Programs, Tours and Events at Rookery January 2019

NEW!

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center Hosts Science Saturdays Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center welcomes the entire family on Science Saturdays, 9 am to 4 pm, through April.

Kids and grownups alike can explore and discover the plants, fish and wildlife that call Rookery Bay Research Reserve’s 110,000 acres home.

Science Saturdays is a fun way to learn about environmental science and the natural world through actual hands-on experience with marine life touch tanks, exhibits and scientific displays.

Rookery Bay Naturalist Guided Boat and Kayak Tours Experience the nature of Rookery Bay Research Reserve up-close and personal with one of our naturalist guided kayak or boat tours. These much anticipated tours run November through April. The relaxed pace and emphasis on learning is designed to help visitors develop a true sense of place and a deeper connection to this unique coastal wilderness. Several different trips are available, each with a different theme and location. All tours provide a chance to see a diversity of native wildlife and offer a comfortable platform for photography. Pre-registration required. Visit Rookerybay.org/calendar for dates, times and themes.

Birding Basics

January 11, 2019

• 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

• $40 Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Enjoy this fun and informative class designed to help you identify birds around you. Oriented toward the beginning birder, the classroom session explores how to use birds’ plumage, shape, behavior and habitat to recognize various species. It also covers the effective use of binoculars and field guides. During the second part of the class you will learn more tricks of the trade during a field trip to a nearby park where you can enjoy practicing new skills.

Birds of the Beach

January 12, 2019

• 8 am – 12 pm

• $40 Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Southwest Florida is a critical stopover site for thousands of migrating and wintering shorebirds. In this class, Adam DiNuovo of Audubon Florida will discuss the life history of these birds and the amazing journeys many of them make annually. Winter shorebirds are notoriously difficult to ID, so practicing the skills learned in this class is essential. You will learn how to use plumage, size, and behavior to help with identification. The classroom session will take place at the Rookery Bay Field Station on Shell Island Road. It will be followed by a trip to Tigertail Beach, one of the most important winter shorebird sites in Florida, where we will see many of the birds discussed. Be prepared to wade in water up to your knees, with adequate footwear that will protect your feet (no flip flops). Collier County beach parking fee applies ($8, free with sticker). This class is geared toward those with some birding experience. If you are new to birding, we recommend taking the Birding Basics class first.

Essentials of Digital Photography

January 14, 2019

• 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

• $55 Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

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.

Festival of Birds

January 18, 19 & 20, 2019 Registration is required https://rookerybay.org/festival-of-birds

Please join Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for the Festival of Birds. This event invites guests to explore the local environment through almost 40 guided field trips to wildlife hot spots around Southwest Florida, and also features programs at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center January18, 19 & 20, 2019.

Lunch & Learn Lecture: Rookery Bay through the Eyes of Local Residents and Volunteers

January 29, 2019

• 12 – 1 pm

• $15, includes lunch Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Please join us for the third in a series of six lectures in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Rookery Bay Research Reserve -Rookery Bay through the Eyes of Local Residents and Volunteers. Allison Haynes, Rookery Bay Research Reserve volunteer and one of few who have actually lived within the boundaries of the reserve, will trace the establishment and growth of the reserve as well as the volunteer experience. Lunch will be provided. The 2018-19 lecture series will focus on the history of the Rookery Bay area and the establishment of the Research Reserve. Lectures by staff and volunteers will describe 3,000 years of use of the estuary, the grassroots movement to save the bay, fisheries research, the establishment of the Research Reserve and Environmental Learning Center, as well as some of the more recent accomplishments and notable events in the Reserve’s timeline.

Photography Annual Exhibition – Art Gallery Reception

January 31, 2019

• 5:30 – 7 pm

• This is a Free Event Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Join us for the opening reception of our Photography Annual Exhibition presented by of the Friends of Rookery Bay and the United Arts Council of Collier County. Works are submitted by artists from Collier and Lee counties and juried by local experts. Following along with Rookery Bay’s environmental mission, works will share a central theme of flora and fauna. Most of the photographs are for sale. The opening reception includes wine and light hors d’oeuvres