Spring Open House

Spring Open House

Saturday, April 18, 2009

8am-2pm

Schedule of Activities:

8am: Great American Cleanup begins– register at Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful

9 am: Trail games begin– Butterfly Blingo, Scavenger Hunt, Riddle-me-this and more...

10 am: Wetland Walk-n-Wade – Take a walk through the wetlands to the river to see what critters we can net. Your feet WILL get wet!

11 am: Nature crafts– get into the outdoors with a variety of nature-related craft projects.

Noon: Spring Brunch– BBQ Buffet fundraiser, Vegetarian items available. $10/person.

1 pm: Slideshow– - “Environmental Education through the years at Camp Bayou’.

On-going throughout the day:

- Fossil Museum open
- Fossil pit dig (for small fee)

- Nature Center open
- 3 trails through varied habitats
- Canoe launch open
- Native People’s Camp
- Native plants for sale
- Cart tours every half hour beginning at 9:30 am.

All the activities are family-friendly. This is an NCLI (No Child Left Inside- http://www.nclicoalition.org/) event and is part of National Environmental Education Week (http://www.eeweek.org/).

For information and directions call 813-641-8545.

Citizen Science Symposium followup

Media contact: Dolly Cummings phone: 813-363-5438 Giving Science a Sense of Place On March 20-21, visitors to Camp Bayou's Citizen Science Symposium enjoyed beautiful spring mornings filled with educational fun while walking the trails, counting critters, making bubbles, talking with local science researchers and lots more! If you missed the event, you can still get involved in helping the scientists, right in your own neighborhood. Visit the Citizen Science Blog for a list of possibilities at http://citizenscienceatcampbayou.blogspot.com . This event was made possible by a Community Education grant from the Alafia River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The next event at Camp Bayou is the Spring Open House, Saturday, April 18 from 9am-2pm. Check out http://www.campbayou.org/ to see the calendar of events. Camp Bayou is a partnership between the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. 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. ### Photo 1: Kelly Spence won a prize for her student poster contest entry. Photo 2: Visitors learn about the Hillsborough County Stream Waterwatch program that monitors water quality in waterways throughout the county. Photo credit for 1 & 2: Fred Jacobsen Photo 3: Winning photo entry taken by Dotty Guerrera of Sun City Center. A Camp Bayou azalea (remnant of old RV park) in full bloom.

MANTEE INJURED AT MOUTH OF LITTLE MANATEE RIVER

FWC BIOLOGISTS RESCUE MANATEE SUFFERING FROM HEAD WOUND

For immediate release: March 19, 2009

Photos: Go to MyFWC.com and click on “Newsroom.”
FWC biologists rescue manatee suffering from head wound

Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's
(FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute rescued an adult manatee today
in Hillsborough County near the mouth of the little Manatee River.

A watercraft had struck the animal, causing a head injury. Biologists took
the animal to the Lowry Park Zoo manatee hospital for treatment.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the rescue.

2009 Ruskin Tomato King or Queen

The robes are ready. The crowns are on the way. There is still time to enter to become the May 2, 2009 Ruskin Tomato King or Queen. Regrettably, the Ruskin Jr. Woman's Club cannot sponsor the annual teen pageant this year. The Ruskin Community Development Foundation is trying to preserve the Ruskin Tomato Queen tradition as a community fundraising event by crowning the two adults raising the most money: split between their favorite charities and the RCDF so that that all funds collected go right back into community projects. Applications are online at http://www.ruskinfoundation.org/ and in the lobby of Ruskin 5/3 Bank. Please pass the word. The Resort and Club at Little Harbor has generously donated a two-night stay for each newly crowned Ruskin Tomato Monarch. Update to the 2009 Ruskin Tomato King & Queen Tournament Last month when the Ruskin Jr. Woman’s Club announced that they were no longer able to sponsor the Tomato Queen Pageant, the Ruskin Community Development Foundation took up the challenge to preserve this traditional event by adding a King, increasing the minimum age to 18 and making it a community fundraiser. Today RCDF is announcing that they have also decided to donate 100% of any monies raised to start a scholarship fund for deserving second-year students at the Hillsborough Community College SouthShore Campus. One of the founding principles of the original Ruskin College 100 years ago was that of universal higher education; that economic need should not stand in the way of access to college. The leadership of HCC and the Friends of the HCC SouthShore Campus feel this is just as important today. While there are several assistance programs available for first-year students, there are few programs to help get them through the second year to earn a degree or certificate. This scholarship fund will be maintained by the non-profit HCC Foundation on behalf of the Friends of the SouthShore Campus. Any deserving student, having completed one year at HCC SouthShore, will be to apply for scholarship assistance to the college president. John Ruskin once said “Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.” In the early 40’s, pageant contestants in the Florida Tomato Festival, now the Ruskin Tomato & Heritage Festival, represented businesses and community organizations throughout South Hillsborough. (http://www.ruskinhistory.org/1942-queens.htm) We would like to see widespread support for this scholarship fund from today’s SouthShore communities of Riverview, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach , Ruskin, Wimauma and Sun City Center where the majority HCC SouthShore students come from. In recognition of their royal efforts, the two individuals (male & female) raising the most money for the scholarship fund will be crowned Tomato King & Queen in a fun noon ceremony at the Ruskin Tomato Festival Saturday, May 2nd. The Resort and Club at Little Harbor has generously donated a two-night stay for each newly crowned Ruskin Tomato Monarch. Please call Fred Jacobsen at 813 298-6028 with any questions. Complete information and entry forms are online at www.RuskinFoundation.org and in the lobby of Ruskin 5/3 Bank. ###

