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ROOKERY BAY
programs, tours and events
DON’T MISS THE
BATFISH BASH
FOR THE BAY
T he Friends of Rookery Bay is gearing up
for the 8th annual Batfish Bash for the Bay
in support of the Rookery Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve. The signature fundraiser
takes place from 6 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March
18 at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning
Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. This year the
Friends is pleased to announce Senator Garrett
Richter as the event’s Honorary Chair.
The evening includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres,
“wild” silent and live auctions led by auctioneer
and Friends board member Chris Lombardo, a
scrumptious buffet catered by Artichoke & Co. and
live dancing to the band Girl Meets Boy.
Sponsors include Arthrex, Minto, First Florida
Integrity Bank, Collier Enterprises, the Dellora A.
& Lester J. Norris Foundation, Naples Daily News,
Florida Weekly, and StoreSmart Self-Storage.
Tickets are available by calling 239.530.5971 or at
www.rookerybay.org/bash.
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Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is open 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. Monday through Saturday, and offers a two-story visitor center,
art gallery, gift shop and nature trail with viewing platform. Themed
naturalist programs offered daily on topics such as manatees, sharks,
sea turtles, marine life touch tank and more. Admission is $5 for adults,
$3 for kids 6 – 12, and free for kids under six and Friends of Rookery Bay
members. Located at 300 Tower Road, one mile south of the intersection
of US41 and Collier Boulevard. Learn more, or register for events, at
rookerybay.org.
Guided Boat and Kayak Tours
Two-hour guided kayak tours
let you explore backwater bays
and mangrove tunnels while
learning about your surroundings
from an experienced guide
and naturalist. Tours provide
opportunities to see wildlife such as wading birds, osprey, fish and
dolphins. Tours include free admission to the Environmental Learning
Center on day of trip and proceeds support the non-profit Friends of
Rookery Bay, Inc. Kayak and boat tours are offered Tuesdays through
Fridays from November through April.
March 4, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Birds of the Beach
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. Learn how to use plumage, size, and behavior to help
with identification. The classroom session 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. Cost is $40.
March 6 - 10 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Basic Acrylic Painting
Join renown Lee Hammond, Rookery Bay Reserve’s Artist in
Residence, for an art program and explore the magic of drawing and
painting. Hammond has been a professional artist and art instructor
Life in Naples | March 2017