Camp Bayou Holiday Open House

George points out some critters netted in the Little Manatee River

Camp Bayou will hold its Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 4, from 9am- 2pm.   The day's activities reflect programs held throughout the year at Camp Bayou.

Schedule of Family-friendly Activities:

9am: Guided walking Tour begins at Visitor’s Center

9am– 1:30pm: Highlight Cart Tours– 20 min tours on 7 passenger cart every half hour

10am: Compost workshop led by Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension

10:30 am: Aquatic Explorations – Join our naturalist to net critters in the river.

11 am: Rainbarrel Workshop led by Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension

Noon: Holiday BBQ– ‘Members Only’ BBQ. The main dish will be provided by Camp Bayou with side dishes supplied by members. (Members are folks who have made a recorded donation, or volunteered at least 5 hours, in the last 6 months. Not a member yet? New members may sign up on the morning of the event for a nominal fee. Please RSVP to Dolly at campbayou@yahoo.com, and include if you will be bringing a side dish.)

1pm: Guided walking Tour begins at Visitor’s Center.

Throughout the day:

            - Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum open

            - Leisey-Casey Discovery Center open

            - Fossil pit dig (for small fee)

            - Fossil Show and Sale

            - Nature Center open

            - Art Show and Sale

            - Photography contest display/awards

            - Nature activity/crafts stations
            - White Elephant sale (buy used is the ultimate recycling)

            - Geocache/Letterbox Treasure Hunt

            - 3 trails through varied habitats

            - Native plants for sale

            - Native Peoples Camp

            - Fishing Cabins showcased

            - Storytelling on the Bayou

            - ‘Green’ Information

            - Eagle Audubon Butterfly Habitat

Visit http://www.campbayou.org/ to download a flyer with the schedule of events. Click here for some pre-Open House information about our photo contest, art show and craft bazaar.

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 www.campbayou.org or call 813-641-8545.

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Crafters invited to Open House 12/4

Making pine cone feeders during summer crafting workshop Hello everyone, Just a reminder invitation to anyone who 'crafts naturally' that we will have a craft section at our annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec 4, 9am-2pm. There is no charge to have a space where you can demonstrate and/or sell your favorite nature-crafting creations. Just 20 spaces available- let me know if you'd like to reserve a space this year. Check out the flyer at the link on www.campbayou.org .

Cortez Village Folk Art Festival 11/20/10

(Another local fall festival that sounds like lots of fun!)

Cortez Village Folk Art Festival - Come See a Piece of Old Time Florida
November 20, 2010 - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119 St. W., Bradenton, FL 34215
The historic fishing village of Cortez is planning an awesome family oriented, funfilled event to acquaint people with The Cortez Florida Maritime Museum, the FISH Preserve and the folk art heritage of Cortez. Check out these FREE activities:
•Live Music
•Over twenty arts and crafts venders will be on hand (great idea for holiday gifts).
•Several great food venders will be serving up their wares.
•The restored Pillsbury Boatworks will be open with a demonstration of boat building.
•Free family and group photographs in the Museum's Secret Garden.
•An extensive showing of the Banks Family Marine Collection will be on display in the Museum Auditorium.

This is an incredible opportunity to learn more about Cortez Village and its heritage, The Florida Maritime Museum and the FISH Preserve (95 acres of environmentally sensitive lands purchased by the community).

State Parks Waive Entrance Fees on 11/11/10

Media advisory: November 4, 2010
Contact: DEP Press Office (850) 245-2112
STATE PARKS WAIVE ENTRANCE FEES FOR VETERANS DAY

~Visitors will receive free day-use entrance on Thursday, November 11~

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service will offer free day-use entrance to Florida State Parks on Thursday, November 11, 2010.
In honor of the services and sacrifices of United States veterans, their families and communities, day-use entrance to all of Florida State Parks will be waived to park visitors on Veterans Day. This offer does not include Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.
For more information on Florida’s state parks or Veterans Day event details visit www.floridastateparks.org or www.twitter.com/FLStateParks.
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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.