Quarterly Calendar of Events

February

Feb. 1, Habitat-Friendly Natural Landscaping, 7:30pm, presented by Dan Walton and Laurel Schiller, co-owners of Florida Native Plants Nursery, at the monthly meeting of the Pinellas Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society at Moccasin Lake Park. Contact 727-544-7341.

Feb. 4, Tour the wild and wonderful Violet Curry Nature Preserve with Tampa Audubon Society, 8:30am. Contact Jo Anne Hartzler, 813-310-7676.

Feb. 4, Kayak Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve with the American Littoral Society, 10am-2pm. Contact John Sarkozy, 941-966-7308.

Feb. 4, ãFISH-FUL Saturdayä at The Pier Aquarium: Spineless Wonders, 11am-1pm. Explore the unique and diverse world of marine invertebrate through this hands-on experience with live animals and learn how spineless animals have developed a sense for their environment and adapted to move, eat and protect themselves. Contact 727-821-3750.

Feb. 6, 4pm and 7pm, ãRed Tide: New Technology, New Hope,ä presented by Richard H. Pierce, director of the Center for Eco-toxicology, Mote Marine Laboratory, as part of the ãMonday@Moteä lecture series. Contact 941-388-4441.

Feb. 9 & 10, Executive Summit: Why Building Green is Smart for Tampa Bay, hosted by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council at the Radisson Hotel in Feather Sound and St. Petersburg College. Nationally recognized speakers include Rob Bennet, who established the City of Portlandâs Green Building Program that has become a national model for sustainability, Richard Cook, one of the architects designing an environmentally sustainable skyscraper in Manhattan for the Bank of America, as well as local experts including Bahar Armaghani and Charles Kibert of the University of Florida and Karen Childress, environmental stewardship manager for WCI Communities. Cost is $125 for the two-day program or $75 for one day. Contact Colleen Mackin, 727-938-2226 or http://www.usgbc.org/chapters/floridagulfcoast.

Feb. 10, Tampa Bay Estuary Program Management and Policy Board meetings, 9am and 1pm, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Contact 727-893-2765.

Feb. 11, ãRomancing The Sea,ä 9am-4pm. Clearwater Marine Aquariumâs annual program supporting the ãFull Circleä assisted therapy program for children with special needs. Outdoor displays, live animals, mammal presentations, food and entertainment. Contact 727-441-1790.

Feb. 11, Compost Happens & Water Wise Workshops, 8:30-9:30am and 9:30-11am, Hillsborough County Extension. Pre-registration required, 813-744-5519, ext.146.

Feb. 14, Nine Steps to a Certified Florida Yard, 10am, Austin Davis Library in Odessa. Contact 813-264-3901.

Feb. 16, Homeschool Science Fair at MOSI. Create a science fair project to challenge your creativity and delight your family and friends. There are no limitations on categories ö the more innovative the project, the better. Public viewing is scheduled from 12:30-1:30pm. Contact 813-987-6000.

Feb. 16, Kayak Apollo Beach near the Tampa Electric Manatee Refuge with the American Littoral Society, 10am-2pm. Contact John Sarkozy, 941-966-7308.

Feb. 16, Evening Tide Talk at The Florida Aquarium, 5:45 pm, ãThe Struggle to Survive: Saving Coral Reefs after the Tsunami,ä presented by Dr. Deborah Brosan, founder of the Sustainable Ecosystems Institute. Learn how the Southeast Asian tsunami affected coral reefs and the people who depend on them. RSVP 813-273-4568.

Feb. 18, Tour Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge with Tampa Audubon Society. See bald eagles, wintering water birds, waders, gulls and marsh birds, plus manatees at Haulover Canal. Contact Jo Anne Hartzler, 813-310-7676 or Mary Keith at 813-935-6115.

Feb. 23, Landscape Design Workshop, 6-9pm,Hillsborough County Extension. Pre-registration required, 813-744-5519, ext.144.

Feb. 23, Cruise Sarasota Bay with the American Littoral Society, 2-4pm. Contact 941-927-3409.

