In celebration of World Oceans Day, Jacques Cousteau’s birthday and the new “Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” exhibit, the UGA Marine Extension Service will host FREE hands-on education programs from 10am-4pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the Marine Education Center on Skidaway Island, Savannah.

Free aquarium admission & educational activities are sponsored by NOAA’s Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

The day’s activities will focus on the issue of marine debris and how it affects Georgia’s coastal waters and the ocean. Visitors can learn more about sea jellies and participate in marine debris and sea jelly crafts, a marine debris program, a salt marsh clean-up, an aquarium treasure hunt, and ocean stories.

The new exhibit “Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” will open at 10AM with a half hour introduction to the exhibit at 11AM and highlighting the local and global importance of sea jellies and water quality.  More info here.

Activities Schedule
Marine Debris Program and Salt Marsh Clean-up: 8-10AM
Treasure Hunt (on-going): 10AM-4PM
Marine debris and sea jellies crafts (on-going): 10AM-4PM
“Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” Exhibit Opening: 11-11:30AM
Ocean Stories (15 minutes long and on the half hour): 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30

Sea turtles fascinate kids. Fortunately, we have several sea turtle walks or talks offered by various nearby museums/marine science centers including:

Evening Turtle Talks and Walks by Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Is.
8 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays starting June 5 2012 through August 2012.
Location given out at time of reservation
An evening lecture and beach walk to educate participants about the threatened loggerhead sea turtle. Presentation given to entire group, then 2 groups of 10 proceed to the beach to examine the nesting habitat and nest sites. No guarantee of turtle sightings. Adult $20/Child $15 (no children younger than 4).
Reservations are required and may be made by calling 843-689-6767 ext 223.

Evening Turtle Walks at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Is.
TURTLE WALK RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE BY CALLING (912) 635-4444
Explore the beach at night, and learn about the amazing journey of loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the Georgia Coast. These popular programs begin with a 30-45 minute presentation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center about the natural history of sea turtles, followed by a guided beach tour in search of a nesting turtle.
May 29 – July 31* (*Except July 4th) with two nightly programs at 8:30 and 9:30 P.M. Reservations are required as group size is limited by DNR permit restrictions (25 per group maximum) and programs fill quickly.
FEES
Walk Only:
$6 per person (Members)
$12 per person (Non-members**)
**Price does not include general admission into the Georgia Sea Turtle Center)
COMBO TICKETS:
$16 per person
Includes 1 day general admission to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center & 1 Turtle Walk. Turtle Walks are based on availability and reservations are required due to space limitations.
Additional Information:
* Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Due to the time and nature of these walks,  children be at least 4 years of age.
* During the Turtle Walk presentation the Sea Turtle Center’s hospital area will not be accessible. However, you are welcome to visit the Center during its normal visiting hours with a general admission purchase or combo ticket!
* Seeing a nesting turtle on the beach is not guaranteed. More info here.

Morning Nest Walks by Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island
Offered during hatching season 7-9 AM Sundays, Wednesdays, Saturdays
$6 per person (Members); $12 per person (Non-Members**).
**Price does not include general admission to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center
More info here.

Starting Sat. May 5, the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston will have a special exhibit about Madagascar, the world’s most biodiverse island. Guests can see lemurs, chameleons and colorful fish.

The exhibit, Madagascar Journey, opens for a three-year run on Saturday. It features creatures from Madagascar including ring-tailed lemurs, a Nile crocodile, giant geckos, boa constrictors stingrays and parrots. The island of Madagascar is home to 250,000 species, but today less than 15 percent of the original native forest remains due to burning and cattle grazing.

The aquarium has just completed a 15-year master plan that includes, among other things, moving its sea turtle hospital from behind the scenes to the public galleries.

South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401, (843) 720-1990 Hours
March-August Open Daily 9 AM-5PM (building closes at 6 PM); September-February Open Daily 9 AM-4 PM (building closes at 5 PM) Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and half day Dec. 24)

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in nearby Columbia, S.C. will, for the first time in Zoo history, exhibit a pair of juvenile Komodo dragons beginning this Friday, May 4.

Komodo dragons—also known as Komodo monitors—are the world’s largest living lizards. Male dragons have been known to reach lengths of 10 feet and weigh more than 200 pounds. The largest Komodo on record weighed 366 pounds.

