The Florida Museum of Natural History is seeking volunteers to help dig at the Montbrook dig site in Levy County for the month of November. The Montbrook Site is very productive and almost all volunteers will find some fossil specimens on their first day. The most commonly found fossils are bones from the shell of freshwater turtles and vertebrae, spines, scales, and skull bones of fish, including gar, catfish, snook, and drum.

Join us for our Blue Spring Education Day on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.! You will have the opportunity to meet some of our researchers and volunteers who can answer all of your manatee questions, you can adopt a manatee right then and there and we will have lots of educational information, as well as coloring books and stickers for the kids!

Join the Florida Springs Institute and Tom Morris for an adventure on the Santa Fe River investigating its sinks and swallets (a.k.a. sucks, swallow holes, or river sinks)! This will be a combination canoeing/kayaking/hiking trip.

Participants are responsible for bringing/reserving their own watercraft. If you do not have your own boat, we recommend renting canoes and kayaks at the nearby Santa Fe Canoe Outpost

Special behind-the-scenes hiking opportunity:
Enjoy a 1-mile ranger-led hike along the Rim Ramble trail in an area of the park that is usually inaccessible to visitors! Learn about the history of the preserve and the plants and wildlife that call the prairie home.

Park admission is $4 a vehicle.

Join us for a beautiful beach walk focusing on the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale! We’ll learn why they come here, how we can see them, and even how we can be involved in a local citizen science effort to find and identify each individual whale along our coast. This one-hour easy walk is ideal for children and adults experts and admirers. While we can’t guarantee a right whale sighting, we certainly can guarantee a beautiful stroll on the beach and a gathering of active learners!

Backyard Discovery connects you to the natural and cultural history of the site through hands-on science activities. December’s Backyard Discovery is all about the edible flora you can find in North Florida. In addition to learning about local plants, participants will discover how flowers inspire design, enhance holiday recipes, and play important roles in local ecology.

This program is designed for families with elementary and middle school-aged children, but all are welcome to participate. Be prepared to be outdoors, wear closed-toed shoes, and bring along sunscreen and bug spray.