The 2025 Science Nite Series at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve ended on a high note… not so much with a bang, but an “Om.” The final evening welcomed Dr. Brent Jackson of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Water School, who guided participants through a thoughtful and engaging exploration of how time in nature can reduce stress, strengthen personal resilience and support overall well-being.

This week BBSAP team stayed busy with education events to start wrapping up the year. First the team headed over to Lecanto Primary School for their annual Science Night. This was the team's fourth year attending and it's always a great event. Over 100 students and families attended with opportunities to meet professionals from various scientific fields.

Sixth graders from Cornerstone Learning came to the Apalachicola Research Reserve from Tallahassee to do a service project. Their school emphasizes stewardship as well as a community outlook. After a brief overview of the Apalachicola watershed, the students took to the trails to scrub signs and clear brush. They definitely left the trails in much better shape for visitors to enjoy.

Quantifying River Flow Metrics for the Apalachicola River was the focus of November’s Sci-Café webinar. Dr. Steve Leitman, who has worked on Apalachicola River issues for decades, provided an overview of a new project aimed at developing scientifically defensible river flow metrics to evaluate potential modifications to federal reservoir operations in the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River system.

Over the past month, Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center welcomed five groups from STARability Foundation’s Trailblazer Academy, a program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each group enjoyed a personalized, hands-on learning experience about Rookery Bay’s coastal habitats and wildlife. It was also a pleasant surprise to see past Friends of Rookery Bay staff member Abigail Swisher leading one of the groups.

November 4-6, 2025, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) held an Education Sector Meeting at GTMNERR (GTM Research Reserve). Education coordinators (ECs) from the 30 NERRS across the country spent three days meeting on topics such as the Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) teacher training/professional development program, community partnerships and market analysis/needs assessments.

On Homeschool Friday, Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve’s (GTMNERR) education team and volunteers taught students from Classical Conversations homeschool about seining. It was a great opportunity for the students to pull a seine net through Guana Lake, collecting fish, crabs and other species and learning about them.

For the Forest Expeditions program, GTM Research Reserve’s (GTMNERR) education team hosted 25 students ages 6-12 and 15 adults from the Classical Conversations homeschool group on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Education provided information about the reserve and its cultural and indigenous history. Native species were discussed, a game about invasive species was played and a hike was taken.

Taylor Tucker, Assistant Manager and Resilience Coordinator of the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), recently visited the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Sciences (RSMAS) to participate in a career panel for undergraduate marine science students.

The Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves (IRLAP) team had all-hands-on-deck for “A Day in the Life in the Indian River Lagoon.” A marine science class from Saint Lucie West Centennial High School partnered with the IRLAP office to participate in this event organized by ORCA (Ocean Research & Conservation Association). IRLAP worked with junior and senior students to collect data for a long-term citizen science project.