HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A multi-faceted Nature Expo, open to the public free of charge, is planned for Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, as part of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival.
The event, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation’s Suncoast Youth Conservation Center, 6650 Dickman Road, in Apollo Beach.
The expo includes nature-related merchandise for sale and information from booths with representatives of environmental agencies and organizations.
Vendors include
- Two binoculars and optics companies, Swarovski Optiks and Kowa Sporting Optics, which will provide the region’s best opportunity to “test drive” binoculars.
- Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, which will show you how to make your yard a birding hot spot.
- The Little Red Wagon Native Plant Nursery, which will have plants that host birds, butterflies, and other insects.
- Artist Peter R. Gerbert, who will have acrylic paintings and fine art prints, realistically depicting animals and birds in their natural habitats. Gerbert is a featured artist of the Florida Wildlife Federation since 1997 and the first artist to receive an “Artist of the Year” award from Audubon.
In the news: Toddler Found Abandoned In Rental Car At Florida Airport
Information booths will be hosted by
- Local environmental groups including Audubon chapters, the Suncoast Native Plant Society, the Sierra Club, Raptor Center of Tampa Bay, Inc., and Tampa Bay Watch.
- Agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hillsborough County Environmental Lands, Southwest Florida Water Management District and others.
The Manatee Viewing Center’s store with nature-based items also will be open. The Snack Bar offers lunch and refreshments. Visitors can explore the boardwalks, which overlook at the manatee viewing area.
The festival includes 24 field trips to nature preserves across Central Florida, 18 bird and wildlife seminars by leading Florida naturalists, and keynote presentations by internationally renowned ecologist and bestselling author Carl Safina and woodpecker expert and field guide author Clay Taylor.
For information and registration, see www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.