Save the Frogs Day event

Join us for the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action! This is the 2nd year for the FREE Tampa area event at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center in Ruskin, FL.

Spend a few hours in a natural Florida setting learning how to help frogs and the environment! Enjoy educational frog games, activities, and be part of Florida's Largest (Human) Frog Chorus ever!

Visit www.ConserveItForward.com for more information and to pre-register (appreciated, not required).

 For directions, please visit www.CampBayou.org.

A $5 suggested donation per person which will equally benefit Save the Frogs!, America’s first and only public charity dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation AND Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, a nature preserve open to the general public with trails, nature center, fossil museum, native camp, picnic tables and events throughout the year.

Camp Bayou Spring Open House

Enjoy some great family-friendly outdoor activities and have some fun learning about the outdoor wonders of Florida at the

Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center
Spring Open House
Saturday, March 24, 2012
9am- 2pm
FREE

In addition to the everyday options for nature walks, geocaching, letterboxing, photo display, nature center, native plant nursery, browsing our historical exhibits in the Native People's Camp and Fishing Cabins, there will be special event activities:

The Crocheted Coral Reef Project has begun at Camp Bayou. Participants will use the unique qualities of crochet to learn how to create a simulated coral reef. Finished pieces will be added to the exhibit at the Florida Craftsman Gallery in St. Pete this summer. The exhibit is a satellite of the original crocheted reef that was the brainchild of mathematician Margaret Wertheim and her sister.

For the younger set, there will be several nature craft, game and activity tables set out on the lawn.

Eagle Audubon Society members, who are long time supporters, will be available in the Butterfly Habitat to talk about the plants and butterflies at Camp Bayou.

Learn about the state-wide private environmental education organization known as LEEF, League of Environmental Educators in Florida and hear about their upcoming conference.

During the lunch hour, the new non-profit that has formed to manage Camp Bayou programs will be introduced- Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. It consists of the same volunteer staff that existed under the original non-profit, the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc., but is moving in a more self- sufficient direction. Founding supporters who sign up during the Open House will receive a small, but special, token of appreciation.

Other scheduled activities include:
Themed guided walks: 9AM, 11AM, 1PM
River netting: 10AM
Cart tours: on the half hour starting at 9:30AM

These activities are part of a Get Outdoors Florida!, "Let's GO"- C&N, No Child Left Inside, Be Out There!-NWF, and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative.

Camp Bayou is neither a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAP program purchased the land but it is now open for day use only, open to the general public. Through volunteers, donations, membership and grants, the Center offers pre-scheduled programs to schools, youth groups, adult groups and families plus it's open from Thursday- Saturday from 9am-2pm for passive recreational pursuits such as wildlife watching, nature photography and trail walks.

The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is managed by the newly created, non-profit Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. (BOLD), in a public- private partnership with the non-profit Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. (RCDF) and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org/ or call 813-641-8545.

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Pictured: Visitors ready for a tour during a past event

Florida Friendly Family Festival

Family Festival Celebrates Florida-Friendly Landscapes

Grab the kids and granny and head to
Manatee County Fairgrounds,
1303 17th Street W.
Palmetto

Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Environmental learning will be fun for kids of all ages. 
Activities planned:
Plant sale and Trash to Treasures sale
Live music and food
4-H Kids Eco-Activity Area
Exhibits, information and demonstrations on conservation and Florida Friendly landscaping

Admission is free! For more information, contact Michelle at (941) 722-4524; sponsored by the Manatee County Extension Service.

Scrub Jay Fest

From Karen Fraley, Around the Bend tours:
Join us on Saturday for a fantastic family event!

Around the Bend Nature Tours has been assisting to coordinate kids activities - lot's of hands-on fun:
- Take a Hike with Around the Bend: Kids Trail Hikes at 10:15, 11:15, 2:15 & 3:15
- Make a Scrub Jay Mask with Manatee County Natural Resources
- Plant an Acorn and bring it home thanks to Florida Native Plant Society
- Make a Gopher Tortoise or a Scrub Jay with the Friends of Legacy Trail
- Dig for a cache of acorns with Sarasota County Natural Resources
- Make a pollinator home with the Suncoast Beekeepers
- Create a Scrub Habitat Mural with Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center

Florida Forest Service will have a Fire Truck display
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will have a kids stamp activity

Join a panel discussion by Scrub Jay experts at Noon in the Nature Center
Play the Scrub Jay Game at 1:15 to discover how they really survive

Don't miss it - This Saturday February 4th 10am - 4pm at Oscar Scherer State Park!!!

February: Florida Scrub Jay Festival

Call for Activities:

The 3rd Annual statewide Florida Scrub Jay Festival is taking place at Oscar Scherer State Park on February 4, 2012.

They are looking for ideas and groups to display and provide interactive kids activities relating to the Florida Scrub and the Florida Scrub Jay.  

Please contact Karen Fraley at Karen@AroundBend.com or 941-794-8773 with thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

EE event in Charlotte Harbor

 From CHNEP:

The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) would like to hold a day-long program for people who are involved with environmental education in the CHNEP study area that includes Polk, Hardee, DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties. We would like everyone with an interest in environmental education to attend. We held a similar program in 2002 at Edison College in Charlotte County. Since then we’ve held professional development opportunities (see list below) at least once a year. We won’t be able to compensate you for the time you spend with us but refreshments and lunch will be provided.

