april

may

April 19 to 23, Fuel Cell Power Week at MOSI. Experience the future of power with special activities and one-time-only attractions including a ride on a hybrid-powered bus, a futuristic full-scale model of a car powered by a fuel cell and hands-on activities for kids of all ages. For more information, visit www.mosi.org.

April 22 & 23, Tampa Bay Watch, NOAA Fisheries and Audubon of Florida will construct a new oyster reef habitat along the shoreline of Whiskey Stump Key in Hillsborough Bay. Volunteers, including boaters, are needed to shovel and bag oyster shell, transport shell bags to the island and place the new shell along the shoreline. For more information, contact Eric Vichich or Kendall Sanderson at 727-867-8166.

April 23, "Barn Owls: Nature's Mousetrap," presented by the Tampa Audubon Society at 3 p.m. at the Audubon Resource Center at Lettuce Lake Park. Dr. Richard Raid, an owl researcher at the University of Florida's Everglades Research and Education Center, has calculated that 90% of the avian predator's diet consists of rodents, especially rats. Working with growers who lose $30 million a year in rodent damage, Dr. Raid has proposed a nest box program to build a sustainable population of barn owls. He also leads a school outreach program which allows students to build nesting boxes and dissect sterilized owl pellets, and his presentation includes a video of baby barn owls being fed by their parents inside a nest box. For more information, contact Ann Paul at 813-623-6826.

April 23, Turtle Tales at The Pier Aquarium, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Discover and explore the mysterious world of sea turtles and learn why these endangered ancient reptiles need our help to survive for centuries to come. For more information, call 727-895-7437.

April 23, Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Florida Balm Research and Education Center in Wimauma. Program highlights include landscaping for wildlife, attracting songbirds, dealing with nuisance wildlife and invasive species, with environmental displays and demonstrations throughout the day. For more information and reservations, call 813-744-5519.

April 23, Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. sponsored by the Tampa Bay Builders Association at the Hillsborough County Extension Office. Advance registration required, call 813-744-5519 x137 or visit Hillsborough County Extension Service.

April 23, Second Annual Dragon Boat Races, Garrison Channel and Cotanchobee Park in downtown Tampa. More than 40 teams from across the bay area will compete in dragon boats - or elongated canoes that hold 22 rowers, paced by a drummer and guided by a steersman. For more information visit www.tampabaydragonboats.com

April 23, Ethnobotany: Linking Plants and People, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center. Hike through the preserve with experts who can identify and highlight the unique native plants at Weedon Island and learn about traditional uses for the leaves, flowers, fruits and bark of these fascinating plants. This program will culminate with a demonstration of primitive plant technology including the creation of fibers and dyes. For more information and registration, call 727-453-6500.

April 29, Low-Impact Development Design and Technology, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Pascowildlife and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the program features nationally recognized experts in low-impact development. For more information or advance registration, call Pascowildlife at 813-907-0200.

April 30, Birds and Butterflies at Ft. DeSoto County Park. Meet at 8 a.m. by the flagpole at park headquarters. For more information, contact Ron Smith at 727- 525-4782.

May 7, The Pier Aquarium's 17th Annual Kids' Fishing Tournament, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Kids ages 12 and under accompanied by an adult can bring their favorite fishing pole for a morning of fishing and fun. The first 500 children to register will receive an initial supply of bait, a goodie bag and lunch. For more information and reservations, visit The Pier Aquarium or call 727-821-6443.

May 7, Bats: Florida's Flying Mammals, 1 to 2 p.m., Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center. Join Cindy Marks of the Florida Bat Center to learn more about a mammal that may consume up to 3,000 insects in one night and get "up-close and personal" with these nocturnal natives. For more information and registration, call 727-453-6500.

May 7, Birds, Butterflies and Native Plants at Crystal Springs Preserve. A joint field trip of the St. Petersburg Audubon Society, Pinellas Native Plant Society and Pinellas chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. Meet at 7 a.m. at the Kmart at 94th Ave. N and 9th St. in St. Petersburg to carpool. Pack a lunch. For more information, contact Bill Bilodeau, 727-322-9695.

May 8, Kayak Cockroach Bay with experts from the American Littoral Society, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kayak and life vest supplied, $35 for non-members. For more information, call 941-966-7308.

May 12, Agency on Bay Management 9 a.m. to noon, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. For more information, call Suzanne Cooper at 727-570-5151, ext. 32.

May 12, Evening Tide Talks at the Florida Aquarium 5:45 p.m. Sea Turtles, Manatees and Right Whales - Oh My! Dr. Elsa Haubold from Florida Marine Research Institute works with endangered and threatened species including sea turtles, manatee, right whales and other marine mammals. She'll discuss how coordinating research efforts throughout the state helps support management decisions in protecting these valuable animals. For more information and reservations, call 813-273-4189.

May 14, Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pinellas Technical Education Center, St. Petersburg. The agenda includes tree selection, planting and care; sprinkler system operation and maintenance; and understanding and using fertilizers. A $20 fee includes lunch, snacks and program notebook. For more information and reservations, call 727-893-2500, ext 1101.

May 14, MOSI Great Escape series continues with a fossil dig at Vulcan Mine. Bulldozers have done the hard work, so fossils are on the suface (but feel free to bring tools to dig). Vulcan is one of the premiere places in Florida to find fossil echinoids - ancient sea biscuits, sea urchins and other marine animals. For more information and reservations, call 813-987-6300 or visit www.mosi.org

May 14, Tampa Tarpon Tournament at Tampa Bayside Marina at Tampa Bayside Marina, benefiting the University of Tampa marine science program and environmental research. Starting at 6 a.m.; $200 per angler. Entry forms and additional information available at www.utarpon.org.

May 17, Manatee Awareness Coalition, 4 to 6 p.m., Weedon Island Nature Preserve. For more information, call 727-893-2765.

May 21, Give A Day For The Bay Workday at Sun City Heritage Park, sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. For more information, contact Nanette Holland at 727-893-2765 or nanette@tbep.org.

May 25, Tampa Bay Estuary Program Technical Advisory Committee, 9 a.m. to noon, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. For more information, call 727-893-2765.

May 27, Kids in Charge, the largest children's science center in the nation, opens at MOSI with more than 70 new exhibits in a 40,000-square-foot venue. Visit www.mosi.org for details.