Guests visiting the Zoo will find the young Komodos—as well as Riverbanks’ five Galapagos tortoise babies born last October—on display beginning this Friday in the Desert Gallery of the Aquarium-Reptile Complex. The dragons will reside there until they are large enough to live in a spacious outdoor exhibit.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC 29210, http://www.riverbanks.org/

With a three-day Presidents Day holiday weekend approaching, we are sharing some of our favorite daytrips to kid-friendly places you can visit in a daytrip or over the weekend. Here are our 10 favorite picks for nearby spots outside of Savannah that are well worth the trip:

1. Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Is., Ga (closed Mondays including Presidents Day Feb. 20). Hours, admission rates, directions and more details here.

2. South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston Harbor , S.C. Open on Presidents Day Feb. 20. Hours, daily events, admission rates & specials here.

3. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, Charleston, S.C. Open on Presidents Day Feb. 20. Hours, exhibits, admission rates & more details here.

4. Museum of Science & History (MOSH) & The Bryan-Gooding Planetarium, Jacksonville, Fla. Open on Presidents Day Feb. 20. Hours, daily Planetarium shows, upcoming special events, admission specials & more details here. .

5. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Jacksonville, Fla. Open on Presidents Day Feb. 20. Hours, Black History Month Discount, admission rates & more details here.

6. The Center for Wildlife Education & the Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center at Georgia Southern University Campus, Statesboro, GA. A reptile program is held on each Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Lecture Hall & a flighted raptor program is held at 3 p.m. in the Amphitheater. Admission rates, show details, directions here.  OPEN ON Presidents Day Feb. 20.

7. The Sandbox Interactive Children’s Museum, Hilton Head Is., S.C. Open on Presidents Day Feb. 20 Day. Hours, admission rates & more details here.

8. Lawton Stables, Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head. Is. S.C. OPEN on Presidents Day Feb. 20 (open everyday except Christmas) Lawton’s free animal farm includes goats, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, ponies, rabbits, a deer named Callie and a Clydesdale named Harley (who loves visitors bearing carrots and apples). Pony rides and horseback riding available for a fee. Details here.

9. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia, S.C.. Check out the new bald eagle exhibit & safari ropes challenge course. Details here.

10. EdVenture Children’s Museum, Columbia, S.C. OPEN on Presidents Day Feb. 20. Eight exhibits including EDDIE® the World’s Largest Child, plus a library, learning laboratories, resource centers & more. Two additional outdoor gallery spaces are located just outside the museum’s front doors. Within the total 92,000 square feet that is EdVenture Children’s Museum, there are more than 350 individual hands-on exhibits. Details here.

Butterfly Hollow Open March 9 – September 30

Butterfly Hollow at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will feature a lush tropical forest and meadow, flowering plants that provide the nectar for hundreds of native butterflies that may even land on you.

Enjoy fairy houses, garden art, water features and arbors. Butterfly pupae will be on display inside the exhibit, so guests can see the butterfly’s life cycle. As the season progresses, new species will be added.

Professor Wendy Perrywhistle, an expert on butterflies and the fairy world from Eldonshire, England, has posted her journal entries throughout the exhibit to help guests discover the butterflies and the important role they play in our environment. Visitors will also see evidence of gnomes and trolls that will help tell the story about butterflies and the environment they live in.

Butterfly Hollow is open from 9:30 a.m. until a half hour prior to closing each day.

Fees:
Butterfly Hollow tickets can be purchased at Main Camp ticket booths or on the board walk to the entrance of this exhibit.
•$2.00 per person for non-members
•$1.50 per member

Value Tickets including general Zoo Admission, Butterfly Hollow, Stingray Bay, Train and Carousel may be purchased online or at the Zoo’s main entrance.
•$21.95/adults
•$19.95/seniors
•$14.95/children

For more info on Jacksonville Zoo, click here.

We love Super Museum Sunday when museums & other organizations are FREE. This year, Super Museum Sunday is 12-4 PM Sunday Feb 5. The new SCAD Museum of Art will be among those local museums offering free admission this Sunday! 

From Statesboro to Darien, over 40 cultural institutions throughout coastal Georgia participate in this popular annual family event. Free and open to the public.

Click here for a list of some participating local museums, so you can plan your day and take advantage of free admissions.

Next time you head to Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens in Columbia, S.C. check out EdVenture Children’s Museum, the South’s largest children’s museum.

We haven’t gone yet but a savvy Savannah mom recommended it.

