media release: Before the Open House

Coming soon at Camp Bayou In less than a month, Camp Bayou will hold its Holiday Open House. On Saturday, December 4, from 9am- 2pm, in addition to all the activities highlighting the usual programs at Camp Bayou, such as trail walks, river netting and the member BBQ, there will be compost and rainbarrel workshops led by Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension staff. Some of the other activities include: - Photo contest: Entrants take a photo at Camp Bayou anytime during the year and mount it under an 8" x 10" mat. For complete rules, visit http://www.campbayou.org/ and click on the Photo Contest link. Interested photographers may contact Jeri at 813-633-9479. - Art Show: There is still room for more artwork in the art show, which is new this year. There will also be a raffle for a poster autographed by Peter Max. Interested folks should contact Bruce at 813-633-0875. - Crafting Naturally Bazaar- Nature crafters from this past summer's workshops will be displaying their creations and perhaps selling a few. There are just 20 spaces still available. If you are a local crafter and would like to participate, contact Dolly at 813-363-5438. - The Paleo Preserve will be presenting a Fossil Tailgate Show. For information, contact Fred at 813-892-5864. In keeping with the holiday theme of the December Open House, keep in mind that you can make an easy donation to Camp Bayou by purchasing items online through the 'cause shopping' site www.igive.com/campbayou . A percentage of each purchase goes to Camp Bayou! For more details on the Holiday Open House, visit http://www.campbayou.org/ to download a flyer with the schedule of events. This event is also a Be Out There!, Get Outdoors Florida, a Children and Nature and No Child Left Inside inspired initiative. Camp Bayou is nether a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAP 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, nature photography and trail walks. General admission is still FREE. The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center 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. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org or call 813-641-8545. ### Photo: Avalon Theisen with one of her summer craft creations. Look for her craftwork at the Holiday Open House.