Page 70 - January_2016_Life_In_Naples_Magazine

ROOKERY BAY

SHARK Pre-register for the following programs at www.rookerybay.org/calendar or call
239-530-5972. Registration fees include admission to Rookery Bay Environmental
RESEARCH Learning Center on the day of event.

R ookery Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve fisheries biologist
Pat O’Donnell and a team of
volunteers spend many hours on the water
every month catching and tagging sharks
that are using estuarine bays as nurseries.
Sometimes the hard work pays off, and
when a tagged shark is recaptured it provides
clues to how it has used the habitats in the
Reserve. Last week, while monitoring in
Fakahatchee Bay, the team captured a bull
shark which was tagged in June 2013 in
nearby Faka-Union Bay. Since that time (2
½ years ago) this shark grew from about 40
inches in length to almost five feet.

Programs, Tours and Events at Rookery Bay Reserve

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is located at 300 Essence of an Estuary: learn how human history and natural history
Tower Road, off Collier Boulevard between Naples and Marco Island. intersect (Jan. 6, 14, 20, 27)
Open Mon – Sat., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. $5 adults, $3 kids 6 – 12, FREE for kids Life’s a Beach: explore Keewaydin Island, home to some of the best
under 6 and Friends of Rookery Bay members. shelling in Florida (Jan. 5, 15, 19, 26)
Sunset to Starlight: Enjoy sunset on the beach and moonrise over the
Pre-register for the following programs at www.rookerybay.org/ mangroves (Jan. 21, 22, 23)
calendar or call 239.530.5972. Registration fees include admission to
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center on the day of event Jan. 5, 2016, 12 – 1 p.m.
Lunch & Learn: Fire, It’s Good
Tuesdays – Fridays, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. The prescribed fire program
Guided Kayak Tours at Rookery Bay Reserve is an
Join a Rookery Bay naturalist to enjoy a two-hour guided tour which important tool for preserving
explores the mangrove bays, creeks and rookeries that make this native biodiversity. Join Greg Curry,
Reserve a valuable treasure. This is a beginner’s trip and includes brief resource management specialist and
paddling instruction and all gear. Cost is $59, $49 for members. “Burn Boss,” to learn about how fire
is used to protect wildlife and people. Cost is $15, and $10 for Friends
Tuesdays – Fridays, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. of Rookery Bay members, and includes a hot lunch from Carrabba’s.
Guided Boat Tours
Explore the unique ecosystem of Rookery Bay through an intimate Jan. 9, 2016, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
boat-based tour. With a maximum of six passengers, these intimate Wing It: A Beginning Birders Workshop
on-the-water adventures offer a relaxed pace and emphasis on learning Learn basics of birding, including how to use field guides, plumage,
designed to help visitors develop a true sense of place and a deeper flight patterns, behavior and field marks in bird identification. This class
connection to this unique coastal wilderness. Several different trips are also provides an overview of binocular styles and functions, including
available, each with a different theme. Cost is $89, $79 for members. adjusting the diopter and other “tricks of the trade.” The classroom
Proceeds support the non-profit Friends of Rookery Bay, Inc. session will be followed by a field trip to a nearby park to practice new
High Points: learn about the geology and wildlife of an ancient dune skills. Cost is $35.
ecosystem (Jan. 12, 29)
Treasure Island: this ecological treasure is a rare tropical hardwood
hammock (Jan. 7, 13, 28)

70 Life in Naples | January 2016