Spring 2009 Camp Bayou Buzzzz ready already!

Hurray for Spring! We 'sprang' ahead and got this season's edition out a few days early. Check it out at www.campbayou.org/new.html > http://campbayou.org/newsletters/spring2009.pdf. If you do not wish to receive these quarterly notices, just let me know and I will remove your name from our list. Thanks, Dolly Dolly Cummings www.campbayou.org "I do not understand how any one can live without some small place of enchantment to turn to." Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Cross Creek)

media release- Ruskin, FL

Media contact: Dolly Cummings phone: 813-363-5438   Citizen Science at Camp Bayou   The Citizen Science Symposium will be held on March 20-21, 2009 from 9am-2pm at Camp Bayou in Ruskin. This event is open to the general public- homeschoolers, public and private schools, families and anyone who'd like to get a bit more familiar with the world around them.   Want more Science? An optional "Science of Lunch" meal will be offered for just $5 per person and includes interesting science tidbits about the lunch you will be eating. For instance, Does turkey really make you sleepy? What actually happens to make bread rise? Are all tomatoes equally equipped with cancer- fighting lycopene? In an nod to Dr. Suess, how can we get green eggs without using food dye? All this and more but pre-registration is required. Visit www.campbayou.org  and follow the link in the upper right hand side of the homepage.   During lunch, participants will also be able to hear about some of the science research going on in the area. The following experts will be on hand for an informal Science Cafe on one or both days: Dr. Akers Pence - Research Associate; University of Florida, Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network Dr. Pam Vergara - Associate Professor; Environmental Science Program at HCC representing Stream Waterwatch; Other representatives are Peggy Morgan and Erik Garwell Dr. Steve Johnson - Assistant Professor of Urban Wildlife Ecology, GCREC-Plant City, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. George Kish - USGS Hydrologist representing National Phenology Network Sherri Potter - Outreach Coordinator; Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science Suzanne Prach - Artist, Crawford Art Studio at the SouthShore Regional Library Dr. George Shambaugh - Florida Master Naturalist Graduate volunteer Diane Alvarez, PhD – Editor; www.beautyberrybooks.com   To find out about all the free activities and to pre-register, visit www.campbayou.org and follow the Citizen Science Symposium link.   This event is sponsored by a grant from the Alafia River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.   Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR 674 at the end of 24th St. S.E. in Ruskin. Camp Bayou is a partnership between the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation.   ###   Dolly Cummings www.campbayou.org "I do not understand how any one can live without some small place of enchantment to turn to." Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Cross Creek)

media release- A Sense of Wonder film, Ruskin, FL

Media contact: Dolly Cummings phone: 813-363-5438   "A Sense of Wonder" film screening at Camp Bayou   Where: Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Ruskin, FL When: Friday, March 20, 2009 at 1pm Cost: FREE with pre-registration for Citizen Science Symposium event. Directions, full agenda and online registration link are located at www.campbayou.org.   About the film: When pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, the backlash from her critics thrust her into the center of a political maelstrom. Despite her love of privacy, Carson's convictions and her foresight regarding the risks posed by chemical pesticides forced her into a very public and controversial role.   Using many of Miss Carson's own words, Kaiulani Lee embodies this extraordinary woman in a documentary style film, which depicts Carson in the final year of her life. Struggling with cancer, Carson recounts with both humor and anger the attacks by the chemical industry, the government, and the press as she focuses her limited energy to get her message to Congress and the American people.   The film is an intimate and poignant reflection of Carson's life as she emerges as America's most successful advocate for the natural world. A Sense of Wonder was shot in HD by Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler at Carson's cottage on the coast of Maine.   For more information about the film visit http://www.asenseofwonderfilm.com.   Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. Camp Bayou is a partnership between the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation.  ###   Full press release attached Dolly Cummings www.campbayou.org "I do not understand how any one can live without some small place of enchantment to turn to." Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Cross Creek)