EdVenture’s mission is to create new generations of lifelong learners. Eight exhibits including EDDIE® the World’s Largest Child, plus a library, learning laboratories, resource centers & more. Two additional outdoor gallery spaces are located just outside the museum’s front doors. Within the total 92,000 square feet that is EdVenture Children’s Museum, there are more than 350 individual hands-on exhibits.

Kids can climb inside EDDIE® (Forty-feet tall sitting down) inside his brain, heart, stomach and other body structures. EDDIE® allows children to use their gross motor skills to discover what’s inside their bodies.

EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 779-3100, http://www.edventure.org, Hours, Tue – Sat: 9 AM – 5 PM, Sun Noon-5 PM, info@edventure.org On Facebook here.

Ever wonder what it’s like to hang around the trees like a siamang or see the world through the eyes of a giraffe? Brave explorers of all ages can experience the zoo from a much higher point of view with the all-new Sky-High Safari at Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia S.C..

Sky-High Safari is a 3-story (or 44-foot-tall) ropes challenge course that takes climbers along an adrenaline-pumping, heart-pounding adventure as they navigate through a series of more than 30 balance-testing obstacles—including rope ladders, bridges, nets and tight-rope style footlines.

The ropes course is designed to accommodate multiple climbers at one time. All participants are safely secured and tethered with a full-body harness and lanyard to an overhead tracking system. Children must be 48 inches tall to participate without parent supervision.

Sky-High Safari is located near Riverbanks’ African Savanna exhibit—across from Giraffe Overlook. The course will be open daily from 10am-4pm beginning Monday, January 30.

The cost to climb is $5 for Individual and Family-level members, $3 for Explorer, Patron and Gold-level members, and $7 for the general public—with paid regular admission to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

For more kids’ & annual activities at Riverbanks Zoo, click here.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC 29210 Open daily from 9am to 5pm, except on Thanksgiving & Christmas. Admission to both the Zoo and Garden: $11.75 for adults, $9.25 for children ages 3 – 12 and free for children 2 and under. Group rates and other discounts may apply. www.riverbanks.org

Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah has 3 new juvenile bobcats on exhibit. Come check out these active, playful youngsters. Oatland Island is open 362 days a year including MLK Jr. Day Mon. Jan. 16.

Oatland’s popular weekly Toddler Tuesdays programs Jan. 10 returns after holiday break. Details below.

Oatland Island Wildlife Center
Wildlife and education programs
711 Sandtown Rd.
Savannah, GA, 31410
(912) 395-1212

Admission rates & driving directions here.

Toddler Tuesdays return Jan. 10 2012 at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.
Programs at 10 AM & 11 AM Tuesdays. Pre-registration required. Call 395-1500

Toddler Tuesday Program Fees for 2011-2012:
General: $5 per child $5 per adult
Friends of Oatland Members: $5 per child, up to 2 adults FREE!

Program fee includes program and entrance to Oatland Island Wildlife Center and trails.

Toddler Tuesday Topics January 2012

January 10, 2012: Happy “Mew” Year! – Join Oatland as they welcome a new year by learning about Oatland’s feline friends the Bobcats. They may be short on tails but not on personality! During this program, the group will take a walk so be sure to bring your stroller or wagon.

January 17, 2012: Our Bushy-tailed Friends: Squirrels! – Scurry to Oatland Island to learn about those frisky, furry tailed rodents, squirrels, as we celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Day. We will sing songs, read a book, and do a squirrel painting craft. Be sure to bring your strollers as we will be taking a walk to look for squirrels along the trails.

January 24, 2012: Dragon Lizard – Welcome the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar by meeting Oatland’s resident “dragon” Dyno the broad head skink and making your own lizard dragon to take home.

January 31, 2012: A Different type of Hog – Trot on in to Oatland as we celebrate Ground Hog day learning about another kind of hog, our resident pig, Streaker. We will take her a treat and learn about our porcine friend.

