Reptile Wednesdays with Dennis!
2022-12-21 10:00 - 16:00, 2022-12-28 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-01-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-01-11 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-01-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-01-25 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-02-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-02-08 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) and 14 more dates | 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 <<<

Rad Reptiles
2023-01-08 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-01-22 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-02-05 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-02-19 10:00 - 11:30 | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Classroom, 1101 COUNTRY CLUB WY S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705, United States
Come learn about incredible reptiles from around the world! Each class includes hands on activities, a guided hike on the trails, and live animal encounters. Participants will enjoy a safe learning environment that promotes knowledge of the local environment and a love of nature
Ages 6 & up
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Conserving Gopher Tortoises
2023-03-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Hammock Hall, 3010 31st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33712, United States
The Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department present the annual Natural History Speaker Series (NHSS), a program that offers fascinating presentations on the natural and cultural history of Florida by individuals who are authorities in their fields.

Conserving Gopher Tortoises at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve presentation by Jeffrey M. Goessling PhD, Professor, Eckerd College

Have you ever walked the trails at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and seen a gopher tortoise in the sandy upland habitat? Do you wonder how they are able to survive there? Come and learn more about them as our speaker shares his knowledge along with his findings from ongoing research efforts.

Speaker Bio: Jeff Goessling grew up in the hills of Kentucky where he gained a fascination and appreciation for nature. He earned his B.S. at Thomas More College, his M.S. at Sam Houston State University, and his PhD in the biological sciences at Auburn University. In January 2018 he joined the faculty at Eckerd College. He currently studies and monitors the gopher tortoise population at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

Sea Turtle Awareness Day
2023-04-01 10:00 - 15:00 | Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, FL, 33767, United States
Celebrate Sea Turtle Awareness Day on April 1, 2023, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium from 10am through 3pm! The Sea Turtle Conservation Program at CMA will be preparing for sea turtle nesting season with nesting presentations, nest stake painting, custom Protect the Nest plaques, and so much more! We will also have many sea turtle conservation partners and CMA teams joining us with additional information to help protect sea turtles and their habitats. This event is included with your general admission at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Schedule of Activities:

11:40am – Performance by the “Semillas de mi Tierra” children’s Latin dance group.
12:15pm – Sea Turtle Nesting Presentation in the Atlantis Theater.
2:15pm – Sea Turtle Nesting Presentation in the Atlantis Theater.

>>> MORE INFO HERE <<<

Turtle Bioartifacts
2023-04-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Turtle Bioartifacts
And What They Can Teach Us

Examine turtle bioartifacts and learn about turtle biology and ecology!

Dive into turtle science 101 with local herpetologist and environmental educator George L. Heinrich! This hands-on workshop will explore turtle bioartifacts (natural history objects) commonly found during nature forays. Numerous specimens of shells and skulls will allow us to learn about turtle anatomy and species diversity. We will also examine a variety of eggs and dissect gopher tortoise scat. Participants may also get to observe some of the Preserve’s resident gopher tortoises.
This workshop will take place outdoors, under the covered pavilion adjacent to the Cultural and Natural History Center. This program is recommended for ages 16+ and youth should be accompanied by an adult.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Weedon Island. Our Friends support the Weedon Island Preserve through education, preservation and protection of its habitats, ecology, and cultural history. Learn more about our Friends at https://friendsofweedonisland.org/.
>>> REGISTER HERE <<<

Frogs!
2023-05-20 10:30 - 12:00 | Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, FL, 34688, United States
Do you know why frogs are so important to our world, and how by saving them, we save the environment?

Explore challenges frogs are facing, as well as some ways that ordinary people of all ages can help. Learn about our very own Florida frogs, and maybe even croak in a human frog chorus! Program suitable for all ages.
Join Avalon Theisen, the young founder of Conserve It Forward, Inc. for Florida Frogs!
About Avalon:
A passionate changemaker with over a decade of service to people and planet, Avalon Jade Theisen is dedicated to empowering others to Conserve It Forward for a sustainable future and inspiring the next generation of peacemakers. At age 7, she first realized she could make positive, effective change. Her efforts resulted in the creation of a non-profit organization. Encouraging the use of kindness and compassion to confront global issues, she has traveled the world to share her message and work alongside others.
A graduate of the University of South Florida, Avalon Jade was a member of the Judy Genshaft Honors College and Provost Scholars Program, where she studied Religious Studies, especially its cultural relationship to nature and food. These topics have been the focus of her academic research, including multiple presentations and being published.
Currently a Ph.D. student at Arizona State University, her research continues to focus on religious studies, ecology, anthropology, and volunteering efforts. With a goal of helping other people understand new concepts that can improve quality of life and planet health, a common theme she uses is “Small Acts, BIG Change” to demonstrate how our collective, positive actions add up to have great impact. No one is alone, we are all in this together!
She believes that when we better understand each other’s foundational beliefs, we improve our connections and can more effectively collaborate to solve local and global challenges. Her academic experience reflects the journey of service and academics she has been on since childhood.
Teaching elementary, middle, and high school students about cultural empathy, peacemaking, sustainability and world religions through curriculum she created, Avalon Jade has been a educator at Athena’s Advanced Academy since 2017. She loves helping her students understand others and the world we live in.
To maintain balance and focus, Avalon practices mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. She is the 2018 USA Yoga National Youth Champion and in December 2018, won a gold medal and the title of World Champion of Yoga Sports when she competed in Beijing, China.
“My goal is that everyone should feel interconnected with other living things and the world so that we are inspired to become positive changemakers.”
For more about Conserve It Forward, Inc., please visit www.ConserveItForward.org or
www.facebook.com/ConserveItForwardWithAvalon.
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