media release- Back to School- Back to Nature, Aug 1

Media contact: Dolly Cummings phone: 813-363-5438 2nd Annual Back to School- Back to Nature Event Remember when you were little and you spent a good part of your day catching butterflies or fireflies, hopping after toads or frogs or walking along a beach collecting seashells? It has been said that today's generation has lost that connection to nature. Not at Camp Bayou! An upcoming event will be a morning of hands-on fun- getting back to nature while getting the kids ready for back to school. Saturday, August 1, 2009 9am- noon FREE but pre-registration is requested. Easy online registration preferred, click the link at http://www.campbayou.org/ . If you don't have internet access, call Camp Bayou at 813-641-8545 to make your reservation. Be sure to leave your name, number attending, child's grade level and phone number. All children must be accompanied by an adult. What happens on the morning of the event? Sign in at the registration table. Kids can then start learning at one of our fun and educational stops on the 'Big Lawn'. After playing an eco-game, or learning to use a GPS or finding a doodlebug, or any one of the many activities at the nature stations, kids receive a free school supply item. Items given out include pens, pencils, looseleaf paper, spiral notebooks, and other useful items while supplies last. Raffle tickets will be drawn on the half hour for backpacks, Publix Supermarket gift cards and more throughout the morning. Don't worry about missing your raffle number- all winners will be displayed on the board on the 'Big Lawn' and in the registration area. You must, however, claim your prize before 2pm on the day of the event. A special surprise double-feature of films will also be shown in the classroom to help raise environmental awareness of some key issues. At noon there will be a butterfly release. Organizations planning to attend include: South Shore Regional Library Ruskin Branch Library Family Support & Resource Center Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful Florida Department of Forestry Camp Bayou Nature Center Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum Camp Bayou is a public- private partnership between 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. Camp Bayou is nether a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAPP 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 RCDF 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. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org/ . ### Photo: Dr. Diane Alvarez (right) talks to visitors about the butterflies found at Camp Bayou at last year's event Photo credit: Dolly Cummings