Friends of Savannas Preserve State Park

The Friends of the Savannas

The Friends of Savannas Preserve State Park, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to support the preservation, maintenance, and interpretation of Savannas Preserve State Park. Many of the events and educational programs that occur at the park are supported by this organization, whether it be through the mediums of providing the funds or manpower necessary to make the event successful. Many of its members also volunteer at the park to help carry out the mission of the Friends of Savannas Preserve State Park and the Florida Park Service through their time and dedicated service.

Notices

* Our marsh has only clean, fresh rainwater. No red tide, cyanobacteria, or harmful algae blooms.

* If you have an annual Florida State Parks pass, please write your member number from the back of your card on the blue payment envelope before you deposit it in the "iron ranger" at any of our entrances. Accurately counting the number of visitors to our park helps ensure that we can remain open.

*The Italian language classes will begin again on January 14, French language classes on January 17, and Spanish for adults classes on January 19.

Online Store Now Open for Event Registrations

To register for the Homeschool Hopper program, workshops, and special events, please visit https://squareup.com/store/friends-of-savannas/ to go to our Online Store.

Watch the new video about Florida State Parks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0ipgl9ldOM&feature=youtu.be

Become a Member of the Friends of Savannas!

Homeschool Hopper: Starting a Riverlution, January 18-March 1, 2019

Local scientists and environmental educators are collaborating to bring a unique learning experience to area homeschool students. Seven agencies and organizations will host a weekly immersion series known as the Homeschool Hopper: Starting a Riverlution. This interactive series will focus on watersheds, aquatic habitats, and human impacts to water quality. The weekly hands-on sessions include biodiversity studies, investigations into microplastics, water quality testing, propagating living shorelines, and more!

The sessions will take place on Fridays, 10am-Noon, starting January 18th at the Oxbow Eco-Center and running through March 1st at Savannas Preserve State Park. Each week, students will visit a different venue, learning from a diverse group of scientists and educators. The course is appropriate for ages 10-14. Cost for the 7-part series is $45 per student; $40 for each additional sibling. For more information, please contact Savannas Preserve State Park (772) 398-2779. To register and pay, login to our Online Store at https://squareup.com/store/friends-of-savannas/ .

The Homeschool Hopper program began in 2014. Designed to teach a comprehensive science unit through immersion and hands-on experiential learning, it has been a popular opportunity for area homeschool families. This 2019 series, Starting a Riverlution, is sure to exceed expectations with a record seven participating organizations. These include the Oxbow Eco-Center, Smithsonian Marine Station, Heathcote Botanical Gardens, Savannas Preserve State Park, Manatee Center Observation & Education Center, and our two new partners, Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves, and Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA).

“The Homeschool Hopper is one of my favorite projects each year,” said Wren Underwood, Senior Environmental Educator at the Oxbow Eco-Center. “Instead of a one-time visit for participants, this program allows students to gain a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the topic at hand. In this case, that topic is water and why our area is suffering from algal blooms and fish kills. It’s a timely and important topic.” Homeschool families interested in understanding current threats to our aquatic ecosystems and working toward solutions should contact Savannas Preserve State Park to get involved.

Florida Master Naturalist--St. Lucie Chapter Learning Series, January-April 2019

The Florida Master Naturalist--St. Lucie Chapter presents a free Learning Series every spring at Savannas Preserve State Park, 2541 SE Walton Road, Port St. Lucie at 7:00 p.m.

The schedule for 2019 is:
Thursday, January 31, 2019: "What's 'Bugging' You in the Landscape?" by Kate Rotindo, UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Urban Horticulture Agent

Thursday, February 14, 2019: "Troubled Waters: History of the St. Lucie River" film by John Nelson, President, Martin County Audubon Society

Thursday, March 14, 2019: "Toxin Transfer from Harmful Algal Blooms to People: An Emerging Public Health Concern" by Beth Falls, Ph.D., Ocean Research and Conservation Association

Thursday, April 11, 2019: "Alternative power sources" by Doug Coward, Solar Energy Loan Fund

The series is free and open to all. We hope to see you there.

2019 Birding Workshops

Are you interested in birding, but not quite sure how to get started? Well don’t feel ‘hawk’ward! You’re not ‘owl’one! Join the Friends of Savannas for a 3-course series on Birding Basics.

Introduction to Birding
The first course, The Introduction to Birding, will be offered on Saturday, February 2, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This course will cover a variety of topics including “Why should I go birding?”, basic optic use, and how to choose the best field guides. The class will conclude with a short walk through the Savannas to utilize newly learned observational skills.

Advanced Introduction to Birding
The second course, Advanced Introduction to Birding, will be offered on Saturday, March 2, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. During this course, the instructors will build on basic skills by teaching participants how to observe patterns in flight, song, and behavior to develop a more holistic approach to bird identification.

Pish-Free Birding
The third course, Pish-Free Birding, will be offered on Saturday, March 30, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This course is mostly a field-based activity which involves observing birds without disturbing them through the use of sounds (pishing) or call/song playbacks.

The classes will be held at the Savannas Preserve State Park Education Center located at 2541 SE Walton Road, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952. Call 772-398-2779 with any questions. This course is designed for ages 15 and above. Admission for each class is $8 per person.

Registration and pre-payment are required: Visit https://squareup.com/store/friends-of-savannas/ to go to our Online Store. Please wear closed-toed shoes and bring drinking water with you; optional items include binoculars, field guides, sunglasses, hat, etc.

Training Opportunity:
Managing Visitor Use in Coastal and Marine Protected Areas,
February 20-21, 2019

Register for the NOAA-led Managing Visitor Use in Coastal and Marine Protected Areas Training at Savannas Preserve State Park!
Providing a meaningful visitor experience can be at odds with a mandate to protect fragile coastal resources. This course helps participants understand, monitor, and manage visitor use to maintain healthy resource conditions and high-quality visitor experiences. This training introduces participants to a step-by-step decision-making process used to identify unacceptable visitor use impacts and explore a range of helpful strategies and tactics to address them.
At this two-day training, you will learn how to:

Recognize the human dimensions of coastal and marine management
Apply recreation and visitor use management planning frameworks
Identify visitor use issues, including visitor-resource and visitor-visitor impacts
Craft a clear problem statement
Develop measurable indicators for monitoring impacts and set standards for impact acceptability
Implement visitor use monitoring methods and management strategies and tactics

Training details:
Date: Wednesday, February 20 thru Thursday, February 21, 2019 (attendance at both days is required)
Location: Savannas Preserve State Park Environmental Education Center, 2541 SE Walton Rd, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
Costs: Free
To Register email: Emily.Dark@FloridaDEP.gov (spaces are limited)

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A Flyover Video Through The Savannas Preserve

Check out this video by one of our previous resident volunteers, Alan Nyiri! It gives you an amazing taste of what the Savannas Preserve State Park has to offer for you, your friends, and your family.