FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2014
CONTACT: Patrician Price, 904.823.4506
ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION TO GTM RESEARCH RESERVE THIS SUMMER
The Environmental Learning Center at GTM Research Reserve in Ponte Vedra is a fun, educational spot for the whole family to visit.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The Guana
Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve will
participate this summer in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the
National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense.
Free admission, with military
identification, will be offered to the nation’s active duty military personnel
including National Guard and Reserve, and their families, to the Environmental
Education Center from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2014.
“We are proud
to connect military families with the history and natural resources here at the
Reserve," said Michael Shirley, Ph.D., director of the GTM Research
Reserve. “The Environmental Education Center provides an opportunity for
individuals of all ages to learn about the natural history of northeast
Florida. The center offers interpretive exhibits and aquariums, plus an
outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Guana River Marsh Aquatic
Preserve."
The Blue Star
Museums program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural
heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move. This
year, more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. Blue Star Museums
represents not only fine arts museums, but also science museums, history
museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums. The complete list of
participating museums is available HERE.
The GTM
Research Reserve is one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves across 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 click HERE.
|