Carlton Reserve 2

CARLTON RESERVE

T. MABRY CARLTON, JR. MEMORIAL RESERVE, 1800 Mabry Carlton Parkway, Venice

Also features: exceptional backcountry wilderness reserve with more than 100 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

ACTIVITIES

BIRDING DIVERSITY VIA A CAR TOUR

Dec. 8 and March 10 / Ages: 14 and up / Fee: Free / Meet in the main parking lot / Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Calling all birding enthusiasts! Join Sarasota County volunteer and experienced birder Nancy Edmondson as she leads you on a birding nature journey. For beginning birders to experts, the journey consists of a carpool trek into the Carlton backcountry with stops along the way to locate and identify birds. Perfect for persons with limited mobility. Wear sturdy walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, bug spray and bring binoculars, field bird guide and your camera. For details and to register, visit scgov.net/parks or call 311.

EVENTS

FIRE FEST

Jan. 28 / All ages / Fee: Free / Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fire Fest is a fun family event that takes a look at how prescribed burns protect our communities and property from wildfires and maintains Florida’s natural ecosystems for present and future generations. Do you ever wonder why you see all those smoke columns across the horizon? Agencies from around the state come together to talk fire. Enjoy live fire demonstrations, helicopter bucket drops and nature tours. Kids will have a blast on the SWAT obstacle course, and will enjoy fun games and face painting in the KidZone. For more information, visit scgov.net or call 311.

Fire Fest