Some 100 Tampa Bay area citizens had the opportunity to interact with some of the region’s leading scientists at the 2nd Annual “Estuary Academy” on Saturday, September 25.

This year’s Academy was held in conjunction with National Estuaries Day at the Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg.

The Academy’s mission is to introduce citizens to the wealth of scientific research being conducted on (and in) Tampa Bay. Morning sessions featured brief, engaging lectures by well-known experts on bay topics such as the First People of the Bay; seahorses; beach nesting birds; and sharks.

Afternoon sessions included workshops where participants could learn bird watching basics, make a rain barrel, construct their own underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), identify marine plants, learn how to identify frogs by their “songs,” and even scout for tiny marine invertebrates hiding in the bay bottom! For those who wanted to spend their afternoon exploring the preserve with a paddle, a 2-hour guided canoe tour was offered in place of the afternoon workshops.

Participation was limited to 100 adults and children over 12. Despite the impending arrival of Hurricane Jeanne, the Academy was again a sell-out and received rave reviews from participants.

The $10 registration fee included lunch, a goodie bag loaded with great freebies, door prizes, and a handsome certificate identifying the participant as a graduate of Estuary Academy.