Summer Service Program
2023-08-16 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-08-23 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-08-30 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-09-06 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-09-13 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-09-20 09:00 - 12:00, 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.

Reducing Plastic Pollution
2023-09-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Single-use plastic is a key component of marine pollution. We can take simple steps to change our habits.
All ages welcome with a registered adult. Please select the correct number of participants or seats needed at the time of enrollment.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Outreach Volunteer Training
2023-10-03 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-10-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Tampa Bay Watch Marine & Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL, 33715, United States
Are you a people person? Tampa Bay Watch is looking for friendly volunteers to represent our organization at community events such as outdoor festivals and farmers’ markets. As an outreach volunteer, you talk to the public who come up to our table display about Tampa Bay Watch, including our mission, our restoration and conservation projects, and our volunteer and membership opportunities.
Attend the outreach volunteer training on Tuesday, October 3, 12-1pm or Tuesday, October 10, 6-7pm to learn more about the overall mission of Tampa Bay Watch so you’ll be able to comfortably represent us at community events. The training will include a tour of our facility and a presentation on Tampa Bay Watch restoration and education programs. Food will be provided. Please RSVP by September 27 to Rachel at rarndt@tampbaywatch.org or 727-867-8166 x233.

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.

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.

Butterfly and Bird-Attracting Native Plants & Trees
2024-01-04 10:00 - 11:00 | UF/IFAS Manatee County Extension, 1303 17th Street West, Palmetto, FL, 34221, United States
Learn how to attract birds & butterflies with natives!
Bird and butterfly populations are in decline worldwide and their fates are intertwined. Join us for an informative class about what we each can do in our own backyards and neighborhoods by adding appropriate plants and changing practices to support these beautiful creatures and bring life back into our communities.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
Special Accommodations:
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 our office at (941) 722-4524 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Silent Sentinels
2024-02-20 11:30 - 13:00, 2024-06-20 10:30 - 12:00 | 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 <<<
Special Accommodations:
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 our office at (941) 722-4524 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

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

Composting & Food Waste Prevention with Landfill Tour
2024-04-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Lena Road Landfill, 3333 Lena Road, Bradenton, FL, 34211, United States
Learn about recycling, food waste reduction, composting, and tour the landfill!
A partnership between UF/IFAS Extension and Manatee County at the Lena Rd Landfill, this eye-opening day of learning will tell you everything you always wanted to know about recycling, food waste reduction and tips on composting, followed by an informative tour of the landfill!
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
Special Accommodations:
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 our office at (941) 722-4524 at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

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 <<<

EPC Clean Air Fair 2024
2024-05-02 11:30 - 13:30 | 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

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

Nature's Airpurifiers
2024-11-23 14:00 - 15:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
For only pennies a day, houseplants will help beautify, purify, and renew your studio, office or home by filtering out toxins, pollutants, and the carbon dioxide we exhale and replace them with fresh oxygen! Learn about NASA recommended air- purifying plants, how to responsibly care for them, and how to propagate them so you can share them with friends!
Participants will receive a couple of plants to keep or give as gifts for the upcoming holidays!
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

Phytoplankton and Their Friends
2025-04-13 13:00 - 14:30 | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Join Dr. Margaret “Maggi” Brisbin and Pinellas County Sea Grant Agent Katie Mastenbrook for an opportunity to deep dive into the world of plankton. The presentation will cover plankton communities in the Tampa Bay region, highlighting research on the plant plankton communities know as phytoplankton.
Dr. Brisbin will cover Pyrodinium bahamense (the toxin and light producing species that blooms in Upper Tampa Bay), Karenia brevis (Red Tide), and other lesser-known species important to the region. Dr. Brisbin will share how they monitor and study phytoplankton communities at USF and explain exciting recent research developments. Pinellas County Sea Grant Agent will further showcase other common types of animal plankton known as zooplankton, highlighting the importance of all are plankton species.
Participants will have a chance to view and get a hands-on experience with live plankton samples using traditional microscopes and cutting-edge, automated microscopes.
>>> RESERVE A SPOT <<<

"Walk" The Watershed (Webinar)
2025-05-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-20 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM, United States
Celebrate Stormwater Stewardship Month!

In this webinar we will follow the flow of rainwater from they sky to the ground, and from the ground to the bay (or elsewhere) to see where our water goes through the lens of what we call “stormwater”. We will explore how we play a critical role in the big picture of stormwater and the impacts of this water to our local ecosystems. We will start with the big picture of water and end with what you can do to help improve water quality right in your own yard or neighborhood.
Presented by Lara Milligan, Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.
A Zoom virtual link to join the webinar will be emailed to all registrants.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
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UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. At least 10 days prior to the event, contact Lara Milligan at 727-453-6905 or lara317@ufl.edu.

Part of the Stormwater Stewardship Month Programs collection

Green Industries Best Management Practices (GIBMP) Certification
2025-06-24 08:00 - 16:30 | Plant City Recreation & Parks, 1904 South Park Road, Plant City, FL, 33563, United States
GIBMP Certification is required to obtain the FDACS Limited Urban Fertilizer license. The class provides CEUs to renew landscape licenses.

Anyone who applies fertilizer commercially/for hire in Florida is required to have the FDACS Limited Fertilizer license/certification. There are 2 steps to obtain the FDACS Fertilizer license/certification:

Attend a GIBMP class and pass the exam with a minimum score of 75%. You will receive a certificate of training from UF/IFAS and DEP.
Complete the FDACS license/certification application on the FDACS website link HERE , chose “New Urban Landscape Commercial Fertilizer”, upload your GIBMP certificate of training, and pay the $25 fee for a 4 year license/certification. This renews every 4 years with 2 Core and 2 LUF CEUs.

This class provides the training and exam required to obtain a Limited Certification for Urban Landscape Commercial Fertilizer (LCULCF) also known as Fertilizer License, as required by FL Senate Bill 494.
This program teaches the Best Management Practices for anyone working, supervising or advising in the lawn, landscape, pest control, or municipal grounds areas. The training is focused on reducing non-point source pollution resulting from fertilization or pesticide application and includes:

Lunch
Training Materials
Overview of Water Quality and Laws
Lawn and Landscape Best Management Practices
Irrigation Best Management Practices
Fertilization Best Management Practices
Pesticide Best Management Practices
Overview of Local County/Municipality Ordinances
Applications for LCULCF and Vehicle Decals
Exam

For a sneak peek at the training manual go : GI-BMP Manual
The Hillsborough County Landscape Management and Fertilizer Use Rule and the City of Tampa Fertilizer Ordinance require all commercial, governmental and institutional fertilizer applicators to be GI-BMP certified and that work vehicles be identified with a vehicle decal.
This training may be taken to satisfy some FDACS and FNGLA CEU requirements.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<
For more information contact: Susan Haddock at (813)-553-3560 or szcrmchz@ufl.edu
Sign up for newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/ProHort-Newsletter
An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.

Dune Savers Work Day
2025-07-04 07:30 - 08:30, 2025-07-11 07:30 - 08:30, 2025-07-18 07:30 - 08:30, 2025-07-25 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!
