Friday, March 23, 2018

Camp Bayou This Spring

Join us for our Wildlife BioBlitz on April 14 or 28.
Monthly one hour programs cover a special topic on the first Saturday of each month.

April 7: Learn about Butterflies and their habitat with Donna

May 5: River netting with Dolly

June 2: National Trails Day- trail walks and more!

Special this April 14 from 9am to noon- Celebrate Citizen Science Day and March for Science with a Camp Bayou Wildlife BioBlitz. Observe wildlife, then take photos, gps coordinates and mark the time- or just use the iNaturalist app on your smartphone- to record all the wildlife we see that morning. Reservations not required but if you have questions, contact Dolly at campbayou@gmail.com.

If you can't make the BioBlitz on April 14, plan to join us on April 28 for another round, to finish out National Environmental Education Week!

The Great American Cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 28 as well, starting at 8am. Sign up with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful to help clean up along the road and trails.

Cart tours have returned! Stop in any Saturday morning and ask for a ride along the trails.
All programs begin at 9:30am and are free- donations are always appreciated!

Saturday canoe day tours continue this year. Check the online calendar for days and times. Paddlers should arrive at Camp Bayou by 8:45am. Our next special night paddle will be held on March 31st. Canoes or kayaks are available for rental for just $25 each or bring your own canoe or kayak for a small donation of $5 each. Register for all paddle trips by calling the office at 813-641-8545.

For those who are interested in helping with registered groups, Camp Bayou is looking for enthusiastic volunteers who love the outdoors and want to pass along that passion to others through hands-on activities, walks and canoe tours. Contact Jeri at 813-641-8545 or email campbayou@gmail.com. We are mainly looking for folks to help teach school groups K-6 but there are other opportunities as well.

Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is neither 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, supporters and grants, the managing non-profit- B.O.L.D. - offers pre-registered programs to schools, youth groups, adult groups and families. Monthly canoe tours are now available by reservation only. Check the online calendar for trip dates. The Center is 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 Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. (B.O.L.D.), 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. Check out the Camp Bayou Facebook page and for more information visit the webpage at http://www.campbayou.org/ or call 813-641-8545.

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