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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Ranger-led Programs for the
Summer

 

Fort Pickens Area

The Fort Pickens Area is open daily 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fort Pickens Visitor Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. March through October and 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. November through February.  Ranger guided tours daily at 2:00 p.m.  May 22 through September 6, Ranger guided tours are daily at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Tours are 30-45 minutes.

Stargazing with the Escambia Amateur Astronomers’ Association
Weather permitting, meet at Battery Worth Picnic Area on Fridays,  August 6, and September 10, sunset to 10:00 p.m.

Campfire Program at Historic Fort Pickens
Enjoy stories about the National Park Service and the National Seashore.  Meet inside historic Fort Pickens.  Bring a lawn chair.  Fridays, June 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & August 13.  8:00 pm-9:00 pm

Full Moon Walks
Wednesday, September 22—6:30 pm
Friday, October 22— 6:00 pm

Enjoy the full moon on the beach while learning about the importance of dark skies to the park’s endangered sea turtles.  Meet at Langdon Beach, Gulf Side.  (1 Hour)

Barrier Island Experience
Thursdays and Saturdays,
June 17-August 14—8:00 am

Meet at Battery Worth Picnic Area.  Discover the significant island habitats on this short ranger-led walk.  (1 Hour)

The Treasure of the Gulf Coast
Fort Pickens Auditorium,

The Public Broadcasting production about Gulf Islands National Seashore at
Sundays, June 6—July 4, August 1, 8, Mondays June 7—August 9— 3:30 p.m. Thurs, June 10—August 12—12:30 pm
(1 Hour)

Island Treasures
At Langdon Beach, Fort Pickens Area, Mondays, June 7—August 9—10:00 am
Fri & Sat from June 11-Aug 14—2:00 pm
(1 Hour)

Gulf Islands Almanac
Ft. Pickens Auditorium
Tues June 15, July 6-Aug 10—10:00 am
Fri, June 11—August 13—3:30 pm

Discover the seasonal climate changes of the national seashore (1 Hour)

Sunset at the Seashore
Discover amazing facts and folklore about our closest star and how it affects life on earth at Battery Payne, Mondays, June 7-August 9—7:00 pm—Sunset.

Sunset Beach Walk
Saturdays, June 12-August 14—7:30 pm
Join a park ranger for a 1.5 mile walk around west end of Santa Rosa Island to Pensacola Pass.

Meet at Battery Payne.  (1 Hour)

Battery Cooper Tour
Tuesdays, June 15, July 6—Aug 10
3:30 pm  (1 Hour)

Battery Observation Tower
Open for public viewing
Wednesday June 9, 16, July 7—Aug 11
10:00 am to 11:00 a.m.

Battery Worth Tour
Fridays—July 9—Aug 13—10:00 am
Bring a flashlight.  (1 Hour)

Fort McRee
Ft. Pickens Auditorium
Wednesdays July 7—Aug 11—3:30 pm
(1 Hour)

Pensacola Prisoners
Ft. Pickens Auditorium
Sat June 12—August 14—3:30 pm
Discover the stories of the prisoners once held at historic Ft. Pickens including Civil War prisoners and the Chiricahua Apaches.  (1 Hour)

What in the World?
Saturdays, July 3, July 17-31
6:00 pm—8:00 pm/
Watch for the park ranger in the Fort Pickens Campground to see what washed in for the day.

Sixteenth Century Shipwrecks of Pensacola Bay
Fort Pickens Auditorium

Thursdays, July 1 & 22 at 6:00 pm
(1 Hour)

 

Children’s Programs

Children’s Discovery
All ages welcome

Tuesdays—June 8—Aug 10—9:00 am
(except July 20)
Meet at Battery Worth Picnic Area, Fort Pickens Area.  (1 Hour)

Sea Star Day Camps—Ages 3-5
Thurs, June 17—July 29—10:00 am at various locations.  (1 Hour)  Reservations required.  Call Ranger Beckie Breeding Mims at (850) 934-2631 for information and reservations

Junior Ranger Day Camps—Ages 6-8
Fri, June 11-July 30—9:00am—12:00 pm at various locations.  Reservations required.  Call Ranger Beckie Breeding Mims at (850) 934-2631 for information and reservations

Junior Ranger Day Camps—Ages 9-11
Wednesdays & Saturdays—June 9-July 31—9:00 am—12:00 pm at various locations.  Reservations required.  Call Ranger Amanda Carrigan Grissom at (850) 916-3001 for information and reservations.

