Rookery Bay Summer Events

The Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center at 300 Tower Road in Naples features aquariums, touch tanks with marine critters, natural history, environmental and wildlife exhibits, an art gallery, picnic area, guided walking trails, butterfly garden and a scenic overlook bridge. Special events and activities for all ages are held year-round including watercolor and photography classes, gallery nights, presentations about wildlife and conservation, birding field trips, marine science camps and more! The hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children ages four to 12 and three and under are free.

Rookery Bay Research Reserve also offers guided boat tours or kayak adventures into the tranquil waters of Rookery Bay Reserve. Guests can choose from a variety of tours including shelling trips to deserted white sand islands, sunset tours or bird rookery excursions. Visit RookeryBay.org or call 239-530-5972 for more information.

June and July 2025 Events

All events are held at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples unless otherwise noted. For more information go to RookeryBay.org.

Watercolors & Wildlife: Painting with Jan

June 10 – Fish on Display 12:30 – 3:00 PM

July 8 – Manatees 12:30 – 3:00 PM

$85, (including all materials)

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Paint the beauty of coastal Naples and the wildlife of estuary waters in this watercolor painting class. Local artist Jan Deswik offers simple step-by-step instructions and creative support perfect for beginners or anyone inspired by the coastal environment and wants to bring it to life in a one-of-a-kind painting. Each class spotlights a natural theme from shells to birdlife to local waterways. Held in classrooms at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, all materials are included. Participants will complete a painted piece with matte at each session.

Essentials of Digital Photography Workshop

June 21 and July 19

9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

$55

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

If you want to get the best pictures possible and a true understanding of your camera’s features, this camera workshop is for you. The class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera's shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students. No previous camera or photography experience is necessary, just a desire to learn.

“Drawing from Music” – A Family Friendly Art Experience

June 17 and July 15

Ages 10+ (Children must be accompanied by an adult)

All necessary materials provided.

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Taught by Anthe Capitan-Valais, an award-winning visual artist, this workshop offers an engaging multimedia art experience for all ages as well as for families to do together. “Drawing from Music” brings the joy of art to the Rookery Bay community and teaches participants how to create expressive pieces of art inspired by music. The experience is designed to be dynamic and interactive, merging music, mind, body and art.

Rookery Bay Art Gallery Exhibit

“Wildlife and Wild Places in SWFL” - A Florida Gulf Coast University Collaborative Art Exhibit

Exhibition on display May 8 – August 1

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Inspired by the work of Friends of Rookery Bay and their mission, students at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) created original photographs and sculptures. These artists were enrolled in either the History of Photography course (taught by Professor Hannah Harley) and Sculpture II course (taught by Professor Steve Hughart). The student artists found their inspiration through different plant life, birds, reptiles, ecosystems and landscapes throughout the Southwest Florida region.

Marine Science Summer Camp – Student Institute for Marine Science

Fridays, June – August

9:00 AM – 12:30 PM

For students in grades 7-10th

$75 (Camp Scholarships Available)

Locations Vary

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

Be a Marine Scientist this summer with Rookery Bay Research Reserve! Join Rookery Bay Research Reserve for a perfect marine science camp for 7th to 10th grade students who want to get hands-on with marine life and learn from real scientists. This flexible camp is filled with nature and science activities including time in Rookery Bay’s labs. Discover the birds, sharks, sea turtles and other amazing wildlife that call Rookery Bay’s amazing coastal habitat home. Camp scholarships are available.

June 13 and August 1 – “Behind the Scenes of the Reserve” - Explore the Reserve and the wildlife that calls it home. See where Rookery Bay’s research takes place, learn about the work being done to monitor the coastal habitat and complete a scientific study.

Location: Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples, 34113.

June 20 and July 25 – “Biology on Bike – Explore the Uplands on Bicycle” Learn to identify plants and animals and how scientific data is collected at the Reserve.

Location: Shell Island Road Field Station, 10 Shell Island Road, Naples FL, 34113.

June 27 and July 11 – “Sleuthing the Lagoon” - Ever wonder what it’s like to be an animal living in an estuary? Experience their unique habitat by surveying fish with an ancient method of collection, scooping crabs and worms out of sand and observing birds wading through water.

Location: Tigertail Beach, 430 Hernando Dr., Marco Island, FL 34145.

July 18 – “Invertebrate Investigation”- Join staff in the lab for an exciting exploration of invertebrates and learn about their amazing adaptations. Students will use microscopes to take an in-depth look at some of the smallest estuary inhabitants: plankton!

Location: Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples, 34113.

Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) Workshop

June 24-25 and July 9-10

Day 1 - 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Day 2 – 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Open to both formal teachers and informal educators, grades K-12.

A $100 stipend is available upon completion of the workshop. Educators must attend both days to receive certificate and stipend. Lunch is provided.

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar

The content of the workshop is based on two sources of curriculum - NOAA's “Estuaries 101” which focuses on topics such as: sharks, birds, plankton, invasive species and water quality and the Everglades Foundation's “Everglades Literacy” which empowers the next generation of conservation stewards by investing in teachers to drive cultural change within schools for the benefit of local and ecological communities.