Friends group hosts Winter Bay Day this Saturday

Bay Day is back.

The Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves invite everyone to attend the winter Bay Day fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. ET.

The event will be held at the Preserves Center at 3915 SR 30-A in Port St. Joe.

October Bay Day was a success with more than 250 in attendance.

The event will feature an open house of the buffer preserve center, live music, photo exhibits, raffles, boat tours, birding walks, backwoods tram tours, eagle harbor tours and an astronomy walk.

The big draw, however, is the always-popular shrimp boil which includes shrimp, corn, kielbasa sausage, potatoes, garlic bread and tea all for a $10 donation.

The donations will help the friends group fund a variety of projects to benefit the aquatic preserve and buffer preserve.

Bay Day tour schedule (all times Eastern)

The best way to “be at the right place at the right time” is to come to the Buffer Preserve Center and sign up for a trip early on Saturday or call the Preserves Center to sign up for a trip at 229-1787. All morning trips and boat trips require advance sign-up. Someone is in the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If no one is available, leave a message. Boat trips are scheduled, however they will be cancelled if there is any question of personal safety. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s, but the captains will be watching the wind.

Astronomy walk- Friday, Feb. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Buffer Preserve (only Friday tour all others Saturday)

Birding trips- walking tour along the Deal Tract and Cape San Blas (meet at deal tract): 9- 10:30 a.m. and 12- 1:30 p.m.; Cape San Blas Birding (meet at Buffer Preserve): 9- 11:30 a.m.

Buffer Preserve Tours- Backwoods and butterflies tram tour (meet at Preserves Center): 10- 11:30 a.m.; Backwoods and wildflowers tram tour (meet at Preserves Center): 12- 1:30 p.m. and 2- 3:30 p.m.

Bay Walks- Deal Tract bay walk (meet at Deal Tract): 9- 10:30 a.m.; Eagle Harbor bay walks (meet at Eagle Harbor): 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1:30- 3 p.m.

Bay Aquatic Preserve Tours- (all boat tours meet at Port St. Joe Marina) Tours begin at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:30, 2 and 2:30. All boat tours require advanced sign-up.