Observe the Moon Hike- Sat., Oct 8

Participants after a previousNight Hike

Observe the Moon Night at Camp Bayou

Join the naturalists at the Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center on Saturday, Oct 8, from 7:30 -9pm for one of our 'No-Flashlight' Night Hikes. As always the hike will end at the fire circle with s'mores to enjoy after your adventure.  Pre-registration requested, limit 20 people, suitable for ages 6 through adults. A $5 program fee is requested to help cover costs of supplies. Contact Dolly at campbayou@gmail.com or call (813) 641-8545 to make reservations.

This night hike coincides with a couple of special night sky possibilities. 

- The International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is a world-wide celebration of our nearest neighbor, the Moon! Each year in the fall, millions of people from hundreds of locations in countries across the globe come together to view the Moon and learn about its diverse roles in culture, history, science, and exploration. 

- The Draconid meteor shower, so-named because its meteors appear to radiate from the northern constellation Draco, is normally a weak shower producing perhaps 10 meteors per hour. However, this shower has proved strongly variable in the past, in some years reaching hundreds per hour. Unfortunately this year's peak is expected between 1 and 2 pm EST on October 8, but we will hope for some stragglers during the hike.
- And last but not least, it is part of World Space Week !

This event is part of a Be Out There!-NWF, Get Outdoors Florida!, "Let's GO"- C&N,  No Child Left Inside, and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative. 

Camp Bayou 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, 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.

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. 

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ANEW Keynote speaker announced

Rob at Golden Aster Scrub Preserve

Camp Bayou is proud to announce the Keynote Speaker for 'A Natural Education Weekend’ will be Rob Heath. Rob is now Senior Ecologist at Wildlands Conservation, a land management consulting company for public and private owners of conservation lands. His duties include management plan development and implementation, prescribed fire, habitat restoration, listed species preservation and invasive species control. Early in his career, at Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation (HCPRC), Rob created and conducted the award-winning 'Fun With Nature' program which ran during each summer for five years in the mid 1980's, and consisted of six one week long sessions for kids aged 8-12. The participants were introduced to various outdoor activities including fishing, canoeing, camping, and Florida wildlife. The emphasis was on teaching ways to enjoy our natural environment in a responsible manner. Before retiring from HCPRC, he was the Environmental Supervisor from 1982- 2002, with duties that included land management in the ELAP (Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection) Program. Rob was the head of the ELAP Site Assessment Team, which was responsible for evaluating the new site nominations each year, and preparing the preliminary and full site assessment reports used by other committees to qualify and rank the sites. One of these parcels became known as the Camp Bayou Preserve. He is a graduate of Amherst College (B.A. in Biology) and Tulane University (M.S. in Environmental Biology). He is an active member of the Tampa Bay Conservancy and Tampa Audubon Society. Rob Heath will be talking about "Getting off the Beaten Path" on Saturday, November 12 at 6 pm. The keynote presentation is included in Saturday registration. The complete schedule for the weekend, Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 13, and registration form are available on the blog: http://anaturaleducation.blogspot.com. Registration forms are also available at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center during regular hours of operation, Thursday- Saturday, 9am-2pm.  This event is part of a Be Out There!-NWF, Get Outdoors Florida!, "Let's GO"- C&N,  No Child Left Inside, and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative. Partners in this event include Hillsborough County Community College'sSouth Shore Campus, West- Central League of Environmental Educators in Florida, Firehouse Cultural Center, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Services. Sponsors include Cargill and Publix. Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are still available. Contact Dolly at 813-363-5438 or campbayou@gmail.com for more information. Camp Bayou 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, 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. 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.  ### Pictured: Rob is also an associate instructor at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center for the Florida Master Natural Program (FMNP). Pictured here on a field trip outing to Golden Aster Scrub Preserve.

A Natural Education Weekend

Registration Open for November Event at Camp Bayou A Natural Education Weekend is a 3 day event, held over the Veteran's Day weekend, for families to learn how to have fun in the outdoors while thinking and acting responsibly.   The format of the weekend is similar to a conference, with 45 minute sessions, meals, social hour and keynote but the feel of it is more like a family summer camp. There will be a Camping 101 afternoon on Friday, with the opportunity for 10 'clueless camper' families to stay overnight in tents at Camp Bayou. Reservations are taken on a first come- first serve basis and are approved as registration forms and fees come in.  Other activities offered during the weekend include a fishing clinic, nature journalism, a number of sessions for wildlife walks/wades focusing on different nature subjects, plus classroom sessions on subjects ranging from flora to fauna. Sunday is field trip day with 4 options for folks to choose from to round out their weekend, including a guided tour of Emerson Point Preserve with Around the Bend Tours, a 'Green Tour' of HCC SouthShore and a Fossil Trip to Peace River. Schedule and registration form are available on the blog which includes options for camping, weekend sessions/meals and/or field trip- http://anaturaleducation.blogspot.com. Registration forms are also available at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center during our regular hours of operation, Thursday- Saturday, 9am-2pm.  This event is part of a Be Out There!, Get Outdoors Florida!, "Let's GO"- Children and Nature, No Child Left Inside, and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative. Partners in this event include Hillsborough County Community College's South Shore Campus, West- Central League of Environmental Educators in Florida, Firehouse Cultural Center, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Services. Sponsors include Cargill and Publix. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Dolly at 813-363-5438 or campbayou@gmail.com for more information. 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. 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.  ### Picture: Family programs are a key component of A Natural Education Weekend.

Media release- Camp Bayou

Pictured: Bob Berkhahn of Cargill presents a check to Dolly Cummings to help fund efforts to continue environmental education programs at Camp Bayou. Cargill employees have logged over 200 volunteer hours at Camp Bayou this year.