Nature's Academy is extremely excited to launch our Island Adventures Program in Manatee County!  After months of anticipation, the day has finally arrived.  Friday, March 25th, marked our first ever program at our new Coquina Beach location with 52 students and adults from Bashaw Elementary School.  The program went off without a hitch...  the weather was great, the water was warm, marine life abundant and the students were fantastic!!  The students collected 23 pounds of trash during their coastal clean-up, WOW!! What a great way to kick off our Manatee programs.  We will be bringing an additional 400  fifth grade students over 6 days throughout the spring, all from local elementary schools right here in Manatee County.  We would like to thank Manatee County Parks and Recreation, the Manatee County School District, United Parks Services and the Southwest Florida Water Mangement District for all of their help in making this possible.  Nature's Academy looks forward to a long relationship educating today's students to become our environmental stewards of tomorrow!!     

SEE YOU IN THE FIELD! 

A Call for Volunteers!

Come celebrate Earth Day with us!  Join Nature's Academy for our Second Annual Earth Day Pepper Bust. Help protect local water resources within Tampa Bay at our invasive plant removal. 

Participants will learn:

       *How invasive plants harm water quality

        *The critical role native plants play in protecting water quality

        *How to identify native and invasive plants

       *How to properly remove Brazilian pepper trees

The Brazilian pepper tree was brought to Florida from South America in the 1800s because people thought it looked pretty. The green leaves and bright red berries reminded Floridians of Christmas holly bushes. Instead of a nice Christmas present; however, Florida was in for a nasty surprise. The Brazilian pepper tree is now considered one of the most invasive species in the state. It damages or replaces native plant habitats that are food sources for native wildlife. This results in the displacement of wildlife, which negatively affects our natural system and ecosystem functions.

Do your part to protect Florida from species such as these at our invasive plant removal!

When:  Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

Time:   9am till Noon (FREE LUNCH to follow!)

Where: Fort De Soto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde -            Meet at East Beach for Registration

RSVP:   Please call (941) 538-6829 or email info@naturesacademy.org

             to register

*Come enjoy the outdoors, learn about our water resources and protect the environment.  Lunch will be provided by United Parks Service and remember to wear a long-sleaved shirt, long pants, covered toe shoes, sunscreen and bug repellant*

Hope To See You There!!

From the Education Desk: 

New Board Member Profile:

Nature's Academy is thrilled to welcome it's newest board member.  Her background, skills and qualifications are sure to be valuble assets as we move forward and continue to grow!!  Welcome Whitney!

Biography: Whitney West Trifiro grew up on the beaches of sunny south Florida, spending much of her childhood snorkeling along the coast and exploring the shores in search of seashells.  In addition to her love of the outdoors, Whitney has a passion for the arts and studied classical ballet for over 17 years.  Dance enabled her to perform at various venues including many philanthropic events.  These exposures led to her interest in the nonprofit sector.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida, majoring in Public Administration with a minor in American Humanics and Certificate in Nonprofit Management.  Whitney went on to complete her Master's degree in Nonprofit Management from UCF in 2006.  Since that time, she has worked and volunteered with many charitable organizations.  Eventually, she moved to Tampa and became a Development Officer with the University of South Florida's Foundation where she executed their direct mail initiatives and Faculty and Staff Campaign, which garnered over $3.75 million.  Whitney later worked for a humanitarian agency and was responsible for overseeing their Sponsorship Program, which educated, fed and served over 5,000 children in 14 villages in the country of Haiti.  Now residing in Nashville, TN with her husband and two French bulldogs, Ava and Luigi, she is so excited to be joining Nature's Academy's Board of Directors and to be part of such a wonderful and important organization.  Whitney hopes that she can utilize her love for nature, as well as her background and education in nonprofit management, to help further the mission of Nature's Academy and bring their high-quality, environmental science education courses to children and adults across the state of Florida and beyond.