Tampa Bay Watch and the Discovery Center will be brimming with volunteer and educational opportunities in honor of Earth Day
St. Petersburg, FL – (March 30, 2022) – Tampa Bay Watchand the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, is commemorating Earth Day (April 22, 2022) this year with various habitat restoration volunteer opportunities and family-friendly eco-activities throughout the day and into the evening.
Nearly 30 years later, Tampa Bay Watch continues its efforts to “restore the bay every day” through education and impactful programs as well as restoration efforts and projects that are bolstered by tremendous support from the community.
“Earth Day serves as an important reminder to collectively get involved and try to make a difference in our communities,” says Dwayne Virgint, CEO of Tampa Bay Watch. “Through our Earth Day celebrations, our goal is to encourage communities to participate in hopes they continue to become advocates for their local environments.”
The Discovery Center is a significant addition to the education and conservation efforts of its parent company, Tampa Bay Watch, which opened in 1993. With the help of dedicated volunteers, both Tampa Bay Watch and the Discovery Center continue to restore and protect the bay through stewardship, community awareness and by providing long-term improvements and solutions. Both locations are organizing Earth Day and Week-long events, including:
Habitat Restoration Volunteer OpportunitiesCelebrate Earth Week with Tampa Bay Watch by participating in a habitat restoration project! With plenty of opportunities to get involved, volunteers can build oyster reef balls at Tampa Bay Watch Marine Education Center at Tierra Verde on April 19 and 21, or harvest native plants at Apollo Beach on April 20. The plants harvested at Apollo Beach will be the same plants used for the living shoreline project at Lassing Park in St. Pete on Earth Day.
Living Shoreline Project at Lassing ParkFriday, April 22, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.2042 Beach Dr SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33705Registration online (link below)Tampa Bay Watch is seeking volunteers to participate in a living shoreline project consisting of three essential components: planting of native salt marsh grass, oyster reef ball placements, and oyster shell bar installations along the shoreline at Lassing Park in St. Pete.
The Earth Day 2022 event is part of an ongoing living shoreline project in partnership with The City of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation. This multi-year project is an effort to mitigate the erosion on the northern shore due to wave and wake action. Once complete, the entirety of the project will consist of the installation of 792 Oyster Reef Balls (ORBs), 100 tons of bagged shell, and more than 13,204 square feet of salt marsh grass. Volunteers interested in participating can register online.
Earth Day Celebrations at the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery CenterFriday, April 22, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.700 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701From phytoplankton to manatees, Tampa Bay is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Discover new ways to make more eco-friendly choices that will benefit the Earth. This free family-friendly event will feature different eco-activities outside of the center offered every 30 minutes for young environmentalists to enjoy. Presenting sponsors include Climate First Bank, Legacy Vacation Rentals, and Salt Palm Development.
An Earth Night Celebration at the Discovery CenterFriday, April 22, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 700 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701Ticketed event (link below)Conclude Earth Day celebrations at the Discovery Center featuring a very special guest, published author, storyteller and environmentalist, Randy Wayne White. Guests can enjoy a waterfront meet-and-greet with Randy and book signing while listening to his adventurous tales about the wonders of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Enjoy craft cocktails, rum tasting and bites from Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and other local restaurants.
Tickets are required and proceeds support the year-round community education programs at the Discovery Center. ###
About Tampa Bay WatchTampa Bay Watch is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a healthy Tampa Bay watershed through community-driven restoration projects, education programs, and outreach initiatives. Incorporated in 1993, Tampa Bay Watch conducts habitat restoration and educational activities throughout the year, relying heavily on the efforts of community volunteers. These programs seek to build citizen awareness, concern and participation in improving the health and sustainability of Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay Watch opened the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the new St. Pete Pier in July 2020. The Discovery Center features a public Exhibit Gallery showcasing the economic and ecological value of the Tampa Bay estuary to residents and visitors, a 45’ eco-vessel which conducts daily on-water educational activities and both an outdoor “wet” classroom and an indoor classroom offering a variety of environmental outreach programs to visitors and Tampa Bay area students. For more information, visit www.tampabaywatch.org, or call 727-867-8166.
About Tampa Bay Watch Discovery CenterThe Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center is the only marine environmental experience in downtown St. Petersburg. Located approximately halfway down the St. Pete Pier with soaring rooflines and floor to ceiling glass walls, the Discovery Center creates a dynamic visitor experience. This experience includes an exhibit gallery that tells the story of the history of the largest open-water estuary in Florida and the role Tampa Bay Watch has had in its recovery. Exhibits include touch tanks, interactive displays, video presentations, and docent-led tours. Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center seeks to increase the public’s awareness of the critical importance of Tampa Bay as an environmental resource and economic engine through engaging interactive exhibits and hands-on experiences, presented in an entertaining, first-class experience that inspires visitors to discover ways to make a positive impact on the environment. For more information, visitwww.tbwdiscoverycenter.org.