HomeOutdoorsEnvironmentOcean lovers, dive in...

Ocean lovers, dive in to celebrations

Ocean lovers can celebrate their favorite waters this week at events in Cortez and Palmetto in honor of World Oceans Day.

World Oceans Day – Friday, June 8 – was established at the 1992 Earth Summit, and was declared an international holiday by the United Nations in 2009 as a reminder of how important the ocean is to people everywhere.

The Florida Maritime Museum and Manatee County are offering two ways to participate.

Florida Maritime Museum, Cortez

Join the Coastal Community Celebration on Thursday, June 7 from 6-8 p.m. at the Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez.

During this free, family fun evening, FMM invites the community to celebrate the grand opening of the Burton/Bratton Store by participating in activities for kids and adults.

Beginning at 6 p.m., hear a brief history of the historic store, its importance in Cortez maritime history and its continued legacy as The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum.

After the ribbon-cutting, wander the museum grounds to find crafts and interactive activities exploring ocean pollution, commercial fishing, sea turtles and more, all relating to the important ecosystem that is the ocean.

Continue your journey inside the museum to discover the new exhibit, “The Meaning Behind Maritime,” where community members reveal what maritime means to them on 3-by-3 canvases. Then add what maritime means to you during your visit.

For more information, visit the museum’s Facebook page.

Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources, Palmetto

The Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department will host the second annual World Oceans Day Festival on Saturday, June 9 at Emerson Point Preserve. The free festival will kick off at 9 a.m. and continue until noon.

The festival is a fun, family-friendly event celebrating the salty seas. A variety of free ocean-themed activities will be available for participants to learn about World Oceans Day.

You can dip nets into the waters of the Manatee River and discover the creatures hiding beneath the waves. Learn amazing facts about large marine wildlife, including sea turtles. Play oyster games and explore the history of fishing in Manatee County. Participants also will get a chance to touch a boat and paddle in a kayak.

The festival is a partnership between Manatee County and other water- and ocean-related organizations in Southwest Florida. This year’s partners include the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, IFAS Extension Sea Grant of Manatee County, Florida Maritime Museum, WayneAdventures, Florida Public Archaeology Network and Manatee County’s Environmental Protection Division and Ecological and Marine Services Division.

Emerson Point Preserve, a 365-acre preserve at 5801 17th St. W., Palmetto, is at the mouth of the Manatee River and Tampa Bay where the salt and fresh waters meet as an estuary. The location of the preserve provides Manatee County residents and visitors with a place to relax and enjoy a serene experience, kayaking, fishing and wildlife watching, including osprey, egrets, jumping mullet, raccoons and dolphins.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Most Popular

More from Author

Surf shop celebrates 60

HOLMES BEACH – Jim Brady’s West Coast Surf Shop is in...

Cortez founded on mullet

CORTEZ – A visit by Dr. Angela Collins to the Cortez...

Underwater Anna Maria Island gallery

Hold your breath and take a tour of the limestone reefs...

Floridian Mortgage wins championship

ANNA MARIA – Spring has sprung and winter sports at The Center are coming to a close, with team Floridian Mortgage earning the win against team Moss Builders Thursday night in the adult co-ed flag football championship game. The top two teams in the league matched up in...

Man completes Chamber passport program in five hours

ANNA MARIA ISLAND - The annual Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce’s Passport Program is a fun way for residents and visitors to the Island to get out and discover Island businesses with a passport offered for free by the chamber. Participants are encouraged to get their passports...

One ARK Foundation raises funds for foster families

live music, delicious food and spirited fundraising as the One ARK Foundation held its second annual “Kindness Matters Extravaganza” at The Cheesecake Cutie & Cafe on March 21. “One ARK” stands for “one act of random kindness” and is a newly-established 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by The Cheesecake...

Save our homes

This column should be titled “Save our Taxes,” since that’s what we’re really talking about. However, saving on property taxes is part of the Save Our Homes benefits and portability transfers are another piece of this law. In January of 2008, the Florida Legislature passed legislation that allows...

 Reel Time: Salon fundraiser meets with success

Salon (noun) - a conversational gathering of notables held at the home of a prominent person. On Saturday afternoon, Suncoast Waterkeeper held its Suncoast Salon fundraiser at the Sarasota home of Anna Maria residents Bill and Debbie Partridge. The event was a sellout and attracted some of...

Temporary paid parking vendors hired

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners considered four temporary use parking permits at the March 21 commission meeting and after much discussion, approved three with stipulations, denying one. Permit applications were submitted by developer Shawn Kaleta for temporary parking lots at 102 Third St. N., 207 Church Ave. and...

Fire department sued over rental regulations

BRADENTON – Almost a year after passing a resolution changing the district’s approach to taxing and inspecting vacation rental properties in residential areas, West Manatee Fire Rescue is receiving pushback from one rental owner. During a March 19 commission meeting, the district’s attorney, Maggie Mooney, informed the board...

Bridge Street traffic, parking among commission concerns

BRADENTON BEACH – In what was an unusually lengthy, seven-hour city commission meeting that began at noon on March 21, commissioners dove into parking and traffic issues, pickleball and organ donation. BRIDGE STREET ONE WAY? A Bridge Street business owner asked the commission to consider making Bridge Street one...

Scaccianoce new Bradenton Beach commissioner

BRADENTON BEACH – Ward 1 has a new commissioner. The application for commissioner by business owner and former Manatee County records manager Deborah Scaccianoce was approved by the commission and she was sworn in at its March 21 meeting. She filled the vacant seat left by former Commissioner Jake...

Kruse talks beach parking, Island consolidation

HOLMES BEACH – About two dozen people came out on March 20 to meet with Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, bringing their questions for the candidate, who is seeking re-election in November. Kruse held a town hall meeting at the Island Branch Library where he answered every question...

Commissioners deny bids for paid parking

BRADENTON BEACH – Rather than partnering with an outside vendor as planned, commissioners are now considering city-managed paid parking lots throughout Bradenton Beach. The city had put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Feb. 9 to “Provide the City with a complete parking management and enforcement system...