Get into the Halloween spirit at Spooktacular at the Jacksonville Zoo
October 20-23, 2011 & October 27-31, 2011
Come to Jacksonville Zoo for the spooktacular Halloween celebration – safe for children. Pirates cove, Pumpkin Patch, Enchanted Forest and much more. 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Zoo closes at 10 pm.
For kids of all ages
• Pumpkin Patch
• The Fairgrounds with bounce houses and a giant inflatable slide
• Dia de los Muertos celebration in Range of the Jaguar
• The Enchanted Forest
• Wonderland Trail
• Pirates Cove
• DJ’s spinning kid-friendly Halloween music
• Special Spooktacular food menus in each of the Zoo’s two restaurants
• Hundreds of jack o’lanterns
• Select animal exhibits
• Candy stations throughout the Zoo
• Back by popular demand: Scare Zones! The Tomb, Ghostly Garden and The Forest of No Return (not recommended for children under 10)
Follow the Jacksonville Zoo on Facebook here to find out how to win free tickets to Spooktacular
Members – $8, Non-Members – $10

More info here.

If you’re planning a trip to Atlanta this fall, be sure to check out the new AT&T Dolphin Show at the Georgia Aquarium.

We took advantage of my son’s delayed pre-K start date & visited Atlanta this week. The highlight was definitely the spectacular 30-minute live dolphin show. Weekdays shows are the best to attend. We were able to sit front & center and even got splashed – happily – by the jumping & twirling dolphins. Show details & ticket info here.

There are dolphin show performances daily. Advanced reservations are recommended.

Dolphin Show tickets are extra and not included in regular aquarium admission. Tickets are on sale now here

Free kid-friendly structured activities are regularly held at the park. For a complete listing of September 2011 Free Skidaway Island State Park Kid-Friendly Events, visit our new Skidaway State Park children’s activities page by clicking here.

The park’s Interpretive Center (i.e. Nature Center) is surrounded by easy hiking trails including the 1-mile Avian Loop Trail, 1-mile Sandpiper Trail Loop, and the 3-mile Big Ferry Trail Loop.

The Interpretive Center includes a display of the Giant Ground Sloth replica (pictured here); wildlife exhibits; live reptiles including a terrapin turtle; and birding station.

Interpretive Center hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10 AM-5 PM at Skidaway Island State Park. Cost: $5 for parking.
52 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, 31411, 912-598-2300, http://www.gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC has lots of events planned for Fall 2011. Read all about them on the new Riverbanks page on SouthernMamas.com. Click here for details.

Kid-friendly events at the zoo include Animal Enrichment Day when zookeepers give animals special treats designed to encourage and stimulate natural behaviors: Boo at the Zoo, a spook-fest for costumed children 12 and younger that includes a trick-or-treat trail with candy and more; a Pumpkin Smash when the zoo’s mammals, birds, reptiles and fish enjoy their own trick-or-treats, a form of animal enrichment designed to encourage and stimulate natural behaviors; free admisison for active duty and retired military personnel on Veterans Day; Lights Before Christmas, when the Zoo shines with nearly one million twinkling lights and more than 350 handcrafted images. Take your photo with Santa, roast marshmallows at the Jingle Bell Bonfire and be sure to wear your hat – it snows nightly during the Lights Before Christmas.

Visit the SouthernMamas.com Riverbanks page here for more information.

YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES include Behind-the-Scenes Adventure Tours; Homeschool Mondays; Overnights and Night Howls; and two new 30 minute, 3-D movies:
TURTLE VISION
From the warm waters of the tropics to the icy Antarctic, join Sammy the sea turtle and his friends on an exciting journey through the ocean. Swim through colorful coral reefs and enjoy a dazzling ride on a fun-loving octopus. Dive into icy polar waters to meet a friendly whale and learn the importance of protecting our oceans.
DINOSAURS
If it weren’t for a series of cataclysmic events, a comet impact being first on the list, our planet could still be the domain of dinosaurs. Deeply rooted in science, the film will carry you back in time to witness these amazing beasts come to life. Meet the largest living animals to have ever walked the Earth; the titanesque plant-eating Argenitsaur and its nemesis the Gigantosaur, a bipedal carnivore that could easily challenge the T-rex!

Admission: $3 for one show, $5 for both, in addition to regular Zoo admission.

Visit the SouthernMamas.com Riverbanks page for more information. Details here.

The popular Toddler Tuesdays nature & science program will be back on September 6 at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

Programs at 10 AM & 11 AM Tuesdays. Pre-registration required. Call 395-1500

Toddler Tuesday Program Fees for 2011-2012: General: $5 per child $5 per adult; Friends of Oatland Members: $5 per child, up to 2 adults FREE!

Program fee includes program and entrance to Oatland Island Wildlife Center and trails.

To read the Toddler Tuesday Topics September –December 2011, click here.

