey Wilderness Park
Meet 8:00 AM
Meet at Starkey Education Center
Contact Robertburkard9@gmail.com
Anyone interested in birding or nature in general is welcome to join us on field trips.
Almost all are free. Registration may be required, check the schedule for details.
Dress for the weather and prepare to be outdoors for about 4 hours.

Beginning Bird Walk @ Lettuce Lake Park
2024-05-11 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-06-08 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-07-13 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-08-10 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-09-14 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

Wildlife Moms Hike
2024-05-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Join one of our rangers for an early Mother’s Day hike through the wilderness to explore all of the wonders of wildlife moms and their offspring!
All ages welcome with a registered adult. Please select the correct number of participants or seats needed at the time of enrollment.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Roberts Bay Bird Colony on the Carefree Learner
2024-05-15 11:00 - 13:00 | FL
Wednesday May 15th, 11:15-1:15. Please be at the boat by 11.
Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. The Carefree Learner boat is located at the south end of the Marina.
We’ll cruise south across Sarasota Bay to see the largest nesting colony for wading birds and Brown Pelicans in Sarasota Bay. The Roberts Bay Bird Colony has been designated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a “critical bird area” and is managed by Audubon Florida’s Coastal Islands Sanctuaries staff. Listed species including Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, and American Oystercatchers nest here. We will coast near the three islands and watch courtship and see nestlings and adults.

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.

Cost $30/person.
Reservations required as boat space is limited. Leader Ann Paul president@tampaaudubon.org 813/624-3149.

Audubon Photo Club on Zoom
2024-05-16 19:00 - 20:30 | ZOOM, United States
Join the Tampa Audubon Photo Club on Zoom at 7:00 pm on the 3rd Thursday of each month (September through May). Guests are always welcome!
For details, go to https://www.tampaaudubon.org/photo-club
Other information is available in our newsletters at https://www.tampaaudubon.org/newsletter

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

Pollinator Promenade Youth Hike
2024-06-21 10:00 - 11:30 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Celebrate Pollinator Week with us by strolling through the Preserve searching for local pollinators! We’ll identify native pollinators we see along our route, learn why they are so important, and actions we can take to help them thrive! Geared towards ages 7 to 11.
This youth program is geared toward ages 7 to 11. Registration is required.
Space is limited and this program will cap at 20 participants. Please register just your child (children). This is not a drop-off program. Meet in the Exhibit Hall.
>>> 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.

Third Saturdays at Pinewood Cultural Park
2024-07-20 07:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-17 07:00 - 17:00, 2024-09-21 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/

Birding at Davis Park
2024-07-27 07:00 - 10:00 | Davis Park, 612 N Parsons Avenue, Brandon, FL, 33510, United States
Davis Park is an underappreciated hotspot in Brandon just north of Highway 60 off of Parsons. The park has one named lake, Mead Lake, and two unnamed lakes. All three lakes are home to breeding Wood Ducks, Sandhill Cranes and other waterfowl. Black-bellied Ducks, Wood Ducks, Black-crown Night Herons, cranes and other bird species roost for the night in the park. American Kestrels, Red-shouldered Hawks, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Flickers and many other species breed here.
Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the small parking areas on the right side of the park open field [27.947294, -82.290945] shortly after you drive through the wooded area.
Details of the Davis Pak eBird reports are here: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L8712193
To register, click here: https://mobilize.us/s/y8T3k2 or RSVP field trip leader Mic McCarty mic.mccarty@tampaaudubon.org
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.

Nature Photography with any Camera
2024-07-27 10:30 - 11:30 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Join photographers Karl and Kathleen Nichter for an introduction to nature photography!
Any camera can take great nature photographs! Knowing the basics of composing a photograph, and what your particular camera can do, makes your photos even better. Join nature photographers Karl and Kathleen Nichter for a program on these topics, plus nature photography tips and ideas for nature walks with photography in mind.
Although we won’t be taking any photographs during this session, if you have any camera questions bring your camera along and we will do our best to answer them.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<
Important 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 event will be held in the auditorium.

Black Terns at Gandy Beach
2024-08-24 07:00 - 09:00 | Gandy Beach, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33716, United States
August is the best time to see Black Terns on the south side of Gandy Blvd. at Gandy Beach. There are also Least Terns and Black Skimmers. It’s a great place to practice shorebird identification. We hope to avoid the heat and people and their unleashed dogs by starting at 7:00 am. If you’re driving from Tampa, the beach is on your left after you cross Gandy Bridge. If you’re coming from Pinellas County, the beach is on your right just before the bridge. There are no bathroom facilities.
Advance registration is required. Please contact the Trip Leader for further coordination. Be sure to plan accordingly: bring water, snacks (lunch is appropriate), hat, sunscreen, binoculars, and dress for the weather (see the current forecast for Tampa below on this page). Keep emergency contact information on your person (for example, in your chest pocket or on your phone). Contact trip leader Lilian Saul at: lily.saul@tampaaudubon.org to join.

Field Trip to John Chestnut Park
2024-09-14 08:00 - 10:00 | John Chestnut Park, 2200 East Lake Road South, Palm Harbor, FL, 34685, United States
Field Trip Leader: Ron Smith
Meet at the first parking lot on the left after passing the initial 3-way stop sign.

What to Bring:
Hat
Binoculars
Water
Insect repellent
Sunscreen

Field Trip to A. L. Anderson Park
2024-09-21 08:30 - 10:30 | A.L. Anderson Park, 39699 US Highway 19N, Tarpon Springs, FL, United States
Field Trip Leader: Carl Shavers
Meet at shelter 4.

What to Bring:
Hat
Binoculars
Water
Insect repellent
Sunscreen

Field Trip to Fort De Soto
2024-09-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Fort DeSoto Park, 8250 Desoto Memorial Highway, Bradenton, FL, 34209, United States
Field Trip Leader: Peter Plaige
Meet at North Beach. After entering the park, turn right at the flagpole, continue west, then north on the main park road. Enter the large parking lot at North Beach and meet in the parking lot near the north-most restroom. The trip will entail walking a mile or more on sand.
What to Bring: Binoculars, Hat, Sunscreen, Insect Repellant, Water, and Footwear appropriate for wading.
Note: Ft. De Soto has an admission fee of $5:00 per vehicle.

Photo Walk
2024-10-08 10:30 - 12:00 | Long Center, 1501 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL, 33765, United States
Join photographer Sharon on a photo walk along the Ream Wilson Trail where participants will walk, discuss photography tips and take pictures of whatever captures their imagination. We will focus on taking interesting photographs, using the available light, wildlife and scenery.
Bring your photographic equipment (cell phone, camera, tablet), creativity and water for hydration.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Meet your Forest
2024-10-11 09:30 - 11:00 | Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, 6920 East Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33637, United States
Meet your Forest:
Tree Identification Walk and Talk

Part of the Urban Forestry Programs collection

Join UF/IFAS Extension Urban Forestry Agent, Alyssa Vinson for an educational walk to learn about our local trees.
She will cover tree identification techniques, including using iNaturalist to document your findings. Be prepared to walk with closed toed shoes, water, hat etc. A map will be emailed to you the day prior with the exact meeting location. Be aware that the park has a $2 entry fee.
If you have any questions, please contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County at (813) 744-5519.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
***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: VinsonA@HCFL.gov, 813-744-5519 Ext. 54106, at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
