Savor the Bay a Success
Tampa Bay Watch would like to extend our appreciation to our 64 guests for attending Sunday evening’s Savor the Bay. Chef de Cuisine Emily Ferrari truly created food artistry with a perfect blend of flavors partnered with wonderful wines from Etoile/Cloudy Bay/Terrazas during the five-course dinner. We would also like to give our thanks to Carlos Cepero and all of The Don Cesar staff for the excellent service they provided for our event. In addition, we are truly appreciative of the The Don Cesar’s gift of becoming a Corporate Member
Volunteer Boaters Needed for 25th Annual Fishing Line Cleanup
Abandoned and discarded fishing line ensnares local birds and marine mammals Tampa Bay Watch, in partnership with Audubon Florida, is mainly recruiting volunteers with shallow-draft boats, and we have limited space for kayaks/canoes/SUPs to independently remove tangled fishing line from mangroves and shorelines of Tampa Bay’s colonial bird nesting islands. Boaters are encouraged to independently clean their assigned island anytime throughout the week of Saturday, Oct. 6 – Sunday, Oct. 14.
Last year’s cleanup resulted in an estimated 18,860 feet of fishing line being removed from 25 different coastal nesting sites around Tampa Bay.
Thank you to Sea World Busch Gardens Conservation Fund for sponsoring this important event.
St. Petersburg Charter Amendment
November 2018 to Allow a Ten Year Lease for Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center Tampa Bay Watch urges you to vote YES for the City of St. Petersburg Charter Amendment on November 2018 Election that will allow a 10-year lease agreement with St. Petersburg to lease, operate, and manage the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center currently under construction on the St. Pete Pier. The Discovery Center will offer dynamic interactive exhibits that will educate the public and showcase the Tampa Bay estuary, as well as classroom space for school field trips and summer camp programs.
Tampa Bay Watch will invest approximately $2 million in the Discovery Center. In order to justify this investment and better amortize the costs, Tampa Bay Watch has asked the City to increase the lease term to 10 years. In addition to allowing Tampa Bay Watch to better amortize its investment, the lease extension will bring our lease term in line with the other leases the City has approved for the Pier. Extension of Tampa Bay Watch’s lease to 10 years will require voter approval via a charter amendment on the November 2018 ballot.
Build oyster domes for Tampa Bay Weekday mornings in October at Tampa Bay Watch
We are recruiting hard-working volunteers to help build oyster domes at our Marine Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South in Tierra Verde. The project takes place from 9 am until noon and involves pouring marine friendly concrete into a fiberglass mold containing a large round buoy surrounded by smaller rubber balls, creating the holes in the oyster domes. This project is physically demanding in requiring bending, crouching, and some heavy lifting. The minimum age to participate in this project is 16 years old. It’s a dirty job, but it’ll make a difference for Tampa Bay! Tuesday, 10/16, & Tuesday, 10/30.