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.

Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve (BBSAP) partners with Florida Public Archeological Network (FPAN) on outreach events, most recently participated in Moon Over the Mounds at the Crystal River Archeological State Park, learning about the cultural and historical importance of the area.

Two outreach events in celebration of Save Our Waters Week. Our annual kayak tour returned after a year off due to Hurricane Helene, fittingly taking place on the storm’s one-year anniversary. Community members joined staff and partners from the Florida Public Archaeology Network, Crystal River Preserve State Park, and SMMAP for a guided paddle highlighting the area’s cultural and natural resources.

The Garden Club of Verona Walk (a very large Naples community) recently visited the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, where they were welcomed by Verona Walk resident and longtime Rookery Bay volunteer Jeanne. A dedicated member of the Reserve’s volunteer team, Jeanne has contributed more than 2,000 hours of service. She has led countless groups through the center and helped visitors of all ages connect with the coastal environment.

Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve hosted a seining event with the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) in St. Augustine. Education Coordinator Josephine Spearman led a group of visiting summer campers from FSDB to pull a seine net through Guana Lake collecting species of fish, crabs and other organisms. The visiting campers finished the day with a tour of the reserve’s Visitor Center.