MAY 2020

Experience Rookery Bay “Virtually” Every Day in May

Join Rookery Bay Research Reserve every day in May at Friends of Rookery Bay on Facebook for interesting information, virtual tours and behind the scenes access to Rookery Bay’s research and programs. Each week will focus on a different aspect of Rookery Bay’s work and mission. Topics will include Shark Research, Water Quality Monitoring, Fish of Rookery Bay,
Invasive Species (plants and animals) and Avian Research.

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve stretches across 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters, encompassing 40% of Collier County coastline. The Reserve is committed to preservation through research, education and land protection. So, go virtual for the month of May with Rookery Bay! It is the perfect way to learn about water, wildlife and natural beauty of Southwest Florida as well as the ways Rookery Bay is working to protect it for future generations.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

300 Tower Road • Naples, FL 34113 • www.rookerybay.org • 239-530-5940

Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for kids 6 – 12, and free for kids under 6
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Touch, see and explore Southwest Florida’s coastal environment at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Experience hands-on, interactive exhibits including marine life touch tanks and habitat displays. Enjoy trails, naturalist led programs, nature viewing bridge over the water and more! Kids and adults alike can explore the Center and discover the plants, fish and wildlife that call
Rookery Bay Research Reserve’s 110,000 acres home.

JUNE 2020 EVENTS

Essentials of Digital Photography

June 8 • 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • $55 Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

If you want to get the best pictures possible, and truly understanding your camera’s features, this camera workshop is for you. The class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera’s shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students.

Summer Institute for Marine Science – SIMS

Day Camp for Rising 8th, 9th and 10th Grade Students Choose from 3 Weeks: June 9 – 12, June 16 – 19, June 23 – 26 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. • $150 (scholarships are available)
Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

SIMS is the ideal summer camp for rising 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students with an interest in Marine Sciences. Participants will explore coastal ecology through field trip excursions both in and around the 110,000 acres of the Rookery Bay Research Reserve. Each week will include an in-depth look at the mission and efforts of Rookery Bay with visits to surrounding areas of the Western Everglades, exposure to research and monitoring of local wildlife and off-site field trips to other marine science and environmental centers.

Experience Rookery Bay Guided Boat & Kayak Tours

Join Rookery Bay Research Reserve for a guided boat tour or kayak adventure into the beautiful waters of Rookery Bay with our exclusive partner, Rising Tide Explorers! All the guides are active local biologists, certified naturalists and certified kayaking instructors making them the most qualified guides in the region.
With our kayak tours, guests paddle through beautiful mangrove tunnels, teeming mudflats and intricate oyster reefs while searching for amazing wildlife like sea stars, large snails, birds, dolphins and manatees!
Our boat tours are small 6 passenger boats and offer a comfortable and informative ride. Guests can choose from a number of different boat tours including a shelling trip to a deserted a barrier island, a sunset tour, a backwater plants and wildlife trip or an excursion to the highest point in Collier County with a visit to an ancient sand dune.
Book at RookeryBay.org or call 239-530-5972. 41

Rookery Bay Brush Strokes – Fish of Rookery Bay

June 13 • 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. • $60 Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

Paint the beauty of coastal Southwest Florida and the wildlife of estuary waters at Rookery Bay Brush Strokes watercolor painting class. Local Naples artist Jan Deswik offers step-by-step simple instructions and creative support that’s perfect for beginners or anyone inspired by the coastal environment and wants to bring it to life in a one-of-a-kind painting. Each class spotlights a natural theme from shells to birdlife to local waterways. Held in classrooms at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, all materials are included. Participants will leave each class with a completed painted piece with matte.

Breakfast with the Birds – Bird Bling:

How Banding Birds Aids in Conservation June 17 • 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. • $15 Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Learn about bird banding and how it can make a big difference in the world of avian research and conservation. Adam DiNuovo, the Shorebird Stewardship Program Manager for Audubon Florida, will present. Adam has been working with shorebirds and seabirds across the United States and beyond for more than 15 years. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. Lecture begins at 9:30 a.m. Enjoy pastries, coffee and juice.

JULY 2020 EVENTS

Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) Workshop

July 1-2 • 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. • $25 Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

The TOTE Workshop will focus on Rookery Bay Research Reserve, specifically estuarine research, stewardship, and education. It is open to all teachers. The workshop is based on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Estuaries 101 Middle School curriculum and focuses on topics such as: sharks, birds, plankton, invasive species and water quality. Mornings are spent in the field exploring the reserve. Afternoons are inside, meeting staff and learning about activities to adapt to classrooms.

Kids FREE Fridays – Summer of BIRDS

July 10 – Raptors • July 17 – Songbirds • July 24 – Diving Birds
July 31 – Seabirds $8 Admission for adults, FREE for kids under 12 • 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

This popular education and hands-on program is back for the summer of 2020 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center! Beginning Friday, July 10 environmental-educators will put the spotlight on a different bird with hands-on activities, crafts and games – all within the cool comfort of the air-conditioned, state-of-the-art Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Please visit RookeryBay.org for weekly themes and activities. Facility open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Rookery Bay Brush Strokes – Mangroves

July 11 • 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. • $60 Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

Paint the beauty of coastal Southwest Florida and the wildlife of estuary waters at Rookery Bay Brush Strokes watercolor painting class. Local Naples artist Jan Deswik offers step-by-step simple instructions and creative support that’s perfect for beginners or anyone inspired by the coastal environment and wants to bring it to life in a one-of-a-kind painting. Each class spotlights a natural theme from shells to birdlife to local waterways. Held in classrooms at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, all materials are included. Participants will leave each class with a completed painted piece with matte.

Essentials of Digital Photography

July 13 • 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • $55 Registration is required rookerybay.org/events

If you want to get the best pictures possible, and truly understanding your camera’s features, this camera workshop is for you. The class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera’s shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students.

Breakfast with the Birds – Meet the Beach Nesting Birds of Southwest Florida

July 22 • 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. • $15 Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Learn about the unique birds that nest on the beaches and sandbars in Southwest Florida. Adam DiNuovo, the Shorebird Stewardship Program Manager for Audubon Florida, will present. Adam has been working with shorebirds and seabirds across the United States and beyond for more than 15 years. Doors open at 9 a.m. Lecture begins at 9:30 a.m. Enjoy pastries, coffee and juice.42