By LOIS KINDLE
Camp Bayou’s 17th annual Back to School – Back to Nature event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 9, at 4140 24th St. SE, Ruskin.
With Hillsborough County public schools reopening Aug. 11, it’s your kids’ last gasp of outdoor summer fun.
This family-friendly event gives them the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, learn something new about nature and receive free school supplies, while they last. It’s about engaging with nature and enjoying the natural surroundings of the Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center.
OBSERVER NEWS FILE PHOTO
At Camp Bayou’s next Back to School – Back to Nature event, kids go from table to table to gather information; see exhibits; enjoy interactive, nature-related activities; ask questions; and collect some free school supplies.
Admission and parking are free, and reservations aren’t required.
Organizations taking part in this year’s event include the Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum, Eagle Audubon Society, Alafia River State Park, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management, and The Florida Aquarium.
Kids will visit each of their tables to gather information; see exhibits; enjoy interactive, nature-related activities; ask questions; and collect some free school supplies.
All children get a free raffle ticket for the chance to win larger prizes, like a backpack, lunch bag, journal and more. Drawings for these items will be held every 30 minutes throughout the morning. Recipients must be present to win.
Free cart tours of Camp Bayou will also be available.
PATTY MOORE PHOTO
Camp Bayou volunteer Fred Hendershot chats with a child about the cool fossils she found in the Paleo Preserve’s stocked pit – all treasures she gets to take home. The pit will be open during Back to School – Back to Nature on Aug. 9. The cost to dig is $5.
As always, the Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum and fossil pit will be open. Kids can learn about the prehistoric, Pleistocene Period creatures, like saber-tooth cats, mastodons and giant sloths, that roamed the Ruskin area 1.5 to 1 million years ago. Admission to the exhibits is free.
Then for $5, kids can dig in the museum’s stocked fossil pit and take home whatever treasures they’re sure to find.
Camp Bayou’s Outdoor Learning Center’s four walking trails and the Eagle Audubon butterfly habitat will also be open. Kids can visit Camp Bayou’s Nature Center to view shell and bone exhibits and George Shambaugh’s incredible bug collection.
“It’s important for children to develop an appreciation for nature, and Back to School – Back to Nature is a great way to experience it,” said Dolly Cummings, Camp Bayou Learning Center director. “It’s an opportunity for families to enjoy nature together before the school year starts and see all our Outdoor Learning Center has to offer.”
Camp Bayou offers day paddle trips at 9 a.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month. The cost is $25 to rent one of its canoes or kayaks and $5 if you bring your own. Registration is required.
Enthusiastic volunteers who love the outdoors and want to pass along their passion to others are always needed. They can oversee hands-on activities; guide walks or canoe tours; teach school or other registered groups; or provide help with maintenance and exhibits.
If interested, call Becki Stafford at 813-641-8545 or fill out the form at campbayou.org/.
LOIS KINDLE FILE PHOTO
Camp Bayou’s 17th annual Back to School – Back to Nature event is from 9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 9, at 4140 24th St. SE, Ruskin. It’s a great opportunity for kids to be outdoors, learn about nature and get some free school supplies before school starts Aug. 11. Open to the public, admission and parking are free.
The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, operated as a public-private partnership between Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management and Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery Inc. The center is located within Hillsborough County’s 200-acre Camp Bayou Nature Preserve.
It’s open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Sunday for all sorts of activities, including trail hiking, picnicking, canoeing, photography and wildlife observation. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are permitted, and admission is free.
For more information on Back to School – Back to Nature or the Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, becoming a volunteer or making a donation, visit www.campbayou.org/, email campbayou@gmail.com or call 813-641-8545.