The Interpretive Center ( i.e. Nature Center) at Skidaway Island State Park  in Savannah is a kid-friendly educational spot that’s often overlooked.

It’s surrounded by easy hiking trails including the 1-mile Avian Loop Trail, 1-mile Sandpiper Trail Loop, and the 3-mile Big Ferry Trail Loop. The Big Ferry Loop is also open to bicycles for those kids who don’t mind bumping over tree roots.

Cool off after your hike in the air-conditioned Interpretive Center which includes a display of the Giant Ground Sloth replica (pictured here); wildlife exhibits; live reptiles including a terrapin turtle; and birding station where right now you have a good chance of seeing Painted Buntings, which are currently nesting there.

Free kid-friendly structured activities are regularly held at the park. We’ve heard great things about the evening hikes and really want to check those out.  For a complete listing of August 2011 Free Skidaway Island State Park Kid-Friendly Events, visit our new Skidaway State Park children’s activities page by clicking here.  

Interpretive Center hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10 AM-5 PM at Skidaway Island State Park. Cost: $5 for parking.
52 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, 31411, 912-598-2300, http://www.gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland

Make plans to take the kids to see Clover the Loggerhead Sea Turtle released into the Atlantic Ocean on Tybee Is. on Aug. 4

Burton 4-H Center will welcome guests all ages to the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion to join in the celebration of Clover’s release. Thanks to a successful fundraising effort netting more than $5,000, Clover will be equipped with a state-of-the-art satellite transmitter, enabling her to be tracked throughout her journey on www.seaturtle.org. The event, which is free and open to the public, will showcase live animals for viewing and a variety of other activities.

1-3 PM Thurs. Aug. 4, 2011
Clover will be released between 2-2:30 PM at Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion, 16th and the Strand

Clover hatched from a nest on Tybee Island’s north end on Aug. 13, 2008. Experts at the Burton 4-H Center have raised Clover from a hatchling to her current weight of over 24 pounds

FREE ZOO ADMISSION: 2011 Teddy Bear Affair Special Offer at Jacksonville Zoo & Garden
Sat. May 21, 2011
Join Nemours’ Children’s Clinic at the Zoo between 10 AM and 4 PM for the annual Teddy Bear Affair. Children age 12 and under who bring their teddy bears or other stuffed animal on that day will receive free admission to the Zoo. “Injured” teddy bears will receive special treatment by Nemours’ skilled staff along with Build-A-Bear, who will be assisting with the teddy bear check-ups. There will be animal encounters, prize drawings, and visits from Jazoo, the Zoo mascot and his mascot friends. More info here.

DISCOUNT ADMISSION: Memorial Day Special Offer at Jacksonville Zoo & Garden
May 28–30 2011
Get $2 off the already discounted military adult, senior, and child General Admission tickets when active or retired military ID is shown on May 28, 29, or 30 2011 Not valid with any additional discount or offer including Zoo Value Ticket. More info here.

FREE ADMISSION: Toucan Tuesdays: Bring 2 Cans, Get into the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, S.C. for the Price of 1
Begins Tues. June 7. Two can visit Riverbanks on Tuesdays in Summer 2011 for the price of one with a donation of two cans of non-perishable food to Harvest Hope.
Riverbanks visitors generated more than 5,000 pounds of food during last year’s Toucan Tuesdays drive, and those donations fed approximately 3,400 people. On Toucan Tuesdays, Riverbanks will also offer $2 ICEEs and 2-for-1 specials in the Elephant’s Trunk Gift Shop
Toucan Tuesdays will run for 13 consecutive Tuesdays throughout the summer, ending on August 30. The promotion applies to general admission rates only (purchase one admission and get the second for equal or lesser value free; Explorer wristbands and memberships are not included). Donation bins will be located at both the Zoo and Garden entrances. More information here.

FREE PASSES TO ZOO ATLANTA

Live Oak Public Libraries cardholders can obtain Zoo Atlanta Family Passes at any of the 18 library branches in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. The pass is valid for two adults and up to two children. Just check out a Zoo Atlanta DVD and return it to receive a Zoo Atlanta Family Pass. One Zoo Atlanta Family Pass is available for checkout for one week at each participating library branch. The pass is not valid for fee-based events or programs and may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Standard general admission will apply to families with additional children; children must be accompanied by an adult. The partnership between Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Public Library Service allows adults with valid library cards access to the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass at any participating public library branch throughout the state of Georgia. For more info on Live Oak Public Libraries or to find a branch near you, click here.

