FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 26, 2013
CONTACT: Patrician Price, 904.823.4506
GTM
RESEARCH RESERVE GEARS UP FOR TWO-DAY NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAY CELEBRATION
~This free event includes hands-on activities~
This is an aerial view of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR, which will be hosting National Estuary Day activities to educate the public on the importance of protecting them.
PONTE
VEDRA BEACH - The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve will host
a two-day National Estuaries Day celebration on Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28 at
the Environmental Education Center in Ponte Vedra Beach.
“This two-day event is free and
will provide families an opportunity to explore how estuaries have shaped
northeast Florida’s human history,” said Michael Shirley, Ph.D., environmental
administrator at the GTM Research Reserve.
The celebration kicks off
Friday evening with a Star Party from 6 to 10 p.m. This event provides an
opportunity to bring the family, or that special someone, and look up at the
night sky to learn about navigational history. A laser point constellation tour
will be offered, providing a look at different constellations. Also, in commemoration of VIVA Florida 500 - a year-long celebration of the anniversary of Ponce de Leon landing in Florida - there will be a presentation focused on the methods used by
explorers to identify their location in the wide open
sea.
Saturday’s event -- from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. -- is a family friendly showcase of Northeast Florida scientists working on all aspects of the estuarine ecosystem. There will be food and fun
activities, such as face painting, kayaking, fishing, seining, hiking and
biking. Additionally, there will be a Sea Turtle obstacle course for the kids, provided by the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
The GTM
Research Reserve is one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves around the
nation focused on researching, educating, and protecting the natural
biodiversity and cultural resources within the estuary. It is managed by
Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Office in
partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The
Environmental Education Center is located at 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra
Beach, Florida, 32082.
For more
information about the GTM Research Reserve, please call (904) 823-4500 or visit
our website at www.gtmnerr.org.
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