MEDIA ADVISORY: Sept. 18, 2014

CONTACT: Renee Wilson, 239-530-5958

ECOTOUR-PROVIDER TRAINING SERIES WRAPS UP AT ROOKERY BAY 

NAPLES – Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is hosting the final installment of its Ecotour-Provider Training Series, “Stewardship Best Management Practices: Wildlife Rules and Ethics,” on Sept. 30.

This class promotes sustainable tourism practices by providing guides, naturalists and tour operators with information, tips and tools to minimize environmental impacts. It also imparts skills to provide more positive and scientifically accurate tour experiences. 

Join Rookery Bay Reserve for case studies, lessons learned and the information needed to conduct business in harmony with coastal wildlife while in compliance with laws and ethics. Bryan Fluech, Collier County Sea Grant agent, will discuss dolphin-human interactions. Joanna Fitzgerald, director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital, will share stories of wildlife-human interactions and how to prevent injury. Law enforcement officers with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be on hand to answer questions and clarify the laws and rules governing wildlife interactions. Registration is required. To register online, click here.

WHAT:           Ecotour-Provider Training

WHEN:           Tuesday, Sept. 30

                        2-5 p.m.

WHERE:         Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

                        300 Tower Road

                        Naples, Florida 34113

About the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Rookery Bay Reserve was established in 1978 as a partnership between the state of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve is one of 28 research reserves operating across the nation. DEP’s Florida Coastal Office manages Rookery Bay Reserve along with 41 aquatic preserves, two other National Estuarine Research Reserves and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Florida Coastal Office’s programs and activities are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the state’s resources through research, education and conservation.  For more information about the reserve, please visit www.rookerybay.org.  For more information on DEP’s Florida Coastal Office, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal. 

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLDEP/bulletins/cfe8d7