Feb. 27, 4pm and 7pm, ãFeeding the Nation: The Aquaculture Alternative,ä presented by Kevan L. Main, director of the Center for Aquaculture Research & Development at Mote Marine Laboratory as part of the ãMonday@Moteä lecture series. Contact 941-388-4441.

March

March 4 & 5, Harbor Sounds Seafood and Music Festival, Safety Harbor Marina, with live music, arts and crafts, seafood and family fun. Contact 727-726-2890.

March 4, Boca Ciega Discovery Day at Boca Ciega Millennium Park. Birdwalk guided by Linda and Tom Emslie meets at 8am in the viewing tower parking lot. Contact 727-392-2907.

March 5, Little Everglades Steeplechase, Dade City. Pascowildlife volunteers will be recycling the untold thousands of bottles and cans and teaching the estimated 15,000 spectators how and why to recycle. The Little Everglades Ranch is a 1700-acre property recently placed into a perpetual conservation easement by its owners, Bob and Sharon Blanchard. Volunteers are needed and enter free. Contact 813-907-0200.

March 9, Agency on Bay Management, 9am-noon, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Contact Suzanne Cooper, 727-570-5151, ext. 32.

March 9, Evening Tide Talk at The Florida Aquarium, 5:45pm ãBig Sharks·Little Sharks·.No Sharks?ä by Dr. Robert Heuter, director of Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, who leads a team conducting studies on sharks, skates and rays from molecular biology in the laboratory to behavioral and ecological research at sea. RSVP 813-273-4568.

March 10, Family Night Hike at Weedon Island Preserve, 6ö8pm. Pre-register 727-453-6500.

March 11, Spa Beach Splash at The Pier Aquarium, 10am-1pm. A free day of family fun in the sun at the Education Station with ãdiscovery buckets,ä nets and everything kids need to explore Tampa Bay. Contact 727-821-3750.

March 11, 5-11pm, Horseback and hayrides at J. B. Starkeyâs Flatwoods Adventures, plus all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet. Lee and Betsy Paulet, Florida Cracker storytellers and singers, will entertain as visitors roast hotdogs, marshmallows and sâmores. Packages are priced from $30, reservations are required. Contact 877-734-9453 or visit www.flatwoodsadventures.com.

March 13, Wildflowers & Native Plants with Master Gardener JoAnne Whale, 7pm, Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City. Contact 813-757-9216.

March 14, Manatee Awareness Coalition meeting, 4-6pm, Weedon Island Preserve and Cultural Center. Contact 727-893-2765.

March 18, Compost Happens, Rain Barrel & Water Wise Workshops, 8:30-9:30am, 9:30-10:30am and 10:30am-noon. Hillsborough County Extension. Preregistration required, 813-744-5519, ext 146.

March 18, Florida Specialties Bus Trip with St. Petersburg Audubon Society. An all-day bus trip across central Florida to discover some of the stateâs rare birds. Meet 5:45am and pack a lunch. Reservations required, contact Mauri Peterson, 727-398-4124.

March 29, Tampa Bay Estuary Program Community Advisory Committee, 3-5pm, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Contact 727-893-2765.

April

April 9, St. Petersburg Audubon Society Bird-a-Thon Fund Raiser at Fort DeSoto Park. Join one of our teams or form your own for a friendly competition to raise funds for Audubon Adventures educational materials for fourth-grade classes. Contact Mauri Peterson, 727-398-4124.

April 12, Suncoast Earth Forceâs 6th Annual Youth Summit brings together 600 youth, educators, and community partners in a day of education and celebration with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio as the keynote speaker. RSVP 727-521-1403 or cbenkert@earthforce.org.

April 13, Agency on Bay Management, 9am-noon, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Contact Suzanne Cooper, 727-570-5151, ext. 32.

April 22, Marine Quest, 12th annual open house at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute featuring presentations by the stateâs top scientists as well as hands-on activities to help young visitors learn about the fascinating marine life found in our oceans. Contact 727-896-8626 or visit www.floridamarine.org.

As this calendar is compiled on a quarterly basis, we strongly suggest that you contact sponsoring groups prior to the event. Additionally, some groups may require fees for participation in specific events.