National Estuaries Day 2008

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Celebrating 30 years of coastal stewardship
Saturday, September 27, 2008

On Friday, September 26, the Reserve celebrated its 30th anniversary with staff, volunteers, FORB members, and partners. Bernie Yokel and Ginnie and Ted Below, shown here right to left, were recognized with Coastal Stewardship awards for their efforts in preserving the wildlife and habitat of Rookery Bay over the past 30 years.

On Saturday, 750 kids of all ages enjoyed the National Estuary Day celebration. Touch tanks, activity booths, raffles, face painting, coloring contest, and live music filled the day with fun.



Background

During the 1990’s, the State purchased nearly 20,000 acres of lands around the Bay at a cost of $57 million to help ensure long-term protection of habitats that provide refuge for a rich and diverse community of coastal wildlife. Recently, the Reserve’s boundary was expanded to 110,000 acres, representing one of the nation’s last remaining relatively untouched mangrove-forested estuaries.

Join Us

Join us as we celebrate the past 30 years and look forward to the next 25 during our 30th Anniversary and National Estuaries Day celebration at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. In honor of the nationwide event, a host of activities are planned for the entire family to enjoy on Saturday, September 27.

Boat tours, guided walks, kayaking, kids’ crafts, films, presentations and much more will help residents and visitors make their own connections to their estuary. Admission is free. A special awards ceremony will be held at 11:30 am to commemorate the key players.


Celebrating 30 years of coastal stewardship

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