Aug. 8 | Saturday | 4 - 5 p.m. | Free Program

S. Stanley Malever Nature Park | 1600 SE 30th Ave.

Discover Florida’s turtles and tortoises in this fun, family-friendly ranger program! Learn how to tell them apart, explore their role in local ecosystems, and meet some species that call our parks home. Enjoy interactive activities, real-life examples, and tips on how you can help protect these amazing creatures.

Aug. 21 & 22 | Friday & Saturday | Free Program

Various Locations, see bottom.

The census is designed for citizens of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama of all ages to participate.  Encourages school groups, gardeners, families and individuals to be a part of the project. You do not need to be an entomologist to partake; our host sites will provide the papers and pencils and instruction guides; we just ask 15 minutes for recording observations (or more if you are willing!). Observations can also be made at your home or after-hours, all as long as the data sheets are returned or emailed back to our city co-reps! All participants will receive a certificate and chance to win a pollinator plant.

Pollinator watch party locations:

Fort King National Historic Landmark | 3925 E Fort King St. 
Aug. 21 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Aug. 22 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Discovery Center | 701 NE Sanchez Ave. | Aug. 22 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Admission into the Discovery Center is not required to attend the watch party. The watch party will take place outside next to the building.

Wetland Recharge Park | 2105 NW 21 St. | Aug. 21 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Resources for Educators
August Plants Blooming
Landscape Plan for Pollinator Garden

Scott Springs Park | 2825 SW 24th Ave | Sept. 11| Friday | 11 a.m. - Noon

Enjoy hands-on environmental education and family-friendly recreation, where participants build and decorate a birdhouse that supports local wildlife and provides an accessible, memorable outdoor experience.

Sept. 19 | Saturday | All Ages | Free Program

Tuscawilla Park | 800 NE Sanchez Ave.

Click here to register your group. 

In partnership with volunteer organizations and individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Thanks to millions of volunteers around the world, the ICC has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action in support of our ocean. Since its beginning, more than 18 million volunteers have collected more than 380 million pounds of trash. Trash travels, so even picking up litter off a city sidewalk can help protect wildlife and communities that depend on clean waterways.

Ocala is the most central location on the map of Florida. Help us pick up items around Tuscawilla and Art Park to collect data of which items are most common and join in with volunteers all over the world!

People should register ahead of time with the organization and number in their group to secure a hat! Items will be available, but it helps if you can bring your own: bucket, gloves, pickers, clipboards, phone to download the CleanSwell App, and plenty of friends!

S. Stanley Malever Nature Park | 1600 SE 30th Ave. | Oct. 23 | Friday |11a.m. - Noon

Enjoy hands-on environmental education and family-friendly recreation, where participants build and decorate a birdhouse that supports local wildlife and provides an accessible, memorable outdoor experience.

Nov. 13 | Friday | 5 - 6:30 p.m. |Free program for all ages
Heritage Nature Conservancy | 2005 NE Third St.

Celebrate Friday the 13th with a fun bat and owl night filled with stories, sunset views, and myth‑busting about our tiny but mighty flyers.