Fall Open House with a Native Peoples theme

This year, the Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center Open House will be all about the Native People that lived in Florida.

Saturday, October 18, 2014, 9am-1pm.

Ongoing demonstrations and hands-on activities will give visitors a peek into the way of life for folks before there was a supermarket and hardware store down the street. How did they live? What did they eat? What did they make? Here's a chance to discover some possible answers.

Some of the morning activities include:

• Shell/bone/stone tools demo
• Weaving and rope making
• Pinch pots
• Skill games
• Storytelling
• Native Camp tours on the hour
• Hunter-gatherer native plant walk starts at 9:30am with Becki.
• Canoes can be rented for a reduced rate of $10 each for short trips around the oxbow island. 
• A Native-themed lunch will be available starting at 11:30am for just $5 per person
• The Nature Tiles fundraiser will have tiles on display, created by local artists. These unique tiles will be available for a $30 donation, proceeds to go to our Classroom Kitchen Renovation.

Other organizations joining in the morning activities include:

C.A.R.E, Firehouse Cultural Center, Ruskin Pack 662, Ruskin Boy Scout Troop 2140, Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum, Florida Aquarium, US Coast Guard Aux- Ruskin, National Weather Service- Ruskin, League of Environmental Educators in Florida and Florida Master Naturalists.

The winners of our 2014 Photo Contest will be announced and on display during the Open House.

Door prizes will be awarded every half hour including books, tickets to area attractions and t-shirt/hat, among other possibilities. Door prize tickets are free and available at the Camp Bayou display table to all who sign up for our e-newsletter. A free Seminole pumpkin plant will also be given to the first 50 people who sign up.

This event is a International Archaeology Day, Be Out There!, Get Outdoors Florida, FYCCN,  "Let's GO"- Children and Nature, No Child Left Inside, Solar System Ambassador and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative.

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-scheduled 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. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org/ or call 813-641-8545.