Special Events for Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

• MATTIE KELLEY CHOCTAWHATCHEE ESTUARY FESTIVAL
  Date: Sunday, June 1st from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  Description: The Department of Environmental Protection’s Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, the Friends of Emerald Coast State Parks, Inc. and the Mattie Kelley Environmental Institute will host the 1st Annual Choctawhatchee Estuary Symposium. This event will encompass a one day community event on Sunday, June 1st. The goal for this event is to facilitate community interest and involvement in our local watershed's environment. The event will consist of family-geared activities such as, fish printing on T-shirts and crab races, as well as more informative displays and lectures, such as, a historic look at the Choctawhatchee River and Bay and a habitat restoration project of the Okaloosa Darter, a locally threaten fish. Other displays will focus on local snakes, Red Tide, Sturgeon population and drinking water nitrate testing. Rocky Bayou presents an ideal setting to also include several guided botany and bird watching nature walks along the hiking trails. Additionally, guided kayak tours and lead seining exercises, for kids to examine local fish, will be offered at the shore.
  Fees: Park entrance fee waived for event participants
  Contact: (850) 650-5928