If you think you would like to attend, by July 8 please complete the online survey at http://www.doodle.com/nxrssy7ytyxfwn49 to let me know the days that you are available. When you identify yourself in that survey, please type your name and email address so I can be sure you receive future updates.

Please feel free to forward this message to others you think may have an interest in this program. (Please accept my apologies if you receive this message more than once.)

Please also email me if you would like to volunteer to help develop this program or if you have thoughts you’d like considered. (Thanks Deb Hanson, Brenda Crew and Melissa Nell who have already “volunteered.”)

Ideas for the agenda include:

§  Introductions and Networking

§  Professional development. Ideas received so far include:

o   Social media

§  Brainstorm cooperative environmental education projects / consider relationships so that CHNEP can be more prepared when grants come available.

§  Consider how CHNEP can provide additional support to others who are helping implement the CCMP, our plan to protect the environment. Support has included micro-grants, public outreach grants, Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed,newsletter, various videos and more.

§  New services:

o   CHNEP water atlas (beta version available at http://dev.chnep.wateratlas.usf.edu): ways to build on data in atlas and to provide data

o   Florida Stormwater Supersite (www.watersheded.com): interactive web database of digital education materials, data and social marketing research and projects related to stormwater management soon to be launched (Subscribe athttp://www.editype.com/FSE/FSE_subscribe.html)

o   CHNEP National Geographic Marine Recreation E-Learning Program about habitats and animals protected by federal and state laws and local ordinances. Target audience are those in the marine recreation industries. E-learning programs use technology to enable people anytime and anywhere to partake in online educational videos, instructional materials and more. A pre- and post-quiz will be associated with each topic to determine the knowledge and understanding before and after participating in the online program. A certification of participation will be provided to those who complete the entire series and whose score indicates understanding of the animals, habitats and laws that exist to protect them. This project will also develop ties with the marine recreation community who then can be asked to participate in additional efforts.

§  Discuss how to improve partnership between schools and centers to encourage and promote field experiences for students, including identifying how barriers can be overcome

·         This summer I’ll learn if CHNEP will receive the BWET grant from NOAA. It has students learning about their local environment then sharing their knowledge through social media (think pen pals) with students in another part of the watershed. This project may be able to incorporate Deb Hanson’s suggestion: I’d also like to see us share ideas about getting a collaborative research-based project going where students in all areas of the CHNEP region are conducting research, collecting data on the same essential question – and collecting it in a central database online, sharing, analyzing, discussing, and even choosing to act on behalf of the environment as a result. (Does anyone know of anyone in the area who is doing such a project or someone from the outside who has succeeded and could come share with us?)

·         Are there issues or laws the group would like to discuss? Fertilizer bans, environmental literacy, phosphate EIS, MFL, NNC, . . .

·         Field trip?

After July 8 I will identify a meeting location, using the results Doodle survey to help determine the room size. I will then work with those who offer to help plan the program with the expectation that we’ll have a working agenda to send to everyone by mid-August with an invitation to participate.

Thank you.

Maran Brainard Hilgendorf, Communications Manager

mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org, Phone ext 240

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program

1926 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901-3414

239/338-2556, Toll-free 866/835-5785, Fax 239/338-2560

Call for Presenters

Invitation to West-Central LEEFers:

An environmental education conference will be held at Camp Bayou in November 2011. This is a request for presenters to lead a concurrent session at 'A Natural Education Weekend'. For more info on the conference, visit online at http://anaturaleducation.blogspot.com/ .
Contact Dolly if you are interested in leading a session or help with other aspects of the conference planning process.

Save the Date- LEEF in 2012

 Save                

      The

           Date!

The 32^nd Annual LEEF Conference

Will Be

March 29-April 1, 2012

At The

Wekiva Youth Camp

At

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Go to:

LEEF-FLORIDA.org

for updates over the summer!

Back to School event invitation

I know... school isn't even over and we're talking back to school. Anyway... You are invited to participate in our event- Back to School- Back to Nature Saturday, August 6, 2011 9am- noon Kids visit a variety of interactive nature activity stations, then receive a free school supply item. Raffles for backpacks, Publix gift cards and more will round out the morning. Family pre-registration by phone and online will be required to ensure adequate supplies- first come, first served. We will have a tally of registrants by July 22. Based on past BTS-BTN events, plan on about 150-200 children. We would like to include other non-profits, schools and/or government entities who have a similar desire to help connect children with nature. We are active supporters of NWF's Be Out There!, Get Outdoors Florida, Children and Nature's "Let's GO"  and No Child Left Inside. We will provide a table and chair- you provide a quick activity (less than 2 mins to complete- examples are ring toss/ball games w/ nature theme, nature trivia, etc.)  and one or two staff people. If you can provide a school supply item to give away, that would be great. This year we are trying something different to encourage local businesses to donate items or cash so if you don't have your own school supply item to distribute, we will provide something but there will also be a sign designating the company who provided the donation. If you are interested in participating in this event, please reply to this email with the following information: Name of Organization: Name of contact person: Contact email: Organization activity will be: We will bring a school supply item to give away    yes or no Comments: If you commit before June 30, your organization will be included in all press releases and publicity that we produce. Thank you for your time and attention, Dolly