Junior Ranger Celebration—All Ages
Saturday, August 7—7:00 pm at the parade ground inside historic Fort Pickens.  (1 Hour)

 

Fort Barrancas Area

Located on board Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fort Barrancas Visitor Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. March through October and 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. November through February.  Fort Barrancas ranger guided tours, daily at 2:00 p.m. (30 – 45 minutes) May 22—September 6, Ranger guided tours are Sunday-Friday at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm and Saturday at 2:00 pm  Advanced Redoubt ranger guided tours, Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. (30 – 45 minutes)

Naval Live Oaks Area

Located in Gulf Breeze.  Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center is open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Orientation program , “Stories of Survival,” is available on request. Call 934-2600 for more information.

Civil War in Pensacola
Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center Auditorium

Mondays, Wed & Fridays June 7—August 13—10:00 am.  (45 minutes)

Presidential Perspective of the National Seashore
Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center Auditorium

Saturdays and Sundays—June 6-August 14—2:00 pm (45 minutes)

Living on the Edge
Naval Live Oaks Picnic Area

Sundays -  June 20—August 8—1:00 pm
Mondays—June 21—August 9—2:00 pm

Discover the significance of the underwater world of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.  (45 minutes)

94th Anniversary Celebration of the National Park Service
Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center Auditorium

Friday, August 25—5:30 pm

Encore presentation of the Public Broadcastine production of “Gulf Islands National Seashore:  The
Treasure of the Gulf Coast” (1 hour)

 

Perdido Key Area
Island Treasures

Beachcombers program at the Rosamond Johnson Beach
Tuesdays, June 15—August 10—2:00 pm

Meet at the Ranger Station.  (1 Hour)

 

Community Events

Audubon Birding fieldtrips: Join local birding field trips at the National Seashore and local community.  For a current schedule of field trips, go to the Audubon website at www.fmwaudubon.org.  Select the current issue of The Skimmer Newsletter.

Superintendent Eubanks encourages Everyone to enjoy the National Seashore and join us for our ranger-led activities. Ranger-led
activities are free and subject to change.  Call Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center at (850) 934-2600 for updated information or visit our website at www.nps.gov/guis.

Navarre Beach Wins Restoration Award

 

NAVARRE BEACH - May 27, 2010—A local beach has been named one of America's best restored beaches.

Navarre Beach was recently named one of America's best restored beaches.  Almost 3-million cubic yards of sand placed here.  The project was designed to restore a protective buffer along four miles of shoreline that was damaged by past storms.

Darryl Slye, who works at Sandy Bottoms Specialty Shop says the award sheds a positive light on the area... “We attract tourists from all over the country. A lot of people from the east coast all the way to the west coast they tell you when they come in that they didn't realize that the beaches were like this and they will continue to come back."

The award is based on storm protection, habitat restoration and recreation.  Corpus Christi, Texas also received the honor.

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Gulf Islands National Seashore              1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway              Gulf Breeze, FL 32563              850-934-2600 Florida              228-875-9057 Mississippi

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release                                                                                                    Contact: Steamer Lawhead

June 30, 2010                                                                                                                                          850-934-2629

            
Gulf Islands National Seashore Announces Sixteen Century Shipwrecks

Gulf Islands National Seashore Acting Superintendent Dan Brown announced that a program,  “Sixteen Century

Shipwrecks of Pensacola Bay,” will be presented at the Fort Pickens Auditorium on Thursday, July 1 and July 22 at 6:00

p.m. The public is invited to join an archaeologist with the University of West Florida and Florida Public Archaeology

Network for this presentation on two shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay from Tristan de Luna’s 1559 fleet.  “This illustrated

program will describe the exciting story that covers the history and archaeology of these shipwrecks,” said Brown.

Acting Superintendent Brown encourages everyone to visit the Seashore to join us for the program on  Sixteenth Century

Shipwrecks  The program is free, but there is a $8.00 entrance fee to Fort Pickens Area. For additional information about

this program or other programs offered at the Seashore, call the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center at (850) 934-2600 or visit

our website at www.nps.gov/guis.