Schools out for Spring Break.

Here are 10 kid-friendly places in Savannah and surrounding areas (Statesboro, Hilton Head Is., Jacksonville, Jekyll Is.) to visit during Spring Break 2011. Click here.

Live Oak Public Libraries cardholders can now obtain Zoo Atlanta Family Passes at any of the 18 library branches in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. The pass is valid for two adults and up to two children.

Just check out a Zoo Atlanta DVD and return it to receive a Zoo Atlanta Family Pass.

One Zoo Atlanta Family Pass is available for checkout for one week at each participating library branch. The pass is not valid for fee-based events or programs and may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Standard general admission will apply to families with additional children; children must be accompanied by an adult.

The partnership between Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Public Library Service allows adults with valid library cards access to the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass at any participating public library branch throughout the state of Georgia. For more info on Live Oak Public Libraries or to find a branch near you, click here.

Add this to your list of fun and educational things-to-do with kids in the Savannah area: Take a Tybee Island Beach Ecology Trip led by marine scientist/biologist Dr. Joe Richardson.

A trip to the beach isn’t complete without your kids asking you a barrage of questions about the shells, tides and animals. Wouldn’t it be ideal to have a marine biologist along to give them some answers and make your next beach trip a valuable experience discovering and learning? Take one of Dr. Joe’s beach ecology trips. School groups from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida regularly ask Dr. Joe to lead their Tybee Island beach trips. Read a list of activities and topics the beach ecology walk covers by clicking here.

There are still some available dates and times between now and mid-summer, but contact Joe soon as he is already booking many family, scout, school and tour group trips for the next few months. Call (912) 596-5362 or email  joe@ceasurf.com to set up a beach walk.

For updates regarding what Dr. Joe is finding and doing on his ecology beach walks, check out (and “like”) the “Tybee Beach Ecology Trips” FACEBOOK page by clicking here.
Cost varies depending on group size and with age. Special family rates and small group rates are available. Read more by clicking here. 

Tybee Beach Ecology Trips is a SouthernMamas sponsor.

Pre-registration is available now for the popular Mommy and Me Thursday morning program at the newly renovated University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island

The program will start in March after being on hiatus during the renovation of the aquarium, which reopens with two fun public events Feb. 25-26. Registration is for FOUR Weeks March 3-March 24, 2011. The class will be Thursdays only 9- 9:45 AM and is limited to 20 children (ages 1-4). Pre-registration is required. Closed-toed, closedheel shoes are required for both kids and participating adults. Meet at the Aquarium entrance at 8:50 a.m.  The program begins promptly at 9 AM.

PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED

Cost for Aquarium Season Pass Holders

1 class: $8/”Mommy and Me” pair ($4/extra child)

5 Classes, 15 percent discount: $28/“Mommy and Me” pair ($12/extra child)

Cost for Non-Aquarium Season Pass Holders

1 Class: $10/“Mommy and Me” pair ($5/extra child)

5 Classes, 15 percent discount: $35/“Mommy and Me” pair ($15/extra child)

 UGA’s Marine Education Center and Aquarium , 30 Ocean Science Circle, Skidaway Island, 912-598-2496, email fish@uga.edu.

The newly renovated University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island will reopen later this month.
The Grand Re-Opening for the public – called a Night with the Fish – will be 6-8 PM Fri. Feb. 25, 2011.
Bring your family out to enjoy the newly renovated Aquarium, located just outside Savannah. The public program includes: marine presentations (children’s activities provided), refreshments, and viewing of the renovated aquarium. Cost: $10/person (ages 1-2 are free), and will be booked on a first come-first served basis. From 6 PM-7 PM, there will be 3 short 15 minute educational lectures. At 7 PM, the aquarium will be open for your viewing pleasure. To RSVP for this event, contact Karin Paquin (Assistant Curator) at 912-598-2356 or email kpaquin@uga.edu.

On Sat. Feb. 26, 2011 from 10 AM – 1 PM, the UGA Aquarium will run 30 minute “Behind-the-Scenes” educational tours for the public. Cost will be an additional $5/person on top of the general admission fee. General Admission fees are $4/adult, $2/child (3-12), senior, and military with active ID, and Free for children age 1-2. These tours will be on a first come-first served basis. You cannot pre-register for the Saturday event.